The Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) of Korea has partnered with the Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) to develop advanced semiconductor technology for space research. ETRI announced on Jan. 17 that the two institutions agreed to establish a mutual cooperation framework for semiconductor technology development at ANL in Illinois on Jan. 6 (local time). This collaboration aims to develop new semiconductor technology capable of detecting and analyzing high-energy particles in space environments, with the goal of securing technology for space and defense applications that can withstand extreme conditions such as high and low temperatures and radiation.
Since the early 2000s, ETRI has possessed technology for developing and manufacturing silicon detectors for high-energy particle detectors. In 2023, ANL began working with ETRI to produce silicon detectors with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuits (ICs). This partnership marks a significant step forward in leveraging both institutions’ expertise to advance semiconductor technology.
On Jan. 6, Bang Seung-chan, president of ETRI, and Paul Kearns, director of ANL, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at ANL in Illinois. Bang expressed optimism about the partnership, stating, “We expect that the combination of ANL’s research capabilities and ETRI’s technology will open up new opportunities for future advancements.” Paul Kearns echoed this sentiment, saying, “We hope that expanding cooperation into various technological fields, such as the Electron-Ion Collider, will lay the foundation for technological advancement between the two countries.”
The collaboration between ETRI and ANL is set against a backdrop of historical cooperation in science and technology between South Korea and the United States. ETRI, established in 1976, has been a leading force in advancing electronics and telecommunications technology in South Korea. ANL, one of the U.S. Department of Energy’s oldest and largest national laboratories, has been at the forefront of scientific research since its establishment in 1946.
