Advanced Chip Packaging strategic programme

In 2021, Europe set itself the ambitious goal of bringing semiconductor production back within its borders, with the aim of capturing 20% of the global semiconductor value chain by 2030. Initially, this effort focused mainly on front-end technologies such as wafer fabrication. However, in his recent report, ‘The Future of European Competitiveness’ (2024), Mario Draghi emphasised that backend technologies, particularly advanced chip packaging, should also be included in this vision and should receive more attention in the coming years.

The growing interest in advanced packaging as a key technology for the continuation of Moore’s Law stems from the increasing complexity of semiconductors and the shift to higher levels of chip integration (i.e. combining different semiconductor and even photonic front-end technologies in a single package). This means that the design and production of both the ‘chip’ and the ‘package’ must be done together. A good example of this is the upcoming wave of 6G radio chips, such as those developed by NXP, where the antenna requirements are so stringent that they must be integrated directly into the chip package. For this reason, major semiconductor front-end players such as TSMC and Intel are investigating whether they can develop advanced chip packaging internally again. As BCG puts it: ‘Packaging will become an innovation driver, a point of differentiation that is crucial for system performance.’

If Europe is serious about maintaining a competitive advantage in the production of semiconductors, it must also invest in developing expertise in advanced packaging. This is why advanced packaging is one of the three pillars of the chipNL plan. And also why advanced packaging is likely to play a crucial role in the upcoming ChipAct2 initiative.

The SP ‘Advanced Chip Packaging’ is derived from the chipNL plan and is closely aligned with the overall objectives of chipNL:

• Sustainability: Ensure circularity in the value chain, lower energy consumption and reduce the use of harmful raw materials, such as PFAS.
• Efficiency: Achieve increased productivity through technological innovations and thus enable the necessary growth within a tight labour market.
• Value creation: Create future-oriented new products and companies.
• Sustainability: Ensure circularity in the value chain.

Programme duration: 3 years | 2025 – 2027

Problem definition:

1. High cost structure
2. High ecological footprint
3. Need for new processes and materials

Objective

The SP ‘Advanced Packaging’ aims to give an impulse to the above-mentioned problems. To achieve this, public-private partnerships will be stimulated for the benefit of breakthroughs in advanced chip packaging, subdivided into the following four areas:

1. Use of additive technologies for (advanced) chip packaging
2. Reducing the environmental impact of (advanced) chip packaging
3. Development of new functionalities for advanced chip packaging

More information (in Dutch): Holland High Tech