Merck links new Korean molybdenum facility with local precursor delivery systems
Merck has announced a molybdenum precursor production facility at Eumseong in South Korea, alongside delivery systems manufactured at its Ansan site. Its 21 October statement scheduled the opening ceremony for the following day and set out a local supply chain covering both the chemical and the equipment used to deliver it to deposition tools.
The material is molybdenum dioxide dichloride, MoO₂Cl₂, used in chemical vapour deposition and atomic layer deposition. Merck pairs it with CHEMKEEPER delivery technology, including its CK Vapor system. Delivery is part of the process problem: the tool needs a repeatable chemical supply as well as a suitable molecule. In ALD, successive surface reactions build the film through repeated cycles, making controlled exposure important to coverage within deep features.
Merck identifies resistance and step coverage as requirements driving the move towards molybdenum. It names 3D NAND as an application, with DRAM wordlines and logic devices among the future opportunities. Eumseong will provide local supply and technical support, including material qualification, while the Ansan operation supplies the delivery systems. The Eumseong site already produces high dielectric constant ALD precursors and employs approximately 100 people.
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Image: Wafer removal from semiconductor processing equipment. Illustrative image, not Merck’s facility. Purdue Engineering. Image source. CC BY 4.0.
