Building Material Research Ecosystem Between Industries and Universities in Korea

This special issue highlights the collaboration between universities and industries in materials research in South Korea. Due to the extensive scope of the ongoing collaboration, we are focusing on a specific topic where university-industry collaboration in South Korea is particularly strong and involves the largest industrial partners. The contributions in this issue are intended to be co-authored by both industry and university representatives. Additionally, a few industry-specific articles have been included to showcase the industry's vision for such collaborations. Given that the emphasis of this special issue is significant to both Advanced Materials and Advanced Materials Technology, we have combined the two to feature a broader range of collaborations and these issues are now combined as one virtual special issue. In this context, we introduce the backgrounds and evolution of the materials program in South Korea, highlighting the unique research ecosystem that has fostered a strong alliance with industries. Furthermore, we aim to present a vision for the future of materials programs, considering the collaboration between industries and universities. The Latin phrase “Per ardua ad astra,” meaning “through adversity to the stars,” aptly describes the remarkable achievements in materials research in South Korea, a country that has faced poverty, war (1950-53 Korean war), division, limited technological advancement, and insufficient natural resources. The growth of materials research in South Korea aligns with its dynamic modern history. The nation has emerged from the devastations caused by the Korean War to become the world's 10th largest economy in just half a century, earning the nickname “Miracle on the Han River.” Driven by unwavering curiosity and passion, South Korea's scientific and technological advancements have reached a tipping point, with materials playing a pivotal role behind the scenes. In the 21st century, the country's materials research has reached a critical juncture. Its elevated status is evident through internationally acclaimed research achievements and the presence of renowned global brands such as Samsung, SK, LG, Hanwha, POSCO, Hyundai Motor, Lotte, and Doosan. These brands have become household names in the global materials industry, spanning electronics, materials, steel, and energy. The initial advancements in materials technology can largely be attributed to the efforts of the South Korean government. Over the years, government investments in research and development (R&D) have consistently expanded, currently placing South Korea at the top of global rankings for R&D expenditure as a percentage of GDP. The nation's enduring interest and support have been instrumental in fostering close collaboration and mutual growth between academia and industry, propelling South Korea to the status of a global powerhouse. Thanks to the swift application of research by state-led conglomerates and research institutes, South Korea has experienced remarkable growth in the real economy, particularly in the manufacturing industry. This process involves establishing strong connections between university research and corporate requirements. As a result, academia and industry have developed rapid R&D response capabilities to emerging sectors and have prioritized human resource development. This strength has allowed South Korea, despite being a latecomer to industrialization, to take the lead across multiple industries today, ranging from traditional sectors such as steel, ships, and automobiles, to rapidly evolving high-tech industries like semiconductors and displays. Furthermore, the country has emerged as a driving force in pioneering future industries, including energy and eco-friendly sectors. In light of these achievements, we aim to share our unique experiences and knowledge with the world through this special issue. Building upon past successes, we envision a future characterized by a new paradigm in materials research that creatively tackles scientific challenges. A key factor for achieving success lies in strengthening the win-win strategy with various industries, encompassing the entire materials spectrum from traditional to future industries, under the framework of “Pan Materialia.” This special issue aims to provide valuable insights into both traditional and future industries, with a focus on the close collaboration between conglomerates, universities, and research institutes—a distinctive feature of South Korea's scientific technology and industry. The papers included in this issue cover a wide range of fields within materials science and engineering, including structural materials, computational approaches, polymers, organic electronics, semiconductors, solar cells, and electronic materials/ceramics. Furthermore, the selection of papers by the editors was based on their potential to contribute to improving the benefits to humanity through commercialization, extending beyond laboratory success. These papers demonstrate the commitment to bridging the gap between research and real-world applications, emphasizing the importance of translating scientific advancements into