JKM Completes 'Sejong Campus' to Respond to AI Memory Market Including 'HBM' and 'HBF'

JKM has established an advanced production base in the Sejong region to strengthen the supply chain for AI semiconductor materials.

On March 13, JKM announced the completion of its Sejong Campus and its official entry into expanding the global supply system for AI semiconductor materials. The company held a completion ceremony the previous day at its newly built plant in Jeonui-myeon, Sejong Special Self-Governing City, with representatives from Hanul Materials Science and Hanul Semiconductor also in attendance.

The new Sejong Campus, an advanced production base built with a total investment of 75 billion won, consists of eight buildings. JKM described this as a strategic investment to address increasing semiconductor demand driven by the proliferation of generative artificial intelligence (AI), and to reinforce a stable supply of high-performance materials and localized technical support systems.

Recently, the growth of the generative AI industry has led to rapidly rising demand for not only high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for AI training, but also high-bandwidth flash (HBF) memory, which is used for inference. Major domestic chipmakers are also accelerating their response to the AI semiconductor market by expanding semiconductor production lines, particularly around the mega clusters in Pyeongtaek and Yongin.

In addition, as fabrication processes become more refined, securing ultra-high-purity materials—which determine the yield and quality of high-performance chips—has become increasingly important. JKM plans to use the Sejong Campus as a hub to strengthen its competitiveness in semiconductor photolithography materials.

Currently, the company is pursuing development and business collaborations across all key photolithography materials, including photoresist (PR), bottom anti-reflective coating (BARC), and hard mask materials. In particular, JKM is expanding technology verification by conducting quality assessments with global clients in Greater China. Based on its expertise in synthesis, purification, and quality analysis, JKM aims to begin mass production of core photolithography materials within this year.

Additionally, through the Sejong Campus, the company is simultaneously working on localization of key raw materials and enhancement of material performance. This approach is designed to establish a stable material supply system and provide tailored technical support to clients, even amid global supply chain uncertainties.

JKM also plans to leverage its proximity to major semiconductor production hubs such as Pyeongtaek and Yongin to operate a rapid supply system that aligns with clients' production schedules.

A JKM representative stated, "In the AI era, the competitiveness of semiconductors lies in the quality of materials and the ability to supply them reliably. Based on the Sejong Campus, we will expand mass production of photolithography materials and continue to strengthen cooperation with global clients."

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