Toppan Photomasks Begins Customer Qualifications with Advanced Equipment in New Building Addition to its Ichon, Korea, Facility
Government Officials, Customers Attend Grand Opening of Major Expansion that Will Serve Growing Korean Semiconductor Industry
Toppan Photomasks, Inc. announced today that it has begun customer qualifications with advanced equipment for photomasks supporting 90nm production and 65nm prototype development in the new building addition at its Ichon, Korea, facility. The 3,300-square-meter addition is part of a major expansion that includes a 750-squaremeter clean room, an advanced e-beam pattern generator and state-of-the-art inspection equipment and process technology to support the growing Korean chip industry.
During a grand opening ceremony today, Sohn, Hak-Kyu, governor of Gyeonggi Province; Ichon city officials; Joo, Doug-Young, vice chairman and CEO of the Korean Semiconductor Industry Association (KSIA), and customers including Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., MagnaChip Semiconductor and foundry operator Dongbu Electronics toured the new addition.
"This strengthening of our already strong presence in Korea is integral to our core strategy, to develop and globally deploy advanced photomask solutions," said Marshall Turner, president and chief executive officer of Toppan Photomasks. "By significantly enhancing our production-and-service capabilities, this expansion underscores our position as the leading merchant provider in Korea, and enables us to pursue new opportunities in that important semiconductor market. In addition, our Ichon facility's seamless connection to Toppan's photomask manufacturing sites around the world - - including Japan, Shanghai, Singapore and Taiwan, means reduced cycle times and faster time to market for all our Asian customers."
"As a leading technology partner of Korea's thriving semiconductor industry, Toppan Photomasks anticipated the growing role Korean chip makers are playing in the global market, and we commend the company's commitment to support our chipmakers' future needs," said Gov. Sohn, Hak-Kyu.
"Toppan Photomasks has been a valued resource for the Korean semiconductor industry for many years," said Joo, Doug-Young of KSIA. "The company's commitment to providing technological leadership and local support to Korean device makers has played a significant role in Korea's rise as a key global supplier of integrated circuits."
KW Park, president of Toppan Photomasks Korea, Ltd. and vice president of Asia Operations, said, "Our record of success and growth in Korea for the past 15 years is testament to the region's increasing importance to the semiconductor industry, and the dedication of our employees to provide our customers with the latest technology and award-winning service. The entire site staff is to be commended for their contributions to expanding a world-class facility and ramping up 90nm production on schedule."
About Toppan Printing
Founded in 1900, Toppan Printing has branched into seven diverse business fields, including security cards, commercial printing, publications printing, packaging, industrial materials, electronics and optronics. In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2005, Toppan posted revenues of ¥ 1,413.6 billion (approximately US$ 13.5 billion) and ended the year with approximately 32,700 employees. For more information visit www.toppan.co.jp.
About Toppan Photomasks
Toppan Photomasks, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Toppan Printing Co., Ltd., a diversified global company with revenue in excess of $13 billion in fiscal 2005. Together with the photomasks business of Toppan Printing, the company forms the world's premier photomask provider. Utilizing operations within the industry's most advanced and largest network of manufacturing facilities, Toppan Photomasks offers a comprehensive range of photomask technologies and research and development capabilities to meet the increasingly sophisticated and divergent product-and-service requirements of the global semiconductor industry. Toppan Photomasks is headquartered in Round Rock, Texas, USA. For more information visit www.photomask.com.
Company Contact
Tom BlakeToppan Photomasks, Inc.
Tel: (512) 310-6562
tom.blake@photomask.com