Jun 23, 2015

Toppan Printing starts up cutting-edge FC-BGA substrate line at its Niigata Plant
Sample shipments for high-end LSI to commence with a view to mass production launch by end of year
Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. (hereafter Toppan Printing; head office: Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo; President & Representative Director: Shingo Kaneko) installed new production equipment for FC-BGA (Flip Chip-Ball Grid Array) substrates at its Niigata Plant (Shibata, Niigata, Japan) in late 2014 and will begin sample shipments of products manufactured on this line in late June, with a target to commence mass production during 2015. Demand for FC-BGA substrates is currently increasing in response to miniaturization and further enhancements to the performance of LSI.
- Background
With further miniaturization of LSI, demand for FC-BGA substrates is expected to continue increasing. In particular, FC-BGA substrates for high-end LSI need to have enhanced features and performance, such as high-speed communication, low power consumption, and high-density wiring. Toppan Printing made the decision to respond to these market needs by equipping its Niigata Plant with a new manufacturing line capable of producing cutting-edge substrates, such as thin or coreless substrates, with finer wiring.

- Features of the new manufacturing line
Reduction in thickness due to use of thin core material
Due to the use of a core material with thickness reduced from 0.8 mm to 0.2 mm, FC-BGA substrates produced on the new line enable LSI to be miniaturized with enhanced transmission performance.

High productivity line for coreless FC-BGA substrates
Cutting-edge coreless FC-BGA substrates use no core material and therefore enable further miniaturization, higher density, weight reduction, and high-speed transmission. The production efficiency for coreless FC-BGA substrates on the new line is significantly higher than on previous lines, making it possible to respond to further increases in demand.

Narrow pitch wiring
Conventional FC-BGA substrates have a line/space of 15μm (1 micrometer=1/1000 millimeter). In line with the miniaturization of LSI, the new line can handle pitches of 10μm and under, making it possible to form fine wiring for LSI.

Management of quality data in real time due to the introduction of an IT system
Sensors on devices installed on the new manufacturing line collect data, which is then analyzed to ascertain the status of the equipment in real time and monitor equipment information via the automated recording of manufacturing process conditions and results, making it possible to prevent quality problems and reduce the time needed to identify the causes of defects.

- Future developments
Following sample shipments of products manufactured on the new line, Toppan Printing intends to begin mass production during 2015 and promptly achieve 20 billion yen in sales.

* The names of companies, products and services featured in this press release are the trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective companies.
* The information in this press release is current as of the date of publication and is subject to change without notice.

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