practical solutions for societal needs. In this issue of Advanced Materials Technology, four perspectives, three research papers, and nine reviews were published. The semiconductor field stands out as one of the most important research themes, fostering effective collaborations between universities and industries. Consequently, several review papers were invited. Eun-Seung Jung, the CTO of Samsung Electronics, shares his perspective on the current trends in semiconductor development and discusses various approaches to overcome performance limitations (article 2200867). Kyung Min Kim from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), in collaboration with the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT), contributes a perspective on the Cu/polymer hybrid bonding system for 3D heterogeneous integration in semiconductors (article 2202134). HanJin Lim from Samsung Electronics, in collaboration with Ajou University and Hanyang University, reports on the interfacial engineering of metal electrode-dielectric thin films to improve the electrical properties and reliability of DRAM capacitors (article 2200412). Jeonghee Park from Samsung Electronics, in collaboration with Seungwu Han from Seoul National University (SNU) and co-workers, reports on how the introduction of reflow fill of sputtered carbon-doped GeSbTe films in confined cells enhances the current drawbacks of 3D cross-point memory, such as scalability and reliability issues in an article that was published in issue 1/2023 (article 2200887). Sangbum Kim from SNU, in collaboration with Seung Keun Yoon from SAIT, discusses recent improvements in synaptic devices, focusing on novel schemes tailored for each nonvolatile memory device to improve linearity and symmetry (article 2200884). Han-Bo-Ram Lee from Incheon National University, in collaboration with SK Hynix Inc., summarizes previous studies published on various approaches using atomic layer deposition to overcome technological challenges in Si device fabrication and beyond (article 2200876). Sang Woon Lee from Ajou University, in collaboration with Samsung Electronics, discusses recent advances in achieving sufficient capacitance in dynamic random-access memories (DRAM) capacitors from the perspective of structural and material/process engineering (article 2200878). All these articles complement the articles (articles 2204663, 2200659, 2204904, and 2204912) in Advanced Materials on semiconductors and memory devices. Two review papers discussed the research theme of future displays. Specifically, Himchan Cho from KAIST in collaboration with Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., SNU and Ewha Womans University reviewed the state-of-the-art technologies constituting current augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) devices from an industrial point of view, as well as the recent progress in quantum dots (QDs) and metal halide perovskites (MHPs) emitter technologies (article 2201070). Youngjun Yun from SAIT in collaboration with Yongtaek Hong from SNU and Yeongjun Lee from Stanford University discussed recent developments in advanced materials and feasible strategies for the realization of stretchable electronic devices for stretchable displays (article 2201067). These articles complement the articles 2204776, 2205520, 2204964, 2204947, 2207454, and 2209784 in Advanced Materials on all aspects of display technology. With the rise of perovskite solar cells, there have been many collaborations between industries and academia for commercialization. Hyun Suk Jung from Sungkyunkwan University, in collaboration with KAIST and UniTest Co. Ltd., discusses the cutting-edge studies on overcoming the challenges faced by the commercialization of perovskite solar cells (article 2201387). Jin Young Kim and Ki Hong Kim from SNU, in collaboration with Ki Hong Kim from Hanwha Qcell, share their perspective on recent progress in monolithic perovskite/Si tandem solar cells from a viewpoint balanced between academia and industry (article 2201006). Similarly, Kyungkon Kim from Ewha Womans University, in collaboration with Jin-Wook Lee from Sungkyunkwan University, summarizes the opportunities and challenges in utilizing the vacuum thermal evaporation technique for mass production of large-area perovskite solar modules (article 2200928). These articles complement the article 2204807 in Advanced Materials on perovskite solar cells. Fuel cells are an important research theme, and WooChul Jung and Kang Taek Lee from KAIST, in collaboration with Hongik University, reviewed the recent approaches to improving the protonic conductivity and activity and stability of electrolyte and electrode materials of protonic ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs) (article 2201075). This article complements the article 2204902 in Advanced Materials on polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. In the theme of electrocatalysis, a research article has been published. Briefly, Uk Sim and co-workers report the electrosynthesis of low Pt-loaded high entropy catalysts for effective hydrogen evolution with improved acidic durability (article 2200882). Myoung-Gyu Lee from SNU and Seung-Hyun Hong from Hyundai Motor Group comprehensively reviewed