Taiwanese firms poised to lead TGV process equipment amid semiconductor-PCB integration
Rebecca Kuo, Taipei; Charlene Chen, DIGITIMES Asia
Thursday 23 October 2025
Tongtai and Contrel are focusing on the convergence of semiconductors and PCBs in advanced TGV packaging. Taiwanese companies aim to lead in this area, as Tongtai seeks profitability amid strong orders and automation demand.
Copilot:
Yes—traditional PCBs are increasingly becoming a bottleneck as chip shrink and vertical stacking accelerate. Advanced packaging methods like TGV (Through-Glass Via) are emerging to overcome these limits, and Taiwanese firms like Tongtai and Contrel are positioning themselves to lead in this transition.
Here’s why the bottleneck is real—and why TGV matters:
Why Traditional PCBs Hit a Wall
- Signal Integrity Limits: As chips shrink and operate at higher frequencies, PCB traces introduce latency, crosstalk, and power loss.
- Thermal Constraints: Legacy PCBs struggle to dissipate heat from stacked dies or high-density interconnects.
- Form Factor Rigidity: PCBs are planar; they don’t scale well with 3D chiplets, HBM stacks, or hybrid bonding.
- Via Density Ceiling: Organic substrates can’t support the ultra-fine pitch needed for next-gen interposers or AI accelerators.
TGV: A Path Forward
- Through-Glass Via (TGV): Uses glass substrates with laser-drilled vias for ultra-thin, high-density interconnects.
- Advantages:
- Low dielectric loss: Better signal integrity at high frequencies
- Thermal stability: Ideal for RF, photonics, and AI edge devices
- Dimensional precision: Supports fine-pitch stacking and hybrid bonding
- Use Case Fit: AI accelerators, RF modules, optical interposers, and chiplet-based SoCs
Taiwan’s Strategic Position
- Tongtai: Supplies laser drilling and automation tools for TGV substrates
- Contrel: Focuses on inspection and metrology for glass-based packaging
- Why Taiwan Leads:
- Deep integration across PCB, OSAT, and semiconductor tooling
- Strong automation ecosystem and export demand
- Proximity to ASE, SPIL, and Unimicron—key players in advanced packaging
Analogy: PCB vs TGV as Infrastructure
Think of traditional PCBs as surface roads—great for horizontal sprawl, but congested under vertical growth. TGV is like elevated rail or fiber-optic tunnels—cleaner, faster, and built for stacked density. |
