en.Wedoany.com Reported - SK Hynix's first fab at the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster in South Korea has entered the installation phase for cleanrooms and process utility systems. TEMC CNS has begun delivering and installing the central chemical supply system at the facility, signaling a shift in project focus from the main building structure to the clean production environment, process media delivery, and equipment operation support. The first cleanroom is scheduled to open in February 2027, approximately three months earlier than previously planned.
The central chemical supply system is a critical infrastructure component for wafer fabs, responsible for safely delivering high-purity chemicals from centralized storage areas to production equipment for etching, cleaning, deposition, and other processes. This installation includes systems for inorganic and organic bulk chemicals, valve distribution boxes, and a chemical management system that monitors storage, distribution, and operational status. Only after these facilities are operational can stable media supply conditions be established for subsequent wafer fab equipment arrival, connection, and process debugging.
The project contract awarded to TEMC CNS is valued at 25.25 billion KRW. Unlike standard plant piping, semiconductor chemical supply systems must meet requirements for high purity, leak prevention, contamination control, and continuous operation. Delivery pipelines, valves, monitoring devices, and equipment interfaces must all be installed and tested before the cleanroom becomes operational. Therefore, the start of central chemical system construction marks a key milestone in transitioning the fab from the civil engineering phase to the production facility construction phase.
SK Hynix's Yongin Phase 1 fab will consist of two main structures and six cleanrooms. The company has decided to invest an additional 21.6081 trillion KRW to build cleanrooms and production facilities, bringing the total construction cost for the first fab to approximately 31 trillion KRW. SK Hynix stated that the additional investment will be used to complete the building structure and construct clean production spaces from Phase 2 through Phase 6, establishing a manufacturing foundation ready for subsequent equipment installation and capacity expansion.
The Yongin Semiconductor Cluster, located in Wonsam-myeon, Yongin City, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, covers a planned area of approximately 4.15 million square meters. It will ultimately house four advanced semiconductor fabs and attract materials, components, and equipment companies to form a supporting industrial zone. Once completed, the first fab will serve as a key production base for SK Hynix's next-generation DRAM and AI memory products. Subsequent steps will include cleanroom interior finishing, construction of ultrapure water and specialty gas systems, manufacturing equipment arrival, and full line debugging.
The opening of the first cleanroom does not immediately mean the fab will achieve full mass production capability. After the clean production area is completed, manufacturing equipment for lithography, thin-film deposition, etching, cleaning, and inspection must be moved in batches, followed by pipeline connections, single-tool qualification, and process integration. The current installation of the central chemical supply system indicates that the Yongin Phase 1 fab has entered the infrastructure completion stage before receiving semiconductor production equipment.
Under the current construction schedule, SK Hynix is compressing the timeline for the Yongin Phase 1 project to secure advanced memory chip production space earlier. The company has not yet disclosed the specific arrival dates for the first batch of equipment, monthly wafer capacity, or the official mass production timeline.
