A recent annual forum for the chipmaking equipment and materials sectors was hosted in Tainan, southern Taiwan, bringing together executives from TSMC and its ecosystem partners including Grand Process Technology (GPTC), All Ring Tech, Gallant Micro Machining (GMM), and AblePrint Technology.
The event focused on advanced packaging technology's role in AI chip development and future industry trends.
TSMC continues to advance its packaging technologies and processes to meet GPU shipment demands and enhance chip performance, according to Shang Y. Hou, director of TSMC's high-performance packaging integration division. In his role overseeing cutting-edge packaging technologies for the AI industry, Hou highlighted the company's proprietary CoWoS packaging technology as a key solution developed through years of exclusive research.
The rapid adoption of AI applications presents both unprecedented challenges and opportunities for the semiconductor industry. "We are in a transformative era; only through innovation and collaboration can we harness this wave of AI," Hou emphasized.
Market analysis indicates that TSMC's compound annual growth rate for CoWoS capacity expansion from 2023 to 2028 will exceed 50%, highlighting substantial business potential. The company continues to advance process miniaturization while enhancing 3D chip stacking and advanced packaging, enabling the integration of over 200 billion transistors onto a single chip and achieving more than one trillion transistors through advanced packaging, thereby creating broader channels.
Industry insights from TSMC's ecosystem partners
All Ring Tech COO Chiang Cheng-yen discussed the company's progress in advanced packaging methods. The company has established partnerships with other prominent firms to develop specialized AI packaging solutions, strengthening product competitiveness. Chiang emphasized that inter-industry collaboration is essential for accelerating technological deployment.
GPTC president Kevin Shih explained how years of strategic planning and acquisitions have enabled the company to expand into process consumables and automation equipment. GPTC now leverages its resources to focus on semiconductor manufacturing and applications, offering integrated industry services. Shih noted that emerging technologies like 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT) have created more demanding requirements for chip packaging.
GMM general manager Shin Dun-zhi highlighted the company's recent focus on advanced semiconductor packaging, noting that its precision pick-and-place equipment has captured more than 70% of Taiwan's chip sorting market.
AblePrint founder and chairman Hong Zhihong shared insights on "An Engineer's Entrepreneurial Choice." He explained that AblePrint was established to create unique solutions rather than mass-produced items, with each product addressing specific processing challenges. Hong emphasized that product development should be driven by commodity value, fostering engineer satisfaction and creating a corporate culture of "challenging the impossible."
Applied Materials Taiwan president Erix Yu concluded the forum by emphasizing the need for enhanced communication and collaboration within the semiconductor supply chain to address AI technology opportunities and challenges. Yu stressed that achieving future innovations requires both mental and technological transformation. He noted that advanced packaging technology can significantly improve AI chip performance while driving industry transformation and advancement.
