Semicon Japan, at Tokyo Bi Sight, gathered more than 1,100 exhibitors and organizations on 11-13 December. On the first day there was an opening session.
Ajit Manocha, president and CEO of SEMI, said, “The third trend following IoT and AI is the era of quantum. Through these three trends, the semiconductor industry will grow strongly and reach USD $2tn by 2040”. On the other hand, the keyword for 2024 was “uncertainty,” and that “geopolitical risks are particularly increasing, and there are concerns about supply chain problems resulting from this. The semiconductor industry is entering an unpredictable era.” However, even in such circumstances, semiconductor investment continues to accelerate, and he explained that 108 new factories will be built around the world by 2027. He also said that this is not enough, and that 50 more factories are needed by 2030. “11 out of the 108 will be built in Japan. This number is quite important as it represents expectations for Japan. There is a good chance that some of the 50 factories that are said to be lacking will be built in Japan,” emphasizing the importance and attention of Japan in semiconductor manufacturing.
Shigeru Ishiba, Japanese Prime Minister gave a video message. He cited the economic impact of attracting TSMC’s factory to Kyushu, saying that semiconductors will be key. The government has announced its intention to provide more than 10 trillion yen in public support for the AI/semiconductor field by 2030. Prime Minister Mr.I Shiba emphasized that the government will fully support semiconductor investment.
Akira Amari, a former member of the House of Representatives and Honorary Chairman of the LDP Semiconductor Strategy Promotion Parliamentary League made a speech. The speed has been the top priority in semiconductor policy. Looking back on six or seven years ago when I became involved in the semiconductor industry, the government’s response was quite shabby. Now, the prime minister is giving keynote speeches and sending video messages. I hear that this year’s SEMICON Japan will be the largest ever, suggesting that the tide has completely changed. Furthermore, he said about the semiconductor industry, Today’s number one does not guarantee tomorrow’s number one. How fast the speed of competition is! Only companies that have the tension to catch and incorporate changes in innovation, and the fear (of being overtaken), are guaranteed a future. We are entering an era in which two of the common sense of the semiconductor industry will be overturned. The first common sense is that fabless semiconductor manufacturers will dominate this world, which he quickly denied, saying, I don’t think so. Currently, Nvidia holds a large share of the AI semiconductor market, but there are always companies looking for an opportunity to enter the market. He then sounded a warning that it was too risky for TSMC to be solely responsible for the manufacturing of cutting-edge semiconductors such as the 3nm process. He said that the key is how to create a foundry with technology equivalent to or close to that of TSMC, and expressed his expectations for Rapidus, a Japanese semiconductor manufacturer. The second common sense is that up until now, the front-end process has been responsible for improving the added value of semiconductors, but “in the future, that role will be played by the back-end process. The back-end process will be responsible for innovation.”
Takeaways from the exhibitors:
- Disco had the largest booth at the exhibition, showcasing a wide range of applications through displays of precision processing equipment, precision processing tools, and processing samples.
- Advantest is known for developing test equipment for Nvidia’s ‘AI’ semiconductors. They develop and provides cutting-edge measurement technology.
- Towa has strengths in moulding equipment that electrically insulates and seals semiconductors from the outside. They hold top global market share in this field and will introduce technologies for advanced packaging that will be used in generative ‘AI’ and other applications.
- Rapidus was founded in August 2022 and subsidized by the Japanese government. They manufacture cutting-edge semiconductors. Their main business activities include research, development, design, manufacture, and sales of electronic components such as semiconductor elements and integrated circuits. At the Rapidus booth, there was an update on the progress of IIM*-1, a facility currently under construction in Hokkaido for the development and production of cutting-edge semiconductors; an overview of the mass-production-compatible EUV exposure tool that will be installed at IIM for the first time in Japan within the year; and 2-nm GAA (gate-all-around) prototype wafers, for which mass production technology is being developed in Albany, New York, together with IBM.
- Ion Technology, part of Sumitomo Heavy Industries, presented ion implantation equipment for medium current, high current, and high energy. Next year, the company will launch an ion implantation equipment for silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductors.
