Medical imaging technology company NANO-X IMAGING or Nanox has inaugurated a new fabrication plant to produce semiconductor chips in South Korea.
The facility will be the main production site for the Nanox micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMs) known as Nanox.SOURCE chip.
Nanox.SOURCE chip is used in the production of digital X-ray sources for the firm’s 3D medical imaging system Nanox.ARC system.
According to the firm, the ARC system can democratise meaningful access to imaging, which is now unavailable in about two-thirds of the world.
The firm’s offering is an alternative to an analogue X-ray source, which will reduce the cost of Nanox.ARC system in comparison with traditional 3D imaging systems.
Similar to a light-emitting diode (LED) source, the chip replaces the filament in the analogue X-ray tube, equipped with an on/off toggling function to shorten the length of each operation.
There is no heat when electrons depart the Nanox X-ray digital source due to its low temperature.
The Nanox facility covers an area of 12,000m² with a 1,200m² MEMs cleanroom is located next to the world’s largest semiconductor cluster in Yongin, South Korea. It is scheduled to be operational by mid-2022.
Nanox CEO Erez Meltzer said: “Amidst a global supply chain crisis, the new facility enables Nanox to produce our own supply of semiconductor chips that are integral to the Nanox.ARC.
“Our new fabrication plant is an important part of our strategy of vertical integration to ensure we can deliver a global, connected medical imaging solution with the potential to meaningfully expand the delivery of healthcare.”
Nanox Korea head Ilung Kim said: “We are proud to be opening this facility as planned, a facility that embodies our technical expertise and know-how in producing technology that we believe will revolutionize medical imaging.
“With our proximity to the SK Hynix semiconductor cluster, we believe we are also well-equipped to bring new, highly technical jobs to the Yongin region.”
