□ DGIST (President Kunwoo Lee) has received a donation of two types of key components for semiconductor research equipment, valued at approximately KRW 300 million, from Fi-ra Photonics—a company specializing in developing optical communication devices, modules, and systems. The donated components will be installed in shared-use research equipment at the FAB of DGIST’s Institute of Next-Generation Sensor & Semiconductor Technology and utilized to support stable equipment operation and improve the efficiency of research and process support.
□ The donation intends to enhance the operational stability of FAB equipment, which forms the foundation of semiconductor research, and to provide researchers with a more stable process environment. Precise process conditions and stable equipment operation directly affect research outcomes in semiconductor research. Therefore, it is essential to ensure a stable supply of key components and maintain a reliable maintenance and repair system.
□ Particularly, the donated components will be utilized for the maintenance, repair, and stable operation of shared-use research equipment used by researchers from industry, academia, and research institutions. This is expected to reduce research downtime caused by equipment shutdowns and improve equipment utilization and stability of process services, thereby enhancing support efficiency for research and development in next-generation sensors and semiconductors.
□ Additionally, through the donation, the company shares its resources with researchers in the field. Building on this donation, the two organizations plan not only to expand research infrastructure but also to increase technological exchanges between industry and research institutions and maintain a sustainable industry-academia-research collaboration in the field of next-generation sensors and semiconductors.
□ “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Fi-ra Photonics for generously donating key components to help elevate the competitiveness of our research infrastructure and promote industry-academia technological collaboration,” said Dae-Hwan Kim, Director of DGIST’s Institute of Next-Generation Sensor & Semiconductor Technology. “We will endeavor to further advance the research infrastructure within the FAB using the donated components and generate world-class research outcomes in the fields of next-generation sensors and semiconductors.”
□ “It is meaningful for us to contribute to expanding the research infrastructure at DGIST—a hub for advanced semiconductor research in Korea,” said a representative of Fi-ra Photonics. “We hope that this donation will enhance the institute’s experimental and process environment and facilitate technological innovations that will lead the semiconductor industry of the future.”
□ Meanwhile, DGIST’s Institute of Next-Generation Sensor & Semiconductor Technology serves as a regional hub for the national nano-infrastructure network, equipped with integrated process infrastructure capable of 6-inch wafer-based semiconductor front-end processing. The institute provides researchers from industry, academia, and research institutions with research support services covering the entire cycle from semiconductor design to processing and analysis. Going forward, it plans to expand collaboration with advanced industries and continue improving research infrastructure and the industry-academia-research collaboration ecosystem in the fields of next-generation sensors and semiconductors.
