[Editor's Note]
In the global measuring instrument market, there is a product that our country is leading in the world. It is the atomic force microscope (AFM), and Park Systems is the main character. Park Systems was founded by Park Sang-il, CEO of Park Systems, who was a key researcher in the laboratory of Professor Calvin F. Quate at Stanford University, who first developed the atomic force microscope in the world. Park Systems has been recognized by leading universities and research institutes at home and abroad, as well as global semiconductor companies, and has built unrivaled technology and brand awareness in the field of atomic force microscopes. Recently, Executive Director Sang-jun Cho received the 'Science and Technology Medal' at the '2021 Science and Information Communication Day' ceremony, and was recognized for his contribution to creating a breakthrough in the domestic analytical measuring equipment industry. As a domestic nano-measurement expert, Executive Director Sang-jun Cho has established a national technology development roadmap, and is also active as the international chairman of the atomic force microscope division of ISO, contributing to the development of industrial technology in our country by applying atomic force microscope technology to various industries. Accordingly, our magazine met with Sangjun Cho, managing director of Park Systems, to discuss the atomic force microscope and measuring instrument industry.





“It is difficult to find a domestic small and medium-sized company that has established its own global sales network with its own brand and supplies first-class products to advanced countries. Park Systems is creating a brand that is the best in the world in the field of atomic force microscopes. We will definitely achieve the dream of ‘Korea’ when it comes to atomic force microscopes.”

Sang-Jun Cho, Managing Director of Park Systems, whom we recently met at the Park Systems office, expressed confidence that Park Systems' atomic force microscope technology is the best in the world.

Managing Director Cho Sang-jun said, “Our customers are widely distributed across both industry and academia. More than 90% of the world’s leading semiconductor companies, including S, I, and T, use our products, and they are also used in various fields such as bio, new materials, and electrical and electronics. Our main customers are the world’s leading universities, such as Harvard, Stanford, and Berkeley.”

The measuring instrument business is a business of advanced countries, and advanced measuring instrument companies in the US, Japan, Germany, etc. account for more than 60% of the global market. In particular, since advanced products require accurate measurements, the government has designated the measuring instrument industry as a core industry and is actively fostering and protecting it.

For example, in the case of Japan, although it was proud of being a technological powerhouse in the early 2000s, it considered using measuring instruments from other countries a national crisis and actively fostered the measuring instrument industry, such as electron microscopes, as a national task. Additionally, when measuring instrument companies were experiencing difficulties, the government supported them by purchasing products from government agencies to help them overcome the crisis.

The measuring instrument field is a typical field where companies that have dominated the existing market continue to maintain their market share. If the measurement is wrong, not only can the research results be wrong, but problems can also occur in the production of the final product, so when purchasing equipment, demanders have no choice but to purchase equipment with high reliability, and they only consistently purchase the best products.

Accordingly, the world's most advanced measuring instrument companies have maintained their positions for decades, and although the rankings of some companies have changed slightly, it is rare for new companies to enter the market or disappear.

Meanwhile, Park Systems is taking full steps toward becoming the world's best based on its unrivaled technological prowess in the field of atomic force microscopy.

Even as civilizations changed and the world changed from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age to the Iron Age, the same thing remained: tool warfare. What differentiates humans from animals is the use of tools, and in the paradigm of scientific development, humans have to use advanced scientific tools to perceive new aspects of things, and when curiosity arises, science has developed as humans conduct research to satisfy their curiosity.

Atomic force microscopes allow humans to see things that cannot be seen with electron microscopes or optical microscopes. This is why atomic force microscopes are called the key to opening the world of nanotechnology.

Atomic force microscopes have no environmental restrictions compared to electron microscopes, and while existing technologies maximize vision, atomic force microscopes maximize tactile sensation using a probe, allowing us to perceive new properties of objects.

In the industrial world, there is a discipline called 'tribology' that studies surface interactions, and the roughness dealt with in this discipline is very important and can be an indicator of product performance. Atomic force microscopes are the core equipment for tribology research. In addition, atomic force microscopes are versatile equipment that can measure electrical properties of various materials, including superconductors, such as minute currents, capacitances, and voltages, at the nanometer scale, or even measure magnetic properties and thermal conductivity by magnetizing the probe.

Managing Director Jo Sang-jun said that although Park Systems has the longest history and the most advanced technology in the field of atomic force microscopes, there were times when it was ignored even domestically due to being overshadowed by foreign brands regardless of its performance.

Managing Director Cho Sang-jun said, “The government has developed cutting-edge measuring equipment with taxpayers’ money through R&D, but most of the time, the first purchases are made overseas. In some ways, this cutting-edge measuring equipment creates new research fields and, in the industry, is a weapon that creates world-first solutions. However, it is regrettable that time has been wasted in Korea because it has been ignored due to its name value. It is especially regrettable when domestic national research institutes import foreign-made atomic force microscopes at high prices and are unable to use them because they do not receive proper training and service.”

However, now, Park Systems products are increasingly being introduced by leading semiconductor companies and research institutes such as universities in Korea, and the company is growing into a world-class, no. 1 atomic force microscope brand, and orders for Park Systems products are increasing in various industries at home and abroad.

Now, Park Systems is preparing for the next level of challenge by being the first in the world to integrate and develop cutting-edge technologies into atomic force microscopy technology as our technology begins to be applied across a wide range of industries.

As one of the results, the FX40 was released on June 25. This product is a new-generation research atomic force microscope with enhanced user convenience and stability, including innovative robotics technology, machine learning-based software, and collision avoidance functions. All measurement preparation steps are automated, allowing users to focus on their research without the burden of using professional equipment.

Managing Director Cho Sang-jun said, “Measuring equipment is a comprehensive art and a cutting-edge weapon for our country’s industry. It is a cutting-edge asset for our country’s industrial development that starts with precision processing and comprehensively applies precision machinery, software, and various electronic sensors. We have been accustomed to the fast follower strategy of catching up with advanced countries, and even when products that are superior to those of advanced countries are developed in latecomer fields such as research equipment, we have not been able to utilize them properly due to insufficient systems and experience. If you think that cutting-edge measuring equipment is a cutting-edge weapon, I sincerely hope that Korean companies and researchers will use Park Systems’ atomic force microscopes before overseas companies and researchers to greatly enhance their cutting-edge research results and create products that lead innovation.”