Toray Engineering Co., Ltd. has been reaping strong sales of coaters for lithium-ion battery (LiB) electrodes and wafer inspection systems for power semiconductors. For that reason, the company has set up a new base in Europe to strengthen its marketing and supply system. 

Last year, sales of LiB coaters to China grew significantly. However, the market slowed down this year and may result in a decline in orders for coaters. Nonetheless, production plans for LiB will continue in the medium to long term and shipments of coaters will remain.  

With LiB coaters, Toray Engineering announced in March a new product that reduces the energy consumption needed to coat electrode materials. In addition, the company also advances the development of new-type LiB coater. Specifically, the company will incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) into an existing coater with an automatic control function to enable the autonomous operation of the new LiB coater.

Highly Reliable, Top Quality Evaluations

Toray Engineering’s INSPECTRA optical wafer inspection systems have been widely used by power semiconductor manufacturers in Japan. The company has enjoyed brisk incoming orders, and the annual production has increased from about 80 units to 100 units. 

At the end of last year, Toray Engineering announced the industry-first visual inspection system specialized for chips. The company met stringent requirements for the performance of power devices and faster inspections. Particularly, to meet rapid increases in the number of chips incorporated in a power device. 

The INSPECTRA PL Series uses ultraviolet light. Moreover, one of its strengths is its ability to evaluate crystal defects of compound semiconductors. These include silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN). Takashi Iwade, Chief Executive Officer & Chief Operating Officer, said, “Power devices manufacturers in countries in Europe are looking forward to using the INSPECTRA PL Series for evaluations of reliability and quality at higher levels.”

Toray Engineering established last April its European subsidiary. Accordingly, it serves as a base for sales and customer services in Munich, Germany. Specifically, the company aims to further spread the INSPECTRA Series and LiB coaters overseas. 

The company installed wafer inspection systems in the cleanroom for demonstration and local mega suppliers and original equipment manufacturers (OEM) of major automakers started product tests using actual machines. As regards LiB coaters, Toray Engineering has enhanced its system to provide services responding to the entry to Europe of a leading Chinese onboard battery manufacturer, a customer for its LiB coaters.

The company enhances the system for providing proposals and sales to existing users’ bases and European companies. Moreover, the company aims to further expand the adoption of its products in countries in Europe. 

Increase in Income, Profit in FY2023

For the term ending March 2024, Toray Engineering expects an increase in income and profit with sales revenue reaching ¥123 billion and business profit reaching ¥5.9 billion. If achieved, the sales will become the company’s record high. Furthermore, the company targets ¥140 billion in 2025 and ¥170 billion in 2030. 

Meanwhile, to achieve these goals, Toray Engineering is expanding its existing businesses with strengths. The demand for flip chip bonders that attach chips on package substrates has somehow reached saturation. Hence, the company is developing a next-generation machine.  At the same time, the company redistributes resources including personnel to strengthen products for power semiconductors, such as INSPECTRA for which it is receiving brisk orders. 

The evolution of the NGR electron beam semiconductor wafer pattern verification systems for advanced logic semiconductors is one of the company’s efforts to advance toward the next growth path. The company seeks expansion of the inline use of the NGR series in addition to its use in the design stage. 

Furthermore, Toray Engineering accelerates the development of its AI business in collaboration with LPIXEL Inc. with image analysis technology.  The company also focuses efforts on creating new businesses, including collaboration with MAQsys Inc. As a healthcare venture with artificial cell membrane technologies, MAQsys aims to develop mass production technologies for artificial cell membrane chips in the new drug creation field.