According to Nikkei reports, Japanese semiconductor equipment giant Tokyo Weini Technology announced on October 15 that its new RD Building (Process Development Building) in Kumamoto has been officially completed and will serve as the company’s core...
According to Nikkei reports, Japanese semiconductor equipment giant Tokyo Weini Technology announced on October 15 that its new R&D Building (Process Development Building) in Kumamoto has been officially completed and will serve as the company’s core base for promoting the research and development of next-generation semiconductor process equipment. It is expected to be put into operation in the spring of 2025.
With the global wave of digitization and the surge in demand for AI applications, Tokyo Power Technology is focusing on research and development in two major directions: "finer scaling" and "higher integration." The company expects that its equipment technology will be extended to the 1-nanometer level advanced process field in the future.
In terms of technical cooperation, Tokyo Weinig Technology has also joined hands with international organizations such as ASML of the Netherlands and Imec of Belgium to jointly promote the research and development of advanced extreme ultraviolet (EUV) technology and new generation materials. The company points out that as line widths shrink and processes become more complex, chemical reagents and water consumption also increase. Therefore, in the future, environmentally friendly technologies in terms of energy saving, chemical reduction, and water consumption will be key. The goal is to maintain performance improvements while also lowering the manufacturing cost of advanced processes and reducing carbon emissions.
This newly completed building is located in Koshi City, Kumamoto Prefecture, with a total floor area of approximately 27,000 square meters and an investment scale of approximately 47 billion yen (approximately NT$9.4 billion). This facility belongs to Tokyo Electron Kyushu, a manufacturing and R&D subsidiary of Tokyo Electron Kyushu. It is mainly responsible for the design and manufacturing of coating/developers, cleaning systems and 3D packaging equipment (including wafer bonders).
Faced with the challenges of short-term market fluctuations and declining demand for equipment in China, Tokyo Weili Technology remains confident in its mid- to long-term prospects. The company plans to invest more than 1.5 trillion yen (approximately NT$300 billion) in research and development from fiscal years 2024 to 2029, an increase of approximately 90% compared to the previous five years, with the purpose of stabilizing the technical strength of next-generation processes and improving equipment efficiency.
In recent years, the Kumamoto area is rapidly developing into a new cluster of Japan’s semiconductor industry. In addition to TSMC, Sony and materials and equipment companies have also landed locally. Upon completion, the new R&D building is expected to further deepen the cooperative relationship with TSMC and promote the verification and joint development of advanced exposure technology and coating/developing equipment.
It is worth noting that TSMC’s previous confidential leak case has attracted attention. It remains to be seen whether the trust and cooperation between the two parties will be affected in the future.
Tokyo Electron completes R&D center with eye on 1-nanometer chips Tokyo Electron Completes Construction of New Development Building in Kyushu
