TASMIT, Inc., a group company of Toray Engineering Co., Ltd., is expanding its semiconductor inspection equipment business. Particularly, TASMIT will establish priority markets for each of its product lineups, including the NGR electron beam wafer inspection and measurement system and the INSPECTRA optical wafer visual inspection system. The company plans to expand its business based on the future expansion of its workforce.

Kenji Sato, President & CEO of TASMIT, explained, “NGR is used for development purposes of advanced semiconductors, mainly for logic and memory. We would like to increase its adoption in mass production plants for business expansion. The market for semiconductors for artificial intelligence (AI) is leading the market, and we will focus on the market for advanced semiconductors.”

Generally, advanced semiconductors are prone to defects caused by minute process fluctuations, leading to lower yields. Thus, TASMIT has established a method for monitoring the condition of exposure systems in mass production plants using NGR and has begun its operation. Also, it will expand its business using NGR as a solution to promote yield improvement of high-margin advanced devices.

On the other hand, INSPECTRA is versatile enough to support MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems) other than logic and memory, CMOS sensors, communication filters, and new packages such as micro-LEDs and PLPs (panel-level packages). Mainly, TASMIT has identified automotive power semiconductors as a key market for INSPECTRA.

Sato said, “INSPECTRA features high-speed inspection and is capable of full inspection. It is a good match for automotive applications that require high reliability. The industry has begun to invest in the mass production of SiC (silicon carbide) power modules in anticipation of the future, and we have high expectations for the future.” Particularly, INSPECTRA has a high market share in Japan and will strengthen its presence in China and Europe. Moreover, demonstration centers are in China, Taiwan, Korea, and Germany.

Strengthening Human Resources for Development

This fall, Toray Engineering expanded its business base in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture to three floors. TASMIT will be headquartered in this building. Further, in line with the group’s policy, it will increase human resources to secure approximately 100 mid-career engineers by FY2028. “We are looking for people who are familiar with machinery, control, software, and exposure systems, as well as optical technology and other development-related personnel. We need talented people to expand our business,” Sato said, looking ahead to the expansion of the semiconductor inspection equipment business.

This is a translation of a Japanese article published on October 16, 2024 in Dempa Shimbun Daily.

-06 November 2024-