The Ministry of Environment will supply ultrapure water produced with domestic technology to an actual semiconductor manufacturing process for the first time. It is evaluated as having secured a foundation for supply chain independence for ultrapure water, which is a key process water for semiconductors.
The Ministry of Environment announced on the 18th that it will hold a ceremony at the SK Siltron workplace in Gumi, Gyeongsangbuk-do, on the 19th for the technology transfer of ultrapure water demonstration facilities, which is an achievement of the 'High-Purity Industrial Water (Ultrapure Water) Production Localization Technology Development Project.'
Ultrapure water is water from which impurities have been removed to an extremely trace level and is a key process water used for cleaning semiconductor wafers, and it is an essential baseline resource across precision high-tech industries such as displays, solar panels, secondary batteries, and bio. However, it requires the highest difficulty water treatment technology that must manage ion concentration below 1 ppt (one-trillionth) and dissolved oxygen concentration below 1 ppb (one-billionth).
Meanwhile, Japanese companies such as Kurita and Nomura have virtually monopolized the global market for ultrapure water production technology. As the Japanese government excluded South Korea from the whitelist (preferential export nations) following export restrictions on semiconductor materials in 2019, the South Korean government has been promoting the localization project since 2021. The ultrapure water demonstration facility, where domestic technology was applied to the entire process of design, construction, and operation, was installed at the Gumi workplace of SK Siltron, the demanding source, to demonstrate its performance.
In particular, domestic devices and materials developed by domestic companies and institutions were heavily applied to the core processes of ultrapure water.
The UV oxidation device developed by Ecoset and Clu was deployed in the organic matter removal process, and the degassing membrane technology of Sepratek was applied to the dissolved oxygen removal process. In addition, domestic ion exchange resins were utilized in the ion removal and water quality advancement processes. The integrated technology for design, construction, and operation of the demonstration facility was jointly carried out by Korea Water Resources Corporation, Hansung Cleantech, Jinsung E&C, and SK Ecoplant, and they verified long-term operation performance by building a demonstration plant with a capacity of 2,400 cubic meters per day. The Korea Testing Laboratory prepared a performance verification system for ultrapure water quality and semiconductor wastewater reuse, and the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology also parallelly developed technology to secure raw water based on semiconductor wastewater reuse.
The ultrapure water produced through the technology transfer will be supplied to the wafer production process for semiconductors at SK Siltron's Gumi workplace. This is the first case in which ultrapure water based on domestic technology is deployed to an actual semiconductor manufacturing site. It is meaningful in that it has laid the foundation for domestic water companies to secure field track records and enter the ultrapure water market. It is expected to strengthen the supply chain stability in the ultrapure water field, which has previously relied on foreign technology, and contribute to the technological competitiveness of domestic water companies and the expansion of the industrial ecosystem.
The Ministry of Environment plans to promote the localization of all processes for ultrapure water production in the future, as well as the development of raw water diversification technology through sewage reuse-based ultrapure water production. The blueprint is to respond to the shortage of industrial water caused by the climate crisis and build a stable water supply system for high-tech industries.
“This technology transfer is a significant achievement that goes beyond the localization of ultrapure water technology and leads to actual industrial site application,” said Kim Ji-young, director general for water use policy at the Ministry of Environment. “Large-scale investments in high-tech industries such as semiconductors will lead to the development of the domestic water industry including ultrapure water,” Kim said.
