Advanced Substrate Technologies (AST), a Singapore-based subsidiary of Japan’s Toppan Holdings, broke ground on Singapore’s first high-end microchip materials manufacturing facility on March 14, 2024. This marked a significant expansion of the city-state’s semiconductor materials ecosystem. The facility, located near Jurong Lake District and supported by key industry partner Broadcom, will manufacture Flip Chip Ball Grid Array (FC-BGA) substrates used in networking, AI and machine learning chips, and is slated to begin production by the end of 2026. This will be ahead of Micron’s advanced wafer fab facility in northern Singapore that recently broke ground and aims for H2 2028 to start production. The Micron facility is part of a $24 billion investment over the next decade by the US semiconductor manufacturer.
AST FC‑BGA Substrate Manufacturing Facility Project Factsheet
Developer: Advanced Substrate Technologies Pte. Ltd., subsidiary of Toppan Holdings.
Location: Jurong Lake District, Singapore.
Purpose: Produce high‑end Flip Chip Ball Grid Array (FC‑BGA) substrates for AI, networking, and machine learning chips.
Significance: First FC‑BGA substrate plant in Singapore and first outside Japan for Toppan.
Technology: High‑layer‑count substrates with advanced automation from Toppan Japan operations.
Capital Investment: Estimated US$450 – 900 million.
Workforce: More than 200 engineers, technicians, and operators.
Partners: Broadcom, Toppan Holdings, Singapore Economic Development Board.
Applications: Network switches, AI accelerators, high‑performance computing, and advanced semiconductor devices.
Regional Impact: Strengthens Singapore’s semiconductor materials and packaging capabilities and global supply chain positioning.
The First Microchip Materials Plant in Singapore
Reported July 15, 2024 – The Microchip Materials Plant in Pesawat Drive in Jurong is a manufacturing factory of substrates for semiconductor products. This facility is the first of its kind in Singapore and the first investment of Toppan Holdings Inc. outside of their home country of Japan.
The facility will be the first to manufacture Flip Chip Ball Grid Array (FC-BGA) substrates used for bleeding edge semiconductor products. FC-BGA’s are essential for consumer electronics such as computers, memory, graphics, and for telecommunication purposes.
Aside from manufacturing semiconductor substrates, the plant will also facilitate further research and development to advance technologies and meet future demands.
Toppan Holdings did not disclose the budget for the facility. However, Nikkei, a Japanese newspaper, estimated the Microchip factory at $450 million. If product demand increases, the investment in the factory may reach twice the amount.
Construction work on the factory began in March 2024. Once completed, the facility will generate at least 350 jobs, 200 of which are for engineers and technicians, with the remaining jobs for operators and managers.
A Microchip Materials Plant in Singapore will begin operations in the fourth quarter of 2026 and will be the first facility of its kind. The factory is under Advanced Substrate Technologies Pte Ltd (AST), a subsidiary of Toppan Holdings Inc.
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Microchip Materials Plant in Singapore by Toppan Holdings’ AST
Toppan Holdings is a Japanese-based company that pioneers printing technologies. The company is a leader in advanced substrate manufacturing and a supplier of FC-BGA substrates. Toppan’s Singapore subsidiary, Advanced Substrate Technologies (AST) is leading the Microchip Materials Plant in Singapore. The company chose to invest in Singapore due it its prime location for global technological companies.
To effectively implement Toppan Holdings technology in the Singaporean factory, AST key hires will undergo training in Toppan Holding’s factory in Japan.
The first Microchip Materials Plant in Singapore is Toppan’s plan to increase influence and growth in a world of increasing demand for more advanced semiconductor substrates. The Microchip Materials Plant in Singapore will use state-of-the-art technology and will be more advanced than the facility in Niigata Japan.
Semiconductors, essential to our everyday lives in this modern age
Semiconductors are small devices used for modern electronic applications. They are used as the foundation of modern electrical devices like smartphones, computers, and home appliances among others.
These semiconductors are also used in different types of industries. Thanks to semiconductors, further advancements in these industries are possible. Semiconductors are used in the automotive industry through sensor processing and power management. In the healthcare industry semiconductors are commonly used in imaging apparatuses like MRI, CT scanners, and X-ray machines. These are also used for accurate measurements and gathering information. Semiconductors can also be used for robotic machinery such as automated vacuum robots that process information through sensors.
These are only a fraction of semiconductor use and its impact on our society.
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