Hanmi USA opens in San Jose to strengthen local technical support
Expansion follows semiconductor facility investments by SK hynix, Micron in US
TC bonders, advanced packaging equipment to anchor customer partnerships
Hanmi Semiconductor has established a subsidiary in Silicon Valley as it moves to capture a larger share of the AI semiconductor supply chain.
The company held an opening ceremony for its US unit, Hanmi USA, in San Jose, California, on Friday (local time), Hanmi Semiconductor announced Monday. Chairman Kwak Dong-shin and key executives attended the event.
Hanmi USA is the company's fourth overseas base, following subsidiaries in Taiwan, China and Singapore. The new office will focus on providing technical support to US customers, with Silicon Valley — home to a concentration of global chipmakers and major technology companies — serving as its hub. The company plans to station experienced engineers locally to support equipment operation and maintenance as new semiconductor factories come online.
Investment in semiconductor production facilities across the United States has been accelerating. SK hynix broke ground on an HBM advanced packaging factory in Indiana in August, targeting cleanroom completion in 2028 and mass production in the second half of 2029. Micron is also pursuing memory chip production facility investments in Idaho and New York.
Hanmi Semiconductor supplies TC bonders — a key piece of equipment in HBM manufacturing — along with 2.5D TC bonders and flip-chip bonders for advanced packaging. The company expects demand for such equipment to grow as memory chip and back-end semiconductor production facilities expand across the United States.
The establishment of the subsidiary also carries symbolic weight: it realizes the vision of the late founder Kwak No-kwon, who had long sought to bridge the semiconductor industries of South Korea and the United States. Kwak founded Hanmi Semiconductor in 1980 after spending 14 years at Motorola in the US.
"The United States is a critical market that leads the global AI industry and cutting-edge semiconductor technology," Chairman Kwak Dong-shin said. "We will provide close technical support to local customers and strengthen our competitiveness by expanding cooperation with global semiconductor companies."
hong@heraldcorp.com
