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[August 2000]
Samsung Corning, launching into next generation material Nanopowder business
Samsung Corning Co., Ltd. made public that it has signed a joint venture agreement to establish Advanced Nanopowder Technologies (ANT), under a strategic tie-up with Australia's Advanced Powder Technology (APT), which holds world-class technological strength in the nanopowder field and would launch into a next generation Nanopowder materials business.
A signing ceremony has taken place between CEO Park for Samsung Corning and Paul McCormick, senior technical vice president of APT, for the establishing of a joint venture corporation (corporation name: ANT). The company will have an initial paid-in capital of 12 million Australian dollars and plans to make continued investment aimed at controlling more than 15% share in the world nanopowder market.
Nanopowders are a generic denomination of metallic and ceramic supercorpuscles less than 100nm (nanometer) in size, that is, less than a thousandth of the thickness of a human hair. Due to the enhanced quantum-mechanical electronic structures and optical surface effects of these powders, many enterprises with governmental support in the U.S.A. are now ramping up research efforts to develop new applications for nanopowders in the areas of bio-technology, CMP slurries, and sophisticated structural and microelectronic ceramics.
Furthermore, Mitsubishi and Toso, Japan's world-class powder manufacturers, are also currently aiming to develop nanopowder products due to the improved characteristics than these materials exhibit over their conventional micron sized powders.
The nanopowder applications field is a high-growth promising materials industry with average yearly growth rates of more than 25 percent, or yearly turnover of approximately 700 million dollars in 2005 and 2 billion dollars in 2010.
Based on the world-class technological and business strength enabling the occupation of more than 30 percent in world market in both the ceramic powder field for rotary transformer which is used as ceramic material for TR head and the frit powder glass field. Samsung Corning will make a strong push to develop this nanopowder enterprise as a key strategic business area to complement the existing electric glass business for braun tube and TFT-LCD.
According to Samsung Corning's future projections, it will begin mass production of nanopowders from 2003 to achieve turnover amounting to more than 100 million dollars in 2010, or 15% market share in the world market, by supplying superfine CMP slurries and BaTiO3 powders for MLCC.
On the occasion of this strategic joint venture, Samsung Corning will provide development costs for pilot scale production, market information, and business strength, while APT will supply patent rights, technical information, and development manpower.
Australia's APT is a spin-off company composed of researchers from The University of Western Australia and holds world patents in unique nanopowder manufacturing technologies facilitating easy mass production of metallic nanopowders such as Ag, Cu, and Ni and ceramic powders such as ceria, alumina, zirconia, and manganese oxide. More information on APT and it's technology can be found at their web site, www.apt-powders.com.
ENDS