TRUMPF Demonstrates Cost-Efficient Laser and Plasma Innovations for Next-Generation Semiconductor Manufacturing at Semicon Japan 2025!
TRUMPF is set to showcase how its advanced laser and plasma technologies are enabling semiconductor manufacturers to reduce production costs, improve chip performance, and prepare for future technology nodes at Semicon Japan 2025. As the semiconductor industry experiences rapid growth driven by artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, and advanced packaging, manufacturers face mounting pressure to deliver higher precision, greater efficiency, and more sustainable operations. TRUMPF’s solutions are designed to address these challenges across critical stages of chip fabrication and packaging.
According to Michael Samtleben, Managing Director of TRUMPF Japan, the pace of expansion in the semiconductor sector requires manufacturers to strike a careful balance between productivity, accuracy, and responsible resource usage. At the exhibition, TRUMPF will highlight how its integrated technologies and services provide a robust foundation for advanced microchip manufacturing while helping customers manage rising complexity and cost pressures.
A major focus of TRUMPF’s showcase is its laser-based etching solution for advanced semiconductor packaging, particularly in applications using glass substrates. Glass is gaining traction as a cost-effective alternative to silicon interposers, allowing chipmakers to lower material costs while maintaining high performance. In these advanced packaging architectures, multiple chips are mounted on interposers and electrically connected through through-glass vias (TGVs). Producing TGVs requires the precise drilling of millions of microscopic holes in a single glass panel, demanding extreme accuracy and repeatability.
TRUMPF’s ultrashort pulse laser technology selectively modifies the glass structure, which is then processed through chemical etching to create highly precise vias. Achieving consistent results at industrial scale depends on close coordination between the laser and etching processes. TRUMPF has already demonstrated the viability of this combined approach through a successful collaboration with SCHMID Group, reinforcing its capability to support high-volume semiconductor manufacturing.
Beyond laser drilling, TRUMPF is advancing TGV metallization through its High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HiPIMS) technology. This process ensures exceptionally uniform copper coatings along the via walls, a critical requirement for reliable electrical connections. TRUMPF’s HiPIMS solution features a proprietary rectangular waveform that delivers significantly higher ionization energy and nearly double the deposition rate compared with conventional HiPIMS systems. The resulting copper layers are denser and more conductive than those produced using traditional DC sputtering methods.
When combined with synchronized bias technology in a fully integrated TRUMPF system, HiPIMS enables consistent copper filling even in vias with extremely high aspect ratios. By integrating laser drilling and HiPIMS coating into a single, optimized process chain, TRUMPF is setting new benchmarks for cost efficiency, scalability, and performance in advanced semiconductor packaging.
TRUMPF will also introduce the latest generation of its TruPlasma RF Series G3 high-frequency power supplies. Designed for plasma etching applications, this platform offers precise, real-time control of plasma behavior, improving process stability and layer uniformity across wafers. The modular system supports power ranges from 2.5 to 10 kilowatts, integrates easily into existing production equipment, and allows straightforward upgrades of older systems. Enhanced energy efficiency—around 20 percent lower power consumption with reduced waste heat—further helps manufacturers lower operating costs while meeting sustainability goals.
To strengthen customer collaboration in Japan, TRUMPF continues to expand its local support infrastructure, including its Miyagi Technical Center. With energy efficiency and advanced manufacturing capabilities becoming increasingly critical, TRUMPF aims to support Japanese and global chipmakers with solutions that combine high performance, cost control, and sustainable operation.
