Applied Materials, A*STAR to Advance R&D in Fan-Out Wafer-Level Packaging

Applied Materials, Inc. and the Institute of Microelectronics (IME), a research institute under the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), announced a five-year extension of their research collaboration at the Centre of Excellence in Advanced Packaging in Singapore.
 
The organizations will expand the scope of their R&D collaboration to focus on advancing Fan-Out Wafer-Level Packaging (FOWLP), a key technology inflection expected to help make chips and end-user devices smaller, faster and more power efficient.
 
With an anticipated additional S$188 million of combined investment, the Centre will expand to a second location at Fusionopolis 2, in addition to the existing facility at Singapore’s Science Park II. The two facilities combined will span an area of approximately 1,700 square meters and be staffed by a team of close to 100 researchers, scientists and engineers. The Centre was built to develop new capabilities in advanced packaging through a full line of Applied Materials’ Wafer-Level Packaging (WLP) processing equipment, and has successfully delivered advancements in semiconductor hardware, process and device structures.
 
The Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data are driving forces in today’s market of interconnected and multi-functional electronic devices. FOWLP is considered a key technology platform for system scaling, enabling multiple chips to be integrated in a small form factor on a single package.
 
A*STAR takes a long-term vision towards strategic investments in industry-ready R&D that contribute to Singapore’s economic growth. It is home to one of the premier advanced packaging and wafer-level packaging research facilities in Asia.