"For nearly 30 years, I received national research funding to study atomic force microscopes. Rather than leaving behind only papers and patents, I felt strongly that this technology should be returned to industry. Instead of chasing equipment others already do well, I want to build equipment the world has never seen and pioneer a new market."
On the 23rd of last month at the headquarters of Multiscale Instrument (MSI) in Guro District, Seoul, Chief Executive Je Won-ho, 66, said this when asked about the background of the startup. An emeritus professor in the department of physics at Seoul National University, he has studied tuning fork–based sensors and atomic force microscopes (AFM) for nearly 30 years. He jumped into founding a company with the goal of bringing the technology accumulated in the lab to the factory floor, and he is now developing next-generation metrology tools for semiconductor mass-production processes.
MSI's core proposition is the "multihead atomic force microscope." Conventional AFMs scan surfaces sequentially with a single probe (head), which can yield precise three-dimensional information at the atomic scale but is slow, keeping them largely confined to research use. MSI aims to overcome this limitation with an architecture in which multiple heads simultaneously measure different areas. It has built a prototype with eight heads operating at once and said it has secured an architecture scalable to 16, 32 or more.
The technology has already entered verification procedures on the production floor. MSI conducted sample tests with Samsung Electronics and is continuing technical validation and business talks with domestic memory makers, including SK hynix, and semiconductor equipment companies. The company said it is still before customer mass-production verification (PoC), but it has begun receiving real customer evaluations beyond the lab.
Je stressed that the goal is not simply to jump into the existing scanning electron microscope (SEM) market. In the AI era, as semiconductors become more complex in three-dimensional structures and finer in scale, metrology is growing in importance. AFM excels at obtaining precise three-dimensional information, but speed has been its limitation. "In mass production, just seeing things clearly is meaningless," he said. "We must secure speed, repeatability, stability and controllability so the tool can raise Production yield on real production lines."
The company sees "integration metrology" that mounts compact metrology instruments inside process tools such as etch, deposition and CMP as a new market. Checking defects inside the tool right after a step can reduce defect accumulation and raise Production yield. "The stand-alone metrology market is fiercely competitive, but metrology moving inside process tools is just beginning," Je said. "MSI's strategy is to create a new blue ocean rather than stealing share from existing markets."
The company is now raising a Series A round of about 4 billion to 5 billion won. It plans to push customer PoCs from the second half of this year to the first half of next year and, after that, launch mass-production tools in about two years. "Our goal is to grow MSI not as a simple equipment maker but as a metrology platform corporations that changes how semiconductors are manufactured," Je said. The following is a Q&A with Je Won-ho.
- What led you to decide to start the company?
"For nearly 30 years, I researched atomic force microscopes with national research funding. Rather than ending with papers, I felt strongly that it should be returned to industry. I judged that semiconductors, which are highly technology-intensive and have broad impact, could create the greatest value."
- What differentiates MSI's technology?
"The limitation of conventional AFMs is speed. We developed a multihead architecture in which multiple heads measure simultaneously and have built an eight-head prototype. Our goal is to secure the speed, repeatability and stability needed for mass production."
- How far along is commercialization?
"We conducted sample tests with Samsung Electronics and are also in talks with semiconductor companies and equipment makers, including SK hynix. We plan to push customer PoCs from the second half of this year and aim for mass production in about two years."
- Why target process tools first?
"We see greater opportunity in integrating metrology inside process tools than in stand-alone metrology instruments. You can check defects right during the process, which greatly improves Production yield, and competition is still limited."
- What matters most to you in building the company?
"Ultimately, it's people. Money alone cannot build great equipment. People who understand mechanics, electronics and software must become a single team. People with a small Elon Musk–like spirit of challenge are working with pride to build equipment the world has never seen."