Singapore-based Silicon Box injects US$2B in “world-first” advanced semiconductor packaging facility

31 Jul 2023 --- Silicon Box, a Singapore-based semiconductor integration start-up, launched its US$2 billion advanced semiconductor manufacturing foundry to “revolutionize” the chip manufacturing sector, reduce packaging size, build local jobs and boost Singapore’s position as a global hub for semiconductor manufacturing. 

The Silicon Box foundry is a “world-first” focusing on true chiplet-based semiconductor manufacturing – the ability to build single chip packages through the interconnection of multiple, heterogeneous, modular units (chiplets), a company spokesperson tells Packaging Insights.

“It is a state-of-the-art facility the size of 15 football fields, represents US$1.5 billion in investment when fully outfitted, and is production ready as of July 2023.”

Reducing chip packaging size
Silicon Box’s founder and CEO, Dr. Byung Joon Han, tells us that the company is well poised to solve the “unique” challenges for chiplet adoption, which are essential to power emergent technologies. 

Co-founder and CEO Dr. Byung Joon Han (on the right) walking to see Silicon Box’s manufacturing facility.“Our team of experts with over 30 years of multi-sectoral experience, a critical ecosystem of partners and proprietary interconnection technology will shorten the design cycle of chiplets, lower new device costs, reduce power consumption and enable faster-time to-market for industry partners involved in areas such as AI, data centers, electric vehicles mobile and wearables while protecting their intellectual property.”

Silicon Box uses panel-level processing focusing on the shortest-ever chiplet-to-chiplet interconnection technology, using sub-5 micron technology to achieve high-performance integration. 

The company says it can accommodate six to nine times more units depending on tile size compared to other advanced factories that use conventional wafers – making it possible to cut the production cost of chips to one-fifth. 

Additionally, Silicon Box’s proprietary advanced chiplet interconnection technology reduces package sizes, improving electrical performance by over 50% and lowering power consumption by more than 40%. 

“Our proprietary method sets a new standard for design flexibility and electrical performance at low cost. This agility in semiconductor design cycles enables the industry to take advantage of the chiplet concept and bring designs that double computing performance at up to four times lower costs for graphical processors and high-performance computing chips, and up to half the cost for more widely consumed mobile processors,” explains Dr. Sehat Sutardja, co-founder and chairman of the board.

Solidifying market position 
Supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), the advanced chiplet interconnection company also plans to upskill and employ up to 1,200 highly skilled people with computer science, engineering and design backgrounds.

Singapore aims to expand its manufacturing sector by 50% by 2030. Silicon Box says the advanced semiconductor plant launch will strengthen its appeal as a preferred destination for AI and semiconductor companies seeking to diversify their manufacturing supply chains amid growing geopolitical tensions. 

With the support of the EDB, the factory will create over 1000 technologically advanced jobs while providing upskilling opportunities. The venture focuses on human capital from entry-level to highly skilled engineering roles.

Tech benefits 
The investment bolsters the nation’s GDP and drives workforce development, ensuring Singapore remains “at the forefront of technological innovation and manufacturing excellence.”Silicon Box’s co-founder Weili Dai.

Silicon Box offers design flexibility and exceptional electrical performance at a lower cost and power consumption with its proprietary fabrication method. 

• The benefits of Silicon Box’s “one-of-a-kind” fabrication method include:
   Cost-savings without compromising on power.
• Benefit from the shortest interconnections, ensuring quicker scaling of chiplet-based solutions.
• Leverage the advantages of chiplets that allow larger systems to be built economically with optimized power consumption and higher performance.
  Tap into Silicon Box’s partnerships with industry leaders for next-generation chiplet-based solutions.

The benefits for chip designers result in double computing performance at a fraction of the cost compared to traditional approaches, asserts the company. For graphical processors and high-performance computing chips, costs can be reduced by up to four times. 

“What the users of tomorrow will expect when it comes to their end experience, whether it is on a mobile device, electric vehicle, or an end application, utilizing generative AI requires fundamentally different approaches to semiconductor manufacturing such as the advanced panel level packaging technology in which Silicon Box stands at the forefront,” co-founder Weili Dai tells us. 

“We founded Silicon Box to meet this demand. This is our first multi-billion dollar factory, and we are eager to scale rapidly to support our customers and partners globally. Many of these customers and partners have come to the grand opening to celebrate this key moment for Silicon Box and the industry, with us. We believe this is a testament to their faith in our capability.”

By Natalie Schwertheim