American IC manufacturers have 56% of their wafer capacity installed at fabs located in other regions of the world, according to the new Global Wafer Capacity 2023 report from Knometa Research. As of year-end 2022, American companies have installed capacity of 4.6 million 200mm-equivalent wafers per month, with 2.0 million in domestic fabs and 2.6 million in fabs at foreign sites.

Of the major IC producing countries and regions (Americas, China, Europe, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan), the Americas region is unique in that foreign capacity exceeds that of domestic capacity.

The biggest volumes of offshore capacity for American companies are in Singapore (22% share of total), Taiwan (12%), Japan (10%), Germany (4%), Ireland (3%), and Israel (2%).

• Singapore: Micron Technology - 4 fabs, GlobalFoundries - 4 fabs
• Taiwan: Micron Technology - 4 fabs, Diodes - 1 fab
• Japan: Micron Technology - 4 fabs, TI - 2 fabs, Onsemi - 1 fab
• Germany: GlobalFoundries - 2 fabs, TI - 1 fab
• Ireland: Intel - 1 fab, Analog Devices - 1 fab
• Israel: Intel - 2 fabs

With its many large fabs in Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan, Micron owns by far the most offshore capacity, accounting for 65% of the 2.6 million wafers in monthly capacity. GlobalFoundries is next with a 14% share followed by Intel with 9% and Texas Instruments with 5%.

In the past couple years, American companies have announced several major fab construction projects in the U.S. Some of these came about as a result of the CHIPS Act passed by the U.S. government in July 2022 to boost American semiconductor research, development, and manufacturing.

American-owned fabs under construction in the U.S. and scheduled to open during 2024-2025 include:

• Intel - Fabs 52 and 62 in Chandler, Arizona
• Texas Instruments - Fabs SM1 and SM2 in Sherman, Texas
• Intel - Fab 27 in New Albany, Ohio
• Micron - Fab in Boise, Idaho

Micron will also build a large fab site in Clay, New York, but this project is part of the company's long-term capacity expansion plans and construction will not begin until 2024 at the earliest. In January 2023, Analog Devices announced plans to double the capacity of its fab in Beaverton, Oregon.

While the share of domestic IC wafer capacity will increase some in the next several years with the opening of these large new fabs in the U.S., American companies are building or have plans to build additional fabs at overseas sites as well. Moreover, Intel's pending acquisition of Tower Semiconductor, with its fabs in Israel and Japan (as well as the U.S.), will shift the balance in the direction of more foreign capacity. Had Tower been part of Intel at the end of 2022 with the headquarters of the combined operations being in the U.S., the foreign share of American-owned capacity would be one percentage point higher at 57%.

About Global Wafer Capacity 2023
Global Wafer Capacity provides a detailed examination of existing fab capacity along with a five-year forecast to 2027. The report has been published on an annual basis since 2007, initially by IC Insights. In December 2021, IC Insights transferred business associated with Global Wafer Capacity to co-founder Trevor Yancey. Mr. Yancey became an independent contractor in 2014 but continued as the principal analyst and project manager for Global Wafer Capacity. Published in January 2023, Global Wafer Capacity 2023 is sold by Mr. Yancey’s company Knometa Research. For more information, visit https://knometa.com/gwc.

About Knometa Research
Knometa Research is a semiconductor technology and market analysis firm led by former IC Insights executive, Trevor Yancey. Mr. Yancey co-founded IC Insights in 1997 with Bill McClean and Brian Matas. In 2014, Mr. Yancey established Knometa Research to serve as an independent contractor for TechSearch International and for IC Insights until that business closed in December 2022. For more information, visit https://knometa.com.

• Read more about More than half of American-owned IC fab capacity exists overseas

Yield Engineering Systems, Inc. (YES), a leading manufacturer of process equipment for semiconductor advanced packaging, life sciences, and “More-than-Moore” applications, today announced that it has sold a VertaCure XP G2 system to Korea’s LB Semicon. The VertaCure XP G2 is the latest generation of YES’s flagship VertaCure vacuum curing system, and LB Semicon’s will be the first such system to be installed in Korea. Delivery is expected at the end of March.

