Advanced Semiconductor Engineering Inc (ASE, 日月光導體), the world’s largest chip packager and tester, yesterday signed an agreement with Japan’s TDK Corp to establish a joint venture in Kaohsiung.
With initial capital of NT$1.21 billion (US$36.85 million), ASE Embedded Electronics Inc (日月暘電子) is to start operation in August next year, the companies said.
ASE Embedded is to make integrated-circuit (IC) embedded substrates using TDK’s semiconductor embedded substrate (SESUB) technology, ASE said.
The SESUB technology enables semiconductor chips to be shrunk to 50 micrometers and embedded in a four-layer plastic substrate.
“Such alliances enable ASE to improve its SiP [system-in-package] ecosystem and offer our customers a complete suite of solutions for integrating dozens of chips into smaller and thinner spaces in the advent of portable and wearable devices and the Internet of Things,” ASE chief operating officer Tien Wu (吳田玉) said in the statement.
ASE first announced in May that it would form a joint venture with TDK.
The Taiwanese firm said it would hold a 51 percent stake in ASE Embedded with an investment of US$20.14 million, while TDK would hold a 49 percent for NT$19.35 million.
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