SK Materials 與日本 Furukawa Electric 簽署半導體材料合作備忘錄

Song Chang-rok, president of SK ecoplant Materials (left), and Shozo Yano, head of the AT and Functional Plastics Division in Furukawa Electric’s Information Components business (right). (Photo: SK ecoplant Materials)

SK ecoplant Materials (SK Materials) said on Oct. 28 that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Japan’s Furukawa Electric Co. to cooperate on semiconductor materials for artificial intelligence (AI) data centers.

Furukawa Electric offers a diverse range of products across optical solutions, information components, energy infrastructure, automotive electronics systems and metal solutions, based on four core technologies: metals, polymers, photonics and high-frequency technology.

The two companies will combine their technological capabilities, focusing on advanced materials for semiconductors and AI data centers. Furukawa Electric will develop new products for semiconductor and data center applications, while SK Materials will evaluate the new materials and expand their adoption in the South Korean market.

The companies plan to establish a working group for regular technical exchanges and business discussions. They will also jointly assess potential applications for various materials based on customer demand. The collaboration aims to address increasingly stringent performance and reliability requirements for materials used in packaging, thermal management, insulation and communications infrastructure.

“As the AI and semiconductor industries grow rapidly, materials have become a key factor supporting customers’ technological innovation and product competitiveness, going beyond simple supply,” said Song Chang-rok, president of SK Materials. “Starting with this agreement, the two companies will work closely together to proactively respond to customer needs and establish a collaboration model that delivers business results.”

“Requirements for materials and materials technologies in the semiconductor market have become more sophisticated every year,” said Shozo Yano, head of the AT and Functional Plastics Division in Furukawa Electric’s Information Components business. “As it becomes increasingly difficult for materials manufacturers to meet these requirements independently, we plan to improve the feasibility of addressing these challenges through collaboration.”