Key factors in the purchase decision were the VertaCure XP G2’s superior throughput, exceptional particle performance, and thorough PI/PBO curing capability – all benefits derived from its proven vacuum-based process. The system will support a bump/RDL application for wafer-level chip scale packaging (WLCSP). It accommodates both 200mm and 300mm wafers, providing valuable flexibility for this and future applications.

“As semiconductor chip manufacturers seek to produce ever-smaller products with higher performance and lower power consumption, wafer bumping technology is expanding its application scope and creating greater value. In order to keep up with this trend, LB Semicon is deeply committed to continuous research and development,” said LB Semicon’s CEO, Dr. Nick (Namseog) Kim. “We believe that YES’s VertaCure XP G2 curing system will enable our company to deliver the cutting-edge technology needed as Korea continues its growth as a world-class semiconductor powerhouse.”

“We are pleased and proud that our VertaCure XP G2 was selected for this leading-edge application,” said Bioh Kim, President of YES Korea. “This order showcases YES’s growing role as a trusted global partner in the production of innovative technologies. We look forward to supporting LB Semicon’s efforts, now and into the future.”

About YES
Yield Engineering Systems, Inc. (YES) is a preferred provider of high-tech, cost-effective equipment for enhancing surfaces and materials. The company’s product lines include thermal processing systems, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) systems, and wet process equipment used for the precise surface modification of semiconductor substrates, semiconductor and MEMS devices, LED displays, and biodevices. Customers ranging from startups to Fortune 100 companies rely on YES systems to create and volume-produce innovative products in a wide range of markets. YES is headquartered in Fremont, California, with a growing global presence. For more information, please visit yieldengineering.com.

About LB Semicon
Based in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, LB Semicon provides bumping, probe test, back-end, and WLCSP services for display driver integrated circuits (DDI), CMOS image sensors (CIS), and power management integrated circuits (PMIC) used in electronic devices such as TVs, monitors, and mobile phones.
LBS has continuously developed and evolved its technology since the company’s founding in 2000, starting with gold bumping for TFT LCD and OLED DDIs, and expanding over the years into solder bumping, Cu pillar bumping, and WLCSP. The company maintains solid partnerships with top semiconductor chip manufacturers in Korea and elsewhere, and has more than a thousand employees. For more information, please visit www.lbsemicon.com.

• Read more about Leading Korean OSAT Purchases YES VertaCure™ XP for Higher Yield and Performance

PRESS RELEASE | Nijmegen, the Netherlands, January 19, 2023

Chip Integration Technology Center (CITC) will intensify its cooperation with acoustic microscopy expert PVA TePla Analytical Systems GmbH. The cooperation offers exciting opportunities for both organizations to benefit from the synergies that exist between them.

Successfully determining which materials and processes are reliable for packaging is crucial to the mass commercialization of power and WBG semiconductors. Flawless basic materials are the key to flawless products. Cracks, cavities, detachment, or inclusions result in failures during the subsequent production process, which can be avoided with the help of reliable material analysis.

To realize this in its Thermal High-Performance packaging program, CITC is going to use the PVA TePla Scanning Acoustic Microscopy (SAM) 302 HD2 system. The microscope system provides non-destructive quality control capabilities and will therefore allow CITC to assess the reliability of the sinter die attachment to the leadframe.

The collaboration will also see both parties sharing information with their respective businesses to showcase the technical capability and infrastructure on offer at both organizations. Finally, PVA TePla and CITC will be exploring opportunities to jointly develop research opportunities.

Peter Czurratis, Managing Director of PVA TePla is excited about the partnership: “CITC is an upcoming and leading research center focused on new semiconductor wafer technologies and new trends in packaging and systems integration. Their cooperation with semiconductor companies and universities provides us with an excellent research platform for defining our future roadmap for the next generation of acoustic microscopes.”

CITC Business Development Manager, Marco Koelink, is also looking forward to this collaboration: “PVA TePla is one of the leading suppliers of Scanning Acoustic Microscopes. Through this collaboration, CITC will gain access to advanced analytical capabilities that will help us not only to analyze and identify bond layer failures, but also better understand material performance and predict failures at an early stage. That is a crucial capability in the development of robust and reliable bonding technologies.”

