Accelerating Customer Concept Validation:
What TOWA Expects from the Co-Creation Power of US-JOINT

2026/09/11

Why TOWA Joined US-JOINT: Accelerating Customer Concept Validation

What was the motivation behind TOWA's participation in US-JOINT?

Mr. Miura: One key reason was the need to adapt to changes in the semiconductor industry's value chain.

Before 2000, integrated device manufacturers (IDMs) typically handled semiconductor design, development, and manufacturing within a single organization. Product development cycles often took three to five years from concept to mass production.
The landscape began changing in the mid-2000s with the rapid growth of mobile devices, particularly smartphones. Fabless companies emerged, especially in North America, focusing on chip design and development while outsourcing manufacturing to foundries and OSAT (Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test) providers. As a supplier of molding equipment for back-end processes, TOWA saw its primary customer interface shift toward OSAT companies.
This change also dramatically shortened development timelines. Activities that previously took several years increasingly had to be completed within months. In some cases, there simply was not enough time for thorough technical evaluation, resulting in missed business opportunities.

To address this challenge, TOWA established laboratories in Europe and North America and began providing prototype support free of charge, enabling direct engagement with fabless companies. Successful prototyping often led to production at OSAT facilities and, ultimately, equipment orders. These laboratories were positioned as strategic upfront investments.
Against this backdrop, the vision of US-JOINT shared by Hidenori Abe, who oversees semiconductor materials R&D at Resonac Holdings, resonated with me, and led me to decide to participate. US-JOINT brings together material and equipment suppliers with technologies essential for next-generation semiconductor packaging at a single location in Silicon Valley. As a result, customers such as fabless firms and hyperscalers no longer need to visit multiple supplier laboratories when evaluating packaging concepts. This represents a significant advantage, enabling faster and more efficient concept validation.
In addition, semiconductor manufacturing activity is increasingly expanding within the United States. We believe it is highly valuable to use US-JOINT as a platform from which participating companies can proactively engage customers and explore new opportunities together.

What kind of interaction is taking place among participating companies, and what synergies do you hope to see going forward?

Mr. Miura: While this is the first time we have collaborated through the US-JOINT framework, many participants have known each other through business activities in Japan. Personally, my interaction has so far been limited to meeting participants during the opening ceremony, so deeper engagement is still ahead.

However, TOWA engineers are already working on site, and interaction among engineers has begun. New relationships are forming with companies that previously had little direct contact, and relationships among engineers are steadily growing. I expect communication among consortium members and customers to become increasingly active.

Rather than optimizing only their individual process steps, participating companies can share knowledge and technologies across process boundaries and evaluate solutions from the perspective of the entire package. This collaborative approach has the potential to create new relationships, generate fresh ideas, and lead to innovative technical proposals.

Addressing AI-Era Challenges Through Materials, Equipment, and Processes

From an equipment manufacturer’s perspective, what is the value of working closely with material suppliers?

Mr. Miura: The greatest benefit is the ability to identify and solve problems together during prototyping and preparation for mass production.

Using a cooking analogy, equipment manufacturers provide the cooking tools, material suppliers provide the ingredients, and customers prepare the meal. When a problem occurs, determining whether the cause lies in the equipment, the materials, or the process conditions is rarely straightforward for any one company alone.

Within US-JOINT, equipment suppliers, material suppliers, and customers can share challenges in the same environment and work together to validate solutions. Rather than debating where responsibility lies, participants can jointly analyze root causes and identify the most effective solution, accelerating problem resolution.

One example of the benefits of collaboration is the possibility of eliminating entire process steps. Because equipment and materials can be evaluated together, activities that were previously separated may be consolidated into a single process. Reducing process steps can lower capital investment, material consumption, and labor time, resulting in improved overall cost efficiency.

Start by Sharing Your Challenges: Co-Creation Through US-JOINT

Finally, what message would you like to share with customers?

Mr. Miura: TOWA supports customers around the world in the development and manufacturing of a wide range of semiconductor packages. Through US-JOINT, we would like to engage with any customer facing technical challenges, regardless of whether they have previous experience working with us. Even if the topic is highly complex, we encourage customers to start by discussing the challenge with us. Together, we can consider how US-JOINT may be used to evaluate potential solutions.
The larger the challenge, the greater the potential impact when it is solved. At the same time, tackling difficult problems helps participating companies strengthen their technologies and grow their businesses. That is why we welcome discussions even when a clear solution has not yet emerged.

Over many years, TOWA has accumulated extensive experience and data through prototyping activities around the world. Technologies that may not have reached commercialization at one point often find application years later in different products or processes. By drawing on this broad base of knowledge and experience, we look forward to working with customers to solve challenging problems together.