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Hanmi Semiconductor. (Photo courtesy of Hanmi Semiconductor) |
[Alpha Biz= Reporter Lee Joonhyun] Samsung Electronics has been confirmed to have formally protested against Hanmi Semiconductor, warning the company not to disseminate misleading information suggesting that the two firms were engaged in discussions over equipment supply.
According to Alpha Economy’s investigation on the 26th, Samsung Electronics’ Device Solutions (DS) Division semiconductor research center installed one TC bonder unit from Hanmi Semiconductor for research purposes around July–August last year, following repeated proposals from Hanmi.
Subsequently, some media outlets treated this installation as a fait accompli, reporting it as evidence that Samsung was in discussions to formally adopt Hanmi’s equipment. Caught off guard by such reports, Samsung is said to have delivered a strong warning to Hanmi Semiconductor, instructing the company not to use the research center to imply or promote equipment supply negotiations.
A source familiar with Samsung’s internal operations said, “Decisions on introducing semiconductor equipment cannot be made by the research center alone, which is why the research team was reportedly taken aback,” adding, “The reason Samsung’s semiconductor research center went as far as issuing an official warning was because Samsung had already decided to use TC bonders supplied by SEMES.”
In practice, all investment decisions related to semiconductor equipment procurement at Samsung Electronics are handled by the purchasing division, not the research center.
As such, the fact that Hanmi Semiconductor supplied a single TC bonder unit for research purposes has no direct connection to actual procurement discussions. Samsung is therefore understood to have warned Hanmi against leaking inaccurate or misleading information to the market.
Following the warning, Samsung’s semiconductor research center reportedly refrained from operating Hanmi’s TC bonder, leaving the equipment largely unused.
Samsung Electronics plans to primarily utilize TC bonders produced by its subsidiary SEMES, and SEMES is also considered the most likely supplier of next-generation hybrid bonder equipment.
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