Officials from Samsung Electronics and EO Technics look at a semiconductor laser equipment, jointly developed by the two companies.

A little more than a year has passed since Japan imposed curbs on raw materials, parts and equipment exports to Korea. Samsung Electronics’ efforts to jointly develop substances and equipment with SMEs in the semiconductor sector has begun to bear fruit.

It was in September 2011 that Samsung Electronics proposed to collaborate with EO Technics about semiconductor deposition equipment, one of the pre-chip-making processes.

The collaboration has paid off in the eight years since the project was launched.

A consultative body comprising of engineers from Samsung Electronics and EO Technics has held a weekly meeting to solve technical problems one by one.

The equipment, produced by the two companies’ joint efforts, has been put to G3 10-nano DRAM production lines, which have begun mass production late last year.

On June 25, Samsung Electronics revealed a new vision, declaring “K-chip Era.” It is designed to raise the competitiveness of Corporate Korea by increasing the cooperative companies’ competitive edge in semiconductors.

The move may be construed as Samsung Electronics’ scheme to spread shared growth to the whole of the Korean semiconductor ecosystem.

There is no shortage of shared growth and collaboration efforts with SMEs.

They include SoulBrain developing high selectivity phosphoric acid, a semiconductor substance, for the first time in the world, and Cinos’ developing a ceramic power essential for enhancing the efficiency of semiconductor etching process in cooperation with Samsung Electronics.

Samsung Electronics plans to expand joint development with its cooperative companies dramatically, departing from an irregular format of collaboration.

The target is to localize semiconductor equipment and substances for which Korea now depends on foreign imports. Samsung Electronics plans to transfer expertise on semiconductor production and strengthen consulting services to its cooperative companies.

Twenty-four cooperative companies have already requested management consultation, and Samsung Electronics will provide support to them ranging from development and production to personnel, marketing and information protection, a Samsung Electronics official said.

The declaration of K-chip era was initiated by Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jay-yong. It is designed to help Samsung Electronics cope with a crisis of the semiconductor industry and build a sustainable growth.

Samsung Electronics plays a leading role in the scheme. Vice Chairman Lee stressed shared growth in April when he participated in a ceremony to declare a vision of nurturing the system semiconductor industry.

The declaration of a “K-chip era” may be construed as Samsung Electronics’ stressing the need to enhance the competitiveness of the Korean raw materials, parts and equipment industries so that Korea may not be harmed by Japan’s imposing export curbs.

The semiconductor ecosystem is not the sole area in which Samsung Electronics is interested in promoting shared growth.

Last October, Samsung Electronics launched a 10 billion won system semiconductor shared growth fund it raised in cooperation with the central government.

The fund is designed to provide support to explore promising fabless companies and design houses.

Samsung Electronics is aggressively promoting collaboration with academic circles. The company donated semiconductor process equipment and device layer equipment to Korea Polytechnics.

A view of 3,600 photovoltaic power panels with a combined capacity of 1,500KW installed at a parking facility of Samsung Electronics’ Giheung Campus in Gyeonggi-do. (Photos: Samsung Electronics)