SK Hynix Holds Industry-Academia Research Project Excellent Invention Awards..."Research for Semiconductor Advancement Will Continue"

SK Hynix announced on October 2 that it held the 13th Industry-Academia Research Project Excellent Invention Awards Ceremony at its Icheon campus on October 1.

SK Hynix held the 13th Industry-Academia Research Project Excellent Invention Awards Ceremony on the 1st at its headquarters in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province. From the left: SK Hynix Vice President Chae Heesuk (Legal/Patent), Cha Seonyong, Head of the Future Technology Research Institute (CTO), Professor Kim Wonhwa of Pohang University of Science and Technology, Professor Kim Youngjin of Korea University, Professor Lee Taeyoon of Yonsei University, Professor Choi Donggu of Pohang University of Science and Technology, Researcher Jo Hansem of Korea University (accepting on behalf of Professor Kim Seongbeom of Korea University), SK Hynix Vice President Kim Jaebeom (R&D Strategy), and Vice President Kim Yeonsu (Patent). SK Hynix Newsroom Photo by XXX

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The awards ceremony was attended by the winners, as well as Cha Seonyong, Head of the Future Technology Research Institute (CTO) at SK Hynix, Vice President Kim Jaebeom (R&D Strategy), Vice President Chae Heeseok (Legal/Patent), and Vice President Kim Yeonsu (Patent).

The Industry-Academia Research Project Excellent Invention Awards Ceremony is an event that recognizes and encourages inventions with significant industrial impact, selected from research achievements accumulated jointly by academia and industry. It has been held annually since 2013 to boost the morale of researchers participating in industry-academia projects and to promote the development of creative patents.

This year, a rigorous review was conducted on 27 industry-academia patents filed in 2024. Based on a comprehensive evaluation of technological merit and patentability, a total of five awards were given: one Grand Prize, one Excellence Award, and three Encouragement Awards.

The Grand Prize was awarded to Professor Kim Youngjin of Korea University for his patent related to a semiconductor process wastewater treatment system. Wastewater generated during semiconductor manufacturing contains a high concentration of persistent organic compound TMAH, which is highly toxic and difficult to treat, making it a major environmental challenge for the semiconductor industry. This patent was highly praised for presenting a solution that not only treats this substance safely but also enables the byproducts to be reused as resources, demonstrating technological originality and differentiation, as well as offering positive effects from an ESG perspective.

Professor Kim stated, "I am pleased that my patent for a process wastewater treatment system has been recognized as beneficial to the semiconductor industry," adding, "I hope that environmentally friendly technologies centered around SK Hynix will continue to advance in the future."

The Excellence Award went to Professor Kim Wonhwa of Pohang University of Science and Technology for his patent on a neural network-based soldering inspection device and method. This invention utilizes a neural network algorithm to automatically detect soldering defects, significantly reducing inspection time and minimizing quality variation due to operator proficiency, which earned it high marks. The Encouragement Awards were given to Professor Lee Taeyoon of Yonsei University, Professor Choi Donggu of Pohang University of Science and Technology, and Professor Kim Seongbeom of Korea University.

Cha Seonyong, Head of the Future Technology Research Institute, congratulated the winners, stating, "The research achievements accumulated through the joint efforts of academia and industry ultimately lead to enhanced competitiveness in semiconductor technology. We will continue to actively support challenging and innovative research in close collaboration with academia so that it can contribute to industry and society as a whole."

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