Page 33 - HSP Annual Report 2022

An optoelectronic sensor components developer and manufacturer that leads the world in technology and output
Champion Yi, president Taiwan-Asia Semiconductor Corp.
Established in 1983, Taiwan-Asia Semiconductor Corp. (TASC) started out with LED and other light- emitting components as its primary products. In 2021, Japanese major shareholder Nichia Corp. decided on a strategic shift to sensor and power components, thereby creating a more diversified product mix to fuel sales and earnings growth. The emergence of wearable sensor components as TASC’s most important product in 2022 attests to its successful migration from optoelectronics to semiconductor. TASC is now a key member of the world’s semiconductor supply chain.
Proactive transformation and launch into compound semiconductors
In recent years the popularity of electric vehicles has fueled an upsurge in demand for such WBG compound semiconductors as SiC and GaN. As such, President Champion Yi says, TASC has invested heavily in the development of GaN-on-Si power components. Meanwhile, the subsidiary ProAsia Semiconductor Corp. has been established to focus on the production of SiC power components. For its part, TASC is ready to usher
firms and set up a high-end packaging facility, thereby boosting its capacity for diversified, one-stop services.
Net-zero transformation to attain sustainability
For TASC, it is now a transitional period as new products are being ushered in. The latest operating concepts and management methods, such as production automation and introduction of AI, are absolutely needed for plant renovation, equipment replacement, process upgrade, and employee training. In 2023, TASC is ready to funnel more resources toward enhancing the manufacturing capacity and efficiency of production lines as well as the weighting of automated production so that it can come up with more competitive products when the economy begins to recover. Separately, TASC is keen to join the government cause of aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050. In fact, net zero is a key consideration not only for TASC products but also for its manufacturing facilities from the very beginning. The introduction of green energy, renewable energy equipment, and heat recovery systems go a long way toward saving resources and ultimately attaining net zero.
in the most advanced equipment and smart production systems so that compound semiconductor power components will help drive future transformation and earnings growth down the road.
Expand product lines and diversify services
As the year 2023 unfolds, TASC is ready to introduce new lineups of wearable sensor components and high-speed optical coupling products meant for industrial control. Also in the spotlight will be new power components for automotive, green energy, communications, and energy storage applications. These may well prove TASC’s greatest opportunity and challenge this year. To shorten time to market for new products, TASC is also ready to invest in local IC design
Aggressive investment to stay competitive
To facilitate the launch of new power components, TASC has gathered an elite team of specialists for the R&D of compound semiconductor technologies. Capital expenditure of over NT$3 billion is planned for compound semiconductor manufacturing equipment in 2023 and the first small-scale shipment of GaN on Si power components is scheduled for the end of the year. Meanwhile, ProAsia Semiconductor expects its shipments of SiC power components to pick up significantly in 2024. As the world is migrating toward a new energy era, TASC will give priority to making its power components more competitive by bolstering their conversion capacity.
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3 Score Success via Innovative Empowerment