# Merck opens South Korea molybdenum plant for advanced memory *The Eumseong site will supply MoO2Cl2 thin-film precursors directly to Samsung and SK hynix as chipmakers replace tungsten in 300-plus layer memory.* **Published:** October 22, 2026 **By:** Ji-woo Han **Section:** Semiconductors & AI Hardware — South Korea **Format:** Company Watch **Confidence:** medium **Source:** https://eastasiabrief.com/semiconductors/merck-opens-south-korea-molybdenum-plant-advanced-memory-859 **Publisher:** East Asia Brief (https://eastasiabrief.com/) --- ## What to know - Merck opened a MoO2Cl2 precursor plant in Eumseong on Oct. 22 to replace tungsten in 3D NAND - Integrated Ansan vaporization units raise material utilization above 99% for Samsung and SK hynix - SK hynix qualifies molybdenum for its 375-layer memory before Dec. 31, 2026 ![A technician in a cleanroom suit operates equipment at the precursor plant in Eumseong, South Korea. (AI-generated image)](https://eastasiabrief.com/media/2026-10-22-f5cecd5e2981.webp) *A technician in a cleanroom suit operates equipment at the precursor plant in Eumseong, South Korea. (AI-generated image)* Merck KGaA opened a specialized molybdenum precursor plant in Eumseong, South Korea, on Oct. 22, 2026, establishing domestic supply of a thin-film material designed to replace tungsten in advanced memory chips. The plant expands a €600 million ($650 million) Korean investment program launched in 2021. It synthesizes molybdenum dioxide dichloride (MoO2Cl2), an inorganic precursor used in chemical vapor deposition and atomic layer deposition. Merck combines Eumseong chemical output with delivery systems manufactured at its Ansan site, lifting precursor utilization above 99%. The integrated setup targets vertical memory architectures where metal resistance impedes read and write speeds. Memory makers face severe physical barriers as 3D NAND vertical cell stacks exceed 300 layers. Tungsten interconnects suffer sharp electrical resistance spikes at narrow dimensions, generating excess heat and latency inside microscopic wordline channels. Molybdenum provides lower resistivity than tungsten when deposited in ultra-thin layers. The material eliminates the thick barrier metal films required by traditional metallurgy, preserving conductor volume inside microscopic trenches to carry electrical current efficiently. Samsung Electronics introduced molybdenum metallization in 2024 for its ninth-generation V-NAND production lines. The company applies the metal across vertical flash architectures that stack roughly 280 to 290 memory cells. Rival manufacturer SK hynix plans to introduce molybdenum precursors into its next-generation 375-layer 3D NAND by late 2026. The transition maintains circuit conductivity as vertical interconnect dimensions contract without increasing silicon die size. Precursor synthesis occurs at Merck's Eumseong industrial site in North Chungcheong Province. The facility occupies land that Merck acquired through its 2023 purchase of M Chemical, a domestic maker of hafnium precursors. Merck broke ground on the molybdenum synthesis expansion in 2024, completing engineering work within 24 months. The plant adds specialized chemical lines alongside existing capacity producing high-dielectric thin-film materials for Korean fabrication plants. Vapor delivery hardware for the chemical originates at Merck's equipment facility in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province. The hardware, branded CHEMKEEPER Vapor 200, vaporizes solid precursor material into process gas while maintaining constant chamber pressure. Linking precursor manufacturing directly with custom vaporization hardware prevents canister residue buildup, Merck said. The configuration reduces chemical waste during manufacturing runs and ensures uniform deposition thickness across entire silicon wafers. Chipmakers require integrated chemical and hardware solutions rather than isolated precursor supplies, Merck Electronics Chief Executive Officer Benjamin Hein said at a press conference in Seoul on Oct. 21. Hein made his first visit to Korea since taking office in May 2026. Memory fabricators cannot rely on engineers dispatched from foreign technical centers during fab yield disruptions, Hein said. Operating regional manufacturing hubs allows Merck field specialists to reach Korean customer cleanrooms within one hour. The domestic supply footprint reflects Merck's strategy to produce critical materials near major semiconductor fabrication clusters. The company plans to serve Korean memory fabs before exporting precursor volume to fabrication hubs across East Asia. Metallization demand will expand from flash memory into DRAM wordlines and advanced logic transistors, Merck Thin Films Senior Vice President Bing Han said. Han noted that circuit patterns below 20 nanometers suffer severe electron surface scattering. Molybdenum preserves bulk conductivity at narrow dimensions because the metal exhibits a short electron mean free path. That physical characteristic prevents conductivity degradation as interconnect dimensions contract across sub-2-nanometer logic nodes. Korean chipmakers represent the primary deployment market for advanced metallization because memory producers scale vertical layers faster than logic fabricators. Domestic precursor production insulates local wafer facilities from marine shipping bottlenecks. Merck appointed Lee Dong-kwan as managing director of Merck Korea on Oct. 21. Lee previously headed the group's Delivery Systems and Services division in South Korea. Lee replaces Woo Kyu Kim, who led the Korean unit since 2020. During Kim's tenure, Merck grew its domestic workforce from 700 to 1,800 staff and deployed €600 million in local manufacturing investments. The company has not disclosed the annual production capacity of the Eumseong plant in metric tons. Merck also has not published the specific capital expenditure allocated to the molybdenum line separate from its broader investment plan. Commercial precursor deliveries from Eumseong begin supplying memory fabs immediately, while SK hynix completes process qualification for its 375-layer 3D NAND lines before Dec. 31, 2026. ## Impact map | Event | Korea | China | Japan | Global impact | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Eumseong molybdenum plant | Samsung and SK hynix secure domestic MoO2Cl2 supply for 280-plus and 375-layer 3D NAND | YMTC remains reliant on imported tungsten precursors and foreign supply chains | Kioxia evaluates molybdenum alternatives for BiCS flash without localized synthesis | Memory metallization shifts from tungsten to molybdenum, cutting thin-film resistance | ## In this story - **Companies:** Merck KGaA - **Tickers:** MRK.DE - **Exposed:** Samsung Electronics, SK hynix - **Impact:** Supply Chain, Capex, Cost Structure ## Primary sources 1. joongang.co.kr 2. news1.kr 3. newsarticleinsiders.com 4. merckgroup.com 5. thelec.kr --- Cite as: East Asia Brief, "Merck opens South Korea molybdenum plant for advanced memory," October 22, 2026. https://eastasiabrief.com/semiconductors/merck-opens-south-korea-molybdenum-plant-advanced-memory-859