Toppan boosts FC-BGA substrate production for AI chips
Tokyo-based Toppan Inc., a subsidiary of Toppan Holdings Inc., has completed construction of a new manufacturing line for advanced flip-chip ball-grid array (FC-BGA) substrates at its Niigata Plant in Japan, targeting mass production by the end of the current fiscal year. This move is part of the company’s strategic response to rising demand for high-density semiconductor packaging driven by data center, edge computing and AI workloads, according to a company press release issued on 17 December 2025.
FC-BGA substrates are multilayer, high-performance interconnect platforms that support dense routing and high-speed transmission, making them critical for modern processors and accelerators. Toppan’s new line will roughly double the Niigata Plant’s FC-BGA capacity compared with first-half fiscal 2022 levels, reflecting both growing market demand and the need for larger, more complex substrates with improved electrical characteristics. The new line incorporates materials and processes designed for low dielectric constant and dissipation factor performance, as well as enhanced copper wiring surface treatment to address signal integrity at high frequencies, the company said in its announcement.
In addition to handling greater substrate thickness and expanded size formats — including sizes beyond standard JEDEC tray compatibility — the new line integrates enhanced inspection and foreign particle control measures to support yield improvement. Autonomous mobile robots are being deployed in key transfer steps, reflecting broader “smart factory” efforts in substrate manufacturing.
Toppan plans to leverage this expanded Niigata capacity alongside a second manufacturing site under construction in Singapore, scheduled to begin operations in late 2026, to strengthen its global supply footprint for FC-BGA substrates. The two-plant strategy is aimed at improving resilience and continuity amid ongoing supply chain pressures in semiconductor packaging.
The move underscores Toppan’s intensified focus on semiconductor packaging within its broader electronics segment, where advanced substrates such as FC-BGA are increasingly central for AI-oriented compute architectures. Industry data and company-level strategy briefs indicate that Toppan has been expanding its semiconductor packaging initiatives throughout 2025, including capacity growth and technology showcases at key events, as it shifts resources toward higher value-added electronic solutions.
By streamlining production capabilities and enhancing support for next-generation packaging requirements, Toppan is positioning itself to capture more substantial share in a segment that sits at the intersection of semiconductor scaling challenges and the accelerating adoption of AI and data-centric compute platforms.