integrated computational materials engineering activities in advanced automotive manufacturing technology, with a focus on the life cycle of the automotive body structure, such as structural material design, manufacturing process optimization, and reliability (article 2201057). Youngeun Kim from SNU, in collaboration with Hyuck Choo from Samsung Electronics and Shailabh Kumar from Samsung Semiconductor Inc., USA, discuss nucleic acid amplification technology towards accessible, autonomous, and mobile diagnostics (article 2300230). Our guest editors are delighted and proud to present a comprehensive introduction to the ongoing developments and future perspectives showcased in this special issue on Advanced Materials and Advanced Materials Technology. These 16 papers not only demonstrate the remarkable progress in South Korea but also pay homage to materials scientists and engineers worldwide who have played a pivotal role in supporting South Korea's success. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to fellow researchers across the globe who have courageously embarked on uncharted paths and served as a constant source of inspiration. It is our sincere hope that this special edition will serve as a beacon of light for countries and researchers aspiring to achieve breakthroughs through collaboration. May it inspire and empower those who are yearning to push the boundaries of scientific knowledge and make significant contributions to the field of materials research. The authors declare no conflict of interest. Ki Tae Nam received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Materials Science and Engineering from Seoul National University (SNU), and his Ph.D. degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA. He has been a professor at SNU since 2010, and his research focuses on bioinspired materials science, artificial photosynthesis, and CO2 utilization by focusing on the interactions between peptides and inorganic materials. He is also passionate about developing an innovation strategy to create value for society. Hyuck Choo received his B.S. and M. Eng. from Cornell University and a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley in Electrical Engineering. Following his postdoctoral training at Berkeley, LBNL, and UCSF, Dr. Choo served on the Caltech faculty, focusing on nanobiosensing research. In 2018, he joined the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology and led the commercialization of metasurfaces and Si photonics research for imaging products. Since 2023, Dr. Choo has been heading toward digital healthcare business development in the Samsung LSI Division. Deoksin Kil received his B.S. degree from POSTECH and earned his M.S. degree and Ph.D. from Seoul National University (SNU) in Material Science and Engineering (1999). He has been working at SK Hynix as a research fellow and leading the material development group in the R&D division. He has been a member of the Technical Program Committee for VLSI since 2020. His current major research field is the development of base materials for semiconductor processes such as photoresists, functional chemicals, CMP slurries, precursors, and etch gases. He also has experience in capacitor dielectric materials and DRAM tools. Chul-Hong Kim is a Research Fellow at LG Display Co., Ltd. He received B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Kyungpook National University. Since obtaining his Ph.D., he has had more than 20 years of R&D and Strategy experience in digital displays at the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (Postdoctoral Associate), Samsung SDI Co., Ltd. (Senior Engineer), the University of Cambridge (External Advisory Board on Projects of the Department of Engineering), and LG Display Co., Ltd. (Team Lead of Materials Research, Head of Global Open Innovation Department). Cheolmin Park received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in the Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering from Seoul National University in 1992 and 1995, respectively. He also received a Ph.D. degree at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2001. He is a research scientist at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology. After receiving a postdoctoral fellowship from the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Harvard University, he joined the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Yonsei University in 2002. He was selected as an Underwood Distinguished Professor at Yonsei University in 2014. His research focuses on self-assembled materials and their applications in flexible photoelectronics. Woon-Ryeol Yu is currently a professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Seoul National University, Republic of Korea. He earned his Ph.D. degree in Fiber and Polymer Science from Seoul National University in 1998. He worked at Michigan State University and the University of Nottingham as a research associate and a fellow, respectively. He is a board member of the Korean Fiber Society and Korean Society for Composite Materials. His current research interests include advanced fibrous materials, constitutive modeling of polymers and composites, and computational mechanics of textiles and composites.