About CITC
Chip Integration Technology Center (CITC) is a non-profit joint innovation center specializing in heterogeneous integration and advanced chip packaging technology. CITC has created an effective ecosystem in which companies, research and educational institutes work on bridging the gap between academics and industry. CITC’s contribution to the ecosystem is to provide access to innovation, infrastructure and education.
www.citc.org

About PVA TePla
With experience and know-how, PVA TePla AG has for many years supported important manufacturing processes and technological developments, primarily in the semiconductor, hard metal, electrical/electronics, and optical industries, but also in the forward-looking fields of energy, photovoltaics, and environmental technology.
https://www.pvatepla.com/en

• Read more about CITC intensifies cooperation with PVA TePla

PRESS RELEASE | Nijmegen, the Netherlands | January 16, 2023

Chip Integration Technology Center (CITC) today announced the appointment of Mark Luke Farrugia as its new general manager. As of March 1, Farrugia will take over the responsibilities from general manager Jeroen van den Brand, who fulfilled the role ad interim.

Farrugia has an extensive background in the semiconductor backend industry. Prior to this appointment, he worked for almost sixteen years at NXP Semiconductors and most recently as technical director at Nexperia Semiconductors.

He explains why he is now switching to CITC: “Innovation work within semiconductor packaging has been my greatest professional passion for the past 27 years. Breakthrough innovation requires a dedicated organization having the right focus, knowledge and passion and determination, and I see this in CITC.”

In his position as general manager, Farrugia will be responsible for the further development of CITC as an internationally distinctive and well-recognized center of semiconductor and photonic chip packaging technology. “CITC is a young organization, and therefore needs to put itself on the semiconductor packaging map. This should be done by understanding the needs and expectations of the industry, building and enhancing the right competences, and by collaborating with other organizations. I look forward to working with the CITC team, as well as scouting and mentoring the next generation, dealing with the highly complex puzzle of understanding what the various industry stakeholders would like to achieve, and ultimately, to delivering results that have a meaningful impact on the industry.”

Roel Fonville, chair of the CITC Supervisory Board, expresses that this is what qualified Farrugia for the position at CITC: “The Supervisory Board is enthusiastic about the appointment of Mark Luke Farrugia as general manager of CITC. Mark Luke has substantive expertise, an up-to-date business network, entrepreneurial thinking and a strong drive to further internationalize CITC as an innovation center in the field of packaging.”

The position of general manager became vacant following the sad passing of CITC founder and first general manager Barry Peet in July 2022.

About CITC
Chip Integration Technology Center (CITC) is a non-profit joint innovation center specializing in heterogeneous integration and advanced chip packaging technology. CITC has created an effective ecosystem in which companies, research and educational institutes work on bridging the gap between academics and industry. CITC’s contribution to the ecosystem is to provide access to innovation, infrastructure and education. CITC was founded in 2019 with strategic partners TNO and Delft University of Technology and powered by Holland Semiconductors. It is also supported by local and regional governments.
www.citc.org

• Read more about Mark Luke Farrugia new general manager of CITC

Roger Wood to retire as CEO effective July 7, 2023; Robert Blanding named as successor and has been appointed President of Tosoh Quartz, Inc. (TQI) effective January 1, 2023.

Tosoh Corporation announced today that Mr. Roger E. Wood, Chief Executive Officer, and President of Tosoh Quartz Inc. will retire as CEO effective July 7, 2023. Mr. Wood will step down from his duties as President as of January 1, 2023, and remain CEO until July 7, 2023, at which time he will retire from the company. Robert Blanding, currently Chief Financial Officer, will take on the role of President and successor as of January 1, 2023.

Mr. Wood possesses more than 45 years of management experience in the semiconductorrelated quartz industry with Tosoh Quartz, Inc., and has been CEO & President since 2006. Mr. Wood joined the organization in 1978 as the sixth employee when it was known by its former name, Weiss Scientific Glassblowing Company, and has held many roles across the company as it has grown. Weiss was acquired by Japan-based Tosoh Corporation in 1994, and was renamed Tosoh Quartz, Inc. in 2000. Tosoh Quartz Inc., headquartered in Portland, OR also has operations in Durham, England.

“I am grateful to have spent 45 years with this great company, and very honored to have had the opportunity to lead it for the last sixteen years. I consider myself fortunate to have witnessed the innovation and creativity that enabled us to support the Semiconductor industries growth from its infancy to its current status. I believe the future holds even greater opportunities and I
am confident that Robert Blanding, as our new President, is the right choice to lead us on this path.”

