FPT began trial operation of a chip testing and packaging factory in Bac Ninh with 6 lines, maximum design capacity of 300 million chips per year.

FPT Semiconductor Chip Testing and Packaging Factory was announced at the beginning of the year, has an area of ​​1,600 square meters, located in Yen Phong II-C industrial park. According to FPT, during the testing phase, the factory has a maximum capacity of 300 million chips/year, meeting the needs of large quantity testing from businesses.

The factory operates according to international management standards, including ISO 9001 for quality, ISO 14001 for environment and ISO 45001 for occupational safety and health. Clean room requirements comply with ISO 14644, in addition to electrostatic control procedures and reliability testing according to industry standards.

In the testing stage, FPT said it uses an automatic testing system (ATE Tester) combined with a Handler device. The ATE Tester evaluates the functionality and performance of the chip, while the Handler puts the component into a test position, then classifies it according to pass or fail results. The entire testing area is arranged in a Class 10,000 (ISO Class 7) clean room to control dust and environmental factors.

The FPT engineering team also develops separate testing programs for each chip line, based on the product's functions and technical requirements, including determining the parameters to be tested, setting up testing conditions and analyzing the results. In parallel, the company researches an AI application platform to automate the process of developing testing programs, from standardizing data and technical requirements to setting up configuration and evaluating results.

In addition to functional testing, the factory also evaluates chip durability and reliability through a series of tests in high-temperature environments, continuous temperature changes, or combinations of temperature and humidity. Static control procedures are also implemented to limit the risk of damage when components come into contact with people or equipment. These results help determine the product's ability to meet usage requirements and reliability.

To operate the factory, FPT built a team of experts and engineers with experience in the field of chip testing and packaging, including those who have worked for many years at the Intel Vietnam factory. The team is in charge of building technical processes, operating equipment and training personnel.

In the first phase, the factory focuses on testing the functionality, quality and reliability of chips, aiming to provide domestic and international semiconductor enterprise services. After that, FPT will develop a reliability testing area for testing and calibration laboratory capacity, meeting customer requirements. The factory plans to carry out the first chip testing order for a Korean partner, starting service provision activities in this field.

Besides production activities, FPT plans to use the factory as a place for practical training. Right in the first phase, the business coordinated with FPT Polytechnic College to build a pilot program, bringing students to the chip testing line from December, giving them the opportunity to get acquainted with equipment, operating procedures and the actual working environment in the semiconductor industry. In the near future, the company will expand its in-depth testing capacity and develop chip packaging technology, taking another step forward in its strategy of participating in the semiconductor value chain.

Before opening the advanced packaging and testing factory, FPT researched and developed chip lines such as power chips (Power IC), power management chips (PMIC), and oriented research and development of AI-on-Edge SOC chips. To date, the company has formed a comprehensive semiconductor ecosystem, from design, packaging, chip testing to human resource training. Last year, the company also handed over a batch of source chips to its Japanese partner, initially realizing the goal of exporting self-designed chips to the Asian market.

FPT currently aims to develop the chip packaging and testing ecosystem, expand service provision to domestic and international customers, contributing to bringing Vietnam deeper participation in the global semiconductor value chain. This is also a strategy consistent with the orientation in Resolution 57 and the Vietnam Semiconductor Industry Development Strategy to 2030, with a vision to 2050.

Bao Lam

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