SUSS MicroTec signs long-term lease agreement for new production site in Taiwan
- New Zhubei production site lays the foundation for further targeted growth in the coming years
- Production capacity doubles to up to 6,300 square meters
- No direct impact on German production sites
Garching, November 4, 2024 – SUSS MicroTec, a leading manufacturer of equipment and process solutions for the semiconductor industry, has signed a long-term lease agreement for a new production site in Zhubei (Hsinchu County, Taiwan). The new site is around 10 kilometers away from the previous production facility and will create new manufacturing capacity on a usable area of 18,000 square meters in order to meet the continued high demand for SUSS MicroTec solutions. Approximately 6,300 square meters will be dedicated to manufacturing under clean room conditions.
New location increases flexibility and creates capacity for further targeted growth in key region
With a recent share of around 80% of order intake, Asia/Pacific is SUSS MicroTec's most important sales region. SUSS MicroTec opened the Science Park Hsinchu site in 2020 in order to leverage the potential of the high-tech ecosystem in this region with highly trained specialists close to strategic customers. Within four years, the site has grown from 55 to 350 employees and has now reached its capacity limit. “We recently had to repeatedly rent new space for administrative and operational functions in order to expand production capacity under clean room conditions at our current location. At the new, larger location, we want to create additional capacity for further targeted growth,” says Dr. Thomas Rohe, COO of SUSS MicroTec SE, explaining the decision for the new location.
SUSS MicroTec has been manufacturing coaters in Hsinchu since the site opened. The production of UV projection scanners followed in 2021. Most recently, in 2023, the production of temporary bonders was started. Temporary bonders play an important role in the production of high-performance memory chips, known as high bandwidth memory (HBM). These memory chips are a key component for AI chips and are currently in high demand. The temporary bonder is also used in the leading packaging process for AI chip modules. “The potential doubling of our production capacity in Taiwan not only helps us to cope with the current high demand but will also increase our flexibility to respond to further increases in customer demand in the future,” says Dr. Thomas Rohe.
Rapid project realization, investment volume of € 15 to 20 million
The shell of the new site is scheduled for completion in December 2024. SUSS MicroTec will then carry out the cleanroom and office installations in order to start production at the new site in the second half of 2025.
“In 2025, we expect an investment volume of € 15 to 20 million for the building and workplace equipment and the installation of new cleanroom infrastructure,” says Dr. Cornelia Ballwiesser, CFO of SUSS MicroTec.
Germany remains a key location for production and R&D
The capacity expansion in Taiwan has no direct impact on production in Germany at the Garching and Sternenfels sites. Mask aligners, solutions for the production and cleaning of photomasks and various bonders will continue to be manufactured there. The existing research and development activities will also remain in Germany, where SUSS MicroTec currently has around 170 open positions. “Experts are forecasting significant growth in the global semiconductor industry in the coming years. As a supplier to the world's leading chip manufacturers, we want to benefit from this. The expansion of the Taiwan site is an important milestone in preparing our company for future growth, but does not rule out further expansion of our activities in Europe and especially in Germany,” explains Burkhardt Frick, CEO of SUSS MicroTec SE.
Media contact:
Sven Koepsel
Vice President Investor Relations and Communications
E-Mail: sven.koepsel@suss.com
Tel.: +49 89 32007151
About SUSS MicroTec
SUSS MicroTec is a leading supplier of equipment and process solutions for microstructuring in the semiconductor industry and related markets. In close cooperation with research institutes and industry partners SUSS MicroTec contributes to the advancement of next-generation technologies such as 3D Integration and nanoimprint lithography as well as key processes for MEMS and LED manufacturing. With a global infrastructure for applications and service SUSS MicroTec supports more than 8.000 installed systems worldwide. SUSS MicroTec is headquartered in Garching near Munich, Germany. The shares of SUSS MicroTec SE are traded in the Prime Standard of the German Stock Exchange (ISIN DE000A10K0235). For more information, please visit http://www.suss.com.
Legal Disclaimer
All statements in this release other than historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "believe", "expect", "intend", "anticipate", "estimate", "should", "may", "will", "plan" and similar words and terms used in relation to the enterprise are meant to indicate forward-looking statements of this kind. The company accepts no obligation toward the general public to update or correct forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, as a result of which actual events may diverge numerically from expectations. The forward-looking statements reflect the view at the time they were made.