From Nanoscale Metrology to National Competitiveness:How Analytical Instrumentation Is Powering Semiconductor and Advanced Materials Industries by Dr Sang-Joon Cho

NTU MSE Seminar Hosted by Professor Cho Nam-Joon

Abstract

Korea's rise as a global leader in semiconductors and advanced materials has largely been achieved as a fast follower, relying on imported cutting-edge analytical and metrology instrumentation for more than 90% of its needs. As device geometries shrink toward the atomic scale, the ability to characterize surface, chemical, mechanical, and electrical properties with nanometer-level precision has become a decisive factor in process control, yield improvement, and next-generation material design. To make the transition from fast follower to first mover, however, Korea can no longer afford to overlook its own analytical instrumentation capabilities. This talk traces how Korea is now working to close this gap — moving from decades of dependence on imported instrumentation toward indigenous technology development and export-ready platforms combining Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Photo-induced Force Microscopy (PiFM), and other multimodal characterization techniques.

Drawing on the speaker's dual perspective as President of the Korean Society of Surface Analysis and a long-standing industry leader in scanning probe microscopy, this presentation will introduce the history and future potential of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) as a foundational nanoscale characterization technology,  and discuss the ongoing efforts to build a self-sufficient analytical instrumentation ecosystem in Korea. These efforts include active engagement in international standardization through ISO TC201/SC9. While Korea has already achieved global leadership in high-tech industries such as semiconductors, the next phase of its growth will depend on developing a globally competitive analytical instrumentation industry of its own, and this talk will share the various initiatives currently being pursued toward that goal.

Biography

Sang-Joon Cho, Ph.D.
President, Korean Society of Surface Analysis (KoSSA)
Executive Vice President, Research Equipment Business Unit, Park Systems Corp.,

Dr. Sang-Joon Cho currently serves as President of the Korean Society of Surface Analysis (KoSSA), the leading national academic society advancing surface and interface analysis science in Korea, where he works to strengthen collaboration among academia, industry, and government in the field of analytical instrumentation. He concurrently serves as Executive Vice President of the Research Equipment Business Unit at Park Systems Corp., the global leader in Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) instrumentation, where he leads global strategy and technology innovation in nanoscale measurement. With over two decades of leadership in nanotechnology R&D and scientific instrumentation, Dr. Cho previously directed Park Systems' Application Technology Center, leading a multinational team of 58 scientists and engineers across semiconductor metrology, materials science, and life-science applications. As R&D Director for 12 years, he managed a team of 30 researchers and led multiple nationally funded programs, having successfully completed government-supported projects totalling over USD 50 million. Dr. Cho is also Chairman of ISO TC201/SC9 (Scanning Probe Microscopy), where he leads the development of international standards in nanoscale metrology, and serves as Vice President of the Korea Nanotechnology Research Society (KoNTRAS), a board member of the Korea R&D Industry Association (RNDIA), and an advisor to the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP). In 2021, he received the Science and Technology Medal of Merit from the Republic of Korea in recognition of his contributions to nanotechnology and scientific instrumentation.