What Nextin does

Nextin is a South Korea-headquartered semiconductor inspection and metrology equipment company, founded in July 2010 by CEO Park Tae-hoon (Chris Park), a former KLA engineer with 7 years of experience at the dominant US inspection incumbent. The company is publicly listed on KOSDAQ (stock code 348210) since October 2020 and is headquartered in Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, with an R&D center in Rehovot, Israel, located in the country's Technical Golden Triangle for optics talent access. Nextin develops and manufactures capital equipment for wafer defect detection and metrology used in semiconductor front-end fabrication and advanced packaging processes.

The company's product portfolio comprises four core platforms: AEGIS (laser-based patterned wafer defect inspection with simultaneous bright-field and dark-field illumination for 200mm and 300mm wafers), IRIS (3D process inspection for High Aspect Ratio and Through Silicon Via processes using multiple off-focus imaging), KROKY (advanced 2D/3D imaging inspection with AI-based defect classification for advanced packaging applications including FOWLP, 2.5D/3D, RDL, TSV, and hybrid bonding), and TWINS (an edge trimming inspection module integrated directly onto process equipment). Underlying these products are proprietary technologies including Dual Mirror Focus Plane Assembly, Multiple Off-focus Image Process Technology, and Cube Scan Technology, each with granted patents. Equipment is priced in the KRW 100-200 billion range per unit.

Nextin operates an enterprise direct sales model with support from regional representatives across North America, Japan, Taiwan/China, Europe, and Southeast Asia, supplemented by extensive participation in SEMICON and SEDEX industry exhibitions globally. Customers include Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, SMIC, YMTC, JHICC, and Intel (as a co-development partner). The company has historically captured approximately 3% share in the front-end inspection equipment market dominated by KLA and Applied Materials, with growth driven by cost-competitive pricing relative to US incumbents and strong penetration into Chinese semiconductor manufacturers. Reported 2021 revenue was KRW 571 billion with 38.5% operating margin, and securities analysts projected 110% YoY revenue growth to KRW 1,201 billion in 2022. The company is exploring vertical expansion into bio/medical imaging via a 2023 MOU with CellinCells.

Name

Nextin

Legal name

주식회사 넥스틴

Website

https://nextinsol.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Nextin is a South Korea-headquartered semiconductor inspection and metrology equipment company that develops wafer defect detection systems (AEGIS, IRIS, KROKY, TWINS) for global semiconductor manufacturers, with proprietary optical imaging technologies and customers including Samsung, SK Hynix, and SMIC.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Semiconductor Inspection Equipment

NAICS

Semiconductor Machinery Manufacturing (333242), Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (3345)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

Metrology, Inspection & Process Control Equipment (HDAHAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industrial Quality Inspection & Metrology (Machine Vision) (IMAIAMAF)

Keywords

• Wafer defect inspection
• Semiconductor metrology systems
• Patterned wafer inspection
• 3D packaging inspection
• Process control equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Ansan

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Semiconductor Inspection Equipment Sales: Sale of wafer defect inspection and metrology systems (AEGIS, IRIS, KROKY, TWINS) to semiconductor manufacturers. Equipment pricing reportedly ranges from KRW 100-200 billion per unit. One-time capital equipment sales model with potential for follow-on system purchases and service contracts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Nextin designs, manufactures, and sells semiconductor wafer defect inspection and metrology systems for front-end and advanced packaging processes. Its capital equipment portfolio — AEGIS (patterned wafer defect inspection), IRIS (3D/HAR process metrology), KROKY (advanced packaging inspection with AI classification), and TWINS (edge trimming inspection) — is built on proprietary optical technologies including the patented Dual Mirror Focus Plane Assembly, Multiple Off-focus Image Process Technology, and Cube Scan Technology. Equipment is sold to IDMs, foundries, and memory manufacturers at quote-based pricing typically in the KRW 100–200 billion per-unit range.