Mr. Blanding joined TQI in 2019 as Chief Financial Officer and has a wealth of manufacturing and technology industries experience, along with a proven record of leadership in global businesses. Prior to TQI, Mr. Blanding spent three years at HP Inc. as a Senior Director within the ink and toner businesses; three years at ESCO Corporation (now part of the Weir Group) as the Vice President of Finance for the Products and Mining Divisions; and eighteen years at Intel Corporation in a variety of operational finance roles including eight years directly supporting manufacturing organizations as well as a role in Intel Capital, supporting mergers and acquisitions and an international role supporting the Europe, Middle East, and Africa sales region. Mr. Blanding holds a BA in Business Administration from the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington, and an MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.

About Tosoh Quartz Inc.
Tosoh Quartz Inc. and Tosoh Quartz Japan, lead the industry in the production of quartz glass products for use by the semiconductor industry in the manufacture of integrated circuits. Tosoh Quartz Inc. has been operating in the Portland area since 1970 and in Durham, England since 1993, and is a member of Tosoh Corporation’s Advanced Materials Division along with sister
companies Tosoh Quartz Corporation (Japan), Tosoh Quartz Co., Ltd. (Taiwan), Tosoh SGM Corp. (Japan), Tosoh TSC (China), Tosoh SMD and Tosoh SMC.

Tosoh Corporation is the parent company of a Japanese chemical and specialty products and materials group that comprises over 100 companies worldwide and a multiethnic workforce of more than 12,000 people. 

Tosoh’s principal markets include the chemical and petrochemical, construction, automotive, consumer electronics, information technology, bioscience, and environmental markets. 

Tosoh is a global chemical company that supplies manufacturers with the materials they need to produce the things that make modern life all that it is and everything it can be.

• Read more about Personnel Changes at Tosoh Quartz, Inc.

January 12th, 2023 – Tempe, AZ: Moov, a data-fueled marketplace for used semiconductor equipment, today announced David Duke as Head of Enterprise Partnerships. A 27-year semiconductor industry veteran, Duke has led over $1bn in strategic fab level sales and exclusive remarketing of semiconductor equipment, including developing and running the largest equipment resale operations in the world at GlobalFoundries and GE Capital.

“We are excited to welcome equipment remarketing pioneer and semiconductor industry veteran, David Duke, to Moov,” said Moov CEO and co-founder Steven Zhou. “David’s expertise stems from decades of experience devoted to semiconductor equipment, first as an exec at top equipment manufacturers focusing on their service offerings, and then building the largest remarketing programs in the world at GE Capital and GlobalFoundries. This is the type of world-class talent we know will continue to make Moov successful as we deepen our global partnerships with semiconductor manufacturers in 2023 and beyond.”

Duke has held executive positions at semiconductor equipment behemoths AMAT, KLA, and Cymer (ASML), with focus on equipment services. At GE Capital, Duke served as VP of Sales, leading US and European sales of semiconductor and test equipment. At GlobalFoundries, Duke was responsible for acquisitions, valuations, and recovery of surplus assets, building GlobalFoundries’ remarketing process to world-class standards. Most recently, Duke served as President of US and Korea for precision deposition equipment manufacturer Kateeva.

“I was initially drawn to Moov because Moov’s approach is highly ethical, transparent, and truly has customers' best interests in mind,” said David Duke, Head of Enterprise Partnerships at Moov. “With the technology, marketplace data, and full aftermarket service suite Moov offers, manufacturers can more robustly incorporate used equipment into their enterprise procurement strategy and recoup capital on pre-owned assets at a scale never before possible.”

Duke will be responsible for establishing and growing Moov’s newly minted Enterprise Partnerships division. In this role, he will oversee strategic enterprise partnerships with semiconductor manufacturers to leverage surplus equipment in a way that moves the needle strategically beyond individual tool sales. Moov offers chipmakers a compelling solution to resell idle assets. Moov’s global marketplace and wealth of secondary capital equipment market data offers sellers immediate access to global demand and data-driven valuation solutions to make more intelligent decisions. Moov’s global team offers expertise in equipment sales including compliance with trade and financial regulations. The new Enterprise Partnerships division will focus on complex, multi-asset sales including supporting manufacturers’ equipment needs during fab acquisition or divestiture. For more information on Moov’s strategic equipment remarketing services contact [email protected].

