Enhance Process Stability through Advanced Technology
Digital Fabs: Hyperconnected & Data-driven
Tomorrow’s Green Fabs
Hitachi’s Vision
Mounting geopolitical tensions, escalating operational costs, and pandemic-induced supply chain disruptions have accelerated the semiconductor industry’s shift toward a more diversified manufacturing landscape. Southeast Asia has emerged as a vital new frontier.
As the region positions itself as the next global semiconductor hub, it must address a complex web of challenges—from the quantum limits of miniaturisation to energy-intensive operations, fragile material supply chains, and rising sustainability demands.
Hitachi’s suite of innovations, which include energy management, materials logistics, and production automation, demonstrates how an integrated approach can future-proof semiconductor operations, addressing key challenges that the industry is facing today as well as the pressing question of “What’s next in sustainable semicon manufacturing?”
Discover how AI and high-precision metrology tools are helping fabs to overcome process barriers.
As semiconductor nodes approach the 5nm and 2nm frontiers, quantum effects such as electron tunnelling, atomic variability, and increased defect rates are pushing manufacturing to its physical and economic limits.
To address these issues, high-precision metrology tools such as Hitachi’s Critical Dimension Scanning Electron Microscopes (CD-SEMs) and Atomic Force Microscopes (AFMs) provide the granular measurement capabilities required to monitor and control wafer processes at the atomic level. These tools enable manufacturers to detect defects early, optimise critical dimensions, and improve overall yield—turning theoretical breakthroughs into operational excellence.
On top of these tools, high-precision processing revolutionising performance and power efficiency have become increasingly crucial. New architectures—such as 3D chip stacking, chiplet-based designs, and heterogeneous integration are pushing the semiconductor industry to move away from traditional scaling.
AI-driven optimisation is also accelerating process development through advanced machine learning solutions help refine plasma processes more efficiently, reducing costly trial-and-error cycles and enhancing process stability for next-generation nodes.
Southeast Asian fabs must prepare for these shifts by investing in advanced packaging, high-resolution metrology, and collaborative R&D. Hitachi’s nano and core technology solutions, including electron and atomic force microscopy as well as AI-powered recipe optimisation platforms, are enabling the precise manufacturing processes required for these future architectures.
Real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and intelligent automation are enhancing productivity while reducing waste.
Digitalisation is key to advance the next-generation of fabs. Enhanced data collection, equipment integration, robust testing or simulation for compliance purposes are essential to enhance operational efficiency. These processes can be further tightened with Hitachi’s GEM300 and EDA-compliant Upper Host Connectivity Solutions as well as Hitachi’s CyberSIM Host & Equipment Simulator.
In addition, smart maintenance tools powered by AI provide engineers with real-time diagnostics and virtual training, extending equipment lifecycles and reducing unplanned downtime. This not only improves operational resilience but also supports circular economy practices by maximising asset utilisation.
Through comprehensive recipe management systems and intelligent production automation, Hitachi’s solutions empower fabs to achieve regulatory compliance, enhance operational transparency, and deliver measurable ESG performance.
Hitachi’s Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) solutions exemplify this transformation, automating the intralogistics of wafer and material handling within cleanroom environments. These AMRs improve operational efficiency, reduce contamination risk, and provide traceability data essential for quality control.
Complementing these mobility solutions are Hitachi’s Equipment Front-End Modules (EFEMs), designed to deliver precise and efficient handling of wafers and panels during critical manufacturing stages. Fully compliant with SEMI GEM300 standards, EFEMs ensure seamless interoperability across the production line. Their customisable configurations allow integration with a wide range of process tools, including lithography, plasma treatment, and laser processing.
Explore how Southeast Asian fabs are embracing sustainability through smart energy and logistics.
Semiconductor fabs are among the most energy- and water-intensive industrial operations in the world. From maintaining ultra-clean environments to running power-hungry lithography and etching tools, the environmental footprint is significant.
In Southeast Asia, the shift toward greener manufacturing demands intelligent energy management. Hitachi’s EconiQ® SF6-Free Switchgear helps fabs reduce greenhouse gas emissions by replacing traditional insulating gases with eco-efficient alternatives, supporting global ESG targets.
Accompanying this is Hitachi’s TXpert™ Digital Transformer Ecosystem, which provides real-time monitoring and predictive analytics to optimise energy consumption and improve grid resilience. Solutions like Grid-eXpand™ further enable modular, prefabricated grid connections, accelerating renewable energy integration and reducing construction risks.
Semiconductor production depends on a global web of raw materials, including rare gases, speciality chemicals, and precious metals. Disruptions to these supply chains—whether geopolitical, logistical, or regulatory—pose existential risks to fab operations.
Hitachi’s Value and Supply Chain Solutions help semiconductor manufacturers strengthen procurement and logistics networks, improving material traceability, ethical sourcing, and supply chain resilience. By integrating AI and blockchain-powered tracking, these solutions provide end-to-end visibility, enabling fabs to anticipate disruptions and ensure compliance with environmental and ethical standards.
By integrating recipe management systems, intelligent automation, and real-time diagnostics, Hitachi’s solutions enable fabs to balance performance targets with regulatory compliance and ESG commitments.
Sustainability has become a boardroom-level priority. Fabs are now tasked with reducing carbon emissions, conserving water, minimising waste, and improving transparency across operations.
Hitachi’s oil-free screw compressors, compliant with Class ‘0’ certification, and their IoT-powered compressed air monitoring solutions empower fabrication plants to optimise energy consumption, decrease emissions, and ensure a consistent supply of clean air, crucial for their sensitive manufacturing processes.
Discover how integrated technologies across manufacturing, energy, supply chain, and automation are shaping a resilient semiconductor landscape in Southeast Asia.
By addressing the full spectrum of technological, environmental, and geopolitical challenges, Southeast Asia can position itself not just as a manufacturing destination, but as a global semiconductor powerhouse.
Since its founding in the early 1900s, Hitachi has been at the forefront of pioneering innovations for the betterment of mankind. With this innovative spirit and through integrated solutions, Southeast Asia’s fabs can become smarter, cleaner, and more resilient.
Get a comprehensive overview of the Hitachi solutions at SEMICON SEA 2025!
Date of Release: August 2025 (Adapted from Industrial Automation Asia article).
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