SK Hynix's success in neon recycling technology is expected to reduce the cost of purchasing neon and greenhouse gas emissions, and stabilize the supply and demand of neon.

SK Hynix announced on the 1st that it has developed neon (Ne) gas recycling technology in collaboration with TEMC.

This is an achievement made in just over a year of developing recycling technology.

Neon is a major component of excimer laser gas, which is essential for semiconductor exposure processes.

Neon has the characteristic of not being chemically decomposed or deformed when used as a laser light source, so neon that has been used once can be recycled simply by separation and purification, such as removing impurities.

SK Hynix took note of this and collected the neon gas emitted into the air through a scrubber after the exposure process into a collection tank, and selectively separated and purified only the neon through TEMC's gas treatment process.

Neon purified in this way is then supplied to SK Hynix and used in the semiconductor manufacturing process.

The current neon recovery rate stands at 72.7%. SK Hynix plans to continuously improve the purification yield in the future to increase the neon recovery rate to 77%.

If neon recycling technology is applied to semiconductor fabs, it is expected that annual neon purchase costs will be reduced by KRW 40 billion.

In addition, this technology is expected to have the effect of reducing greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 3) during the neon production process by approximately 12,000 tCO2e/yr.

The Material Recycling Division of the SK Hynix Carbon Management Committee, which led the development of neon recycling technology, aims to ultimately recycle all materials that are not chemically decomposed or transformed in the semiconductor process.

The division plans to develop recycling technologies for a total of 10 raw materials, including four gaseous materials, including neon, deuterium (D2), hydrogen (H2), and helium (He), and chemical materials, including sulfuric acid (H2SO4), by 2025.

The company's goal is to complete a technology review of all materials without chemical modification by 2030.