Merck is strengthening its semiconductor manufacturing footprint in South Korea with a new molybdenum production facility designed to accelerate next-generation chip development, secure local supplies and support the industry’s growing demand for advanced materials.

 

The facility will produce molybdenum dioxide dichloride (MoO₂Cl₂), a specialized precursor used in advanced semiconductor manufacturing. Combined with Merck’s CHEMKEEPER delivery systems, the offering integrates materials and equipment to improve production reliability, boost material efficiency and support increasingly complex chip designs.

 

The investment comes as artificial intelligence reshapes semiconductor manufacturing, driving demand for smaller, more powerful chips and advanced production processes. Merck is positioning the new facility as part of a broader strategy to move beyond individual materials and deliver integrated solutions across the semiconductor manufacturing workflow.

 

“AI is transforming semiconductor industry, driving greater complexity and speed of innovation. Traditional scaling approaches and advances in individual materials alone are no longer enough to sustain future growth. The next wave of innovation will be driven by system integration,” said Benjamin Hein, Member of the Executive Board and CEO Electronics, during his first visit to South Korea since taking up his role on May 1, 2026. 

 

“That is why we are building on our strong materials expertise to deliver integrated workflow solutions. Our Molybdenum solution, which integrates chemistry and delivery system, is a successful example of this approach.”

 

Molybdenum is emerging as an important material for advanced semiconductor applications, where manufacturers need lower electrical resistance and reliable coverage across increasingly intricate structures. Its potential applications extend beyond three-dimensional NAND memory to DRAM wordlines and future logic devices.

 

Merck’s molybdenum precursor is designed for chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and atomic layer deposition (ALD), processes used to build the thin films essential to modern semiconductor devices.

 

Paired with the company’s CHEMKEEPER delivery systems, the integrated solution is designed to support high-volume manufacturing through reliable material delivery, high process uptime and material usage efficiency exceeding 99%. The system also has the potential to reduce total cost of ownership.

 

Bing Han, Executive Vice President and Head of the Thin Films Business Unit, said local manufacturing and supply reliability are increasingly critical as chipmakers race to develop more advanced technologies.

 

“The semiconductor industry is continuously seeking for innovative materials, reliable supply, and faster time to market. Molybdenum is a critical material for enabling smaller nodes and increasingly complex chip architectures, said Bing Han, Executive Vice President and Head of the Thin Films Business Unit. 

 

“To better serve our customers, we have been localizing our molybdenum solutions here in Korea through seamless supply chain. This includes the new Molybdenum production facility in Eumseong site, and the delivery systems already being produced at our Ansan site. This setup will strengthen supply security and help accelerate innovation for customers in Korea and across Asia."