Asia-Pacific: A new semiconductor market dynamic and a new need for lithography tools

The history of the semiconductor manufacturing industry in Asia provides a useful perspective for the current growth and developments there. The success of the wafer foundries has prompted the creation of a new business: wafer-bumping foundries for flip-chip products. Lithography tools have found a new role in these facilities, with the bump foundries using them for patterning bumps on wafers. The advantages of steppers for this application are discussed.