Asia Tech Wire (Sep 11) -- SK keyfoundry, a South Korean 8-inch pure-play foundry, announced Wednesday the launch of its fourth-generation 0.18-micron BCD process, which has improved performance by about 20% over the previous third-generation.

SK keyfoundry said the company expects the latest-generation process to help extend battery life in mobile devices, achieve stable performance by reducing heat generation, and improve overall performance by increasing energy efficiency in power semiconductors for automotive applications.

In October 2021, SK hynix announced the acquisition of Key Foundry for 575.8 billion won ($460 million), which it completed in August 2022, subsequently renaming it SK keyfoundry.

After buying Key Foundry, SK hynix said it expects to double the company's foundry production capacity.