TSMC to invest US$2.9B in advanced semiconductor packaging project
01 Aug 2023 --- Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is investing nearly 90 billion New Taiwan dollars (US$2.9 billion) to build an advanced chip packaging plant in Taiwan amid booming global demand.
Semiconductor packaging, which can use metal, plastic, ceramic or glass, protects the chips from chemical contamination and light or heat damage.
Advanced packaging, introduced over 20 years ago, uses technology that aggregates components from various chips, which creates a single electronic device with superior performance.
“To meet market needs, TSMC is planning to establish an advanced packaging fab in the Tongluo Science Park. TSMC expects to invest nearly NT$90 billion for the project and create 1,500 job opportunities,” reads a statement by the company.
“The Science Park Administration has officially agreed to TSMC’s application to lease land at the Tongluo Science Park and is arranging for a lease briefing.”
Semiconductor packaging developments
TSMC’s announcement marks the latest in a string of major investments in semiconductor packaging as research increasingly points to the importance of improving product protection amid geopolitical shifts.
A technical paper by researchers at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, the US Naval Research Laboratory, and the University of Lyon, France, recently found that packaging technologies for thermal management are essential to maintaining the lifespan and efficacy of semiconductors.
In June, Micron Technology began planning to invest as much as US$2 billion in building a semiconductor packaging factory in India, a move to further diversify its geographic footprint at a time of US tensions with China.
Singapore-based semiconductor integration start-up Silicon Box also launched a US$2 billion advanced semiconductor manufacturing foundry that it says will “revolutionize” the chip manufacturing sector, reduce packaging size, build local jobs and boost Singapore’s position as a global hub for semiconductor manufacturing.
Edited by Louis Gore-Langton
