South Korean semiconductor equipment maker finds fast growth in WND

Xin'gang Integrated Circuit Equipment Components Industrial Park. [Photo/WeChat account: xinwu_wx]

Founded in South Korea in 2000, Gigalane has long specialized in semiconductor equipment. In 2024, the company decided to establish a research and manufacturing base in China.

What followed was a remarkably swift expansion: it took just over three months from the company's first contact with Wuxi National Hi-Tech District, also known as WND, to the signing of the investment agreement, and only another four months for its 7,000-square-meter facility to be completed and put into operation.

The company is unique in China for possessing expertise in both nanoimprint lithography equipment and dry etching equipment.

"Our customers are overwhelmingly in China, accounting for more than 80 percent of our business," said Wang Qi, deputy general manager of Gigalane China Headquarters. Since its establishment, the company has sold 920 semiconductor etching systems worldwide, with nearly 700 delivered to customers in the Chinese mainland.

According to Wang, one of the key reasons Gigalane chose Wuxi was the strength of the local supply chain. Core components for its etching and nanoimprint systems, including chillers and precision-machined parts, can all be sourced locally.

A workshop at Gigalane Wuxi. [Photo/WeChat account: xinwu_wx]

After inspecting more than 10 industrial parks in Wuxi, the company selected Xin'gang Integrated Circuit Equipment Components Industrial Park as its home. The facility's seven-meter ceiling height and three-ton floor load capacity perfectly matched the requirements of semiconductor equipment manufacturing.

Beyond infrastructure, the park also provided extensive support to the company's international workforce, helping nearly 20 South Korean employees obtain work permits, housing, and daily living arrangements.

The company's rapid progress has translated into strong business results. Within just one year, Gigalane's Wuxi operation secured nearly 70 million yuan ($10.35 million) in orders and sold around 14 pieces of equipment.

Industry insiders note that newly established semiconductor equipment companies typically require two to three years to gain customer validation and secure large-scale orders. Even established multinational equipment manufacturers often need more than 18 months.