• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.26 no.7
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• pp.77-92
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• 2022

Purpose - This paper is an empirical investigation of the mediation effect of innovation activity in industry transformation considering the relationship between the semiconductor industry and high-quality economic development. The research questions are whether the semiconductor industry drives high-quality economic development and if so, what is the semiconductor industry's role in high-quality development? We found that the semiconductor industry has clearly improved the quality of economic development, and its comparative advantage has significantly increased per capita national incomes. Furthermore, innovation activity proved to be an intermediary factor for the semiconductor industry to promote high-quality economic development. The world economy should aim to reasonably develop the international semiconductor industry and cultivate innovation markets. Design/methodology - Our empirical model considers the relationship between the semiconductor industry, innovation activity, and high-quality economic development. We constructed an analysis framework based on data from 199 World Bank economies between 1995 and 2019, and we used a mediation effect method to calculate the total effect of the semiconductor industry on promoting high-quality economic development, the indirect effect of the semiconductor industry on promoting innovation activity, and the mediation effect of these innovation activities on the promotion of high-quality economic development. Findings - The results show that the semiconductor industry has significantly promoted high-quality economic development. This is true even after the robustness test of grouping and alternative variables was applied. An analysis of the mechanism shows that promoting patents, scientific research, efficient government, and urban management innovation are important mechanisms for the semiconductor industry to release high-quality development dividends. Originality/value - Although it has been shown that specific industries like semiconductors can affect high-quality economic development through industrial upgrading, few researchers have attempted to empirically test the impact of the semiconductor industry on high-quality economic development. In this paper, we use a mediation effect model, alternative variables and a grouping test to find the internal mechanisms of the comparative advantage of the semiconductor industry in high-quality economic development from the perspective of innovation activity.

• Journal of Korea Society of Digital Industry and Information Management
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.1-12
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• 2015

This research analyzes the current state of the semiconductor industry delivering the prediction for the future development of the semiconductor industry along with some semiconductor memory's responsive strategies. In the 2014, top 10 semiconductor companies were targeted and studied its growth based on its profitability and growth indications in perspective during three years. The system semiconductor industry with the increase in Hyper-scale customers, proactive actions in the technology consortium, is polarizing caused by increased R&D expense to ensure process scaling limits and high performance, and some results have shown: PC and Mobile slowdown and growth recession phenomenon due to IoT's unclear direction. The leading company is to secure new growth engines through 'Acquiring'. While as the subordinated companies following this consecutive survival through the 'Acquired', the future of system semiconductor industry is to strengthen the market dominance and its techniques by concentrating on the reorganization of the market by few large companies. Accordingly, the semiconductor memory industry is expected to reach the limit of its expansion to domain of system semiconductor, and it is highly suggesting the need of the 'Memory Life Extension' growth strategy.

• The Magazine of the IEIE
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• v.35 no.7
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• pp.57-71
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• 2008

The last decade has witnessed great improvements in power semiconductor devices thanks to the advanced design and process, which have made it possible to significantly improve the electrical performances of electronic systems while simultaneously reducing their site, weight and perhaps most importantly reducing their cost. Among the power semiconductor devices, IGBT will be a key semiconductor component for power industry since it has a huge potential to cover large areas of power electronics from small home appliances to heavy industries. Currently, only a few limited power semiconductor manufacturers supply most of the industrial consumptions of power IGBT and its modules. Therefore, a large portion of technology in the power industry is dependent on other advanced countries. In this regard, to independently build power IGBT devices and the relevant power module technology, Korean government initiated a new 5-year project 'Power IT,' which also aimed at booming the business of the power semiconductor and the allied industries. With the success of this power IT project, it is expected that the power semiconductor technology will be a basis to foster the high power semiconductor industry and moreover, there will be more innovative developments in the Korea region and globally Also, forming the channel between the customers and suppliers, it is possible to effectively develop the customized power products, which could strengthen the competitiveness of Korean power industry. Furthermore, the power industry including semiconductor manufacturers will be technologically self-supporting and be able to obtain good business opportunities, and eventually increase the share in the growing power semiconductor market, which could be positioned as a major industry in Korea.

• Electronics and Telecommunications Trends
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.25-35
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• 2023

As the global semiconductor supply chain falters, major countries are pushing to increase their self-sufficiency in semiconductors. In accordance with these global changes, R&D cooperation is evolving in the semiconductor industry. Previously, as for the case of Interuniversity Microelectronics Center (IMEC) in Europe, many cooperation initiatives were established regardless of nationality for improving productivity through measures such as reducing the time and cost required for joint research. Recently, however, cooperation aimed at strengthening one's own industry has been prominent, such as that led by Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute (TSRI) and the United States National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC). Hence, the Korean semiconductor industry also needs to respond. Internally, technology localization should be promoted by strengthening the foundation for domestic R&D cooperation, while externally, it should expand close cooperation with companies from countries leading the semiconductor industry, such as the United States, Europe, and Japan.

