Kovis Technology cuts HBM wafer inspection time to 1/6

Kovis Technology cuts HBM wafer inspection time to 1/6

최초입력 2025.05.22 10:18:44

Lim Eun-jae, CEO of Kovis Technology. (Lee Yun-sik)

South Korea’s Kovis Technology has developed a next-generation ultrasonic inspection system that reduces the testing time for high bandwidth memory (HBM) wafers from one hour to just ten minutes.
The newly unveiled spiral-type Confocal Scanning Acoustic Microscope (C-SAM) was jointly developed with domestic HBM manufacturers. Unlike conventional C-SAM systems that scan wafers along horizontal and vertical axes, Kovis’ system uses a spiral scanning method via a rotating vacuum table submerged in water. This innovation not only accelerates testing but also enhances detection of microscopic voids and defects between wafer bonding layers.
This technological breakthrough builds on underwater acoustic testing technology that Kovis originally developed in 2013 with government support. The market was too small to commercialize the product at the time, but growing demand for precision inspection in advanced packaging has now brought the technology into the spotlight.
Founded in 2003, Kovis Technology traces its roots to CEO Lim Eun-jae’s early career at Anam Semiconductor. During the late 1990s Asian financial crisis, soaring exchange rates caused prices of imported parts such as wire bonder components to spike by 70 to 80 percent. Lim began dismantling high-cost foreign parts and experimenting alongside field engineers to develop domestic alternatives, eventually succeeding in localizing key components.
The company began with force sensors such as load cells, then used its expertise to develop bond testers for verifying wire bonding quality. This foundation enabled Kovis to transition into a specialist in precision equipment for advanced semiconductor packaging processes.
A turning point came in 2020 when SK hynix requested the development of a wafer mass measurement system - an instrument used to verify the uniformity of deposition layers by weighing wafers before and after processing. At the time, the market was dominated by U.S.-based Lam Research and the required precision - measuring down to 0.00001 grams - was unprecedented for Kovis. After two years of R&D, the company succeeded in developing the equipment which SK hynix currently uses in its mass production lines.
In recognition of its innovation, Kovis was named a “Technology Innovation Partner” by SK hynix in 2023, joining a select group of companies with strong potential to lead Korea’s localization of semiconductor materials, components, and equipment.
Kovis is now preparing for its next big step: a Kosdaq listing. The company has appointed NH Investment & Securities as lead underwriter for its IPO and secured 15 billion won ($10.7 million) in investments from venture capital firms including AJU IB, Murex Partners, and OVentures.
“With 35 out of 78 employees dedicated to R&D, technology is our greatest competitive asset,” Lim said, emphasizing that the company’s goal is not just to sell machines but to solve real-world engineering challenges for Korea’s semiconductor future.
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Kovis Technology cuts HBM wafer inspection time to 1/6

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