MKS Instruments Unveils Significant Investment in its Yokohama TechCenter at Expansion Ceremony

Reading time ( words)

MKS Instruments, Inc., a global provider of technologies that transform our world, unveiled a significant investment in its Yokohama Technical Center (YTC) in Japan, which will enable an industry leading integrated approach to creating solutions for complex package substrate manufacturing, satisfying current requirements as well as those needed for future roadmaps.

The YTC is an integral part of the most comprehensive portfolio of global TechCenters in the industry. These TechCenters combine unique analytical capabilities, state of the art full scale equipment, and highly proficient expert teams to conduct extensive research and development, providing world-class service to more than 8,000 customers around the globe. Working closely with customers and industry partners helps anticipate the industry’s future requirements, which in turn enables MKS to help customers stay ahead in a rapidly changing environment.

The recent investment in the YTC delivers the latest capabilities for the production of next generation package substrates. Offering a unique combination, the YTC utilizes dedicated lasers, optics, and motion systems for high precision, high-speed via formation in ABF build-up laminates, in combination with the latest process chemistry and equipment for desmear and electroless copper metallization. Using the latest Equalized Curtain Flow (ECF) plating tool, the YTC is able to support customers in their yield optimization and next generation process development for advanced packaging applications.

During the YTC Expansion Ceremony, Dr. John T.C. Lee, President and CEO of MKS Instruments, escorted visitors around the state-of-the-art facility showcasing the two new systems, the ESI GeodeTM A CO2 laser system and the Atotech G-Plate® plating tool, as well as demonstrating the Vitrocoat® process for Plating on Glass (PoG). 

“We are highly committed to driving and leading technology development within our industries,” Dr. Lee said. “With these key installations, we are accelerating time to market through our combined capabilities, which allow us to view problems holistically and design solutions faster. This helps us to drive innovation for next generation electronic devices and offer customers and OEMs quicker development cycles for new products and materials enabling high-end SAP technology requiring <=5/5µm lines and spaces. Our unique portfolio of MKS combined services at our Yokohama technical center allows us to reduce the cycle time for a typical ABF sample from three months or more to less than one month.”

MKS Instruments’ Optimize the InterconnectSM offering drives MKS’ focus on next-generation advanced PCB and package substrate development. The investment in the YTC will further solidify MKS as a leader in the next frontier for miniaturization and complexity by enabling increasingly smaller feature sizes and offering new solutions by combining ESI laser drilling technologies with Atotech chemistry and plating equipment.

03/16/2023 | Pete Starkey, I-Connect007

Widely believed to be the traditional Centre of England, Meriden was a popular venue for a gathering of the UK printed circuit community this month. They braved the forecast of heavy snow for the Institute of Circuit Technology’s annual general meeting to learn about current developments and challenges in a thought-provoking technical seminar and to network with industry peers and contemporaries. Thankfully, the forecasted heavy snowfall did not reach Meriden until after the event; we only had a few flurries, although the weather caused considerable disruption elsewhere in the country.

02/28/2023 | Pete Starkey, I-Connect007

Day 2 of the EIPC Winter Conference at the Groupama Stadium in the Décines-Charpieu region of the Metropolis of Lyon in eastern France included a privileged visit to the Bugey Nuclear Power Plant for those who were registered and passed their security clearance. Such was the interest that the party was split into morning and afternoon groups. EIPC board member Martyn Gaudion, CEO of Polar Instruments, made a fine job of moderating Session 6 twice over.

02/27/2023 | Pete Starkey, I-Connect007

The EIPC Winter Conference returned to the Metropolis of Lyon in eastern France this month. In 2018, the venue was Villeurbanne in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Five years later the setting was the Groupama Stadium in Décines-Charpieu, and leaders of the European printed circuit community gathered in expectation of a spectacular programme of 16 presentations, a visit to a nuclear power station, and an invaluable networking opportunity. They weren’t disappointed.