Tokyo Electron Ltd. (TEL) leads the global semiconductor equipment industry. Founded in 1963, the company is engaged in the R&D, manufacturing and marketing of Coater/developer, Etching, Thermal processing, single-wafer deposition CVD, and surface preparation systems, and Wafer Prober equipment. The company has built on its strong reputation in the international market to expand into f lat-panel displays (FPD) and solar panel manufacturing equipment. Today, TEL has 93 offices in 16 countries throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Given Taiwan's well-developed ICT industry and particular strength in the semiconductor industry, in 1996, the company established a subsidiary in Taiwan to provide its Taiwan customers with development, training and equipment upgrade and maintenance services.
Using Advanced Technology to Provide Excellent Service
Since its founding, TEL has pursued competitive advantage by immersing itself in the world's most advanced technological trends, allowing the company to provide its customers with the latest technology and excellent service. The company also leverages specialized technologies developed for the semiconductor production equipment market to engage in the area of FPD production equipment.
In addition, in response to the threats of global warming, climate change and energy shortages, Tokyo Electron has made sustainability a key business focus, adopting environmental protection and the improvement of human life as core guiding principles. All the company's products are produced in strict compliance with environmental laws and regulations, and in consideration of relevant industry standards and requirements. At the same time, the company produces a public Environmental Report to promote environmental protection measures. Currently, using its high-tech capabilities to address environmental challenges, the company is actively working to develop the solar cell manufacturing equipment industry.
Ryuichi Komatsubara, president of Tokyo Electron Taiwan Ltd. (TET) says, ""TEL's key development focus is on gathering the world's most advanced technology and support capabilities for all kinds of semiconductor and flat-panel display manufacturing equipment and is also currently focusing on new thin film solar panel manufacturing equipment.""
Focused on Taiwan, the Center of the World's Semiconductors
While developing the most advanced technology, Tokyo Electron has also been cultivating its customers, putting the provision of support services at the core of its business operation. Mr. Komatsubara noted that years of hard work in Taiwan have paid off, making Taiwan a leader in the global semiconductor industry with such leading international firms as tsmc, UMC, Nanya and Inotera not only leading the world in terms of manufacturing technology, but also creating complete industrial production chains. Based on this, in 1996, Tokyo Electron formally established a subsidiary in Taiwan and, in 2009, founded the TEL Technology Center Taiwan (TTCT) in the Hsinchu Science Park.
Mr. Komatsubara stressed that, ""Currently, aside from Japan, Tokyo Electron has established R&D centers in the US, and next in Taiwan.""
Following Tokyo Electron's plan, the Japanese HQ is responsible for production and sales, and also serves as an R&D center and center for overseas operations, primarily concerned with service and sales, with Taiwan, the U.S., Korea positioned to provide process development for semiconductor products, along with technical support.
According to Mr. Komatsubara, more than ten categories of Tokyo Electron products are widely used in Taiwan. The diversity of functionality requires a highly complex and professional technical support system to effectively achieve optimal productivity and customer satisfaction. Thus close customer support in Taiwan is particularly important for TEL. Moreover, precisely because of the advanced technology of Taiwan's semiconductor industry, TET not only shoulders the process R&D tasks, but also provides technical support services in China and Singapore.
Mr. Komatsubara noted that subsidiary Tokyo Electro Taiwan has over 300 employees. Including researchers in the R&D center and staff specially posted by each unit and HQ, over half of all staff members are actively involved in R&D.
Close to the Customer, Promote localization
""Prior to the establishment of each overseas subsidiary, Tokyo Electron first establishes a business presence or office to first gain a thorough understanding of local needs and market conditions,"" said Mr. Komatsubara. Localizing component and repair operations is imperative to improving customer support and costs.
He says that the development of Taiwan's optoelectronics industry, especially its leading position in the field of solar cells, has thus prompted Tokyo Electron to jointly develop with Taiwan's ITRI and other organizations. And also, Tokyo Electron Taiwan has specially installed a photovoltaic testing module on their rooftop to collect all kinds of data for use in research and development. In the future, the company is likely to gradually establish long-term cooperative relationships in photovoltaicrelated industries.
As a leading semiconductor equipment manufacturer, TEL has established a series of measures in Taiwan, from assessment to the formal establishment of the enterprise. In the process of continually expanding sales, TEL annually invests an average of NT$100 million in its Taiwan subsidiary. Mr. Komatsubara noted that hundreds of millions of Japanese yen worth of semiconductor production equipment is in place in Taiwan. Based on local supplier cost considerations and the development of Taiwan's technology, he expects that further consideration of component production and supplies will lead the company to expand the scale of cooperation and deepen technical contacts to enhance bilateral exchanges. He said he believes that, in the foreseeable future, TEL's relationship with Taiwan will continue to grow in strength.
Source： Department of Investment Promotion, MOEA
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