• Journal of Korea Society of Digital Industry and Information Management
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.71-85
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• 2014

This study proposes the future strategy of semiconductor companies corresponding to the growth of cloud computing. Cloud computing is the delivery of IT resources such as hardware and software as a service rather than a product, and it is expected to significantly change the IT market. By employing the scenario planning method, this study develops a total of eight scenario cases, and presents the three possible scenarios including the best market, the worst market, and the neutral market scenario. This study suggests the future strategy of semiconductor companies based on the best market scenario (increasing firms' IT expenditure, increasing the complexity and performance of devices, the frequent replacement of devices). The suggested future strategy of semiconductor includes that the semiconductor companies need to strengthen their price competitiveness, secure the next generation technologies, and develop the better capability for market prediction with the growth of cloud computing. This study will help semiconductor companies set up the strategy direction of technology development, and understand the connections between cloud computing and the memory semiconductor industry. This study has practical implications for semiconductor industry to prepare for the future of cloud computing.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.15-24
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• 2016

In the semiconductor industry, the risk of chemical accidents due to miscibility between the many types of chemicals and leakage of toxic chemicals has increased. In order to evaluate the reactivity with miscibility of chemicals, experimental method is the most reliable, but there is a time and cost limitations to be evaluated through experiment all the chemicals. In the study, the reactivity of process gases in the semiconductor industry was considered by the CRW (Chemical Reactivity Worksheets) 3.0 program developed by US NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and EPA. The reactivity informations with the miscibility of process gases for semiconductor industry provided, and also a KOSHA guide for the storage/separation of gas cylinders in dispensing cabinets in the semiconductor industry was proposed.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.32-41
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• 2012

Objectives: Information of chemical in electronics industry has not been known enough, although workers' health hazards by chemicals in this industry have been regarded serious. The who always contribute to reveal and control the health hazards and risks in electronics industry have not been the industry but the occupational or environmental victims and grassroot organizations. The similar phenomena can be observed in Korea. Methods: The experiences of individual workers on the occuapational safety and health in semiconductor factory were heard separately and integrated with related literatures. Results:: The first part of this article is largely based on the memories and experiences of individual workers of semiconductor factories, mainly from S semiconductor. Common features of those experiences can be a good resource for detail understanding of the workplace, especially under the situation without any transparent disclosure of information by the governments or the companies. The second part of this article deals with several factors to be considered for control of exposure in workplace; characteristics of workplace and workforce, types of chemicals used, and the way of using the chemicals. Then the current social issues on work-relatedness of cancers of S semiconductor workers are presented briefly. Conclusions: As a conclusion, current OSH situations and issues in Korean electronics industry raise the need of changes in OSH culture. General adaptation of precautionary principle, internalization of costs, and extended responsibility of producers are needed urgently. The OSH professionals both in public and private sectors should support these agendas under their social obligation to protect workers' health.

• Journal of Korean Institute of Industrial Engineers
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.572-578
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• 2015

Yield prediction is one of the most important issues in semiconductor manufacturing. Especially, for a fast-changing environment of the semiconductor industry, accurate and reliable prediction techniques are required. In this study, we propose a prediction model to predict wafer yield based on virtual metrology process parameters in semiconductor manufacturing. The proposed prediction model addresses imbalance problems frequently encountered in semiconductor processes so as to construct reliable prediction model. The effectiveness and applicability of the proposed procedure was demonstrated through a real data from a leading semiconductor industry in South Korea.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.13-23
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• 2006

The present study has investigated the patterns and the causes of safety -accidents on the accident-data in semiconductor Industries through near miss report the cases in the advanced companies. The ratio of incomplete actions to incomplete state was 4 to 6 as the cases of accidents in semiconductor industries in the respect of Human-ware, Hard- ware, Environment-ware and System-ware. The ratio of Human to machine in the attributes of semiconductor accident was 4 to 1. The study also investigated correlation among the system related to production, accident, losses and time. In semiconductor industry, we found that pattern of safety-accident analysis is organized potential, interaction, complexity, medium. Therefore, this study find out that semiconductor model consists of organization, individual, task, machine, environment and system.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.32-38
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• 2010

Laser material processing technology is adopted in several industry as alternative process which could overcome weakness and problems of present adopted process, especially semiconductor and display industry. In semiconductor industry, laser photo lithography is doing at front-end level, and cutting, drilling, and marking technology for both wafer and EMC mold package is adopted. Laser cleaning and de-flashing are new rising technology. There are 3 kinds of main display industry which use laser technology - TFT LCD, AMOLED, Touch screen. Laser glass cutting, laser marking, laser direct patterning, laser annealing, laser repairing, laser frit sealing are major application in display industry.