INNOMETRY and UCL to Develop Micro-Crack Detection Technology for Glass Substrates

INNOMETRY Co., Ltd., a specialist in non-destructive inspection equipment for advanced industries, announced on July 21 that it has been selected for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups’ “2026 Global Collaborative R&D Program” and will jointly develop micro-crack detection technology for glass substrates with University College London (UCL) in the United Kingdom.

The selected project aims to develop a high-resolution X-ray inspection system capable of precisely detecting micro-cracks generated during the Through Glass Via (TGV) process. INNOMETRY will serve as the lead research and development organization, while UCL, a world-renowned research-intensive university with expertise in materials engineering and advanced imaging technologies, will participate as the joint research and development institution.

The Global Collaborative R&D Program is an initiative of Korea’s Ministry of SMEs and Startups designed to help domestic small and medium-sized enterprises strengthen their global technological competitiveness and establish a foundation for overseas market expansion through joint research and development with leading international research institutions. The three-year project will run from this month through June 2029. Following the completion of the agreement process, INNOMETRY and UCL will commence full-scale joint research and development.

With the rapid expansion of the artificial intelligence semiconductor and high-performance computing markets, TGV technology is gaining attention as a key technology for next-generation semiconductor packaging. However, due to the inherent characteristics of glass, micro-cracks can easily occur during the formation of through-holes. Detecting and addressing these defects at an early stage is therefore considered critical to improving production yields and ensuring product reliability. The project aims to precisely identify micro-cracks that are difficult to detect using conventional X-ray absorption imaging by applying next-generation imaging techniques to high-resolution X-ray inspection technology.

Following its selection in March for a Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy-sponsored project to develop an AI-based X-ray/CT inspection system for glass-substrate TGVs, INNOMETRY plans to further expand the scope of its glass-substrate inspection technologies and enhance inspection precision through this new project.

INNOMETRY is a global leader in secondary-battery inspection equipment, supplying inspection systems to major global cell manufacturers, including Korea’s three leading battery companies. Based on its accumulated expertise in X-ray and CT non-destructive inspection and AI-based image analysis, the company is expanding the application of its inspection technologies into advanced industries, including glass-substrate TGVs, advanced semiconductor packaging, and co-packaged optics, or CPO. INNOMETRY has recently broadened its business by supplying inspection equipment to a number of TGV-related companies, including JWMT, EXTOL, and AnyCasting.

Shin Jin-woo, Head of INNOMETRY’s Inspection Technology Center and principal investigator for the project, said, “Through our joint research with UCL, we aim to secure next-generation X-ray inspection technology based on advanced imaging techniques that can precisely detect micro-cracks that are otherwise difficult to identify. We will also prepare the technology for rapid deployment in actual manufacturing environments.”

He added, “We plan to apply this technology not only to TGV applications, but also to ultra-precision semiconductor sectors such as advanced semiconductor packaging and CPO. By doing so, we will further enhance inspection precision and strengthen our technological competitiveness in the next-generation semiconductor inspection market.”