Semicon Japan trade fair: TRUMPF reduces manufacturing costs in the chip industry with laser and plasma technology

Ditzingen/Freiburg/Tokyo, 17 December 2025 – At Semicon Japan 2025, high-tech company TRUMPF will demonstrate how innovative laser and plasma technologies can reduce production costs, improve chip quality, and make the semiconductor industry fit for the future. “The semiconductor industry is growing rapidly and faces the challenge of combining efficiency, precision, and sustainability. At Semicon Japan 2025, we will show how our technologies and services meet these requirements. Our technologies form the basis to produce the latest generation of microchips, which are needed for AI applications, for example,” says Michael Samtleben, Managing Director of TRUMPF in Japan. At the trade fair, the high-tech company will present a combined laser etching process for the latest generation of microchips and a new generation of its high-frequency power supplies with the TruPlasma RF Series G3.

Laser process enables cost-effective high-speed chips

Advanced packaging with glass is a crucial future technology for the semiconductor industry. Glass is significantly cheaper than silicon. This allows manufacturers to reduce production costs and makes high-performance end devices much more affordable for customers. In Advanced Packaging, chip manufacturers combine individual chips on interposers, a thin intermediate layer that electrically connects the individual chips. To create connections on the interposer, chip manufacturers must drill holes in the glass, known as through-glass vias (TGV). Manufacturers often have to drill millions of holes in a panel to create the required connections. TRUMPF laser technology can play an important role here. An ultrashort pulse laser from TRUMPF can selectively change the structure of the glass, which is then treated with an etching solution. The laser and etching processes must be perfectly coordinated to create precise holes. TRUMPF has already proven that this is possible in a project with the SCHMID Group, a specialist in etching processes for microchip production.

Beyond laser technology for TGV drilling, TRUMPF is committed to addressing its advanced HiPIMS process (High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering). This technology ensures extremely uniform copper coating along the via sidewalls, which is a critical prerequisite for subsequent bulky metallization process. What sets TRUMPF apart? Its unique rectangular waveform delivers ultra-high ionization energy, reaching almost twice the deposition rate of other HiPIMS products available on the market. Additionally, it achieves a highly conductive and denser copper film, far superior to that produced by conventional DC sputtering, making it ideal for TGV applications.  Combined with synchronized bias technology and a fully integrated TRUMPF system, HiPIMS ensures perfect copper filling even for extremely high aspect-ratio vias. TRUMPF’s HiPIMS TGV solution can deliver excellent deposition precision and highly reproducible process control. With extensive industrialization experience alongside leading manufacturers, TRUMPF is not only a generation ahead technologically but also setting the market benchmark for high-volume TGV production. By combining laser drilling and HiPIMS coating, TRUMPF paves the way for more cost-effective, higher-performing chips and sets new standards in Advanced Packaging.

TRUMPF ensures more precise plasma processes in chip manufacturing

The new TruPlasma RF Series G3 enables microchip manufacturers to achieve more stable plasma processes, thereby reducing production costs and increasing chip quality. Users can manufacture chips more efficiently with the TruPlasma RF Series G3. During plasma etching, for example, the system continuously measures the reaction of the plasma and adjusts the energy in real time. This ensures stable manufacturing processes and consistent layer quality across the entire wafer.

The modular platform offers power levels from 2.5 to 10 kW and can be flexibly integrated into existing chip manufacturing systems. Users can also easily upgrade older systems with it. At the same time, chip manufacturers benefit from improved energy efficiency. The new generation of the TruPlasma RF Series G3 consumes 20 percent less power and generates less waste heat. This reduces operating costs and protects the environment.

TRUMPF expands support for Japanese customers

TRUMPF is strengthening its support for Japanese customers with global operations. To meet growing demands, TRUMPF opened the Miyagi Technical Center in Miyagi Prefecture in 2023. One of the key challenges for many Japanese companies is energy efficiency: using cutting-edge technologies requires significant energy, while expanding existing energy infrastructure is often difficult. “We understand our customers’ concerns and are committed to providing solutions that combine efficiency and sustainability,” says Michael Samtleben.

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