As the core of the information technology industry, the semiconductor industry is pivotal in driving a new wave of technological revolution and industrial transformation. Currently, the global semiconductor market is ushering in a robust recovery. The World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) predicts a 16% growth in the global semiconductor market in 2024, with a market valuation reaching $611 billion. Looking ahead to 2025, the global semiconductor market is expected to maintain a growth rate of 12.5%, with a market valuation reaching $687 billion.

Regionally, the Asia-Pacific region accounts for over 60% of the global semiconductor sales. With the intensification of global trade frictions, cost pressures, and regional competition, the semiconductor industry is shifting towards Southeast Asia, making Singapore increasingly important. Singapore plays a pivotal role in the global semiconductor sector, providing a diversified supply chain for Southeast Asia. It has now become a world-class hub for the semiconductor industry.

With the advent of 5G networks, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and other IoT solutions, the global demand for semiconductor products is surging. To meet the growing demand, semiconductor processes and technologies are continuously advancing. In this context, Deep UV (DUV) and Extreme UV (EUV) lithography technologies have become focal points within the industry. These advanced optical technologies play a crucial role not only in lithography processing but also in various other photonics applications, such as etching, thin-film deposition, ion implantation, critical dimension (CD) measurement, overlay measurement, mask inspection, and process sensing. The progress in these technologies supports the continuous enhancement of integrated circuit manufacturing and indicates that the corresponding inspection and measurement technologies will also improve. In the future, we look forward to more photonics technologies expanding the boundaries of semiconductor manufacturing, bringing more innovation and transformation to the industry.

The “Photonics Technology Empowering Semiconductor Manufacturing Forum ” will invite semiconductor fabrication, packaging, testing companies to share insights from market, technology, and application perspectives.  The forum will deeply explore topics related to ion implantation in semiconductor fabrication, advanced packaging technologies, and testing, writing a new chapter of collaborative development between photonics technology and semiconductors, and bringing more inspiration and driving force to the industry.