Korea Nano Technology Industry Association - Selected as an Outstanding Nano Company > Notice

■ Please introduce SMT.

Founded in 2014, SMT. is a specialized materials company that develops and manufactures functional gaskets used in semiconductor plasma process equipment. Its main products include thermally conductive gaskets and EMI (electromagnetic interference) shielding RF gaskets, covering the entire value chain from raw materials to finished gasket products.

SMT supplies its products to leading global semiconductor manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, TSMC, and YMTC, as well as major semiconductor equipment makers including TEL, SEMES, and AMEC. The company’s core competitiveness lies in applying nanotechnology, such as nanoscale ceramic and carbon fillers and multilayer thin-film nano-structure design to achieve high thermal conductivity and EMI shielding performance required in advanced semiconductor processes.

■ What are the key products currently under development and the commercialization plan?

As semiconductor technologies such as 3D NAND and HBM continue to scale to over 400 layers, dry etching equipment is operating at significantly higher power levels and under extreme conditions, including cryogenic temperatures and highly corrosive HF-based gases. These trends have created strong demand for high-performance, high-reliability gasket materials.

In response, SMT is developing next-generation electrode gaskets with thermal conductivity exceeding 20 W/mK, enhanced corrosion resistance, and improved electrical properties. The company is applying nano-structured core–shell fillers and advanced phenyl- and fluorine-based polymer composites to ensure reliability under extreme process environments. Material development is scheduled to be completed within the year, with customer qualification and full commercialization targeted for the first half of 2026.

■ Based on your commercialization experience, what government support or regulatory improvements are needed for successful commercialization?

Although the semiconductor industry accounts for more than 20% of South Korea’s total exports and is increasingly recognized as a matter of national security, smaller companies in the semiconductor materials and components sector face limitations in accessing critical information, skilled manpower, and industrial support.

Government support policies tend to focus on large-scale items such as photoresists, etching gases, and silicon wafers, while functional components like gaskets receive relatively limited attention despite their growing importance to process yield and equipment performance. SMT believes that stronger government support is needed in areas such as R&D funding, talent development, information sharing between suppliers and customers, and investment linkage to ensure timely development and localization of critical components.

■ What are SMT’s strategies for sustainable growth and plans for global market expansion?

As the pace of innovation accelerates with the advancement of AI, quantum computing, and next-generation mobility, functional gaskets are no longer viewed as simple consumables but as core components that directly affect semiconductor yield and reliability. SMT aims to lead this shift by leveraging its accumulated nano-materials expertise to develop innovative, high-performance, and high-reliability gasket solutions.

Looking ahead, SMT plans to strengthen its global presence beyond Korea, Taiwan, and China by expanding into the revitalizing Japanese semiconductor market through technology-driven differentiation and targeted technical marketing. At the same time, the company intends to further increase its market share in Taiwan by offering highly differentiated gasket solutions tailored to advanced semiconductor manufacturing environments.