Advanced Substrate Technologies Pte. Ltd. (AST), a Singapore-based subsidiary of TOPPAN Holdings Inc., has broken ground for the construction of its new factory in Singapore. Particularly, it will rise on Pesawat Drive near Jurong Lake District.

TOPPAN is a Japanese pioneer in printing technologies and a leading supplier of high-quality Flip Chip Ball Grid Array (FC-BGA) substrates¹.

Most importantly, the factory will be the first in Singapore to manufacture high-end FC-BGA substrates used in bleeding edge semiconductor products. Particularly, Network Switches and Artificial Intelligence (AI) / Machine Learning (ML) devices.

The production ramp-up is part of TOPPAN’s strategic growth plan to address the increasing global and regional demand for advanced substrates. Thus, complements its main production hub in Japan.

State-of-the-art Factory Automation

The AST facility will also carry out research and development (R&D) on advanced substrate technologies. Hence, meeting the future performance demands of products for such applications.

With a target to start production by the end of 2026, AST’s factory will implement state of the art factory automation to produce substrates of highest quality and yield. Moreover, this factory, with a ~95,000sqm floor area. Also, it will employ over 200 high-tech engineers and skilled technicians, besides other operators. Thus, providing them with an opportunity to learn and lead in the field of FC-BGA substrate manufacturing and development.

TOPPAN will bring their most advanced substrate manufacturing know-how for implementation in AST’s production lines. Furthermore, TOPPAN’s large-body and high-layer-count substrate technology is proven in the products of several well-known large semiconductor companies worldwide. AST’s initial and key hires for FC-BGA substrate manufacturing will undergo intensive training in TOPPAN’s Niigata factories in Japan.

Broadcom Inc., a global technology leader that designs, develops, and supplies a broad range of semiconductor, enterprise software, and security solutions, is also supporting the establishment of this world-class manufacturing facility in Singapore.

Bats for Production Efficiency

Tetsuro Ueki, Senior Managing Executive Officer and Head of TOPPAN’s Electronics Division, said, “AST will be our first ever FC-BGA manufacturing facility outside of Japan. AST will provide high-end FC-BGA substrates that are essential for cutting-edge semiconductor products. By leveraging the design and manufacturing expertise developed at TOPPAN Japan’s Niigata Plant and combining it with state-of-the-art automation technology, AST will achieve the highest quality and production efficiency.”

In addition, Ueki said, “We sincerely appreciate the unwavering support from the Singapore government agencies, EDB and JTC, and the invaluable assistance from our esteemed client, Broadcom, which made this project possible.”

Meanwhile, Pee Beng Kong, Executive Vice President, Singapore’s Economic Development Board (EDB), said, “AST’s new facility is a significant addition to Singapore’s semiconductor ecosystem…Singapore continues to strengthen our business-friendly environment, innovation ecosystem and connectivity to the world to remain a critical global node for semiconductors.”

In addition, Kong said, “EDB remains keen to partner with semiconductor companies globally across the value chain, and we look forward to achieving future milestones with partners like Broadcom and TOPPAN.”

Note

1 An FC-BGA substrate enables the interconnection between one or more silicon dies and the system board and also between those silicon dies, through its multiple layers of high density wiring.

-18 March 2024-