[News] Progress Updates on Two 12-inch Wafer Production Lines in China

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Recently, Chinese semiconductor companies Natural Semicon and Zensemi have recently announced advancements in their 12-inch wafer production lines, while Chinese equipment manufacturers Naura, Hwatsing, and JSG have reported promising developments in 12-inch equipment technology.

Natural Semicon’s 12-inch Production Line in Zhuhai Achieves Milestone

On November 2, Zhuhai-based Natural Semicon successfully connected its 12-inch wafer-level TSV (Through-Silicon Via) integration production line. On the same day, Natural Semicon unveiled its “Ninefold” technology platform, the first Chinese-named wafer-level 3D integration technology system.

Upon completion of Phase I, the new production line will have an annual capacity of 240,000 TSV-integrated units to support applications in AI, high-performance computing, and more. The project is expected to begin full-scale production on December 30, 2024. Moving forward, Phase II is set to boost capacity to 600,000 units annually between 2028 and 2032 as part of a strategic growth phase.

Zensemi Completes 12-inch Wafer Project Connection

Recently, Zensemi’s COO reported in an interview with CNR that the Zensemi project took just 18 months from groundbreaking to line connection. To date, Zensemi has produced 1,000 wafers, which are now undergoing a 1,000-hour reliability test. The company plans to commence mass production soon.

At a June 28 launch event, Zensemi inaugurated its 12-inch wafer production line for intelligent sensor chips, which is the first of its kind in China and second worldwide. The chips produced will target sectors such as IoT, industrial control, and automotive electronics. Starting next year, the line is expected to supply 20,000 chips monthly from Guangzhou’s Zengcheng district.

China’s Top Equipment Manufacturers Announce 12-inch Equipment R&D Progress

Chinese equipment manufacturers Naura, Hwatsing, and JSG have shared updates on their 12-inch equipment developments.

Naura recently delivered its domestically developed 12-inch plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system to a client. The Cygnus series PECVD system is designed to produce high-quality films for applications such as passivation, isolation, anti-reflective coatings, and etching stop layers in logic, memory, and advanced packaging. It can handle large, high-warp wafers and produce films like silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and other compounds.

On October 31, Hwatsing revealed in its investor relations report that its flagship CMP and thinning equipment saw broader applications and greater market acceptance in the first three quarters of 2024. Its new Universal H300 CMP system is now in limited production, receiving orders from key customers, while its 12-inch high-precision wafer thinning machine, Versatile-GP300, completed its initial customer validation and met batch production requirements.

On October 28, JSG disclosed that it has expanded R&D in semiconductor equipment for large silicon wafers, chips, and packaging, achieving breakthroughs in domestic production of 8- to 12-inch wafer equipment. These products have reached mass production and are well received by downstream customers, leading in market share within China’s domestically produced crystal growth equipment sector.

(Photo credit: Zensemi )