NGK Insulators announced plans to triple production capacity for its Translucent Alumina Wafer by fiscal 2027, responding to increasing demand from the advanced semiconductor industry. The expansion addresses growing requirements for chiplet integration technology used in artificial intelligence and autonomous driving applications.
The Translucent Alumina Wafer functions as a support wafer that temporarily holds semiconductor chips during the chiplet integration process, which combines multiple small chips to achieve enhanced performance. This technology has gained importance as generative AI adoption accelerates demand for high-performance semiconductors.
NGK’s product utilizes HICERAM, a proprietary translucent ceramic material developed through years of research. The material provides light-transmitting properties alongside high rigidity and durability, addressing common manufacturing challenges. Compared to conventional glass support wafers, the translucent alumina wafers reduce warping and breakage, improving process stability and product quality while decreasing manufacturing losses.
The capital investment involves upgrading production facilities at subsidiary NGK Ceramic Device in Komaki City, Aichi Prefecture, which handles manufacturing operations. Additionally, NGK Electronics Devices in Mine City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, will receive new forming and firing equipment for upstream processes. These enhancements will expand the group’s overall production capacity to approximately three times current levels.
The expansion aligns with NGK Group’s “Vision Road to 2050” strategy, which focuses on transforming its business portfolio toward Carbon Neutral and Digital Society sectors. As part of its New Value 1000 initiative, the company targets generating over 100 billion yen in net sales from new businesses by 2030. The Translucent Alumina Wafer business specifically aims to achieve 20 billion yen in net sales within the high-performance semiconductor market by fiscal 2030.
NGK stated it will continue applying its ceramic technologies to address challenges in the Carbon Neutral and Digital Society fields.