Ion-exchange resin (Samyang Group)
South Korean petrochemical companies are rapidly shifting into the high-value semiconductor materials market amid a semiconductor boom.
According to industry and brokerage sources on Sunday, the country’s petrochemical firms are accelerating their business restructuring around materials directly used in semiconductor manufacturing processes.
Hantok Chemicals Co., a 50–50 joint venture between Lotte Chemical Corp. and Japan’s Tokuyama Corp., for example, produces tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH), a key material essential for forming fine circuit patterns.
It has been operating based on its production facility in Ulsan, a southeastern city in Korea, and is currently building a new plant of about 32,000 square meters in Poseung, Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, with an investment of 130 billion won ($88.04 million) to meet rising demand.
The facility is scheduled for completion by the end of this year, with growth expected from capacity expansion starting next year.
Other chemical companies are following a similar trajectory.
OCI Co. is shifting its business focus from polysilicon and basic chemicals toward semiconductor electronic materials.
It is pursuing profitability improvements by focusing on key process materials such as semiconductor-grade polysilicon, phosphoric acid, and high-purity hydrogen peroxide.
Polysilicon is a core raw material for semiconductor wafers, phosphoric acid is used in etching processes, and hydrogen peroxide is essential in cleaning processes.
OCI is also pushing for business efficiency by merging with its hydrogen peroxide production subsidiary, while securing overseas investment resources through its Malaysian subsidiary.
In addition, through a joint venture with Tokuyama, it is expanding its semiconductor polysilicon business with a target of commercial production by 2029.
Samyang Group has likewise identified semiconductor materials as a key growth pillar.
It is strengthening its competitiveness in areas such as homogeneous ion-exchange resins and photoresist materials.
Ion-exchange resins are functional materials that selectively remove impurity ions from water and are essential for producing ultrapure water (UPW) used in semiconductor processes.
Its affiliate, Samyang NC Chem Corp., produces polymer materials and photoacid generators for semiconductor photoresists.
With an annual production capacity of 240 tons of photoresist polymers and 20 tons of photoacid generators, it is the largest in Korea.
The company is expanding its product portfolio through continuous research and development (R&D) to include krypton fluoride (KrF) materials for NAND, argon fluoride (ArF) materials for DRAM, and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) materials.
LG Chem Ltd. is also developing photosensitive insulating materials, a key component in semiconductor packaging.
Leveraging its film technology accumulated in the display and electronic materials sectors, it has completed development and is moving toward commercialization through collaboration with global semiconductor companies.
Analysts view the entry of chemical companies into semiconductor materials not merely as a business expansion but as a structural transformation.
They say the shift aims to move away from general-purpose petrochemicals, which are highly vulnerable to market volatility, and improve profitability by focusing on advanced, high-value materials.
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