[Interview] Merck Germany Senior Vice President: "Samsung and Hynix Play Key Roles in AI Era... Will Contribute Together"

"As we enter the era of artificial intelligence (AI), memory bottlenecks are emerging. Korean companies have made significant contributions in the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) sector, so expectations are high. More memory will be needed in the future, and we believe we can contribute together with (Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix) in this area."

Anand Nambiar, Senior Vice President of Merck (Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of the Electronics Division), who visited Korea to attend SEMICON Korea, said in an interview with Asia Economy on the 2nd that there will be many areas for cooperation within the domestic semiconductor industry ecosystem.

Anand Nambiar, Senior Vice President of Merck (Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of the Electronics Division), interviewed by Asia Economy on the 2nd /

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Merck is a German semiconductor materials company that provides all the materials and substances needed for major semiconductor manufacturing processes. It has particular strengths in materials and specialty gases used in semiconductor planarization, patterning, and thin film processes.

Senior Vice President Nambiar is a key figure who oversees the broadest range of business among Merck officials visiting Korea for this event. He also delivered the keynote speech at this year’s SEMICON Korea event.

Regarding recent trends in the semiconductor industry, he pointed to new demands and corresponding technological changes in the AI era. As AI is realized in various devices, many technological changes are being requested in the semiconductor field, and accordingly, several challenges are emerging in terms of materials and equipment.

He said, "Development continues for 3-nanometer, 2-nanometer, and even 1.5-nanometer technologies, and these technological advances will support AI servers needed by future generations. AI is being integrated into smartphones, PCs, and edge AI (on-device AI) is gradually spreading, so we are preparing intensely to meet these demands."

He added, "Since the power consumption in data centers is very high, for the industry to develop further, technologies that can minimize power consumption must emerge. Developing and providing specialty gases and new materials to reduce pollution generated during the manufacturing of a single chip is also one of our key focuses."

Korea is an important market for Merck. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, which hold over 60% of the global memory market share, are key customers. In 2021, Merck announced plans to invest 3 billion euros globally over the next five years, with 20% of that, 600 million euros, to be invested domestically. In 2022, Merck also acquired M-Chemical (formerly the chemical division of Mecaro), which produces high-k dielectric precursors, a semiconductor material.

Senior Vice President Nambiar said, "We collaborate not only with Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix but also with various Korean materials, parts, and equipment (SoBuJang) companies. M-Chemical was a partner of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix before being acquired by Merck, and it has since become part of a multinational company with global influence. We will continue to cooperate extensively with Korean SoBuJang companies."

Merck expects the semiconductor industry to enter another era by 2030. In line with rapidly changing technological trends, Merck plans to secure additional investment beyond the previously announced domestic investment and grow its business by collaborating with domestic clients and SoBuJang companies.

At a press conference held that day, Senior Vice President Nambiar said, "By 2030, another round of investment will be necessary. That is how we believe we can meet the needs of Korean customers." He added, "We plan to evaluate how much investment will be needed this year and next year for future investments. Since our customers continue to invest in fabs, we will invest in step with them."

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