Successful Localization of 2D LiDAR Sensors for Semiconductor Wafer Transfer Equipment

Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials Jointly Develops with Sensor Specialist Company SOS Lab

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] A Korean research team has succeeded in domesticating a 2D LiDAR sensor mounted on semiconductor wafer transfer equipment.

The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials announced on the 17th that, through collaborative research with LiDAR sensor specialist company SOS Lab and demand company SEMES, they succeeded in enhancing the performance of domestically produced 2D LiDAR sensors and securing technology capable of mass production.

LiDAR sensors continuously emit millions of laser beams per second and measure distances based on the time it takes for the beams to return to the sensor, enabling three-dimensional recognition of the surrounding environment. They are essential core components for autonomous driving.

In particular, semiconductor production lines apply an autonomous driving system called OHT (Overhead Hoist Transport), which transports wafers along rails installed on the ceiling without human intervention. Each OHT requires 2 to 4 LiDAR sensors, and until now, all have been dependent on imported products from Germany, Japan, and other countries.

Senior Researcher Ha Chang-wan and his team at the AI Machinery Research Division of the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials, in cooperation with related specialized companies, developed customized products perfectly suited for actual semiconductor production sites and conducted performance evaluations with demand companies to maximize reliability in field applications.

By optimizing the product for mass production and improving optical alignment, they enhanced the core performance of the LiDAR sensor, including measurement resolution and accuracy. They also automated the calibration and performance evaluation stages, which were previously done manually after product assembly, thereby securing mass production technology for large-scale manufacturing.

With this successful domestication, it is expected to replace imports of approximately 4,000 2D LiDAR sensors annually used for semiconductor wafer transfer equipment. In the future, it can be applied to the development of various LiDAR sensors and utilized in autonomous driving of automobiles, smart mobility, and smart infrastructure implementation.

Senior Researcher Ha said, “It is even more meaningful that government-funded research institutes, domestic companies, and demand companies actively cooperated to domesticate products that were dependent on foreign products,” adding, “We expect to protect the domestic semiconductor ecosystem more stably against external environmental changes such as Japan’s strengthened export regulations.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.