Product overview

Nextin offers a portfolio of semiconductor defect detection and metrology solutions. The core offerings include AEGIS (laser-based patterned wafer inspection), IRIS (3D/HAR process metrology-inspection), TWINS (edge trimming inspection module), and KROKY (advanced packaging inspection). These products share Nextin's proprietary imaging technologies including Cube Scan Technology for 3D comparison and Multiple Off-focus Image Process Technology. The systems address front-end wafer fabrication and back-end packaging inspection needs across 200mm and 300mm wafer sizes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AEGIS: Laser-based patterned wafer defect inspection tool using innovative 2D imaging technology for 1x-nm node semiconductor processing. Supports 200mm and 300mm wafers with bright field and dark field inspection.
• IRIS
• KROKY
• TWINS
• Cube Scan

Products and services

• AEGIS Wafer Inspection System Laser-based patterned wafer defect inspection tool using innovative 2D imaging technology with simultaneous Bright-field and Dark-field illumination. Supports 200mm and 300mm wafers, detects pattern defects (bridges, thinning, protrusion, footing) and surface defects (scratches, particles) across semiconductor manufacturing processes including film, pattern-generation, planarization, ion implantation, and cleaning at 1x nm node. Designed for semiconductor IDMs, foundries, and memory manufacturers.
• IRIS Wafer Metrology-Inspection System

Quantifiable outcome

• 38.5% operating margin achieved in 2021
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered strategic and core.

• SelinCells (셀인셀즈)strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 April 2023MOU signed for joint development of cell and organoid imaging systems for bio/medical industry. Combines Nextin's optical technology with SelinCells' stem cell and regenerative medicine expertise to address standardization and commercialization challenges in organoid-based therapeutics.
• IntelcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2021Nextin collaborated with Intel to develop 3D inspection equipment for advanced semiconductor packaging. Presented joint technical paper at SPIE conference on 3D subsurface defects detection and classification using the Iris system. This partnership represents an industry-first collaboration for 3D inspection technology.
• STI (에스티아이)strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 February 2017STI and Nextin released hybrid equipment combining edge trimming and defect inspection for High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM) devices. This represented domestic production of HBM manufacturing equipment.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• KLA Corporation: The dominant US incumbent in wafer defect inspection and metrology, with the largest installed base globally. Nextin explicitly positions against KLA on both technology (patterned wafer inspection) and pricing, and Nextin's CEO is a former KLA employee.
• Applied Materials: Diversified semiconductor equipment giant whose inspection/metrology unit competes head-to-head with KLA and Nextin in front-end defect detection. Nextin is described in the company data as a direct competitor in the front-end inspection equipment market.
• ASML Holding: Largest semiconductor equipment maker (lithography) and an adjacent incumbent in the broader wafer fab equipment ecosystem. While not a direct inspection competitor, ASML sets the bar for European/US-Japan-Korea-China equipment ecosystem competition that frames Nextin's market opportunity.
• ZEISS Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology: Optical systems arm of ZEISS supplying optics, illumination, and metrology subsystems used in semiconductor inspection and lithography. Comparable as a deep-optics technology player in the inspection value chain where Nextin's core IP resides.

Direct peers

• Onto Innovation: US-based provider of optical metrology, inspection, and lithography software used across advanced packaging and front-end processes. Highly comparable to Nextin's AEGIS/IRIS/KROKY in 3D packaging and HAR inspection.
• Hitachi High-Tech: Japanese equipment maker offering wafer inspection and metrology systems to memory and logic fabs globally. Overlaps directly with Nextin on patterned wafer inspection and CD metrology for advanced nodes.
• Lasertec Corporation: Japanese specialist in optical inspection of photomasks and EUV mask blanks, with growing presence in wafer inspection. Comparable in that both are niche, technology-led inspection specialists attacking incumbents.
• Camtek: Israeli-based inspection and metrology supplier focused on semiconductor and advanced packaging applications. Comparable product overlap with Nextin's KROKY/IRIS in advanced packaging inspection and similar Israeli optics heritage.

Emerging players

• Bruker Corporation: US-based provider of X-ray and optical metrology tools for semiconductor and advanced packaging. Partial overlap with Nextin's HAR/TSV 3D metrology and an alternative for fab customers evaluating inspection technologies.
• Skyverse Technology: Korea-based challenger in semiconductor inspection/metrology targeting similar Korean and Chinese fab customers as Nextin. Most relevant Korean-headquartered peer in the patterned-wafer and packaging inspection niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nextin