HK Materials, a domestic nitrogen monoxide (NO) specialized company, is actively supplying semiconductor specialty gases to domestic semiconductor companies and overseas companies such as Taiwan's TSMC based on its competitiveness in NO synthesis, the first in Korea, and is contributing to the development of the domestic semiconductor specialty gas industry.

HK Materials, which our newspaper recently visited, was busy producing special gases for semiconductors due to the increased demand for semiconductors despite the COVID-19 situation.

HK Materials' main product is nitrogen monoxide (NO) for semiconductors. It was the first company in Korea to build NO synthesis facilities and has an integrated process from synthesis to purification.

In addition, it has price competitiveness through cost reduction through many years of know-how.

NO, a special gas for semiconductors, is a gas that contributes to the formation of a nitrogen oxide film in the annealing (heat treatment) process using NO gas during the semiconductor manufacturing process.

It has the advantage of forming a nitrogen oxide film at low temperatures, thereby improving oxidation uniformity and improving leakage current characteristics.

HK Materials is We supply NO to major domestic semiconductor companies and Taiwan's TSMC, and sales are expected to increase in the future due to the increase in semiconductor demand and expansion of major semiconductor industries, as well as the increase in the use of special gases such as NO.

Accordingly, it was previously supplied as a 47ℓ cylinder, but recently Y-cylinder testing is in progress for mass supply for semiconductor use.

In addition to NO, they also produce 10% Germane (10%GeH4), which is said to have excellent quality due to refining.

In addition, the company has established a stable supply chain for hydrogen fluoride (HF), which has become an issue in the recent trade dispute with Japan, and has secured competitiveness above all else by installing hydrogen fluoride analysis equipment in the plant.

Kim Sung-joong, Executive Director of HK Materials, said, “We will contribute to the growth of the company by expanding sales of NO and GeH4 and supply to overseas markets in the future, and by expanding our business through investment in new items, we will contribute to the localization and strengthening of our capabilities in ultra-high purity specialty gases for semiconductors.”