On September 23, 2025, SK keyfoundry, a dedicated 8 - inch foundry in South Korea, made an announcement regarding the launch of a multilayer thick intermetal dielectric (Thick IMD) capacitor process. This innovative process is characterized by its high breakdown voltage features.

The process allows for the stacking of up to three layers of IMD. Each layer can reach a maximum thickness of 6 microns, resulting in a total thickness of up to 18 microns. Such a design endows it with breakdown voltage characteristics as high as 19,000V, along with outstanding capacitance performance.

It is anticipated that this process will find applications in the production of capacitors for digital isolation. Moreover, it can be used to manufacture capacitors that effectively suppress capacitive coupling in electronic circuits.

The process has successfully undergone the Time - Dependent Dielectric Breakdown (TDDB) evaluation conducted by major customers. Additionally, it adheres to the AEC - Q100 international automotive semiconductor quality standard, ensuring its reliability in the automotive industry.

This process can be seamlessly integrated into 0.13 - micron and 0.18 - micron BCD process technologies. Given its compatibility, it holds significant application value in the automotive semiconductor sector.

Furthermore, SK keyfoundry offers a range of design support tools, including PDK, DRC, LPE, LVS, and Pcell. These tools are designed to assist customers in accelerating their product development processes.