Nearly 30 Equipment Suppliers Included! TSMC CoPoS First Batch Supply Chain List Exposed

Nearly 30 Equipment Suppliers Included! TSMC CoPoS First Batch Supply Chain List Exposed

The supply chain map of TSMC’s next-generation panel-level advanced packaging technology, CoPoS, has officially emerged.

According to Digitimes on Monday, supply chain sources revealed that the first batch of Demo equipment has entered TSMC’s subsidiary Xintec’s Longtan plant. Nearly 30 equipment suppliers from Japan, the United States, Germany, and Taiwan are on the initial evaluation list, covering the complete process from exposure and copper plating to grinding and inspection.

TSMC’s CoPoS technology replaces the traditional round wafer with a larger size rectangular glass panel as the packaging substrate, aiming to meet the rapidly growing packaging demands for AI GPUs and high-performance computing (HPC) chips over the next few years. TSMC Chairman C.C. Wei first proactively mentioned the technology at the April 2026 earnings call, and Taiwan’s Intellectual Property Office recently announced that TSMC has applied for the "TSMC-COPOS" trademark.

Supply chain sources pointed out that mass production of CoPoS could be realized as early as 2029, ahead of the previously rumored full-scale rollout in 2030. However, most equipment suppliers are still in the Demo phase, and it usually takes about a year and a half from the start of validation to formal qualification for procurement. The competition is fierce; even if the Demo equipment passes, it does not guarantee a final mass production order.

First batch of equipment covers six process areas

According to Digitimes, the first wave of CoPoS supply chain covers six major fields: exposure & coating, metallization & copper plating, grinding & laser processing, wet process & thermal treatment, molding & reflow, and measurement & inspection.

In exposure & coating, TSMC has brought in a comprehensive line-up, including Canon’s FPA-5525iV LF2 exposure equipment from Japan, SUSS MicroTec’s DSC310s Gen4 exposure system and ACS310 Gen2 coating/developing platform from Germany, Tokyo Electron (TEL)’s LITHIUS Pro SQ3 and SCREEN’s LM-3000 from Japan, and Scientech’s panel-level dissociation layer coating equipment from Taiwan;

In metallization & copper plating, as CoPoS requires larger size redistribution layers (RDL) and finer circuit processes, equipment specs are upgraded accordingly. American companies Applied Materials, KLA, and Taiwan’s Leading Precision are included; Lam Research provides the SABRE 3D FP copper plating machine and the Quaros FP for UBM etching. Reports say Lam Research has beaten out other American giants to win Demo machine orders for trial production lines;

In grinding & laser processing, Japan’s DISCO has almost secured all related orders; Nitto Denko offers Frame Mount and UV Erasing equipment, LINTEC is responsible for lamination and de-taping processes; Kulicke & Soffa’s APTURA WP and ASMPT’s Firebird XQ are involved in fluxless die bonding machines; Shibaura from Japan provides the TFC-6600-WB and TFC-6500-WB systems; Taiwan’s All Ring enters with dispensing equipment;

For wet process & thermal treatment, Taiwan’s Grand Process Technology (GPTC) and Scientech are major beneficiaries; AblePrint’s BPO-60A, Kokusai Electric’s 450A and 450A-HT, as well as Csun Mfg.’s HOMOL-AP31, HP-AP31, and CSL-A300PL enter the baking and thermal treatment process. Molding equipment is supplied by TOWA and APIC YAMADA from Japan; reflow equipment is provided by SEMIgear and Heller;

Glass substrates drive inspection demand, Taiwanese companies occupy key positions

With CoPoS implementing glass substrates, the importance of measurement and inspection has greatly increased, creating opportunities for Taiwanese equipment manufacturers to reposition themselves.

Taiwan’s V5 Tech has become one of the highlights of the first wave of the supply chain, with its V5P310 Pro Glass AXI inspection equipment and V5300 Macro AOI system both included; Favite is responsible for overlay measurement; Weike Semi enters for 3D contour and dimension measurement; Mirle Automation, in cooperation with Japan’s KOBELCO, is involved in bevel inspection and bonding shift measurement equipment. In addition, Chroma ATE, Gudeng Precision, Gallant Micro, Ta Liang, YaYa Tech, Nivek, and Semtek Corp. from Taiwan are also listed.

Industry insiders point out that CoPoS is not simply an enlargement of the CoWoS process, but a wholly new packaging line built around rectangular panels, covering glass substrates, panel-level redistribution, large-size exposure, high-precision bonding, ultra-low warpage control, and an all-new measurement mechanism, showing significant differences from the existing CoWoS production lines. This technical threshold actually offers new opportunities for equipment suppliers who previously weren’t able to enter the CoWoS supply chain.

Supply chain sources stressed that CoPoS equipment is mostly of special specifications, usually priced higher than existing equipment platforms, but since it is still in the certification stage, actual prices depend on customers’ final requirements. Demo equipment is usually provided free of charge for client validation, and it takes about three months from equipment delivery to completion of the Demo verification, with a longer cycle for mass production certification. Overall, the competitive landscape remains highly uncertain.

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