About Moov Technologies Inc.
Headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, and Austin, Texas, Moov is a technology-driven marketplace and asset management platform that matches buyers and sellers of pre-owned semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Built by a team with more than 50 years of experience in the manufacturing equipment brokerage industry, Moov’s platform ensures accurate listings and faster transactions. CEO Steven Zhou and Managing Director Maxam Yeung co-founded the company in 2017. To learn more, please visit Moov.co.

• Read more about Moov Hires GlobalFoundries, GE Capital Veteran David Duke to Lead Enterprise Partnerships

HATFIELD, Pa. (USA) January 5, 2023 — Brooks Instrument, a leader in precision fluid measurement and control technology, has earned a Supplier Excellence Award from Applied Materials, Inc., the leader in materials engineering solutions used to produce virtually every new chip and advanced display in the world.

Applied’s Supplier Excellence Awards recognize the company’s top performing suppliers for outstanding technical and operational achievements in areas including quality, service, lead time, delivery, cost and responsiveness. Brooks Instrument received the award for Best in Class Performance.

“Applied Materials congratulates our Supplier Excellence Award recipients for achieving outstanding performance over the past year,” said Dr. Paul Chhabra, Corporate Vice President of Global Supply Chain at Applied Materials. “Having strategic relationships throughout the supply chain is more important than ever, and we thank our suppliers for their strong support and collaboration.”

About Brooks Instrument
Since 1946, Brooks Instrument has been a leader in precision fluid measurement and control technology. Providing instrumentation for flow, pressure and vapor delivery, the company serves customers in semiconductor manufacturing, fiber optics, thin film manufacturing, solar cells, LED, pharmaceutical, biopharmaceuticals, alternative energy, oil and gas, chemical and petrochemical.

With manufacturing, sales and service locations in the Americas, Europe and Asia, Brooks Instrument has the world’s largest installed base of mass flow controllers. Its broad family of products includes the brands UNIT Instruments, Tylan and Celerity.

For more information, please visit www.BrooksInstrument.com. The company is also on LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/company/Brooks-Instrument) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/user/Brooks407).

• Read more about Brooks Instrument Receives Supplier Excellence Award from Applied Materials

Yield Engineering Systems, Inc. (YES), a leading manufacturer of process equipment for semiconductor advanced packaging, life sciences, and “More-than-Moore” applications, today announced that Yee Ching (YC) Wong has joined the company’s senior leadership team as Vice President of Business Development for the Asia Pacific region.

Mr. Wong, who is based in Singapore, assumes overall responsibility for driving product penetration and for increasing backlog and revenue in the region. He will work closely with YES’s Global Sales team to meet booking and revenue targets, expand the customer base, and address new opportunities.

Prior to joining YES, Mr. Wong spent six years as Senior Director of Product Marketing at Veeco SE Asia Pte. Ltd. In that role, he successfully managed the integration of the Ultratech and Veeco sales teams in the region and delivered exceptional results with major customers. His tenure at Ultratech began in 2004 as a Senior Sales Manager in Shanghai and rose through Sales positions of increasing responsibility in Taiwan, China, Korea, and Singapore to become Ultratech’s General Manager of Litho Sales in Asia.

“I am very pleased to welcome YC to the YES senior team,” said Alex Chow, President of YES Asia. “YC is a proven leader and brings with him an impressive track record in the semiconductor capital equipment market. We expect his market understanding, business acumen, and well-honed teambuilding skills to serve him well in driving market share growth for YES in this dynamic region and strengthening key customer relationships at the C-suite and SVP level.”

Mr. Wong holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Western Sydney, Australia, and an MBA from the National University of Singapore.

About YES
Yield Engineering Systems, Inc. (YES) is a preferred provider of high-tech, cost-effective equipment for enhancing surfaces and materials. The company’s product lines include thermal processing systems, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) systems, and wet process equipment used for the precise surface modification of semiconductor substrates, semiconductor and MEMS devices, LED displays, and biodevices. Customers ranging from startups to Fortune 100 companies rely on YES systems to create and volume-produce innovative products in a wide range of markets. YES is headquartered in Fremont, California, with a growing global presence. For more information, please visit yieldengineering.com.

• Read more about YC Wong Joins YES as VP of Business Development, Asia Pacific