OKI Sets Up New PCB Manufacturing Line for Semiconductor Manufacturing and Testing Equipment at Joetsu Plant

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The OKI Group PCB business company OKI Circuit Technology has set up a new ultra-high-multilayer PCB line at the Joetsu Plant in Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture, with full-scale operations commencing in July. The PCBs produced are incorporated into equipment for manufacturing and testing semiconductors for applications involving AI, data centers, and next-generation communication networks. The new line enables high-precision and high-definition circuit formation which supports a via pitch (Note 1) of 0.23 mm, while increasing production capacity by approximately 1.4 times compared to previous levels and strengthening the capability for manufacturing of a wide variety of products in small quantities. The company aims to expand sales targeting manufacturers of semiconductor manufacturing and testing equipment.

Semiconductors have been evolving dramatically, with increased functionality, reduced size, lower power consumption, and greater capacity. Along with miniaturization and multilayering, progress has also been made in the development of technologies and new materials to achieve high voltage resistance, large capacity data processing, and high-speed transmission. This has led to higher numbers of terminal pins and reduced pitches in order to handle large-volume data processing. The PCBs used for manufacturing and function testing of these next-generation semiconductors are required to have narrow pitch and ultra-high multilayering of more than 100 layers. This requires the development of new ultra-thin materials to ensure low thickness, even when multilayered, and manufacturing technologies such as ultra-fine hole drilling capable of accurately penetrating microscopic circuits on multilayer boards.

In this connection, the manufacturing area within the Joetsu Plant has been expanded by 3,300 square meters (about 1.2 times the previous area) and now includes a new surface treatment line for handling ultra-thin materials and additional direct imaging equipment. The AOI (Note 2) automated inspection equipment has also been relocated, to optimize the flow of the PCB production process, improving production quality and increasing production capacity by about 1.4 times. The new line has also achieved improved line width accuracy (stabilization of transmission characteristics) by means of high-precision circuit formation and a high-definition etching line through the reinforcement of automatic transport and direct imaging equipment for materials ranging from ultra-thin 0.03 mm to thick 8 mm boards. As noted by OKI Circuit Technology President Masaya Suzuki, the installation of additional high-precision drilling equipment has improved OKI Circuit Technology’s capabilities in ultra-fine hole drilling (diameters of 0.10 mm or less), enabling the provision of ultra-high multilayer and high-definition PCBs with over 110 layers to meet customer demands for next-generation semiconductor manufacturing and testing.

OKI is currently focusing on its EMS business, which provides one-stop comprehensive Mono-zukuri services from design to manufacturing and reliability testing. The installation of this new line forms part of its technological development and production ramp-up investment in fields promising future growth within the PCB business, such as semiconductors, aerospace, defense, robotics, and next-generation communications. OKI aims to maintain active development of PCBs and manufacturing technologies in response to advancements in related technologies.