Full-Scale Development of 'Advanced Semiconductor Testbed' within Yongin Semiconductor Cluster Begins

Government, Yongin City, Gyeonggi Province, and SK Hynix Jointly Invest 1 Trillion Won
Yongin Mayor Lee Sang-il "Expanding Ecosystem and Strengthening SoBuJang Competitiveness"

An 'Advanced Semiconductor Testbed' for materials, parts, and equipment companies will be established in the 'Yongin Semiconductor Cluster General Industrial Complex' located in Wonsam-myeon, Cheoin-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, where SK Hynix's semiconductor production line (fab) is being constructed.

Yongin City announced on the 6th that it will officially start the 'Advanced Semiconductor Testbed (Mini Fab)' construction project this year, with a joint investment of approximately 1 trillion KRW by the government, Yongin City, Gyeonggi Province, and SK Hynix to enhance the technological competitiveness of semiconductor materials, parts, and equipment companies.

A bird's-eye view of the 'Yongin Semiconductor Cluster General Industrial Complex,' where an advanced semiconductor testbed for materials, parts, and equipment companies will be established. Provided by Yongin City

The mini fab is a facility equipped with about 40 state-of-the-art process and measurement devices based on 12-inch wafers in an environment identical to mass production fabs, where materials, parts, and equipment companies can verify the mass production reliability of their developed products together with semiconductor chip manufacturers.

This mini fab, to be constructed within the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster, will be named the 'Trinity Fab,' symbolizing the trinity of the government, local governments, SK Hynix, and semiconductor materials, parts, and equipment companies working together to strengthen industrial competitiveness.

Previously, in November last year, the National Research and Development Project Evaluation Committee approved the preliminary feasibility study for the mini fab construction project in the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster. At that time, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced plans to develop it into a representative model of coexistence and innovation linking semiconductor demand companies with small and medium-sized enterprises and mid-sized companies.

To pass the preliminary feasibility study for this project, the city declared in December 2023 that it would share the project cost up to 40 billion KRW with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

The city expects that the mini fab construction project will also be accelerated alongside the groundbreaking of SK Hynix's first fab in the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster in March. Once the preliminary feasibility study report is released, the city plans to establish detailed project cost-sharing plans and reflect them in the budget proposal for the second half of the year.

Lee Sang-il, Mayor of Yongin City, said, "Once the newly installed 'Trinity Fab' is operational, the technological capabilities of domestic semiconductor materials, parts, and equipment companies will greatly improve, and the industrial ecosystem will expand. We will actively cooperate with the government, SK Hynix, and others to ensure the successful promotion of this project."