At Semicon Japan 2025, TRUMPF will highlight how its advanced laser and plasma technologies are helping semiconductor manufacturers lower production costs, enhance chip performance, and prepare for future technology demands. As chip complexity increases alongside rapid market growth, manufacturers are under pressure to deliver higher precision, greater efficiency, and improved sustainability. TRUMPF’s solutions are designed to address these challenges and enable the production of next-generation microchips, including those required for artificial intelligence and high-performance computing applications.
“The semiconductor sector is expanding at an unprecedented pace, and manufacturers must balance productivity, accuracy, and responsible resource use,” said Michael Samtleben, Managing Director of TRUMPF Japan. “At Semicon Japan 2025, we will demonstrate how our technologies and services support these goals and provide a foundation for advanced chip manufacturing.”
One of the key technologies on display will be TRUMPF’s laser-based etching solution for advanced packaging applications. The use of glass substrates is emerging as a significant trend in semiconductor packaging, as glass offers a more cost-effective alternative to silicon. This shift allows chipmakers to reduce material costs while making high-performance electronic devices more affordable. In advanced packaging, multiple chips are mounted on interposers that electrically connect the components. To establish these connections, manufacturers must create through-glass vias (TGVs), often requiring millions of precisely drilled holes in a single panel.
TRUMPF’s ultrashort pulse laser technology enables selective modification of the glass structure, which is subsequently processed using an etching solution to form highly accurate vias. Precise coordination between the laser and etching stages is essential to achieve consistent results at scale. TRUMPF has already demonstrated the effectiveness of this combined approach through a successful project with the SCHMID Group, a specialist in chemical etching processes for semiconductor manufacturing.
In addition to laser drilling, TRUMPF is advancing TGV production through its High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HiPIMS) technology. This process delivers exceptionally uniform copper coatings along the walls of the vias, which is critical for subsequent metallization steps. TRUMPF’s HiPIMS solution stands out through its proprietary rectangular waveform, which delivers significantly higher ionization energy and nearly double the deposition rate compared with other HiPIMS systems currently available. The result is a dense, highly conductive copper layer that outperforms coatings produced using conventional DC sputtering methods.
When combined with synchronized bias technology and a fully integrated TRUMPF system, the HiPIMS process ensures reliable copper filling even in vias with extremely high aspect ratios. With extensive experience in industrial-scale deployment alongside leading manufacturers, TRUMPF has established itself as a benchmark supplier for high-volume TGV production. By integrating laser drilling and HiPIMS coating into a single process chain, the company is setting new standards for cost efficiency and performance in advanced semiconductor packaging.
TRUMPF will also introduce the latest generation of its high-frequency power supplies, the TruPlasma RF Series G3. This new platform enables more stable and precisely controlled plasma processes, directly contributing to improved chip quality and reduced manufacturing costs. During plasma etching, the system continuously monitors plasma behavior and dynamically adjusts energy levels in real time. This ensures consistent process conditions and uniform layer quality across the entire wafer.
The modular TruPlasma RF Series G3 covers power ranges from 2.5 to 10 kilowatts and can be seamlessly integrated into existing semiconductor production equipment. It also allows straightforward upgrades of older systems. In addition to process stability, the new generation offers enhanced energy efficiency, consuming approximately 20 percent less power while producing less waste heat. This lowers operating costs and supports manufacturers’ environmental objectives.
To better serve customers in Japan with global manufacturing operations, TRUMPF continues to expand its local support capabilities. The company opened the Miyagi Technical Center in Miyagi Prefecture in 2023 to address growing demand for application support and technical collaboration. Energy efficiency remains a key concern for many Japanese manufacturers, particularly as advanced technologies increase power requirements while infrastructure expansion remains challenging. TRUMPF aims to support its customers with solutions that combine high performance with sustainable operation.
TRUMPF is a global high-technology company providing manufacturing solutions in machine tools, laser systems, and digital connectivity. The company is a technology and market leader in machine tools for flexible sheet metal processing and industrial laser applications. In the 2024/25 financial year, TRUMPF employed 18,303 people worldwide and generated revenues of €4.3 billion. The TRUMPF Group operates around 90 companies across Europe, the Americas, and Asia, with production facilities in Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, the Czech Republic, the United States, Mexico, and China.
