NEDO announces decision on pilot line construction site and start of construction for “Post-5G Information and Communications System Infrastructure Strengthening Research and Development Project / Development of Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology / Research and Development on Development and Demonstration of Semiconductor Post-Process Automation and Standardization”

The Semiconductor Back-End Automation and Standardization Technology Research Association (SATAS), which conducts research and development on the transformation and full automation and standardization of packaging, assembly, and testing processes (hereinafter referred to as back-end processes) in semiconductor manufacturing, has officially selected Sharp’s Kameyama Plant (Kameyama City, Mie Prefecture) as a pilot line site for the “Post-5G Information and Communications System Infrastructure Strengthening Research and Development Project / Development of Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology / Research and Development on the Development and Demonstration of Semiconductor Back-End Automation and Standardization” (hereinafter referred to as this R&D) commissioned by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (hereinafter referred to as NEDO), and has begun construction on improving the environment of some of the buildings within the plant.

This research and development will involve creating specifications for the physical and logical industry standard interfaces between each piece of manufacturing equipment required for fully automating the back-end process, developing and implementing manufacturing equipment in accordance with those specifications, conducting unit testing, and conducting integration tests and operational verification on a pilot line integrating each piece of manufacturing equipment, with the aim of improving the energy productivity of the entire pilot line. The Sharp Kameyama Plant, which has been selected as the pilot line site, has the environment necessary to build a fully automated back-end line based on the SATAS concept, and SATAS will proceed with the construction of the pilot line by utilizing the plant’s buildings, facilities, equipment, etc., with the aim of starting operations in fiscal 2027.

With the official selection of the pilot line site, SATAS will accelerate the development and implementation of manufacturing equipment that complies with industry-standard interfaces and their specifications more than ever before. By fully embarking on efforts to implement the SATAS concept in society, the pilot line site will be developed into an innovation hub that leads the research and development of back-end automation, contributing to the creation of a back-end automation market in developed countries and strengthening the competitiveness of Japan’s semiconductor-related industries.