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As the worldwide demand for portable electronics accelerates, the need to make semiconductors smaller, faster, lighter and cheaper has never been greater.
Used in electronic devices such as smart phones and tablets, embedded Wafer Level Ball Grid Array (eWLB) is an innovative technology that offers a high performance, power-efficient, and cost-effective semiconductor solution for the wireless and consumer markets.
eWLB is a semiconductor packaging approach where an integrated circuit (IC) is assembled directly on a reconstituted wafer instead of the traditional process of dicing up the ICs on the wafer and putting individual die in a plastic package.
As a Staff Process Engineer, Chua Khoon Lam, 49, was given the chance to learn the entire eWLB process through the customised Wafer Fab technology course.
Through NTUC’s e2i’s (Employment and Employability Institute) services to link up with suitable training providers to customise training programmes specific to companies’ business needs and to provide funding support, 96 local PMEs (Professionals, Managers and Executives) from STATS ChipPAC, like Mr Chua, gained a better understanding of the various eWLB processes.
The curriculum was carefully developed and designed by the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), with input from the Department Head for eWLB and the team at STATS ChipPAC.
Explaining the company’s decision to embark on e2i’s professional development initiatives, STATS ChipPAC Human Resources Director Valerie Lee, said: “Only a handful of companies in the industry have the capabilities to manufacture eWLB.
“With the fast growing customer demand for advanced electronic devices, STATS ChipPAC needs to rapidly expand its employees’ skills and knowledge. e2i’s partnership enables businesses to become more productive by co-sharing the funding for skills training, which STATS ChipPAC believes will be an advantage for the company.”
The training provided Mr Chua with a deeper understanding of wafer fab technology and in particular, the eWLB manufacturing process.
As a result, Mr Chua’s job scope expanded and he was put in charge of New Product Introduction (NPI) Design Reviewing where he now applies his new knowledge.
As a PME, Mr Chua sees training and skills upgrading as key to staying relevant and competitive in this industry. Besides the knowledge he gains and the added value it brings to his career progression, Mr Chua embraces the fact that it contributes to improving his productivity.
Mr Chua and the other workers who participated in the professional development programme to deepen their expertise also benefitted from gain-sharing.
Indeed, STATS ChipPAC has benefitted from skills upgrading. On top of reducing the company’s training expenses, Ms Lee acknowledged that better skills have helped increase workers’ productivity and grow its revenue successfully.
In 2009 and 2010, the company’s eWLB revenue increased by 42 per cent, exceeding its target of 20 per cent.
