Industry
Korean HBM equipment makers target Japan\'s semiconductor market
Japan\'s Rapidus is expected to place equipment orders ahead of the April start-up of its back-end R&D centre in Hokkaido. The centre will focus on chiplet-based advanced packaging such as FC-BGA, silicon interposers and hybrid bonding. The article says Japan is strong in front-end tools but lacks a robust back-end equipment ecosystem for HBM and 2.5D packaging, creating opportunities for Korean suppliers. It cites recent supply deals by Hanmi Semiconductor and Hanwha Semitec with SK Hynix.