TSMC Expands CoW Packaging Outsourcing, ASE and Other OSATs to Take on Capacity

TSMC plans to expand the outsourcing scale of the CoW (Chip-on-Wafer) segment in its CoWoS advanced packaging, transferring more packaging orders to OSAT vendors such as ASE. CoWoS is TSMC's 2.5D packaging technology that connects AI processors like GPUs with HBM through an intermediary layer, where CoW refers to the step of combining the chip with the intermediary layer, and WoS refers to the substrate packaging step. TSMC primarily outsources the WoS segment, with only a small portion of CoW being delegated. This move aims to alleviate the packaging capacity bottleneck caused by the surge in demand for AI chips. TSMC holds about 90% of the global AI chip manufacturing market share, but with the increasing demand for self-developed chips from companies like NVIDIA and AI data centers, capacity has become difficult to meet. Industry insiders expect OSATs to significantly increase equipment investments, particularly in backend processes such as wafer cutting and bonding. Several South Korean laser processing and bonding equipment suppliers have already been in talks with OSATs regarding CoW equipment supply.

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