Axcelis breaks ground on ion implanter factory in Korea

The new facility will expand Axcelis’ existing manufacturing in Korea, the Axcelis Asia Operations Center, according to a press release from the company. It will have a total gross floor area of around 18,600 square metres (200,000 square feet), with warehousing, Class 1,000 and Class 10,000 cleanrooms and a training centre.

“Ion implanters are among the most important tools in front-end semiconductor manufacturing. Building on our established presence in Korea, the new Pyeongtaek facility will enhance our ability to support growing global demand for semiconductors,” said President and CEO Russell Low when the plans were announced in September.

The company is investing USD 35 million in the site, and production is scheduled to start in the second half of 2028.

Pyeongtaek, in Gyeonggi Province south of Seoul, is one of the centres of Korea’s semiconductor industry. The provincial government sees the investment as strengthening that position.

“Axcelis’ investment in advanced semiconductor process equipment represents a significant milestone in strengthening the position of Gyeonggi Province and Pyeongtaek City as global hubs for the semiconductor industry,” says Choo Mi Ae, Governor of Gyeonggi Province.

Axcelis has not said how many people the new facility will employ or how much it will add to the company’s production capacity.