GIMCHEON — JNTC, a South Korean maker of advanced semiconductor materials, will invest 340 billion won ($245 million) to build a glass substrate production line in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province.
North Gyeongsang Province and the city of Gimcheon said on the 21st that they signed a memorandum of understanding with JNTC at Gimcheon City Hall to build a through-glass via (TGV) substrate line in the Gimcheon No. 1 General Industrial Complex by 2030 and to hire about 430 workers.
TGV refers to a technology that connects electrical signals on both sides of a glass substrate through fine electrodes and wiring that run vertically through the glass.
The technology is drawing attention as a next-generation semiconductor packaging material as demand for high-performance chips grows with the expansion of artificial intelligence and high-performance computing.
JNTC plans to develop Gimcheon into a next-generation production base and expand its related business.
The company holds core TGV process technologies including glass cutting, laser glass drilling, etching and plating. It operates three plants in South Korea and overseas sites in Vietnam and China, producing cover glass and connectors for mobile devices, vehicles and wearables.
The city expects the investment to establish Gimcheon as a new production base for the semiconductor and advanced manufacturing industries.
"This investment means that our TGV glass substrate business, a new growth engine, has entered a full commercialization track on the back of advanced technology," JNTC Chairman Jang Sang-wook said. "Based on leading technology, superior quality and cost competitiveness, we will establish ourselves as a leading company in advanced semiconductor materials."
Gimcheon Mayor Bae Nak-ho said, "We will spare no administrative support so that JNTC's investment proceeds as planned and leads to job creation and economic revitalization." He added, "We will further accelerate efforts to attract advanced companies with high growth potential."
