Multinational technology company 3M has joined the US-JOINT Consortium, a group of 12 semiconductor suppliers focused on developing next-generation semiconductor advanced packaging and back-end processing technologies.
Founded in 2023 by Japanese chemical and materials company Resonac, other members of the consortium include Azimuth, KLA, Kulicke & Soffa, and Moses Lake Industries.
Since its inception, US-JOINT has also been overseeing the construction of an R&D facility in Union City, California, funded by its members. The site is expected to be unveiled later this year in conjunction with a public launch event.
“As the demands of AI and other high-performance computing technologies increase, suppliers must work together to provide comprehensive solutions to tough challenges on increasingly shorter timelines,” said Steven Vander Louw, 3M’s president of display and electronics product platforms. “The companies in the US-JOINT Consortium represent US and Japanese innovation leaders in a range of advanced packaging technologies.”
Hidenori Abe, CTO for semiconductor materials, Resonac, added: “We are delighted to welcome 3M to the US-JOINT Consortium. 3M’s expertise in materials science and commitment to innovation in advanced packaging device and process solutions will be an asset as we work together to solve difficult technical and integration challenges for customers onshore in the United States.”
Founded in 1902 as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, 3M has since diversified into chemicals, textiles, household products, audio and video equipment, healthcare, and a variety of other industries.
In December 2022, 3M announced it would phase out poly-fluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) manufacturing (along with perfluoroalkyl) from its product line by 2025 because of increasing concerns over their safety. This included Novec, a chemical used in coolants and semiconductor manufacturing.
During 2022,3M's major plant for producing PFAS chemicals in Belgium was closed, following the revelation that it had been dumping harmful chemicals at hundreds of times the EU's safe levels for decades.
