November 17, 2011 — Toppan Photomasks, Inc., a subsidiary of Toppan Printing Co. Ltd., will expand its Shanghai manufacturing operation serving China’s semiconductor industry. Costing about $20 million, the expansion will increase photomask production significantly, and enable more advanced photomasks made with feature sizes as small as 90nm.
Toppan Photomasks Company Limited, Shanghai (TPCS) is a joint venture between Toppan Photomasks Inc and the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology. It opened in 1996 and currently employs about 160 people. Toppan’s China-based wafer foundry customers include Shanghai Hua Hong NEC Electronics Co. Ltd., CSMC Technologies Corp., Shanghai HuaLi Microelectronics Corp., Grace Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp., Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. Ltd. and HeJian Technology (Suzhou) Co., Ltd.
TPCS will construct an additional 4950sq.m. manufacturing facility adjacent to its existing Shanghai operation, adding clean room space and enhanced lithography, process, inspection, and repair capabilities.
China is a "key market" for semiconductors, noted Michael Hadsell, Toppan Photomasks