AST breaks ground in Singapore for high-end substrates & advanced tech

Photo credit: Advanced Substrate Technologies Pte. Ltd. (AST)

Advanced Substrate Technologies Pte. Ltd. (AST), a Singapore-based subsidiary of TOPPAN Holdings Inc., a Japanese pioneer in printing technologies and a leading supplier of high quality Flip Chip Ball Grid Array (FC-BGA) substrates¹, broke ground for the construction of its new factory on Pesawat Drive near Jurong Lake District, on March 14, 2024.

This factory will be the first in Singapore to manufacture high-end FC-BGA substrates used in bleeding edge semiconductor products such as Network Switches and Artificial Intelligence (AI) / Machine Learning (ML) devices. The production ramp-up is part of TOPPAN's strategic growth plan to address the increasing global and regional demand for advanced substrates and complements its main production hub in Japan.

Research and development (R&D) on advanced substrate technologies to meet the future performance demands of products for such applications also will be conducted at this facility by AST.

With a target to start production by the end of 2026, AST’s factory will implement state of the art factory automation to produce substrates of highest quality and yield. This factory, with a ~95,000 sqm floor area, will also employ over 200 high-tech engineers and skilled technicians, besides other operators, providing them with an opportunity to learn and lead in the field of FC-BGA substrate manufacturing and development.

TOPPAN will bring their most advanced substrate manufacturing know-how for implementation in AST's production lines. TOPPAN's large-body and high-layer-count substrate technology is proven in the products of several well-known large semiconductor companies worldwide. AST’s initial and key hires for FC-BGA substrate manufacturing will undergo intensive training in TOPPAN’s Niigata factories in Japan.

Broadcom Inc., a global technology leader that designs, develops, and supplies a broad range of semiconductor, enterprise software and security solutions, is also supporting the establishment of this world class manufacturing facility in Singapore.

“AST will be our first ever FC-BGA manufacturing facility outside of Japan. AST will provide high-end FC-BGA substrates that are essential for cutting-edge semiconductor products. By leveraging the design and manufacturing expertise developed at TOPPAN Japan's Niigata Plant and combining it with state-of-the-art automation technology, AST will achieve the highest quality and production efficiency. We sincerely appreciate the unwavering support from the Singapore government agencies, EDB and JTC, and the invaluable assistance from our esteemed client, Broadcom, which made this project possible.” Tetsuro Ueki, Senior Managing Executive Officer and Head of TOPPAN’s Electronics Division, TOPPAN

“AST’s new facility is a significant addition to Singapore’s semiconductor ecosystem, which today already hosts a diverse range of manufacturers and suppliers. Singapore continues to strengthen our business-friendly environment, innovation ecosystem and connectivity to the world to remain a critical global node for semiconductors. We are therefore glad to be chosen to host TOPPAN’s first FC-BGA substrate manufacturing facility outside Japan. This is one of Japan’s largest investments overseas in the past decade for a key component in the semiconductor supply chain. EDB remains keen to partner with semiconductor companies globally across the value chain, and we look forward to achieving future milestones with partners like Broadcom and TOPPAN.” Pee Beng Kong, Executive Vice President, EDB.

“As TOPPAN’s largest customer for FC-BGA substrates, we welcome the additional capacity AST brings for large body, high layer count substrates. We are also delighted that this factory is getting established in Singapore with a world class talent pool, a vibrant semiconductor ecosystem and outstanding support by the Singapore EDB and government agencies. Advanced technologies developed at AST will be strategically important for us to differentiating our next generation Networking and AI/ML products and sustaining our market leadership.” Dr. Charlie Kawwas, President, Semiconductor Solutions Group, Broadcom

1 An FC-BGA substrate enables the interconnection between one or more silicon dies and the system board and also between those silicon dies, through its multiple layers of high density wiring. For more information, please refer to https://www.toppan.com/en/electronics/package/fc-bga/