[Edaily Reporter Shin Ha-yeon ] #LK CHEM Co., Ltd., a company specializing in semiconductor precursor materials, achieved both revenue growth and improved profitability in the first half of this year, driven by expanded supply of DIS precursors and increased sales of new products.

LK CHEM Co., Ltd. announced on the 14th that its net income for the first half of this year reached 3.2 billion won, a 118.0% increase compared to the same period last year. During the same period, revenue rose 50.0% to 13.7 billion won, and operating profit increased 35.1% to 3.0 billion won.

The company continued its growth momentum in the second quarter as well. On a consolidated basis, revenue reached 7.6 billion won, a 32.7% increase year-over-year, while operating profit rose 8.8% to 1.9 billion won. Net income increased by 80.3% to 1.9 billion won.

A major factor driving this earnings growth was the full-scale reflection of the volume from a single DIS sales and supply contract worth approximately 21.2 billion won, signed last May. DIS precursors are deposition materials used to form uniform nitride films on wafer surfaces in system semiconductor and 3D NAND flash processes. Based on their excellent film quality and low-temperature deposition characteristics, they are being utilized as next-generation low-k precursors.

Diversification of the product portfolio also contributed to the improved performance. LK CHEM Co., Ltd. primarily supplies CP and PCP ligands used in the formation of DRAM insulating films, as well as DIS precursors, and is expanding the revenue share of its new high-k product lines, such as molybdenum precursors and yttrium ligands.

LK CHEM Co., Ltd. is also working to secure mid- to long-term growth drivers through the development of next-generation materials. In the medium term, the company plans to achieve full domestic production of HfCl₄, a key raw material for hafnium-based precursors that is currently entirely dependent on imports. In the long term, it plans to expand its portfolio of advanced materials by developing key precursors and charge transport layer materials for perovskite, which is gaining attention as a next-generation solar cell technology.

Meanwhile, LK CHEM Co., Ltd., a semiconductor materials company established in 2007, specializes in the development and production of ligands and precursors used in atomic layer deposition (ALD) processes. According to the company, it was the first in the world to successfully commercialize the production of PCP ligands and the first in Korea to achieve mass production of DIS precursors.

Lee Chang-yeop, CEO of LK CHEM Co., Ltd., stated, “Our second-quarter results showed an overall improvement driven by both the expanded supply of DIS products and increased sales of new products.” He added, “We will further strengthen the competitiveness of our existing semiconductor materials business while continuing to pursue the development of next-generation materials and the diversification of our customer base to secure a foundation for stable growth.”