The Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) will build a large-scale power semiconductor infrastructure worth a total of 28.2 billion won in Gimhae, Gyeongsangnam-do, and will provide full-cycle support from technology development to commercialization for related companies.

A joint team of the Korea Electric Power Research Institute, Gyeongsangnam-do, Busan Metropolitan City, Gimhae City, Gyeongnam Technopark, Busan Technopark, and Dong-eui University Industry-Academic Cooperation Group, which has joined forces to foster and develop the power semiconductor industry in the southeastern region, was selected on the 18th as a target for the '2023 Industrial Innovation Base Construction Project' sponsored by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

This project aims to directly and indirectly support domestic companies' technology development and commercialization efforts by establishing a "full-cycle demonstration support infrastructure" for the next-generation, high-efficiency power semiconductor industry based on compound semiconductors. The project period runs from July of this year to December 2027 (four years and six months), with a total project cost of approximately KRW 28.2 billion (KRW 10 billion from the national government, KRW 18.2 billion from local governments and in-kind funds).

Power semiconductors are essential industrial components that are essential wherever power is needed. They control the direction of current and power conversion, acting like muscles in the human body. As the era of 'electrification', in which electricity is central to most aspects of daily life, accelerates, the importance of power semiconductors is also increasing.

Among these, compound power semiconductors are composed of two or more elemental compounds. They offer superior power efficiency and durability compared to single-material power semiconductors like silicon (Si), with silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductors being a prime example. The global competition for dominance in the compound power semiconductor market, which is projected to grow at an average annual rate of 7% through 2030, is fierce.

Although Korea's Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) succeeded in domestically producing SiC power semiconductors, Korea still relies on imports for most of its compound power semiconductor demand, due to countries like Europe and Japan, which have secured advanced technologies and patents. To address this, the government announced a total of KRW 138.4 billion in funding for research and development (R&D) over the next five years, with the goal of establishing Korea as a leading player in compound power semiconductors. As part of this effort, a Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) public offering project will be launched.

With this project selection, the "Next-Generation Power Semiconductor Total Solution Center" will be built in Hallim-myeon, Gimhae-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, with a site area of 3,300㎡ and a building area of 2,640㎡, with completion targeted for 2025. The related equipment, valued at KRW 8.77 billion and comprising 24 types of equipment across eight fields, will provide integrated technical support across the entire power semiconductor lifecycle (materials/wafer -> design/chip -> module/package -> reliability certification -> verification).

In particular, Gyeongnam and Busan are expected to see even greater ripple effects as they are home to the largest upstream and downstream demand industries for power semiconductors in the country, including aerospace, shipbuilding and marine plants, railway equipment, home appliances, and automobile parts. As a power semiconductor cluster in the southeastern region of the country, the center will enhance corporate accessibility and workability for the development of the power semiconductor industry. It will also contribute to technological advancement through customized support for users and enhance product competitiveness through improved reliability. Furthermore, it aims to create 166 jobs by fostering specialized power semiconductor professionals and strengthening networking between industry, academia, and research.

Gyeongnam Province's Deputy Governor for Economic Affairs Kim Byeong-gyu, who spearheaded the business attraction effort, expressed his gratitude by saying, "A semiconductor-related base has finally been established in Gyeongnam Province," and "By establishing a total solution center, we will share the role of K-semiconductors centered in the metropolitan area and lead industrial innovation in the southeastern region."

KERI President Kim Nam-gyun said, “We will strive to foster the next-generation, high-efficiency power semiconductor industry, which is at the core of the electrification era, so that KERI can become an ‘anchor institution’ that invigorates the local economy.”

Meanwhile, KERI is a government-funded research institute under the National Research Council of Science and Technology (NRST) of the Ministry of Science and ICT. In the power semiconductor field, KERI holds over 120 intellectual property rights and has achieved technology transfers worth over KRW 3 billion over the past decade, boasting a leading position in Korea.