AT&S starts high-volume manufacturing at new Kulim plant

Located approximately 350 kilometres north of the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, the new campus in Kulim was completed in record time.

“The new AT&S campus was built in just two years. One year later we are ready to start high volume production”, says Ingolf Schroeder, EVP Business Unit Microelectronics at AT&S, in a press release. “This is probably a new world record. Starting high volume production is not only a milestone for AT&S but also an important step for Malaysia. By introducing high-end IC substrate technology to Kulim, we will contribute to Malaysia’s economic and technological growth in a sustainable manner.”

According to Schroeder, AT&S is now on track to become one of the top three IC substrate providers globally. With the completion of the new campus, AT&S has established a tightly integrated “Substrate Triangle” comprising its plants in Chongqing (China), Kulim (Malaysia), and Leoben (Austria).

Know-how, technologies, and research are continuously shared and refined across these locations, enabling each plant to reach its full potential.

Substrate production for AMD at the Kulim campus is expected to grow steadily, driven by increasing demand for CPUs and GPUs in data centres, as well as in AI, VR, and AR technologies. With the projected exponential growth in data volumes, demand for storage, transmission, and analysis remains strong. The number of customers served by the Kulim facility is expected to rise significantly, with additional high-profile clients anticipated this financial year.

Currently, AT&S Malaysia employs around 1,500 people. Since its inception, approximately MYR 600 million has been invested in R&D.

To date, about MYR 5 billion (EUR 1 billion) has been invested in the plant and administrative buildings at the Kulim campus. In Plant 1, AT&S produces substrates for semiconductor company AMD. The gross floor area spans approximately 255,000 square metres and houses about 500 high-tech machines.