Caption: Saultech’s Core R&D Team

With the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT), the industrial sector is entering the era of Industry 4.0. Through the implementation of machine connectivity, factories are poised to become increasingly ‘smart.’ At this pivotal moment, the demand for automation equipment is soaring, presenting both a significant opportunity and challenge for Taiwan’s precision machinery industry. For Saultech, this is a moment to take off into the future.

Focusing on pick-and-place technology, the unique designs lead the industry

How to produce the maximum number of products in the shortest time has always been the goal of semiconductor manufacturers, and the importance of process equipment is self-evident. In the backend processes of semiconductor manufacturing, chips need to be continuously transported within manufacturing stations. Therefore, Pick & Place technology is a critical aspect of semiconductor manufacturing.

Founded in June 2010, Saultech specializes in the research and development of pick-and-place technology, aspiring to be a professional leader in world-class automated pick-and-place equipment and technology.

Saultech’s founder and CTO, Mr.Lu Yan-Hao, graduated from the Mechanical Engineering Department of National Central University. With over 20 years of experience in theR&D of LED and semiconductor automation equipment. Deep within Lu Yan-Hao’s heart, there has always been a dream—to design crucial automation equipment products for Taiwan’s electronics and related industry chains. Achieving this dream requires the cultivation of a skilled team. Hence, Saultech was established.

Lu Yen-Hao stated that, with years of rich experience in manufacturing equipment, Saultech has launched its first product, the LED sorter. Its innovative design has left customers amazed.

The sorters familiar in the LED and semiconductor industry in the past were planar-type moving sorters with robotic arms. For smaller wafers, such as 2-inch and 4-inch, the planar handling method had no significant impact. However, when sorting larger objects like 8-inch and 12-inch wafers, the robotic arms inevitably became longer, thereby affecting inertia and accuracy.

Lu Yen-Hao, seeking continuous improvement, invented a method of vertically aligning the wafer and sorting bin,  tape-to-tape configuration. This innovative approach minimizes the distance for pick & place operations, leading the industry in sorting speed. The arrangement precision can also be customized to meet various customer requirements.

Saultech, with its unique design and outstanding performance, has been adopted by customers and successfully become a supplier for international giants such as Osram in the Malaysia region.

Venturing into the semiconductor industry,  with innovative thinking

In recent years, the demand for LEDs has been steadily rising, but oversupply has led to a significant decline in the average unit price. Under a situation of thin profit margins, an increasing number of companies are facing losses and exiting the market. The industry experiences dramatic cycles of fluctuation, resulting in a gradual slowdown in demand for LED manufacturing equipment.

In addition, with the vibrant development of wearable devices and high-end smartphones in recent years, which pursue lightweight, compact size, high functionality, and low power consumption, semiconductor production technologies such as Wafer Level Chip Scale Package (WLCSP) and Fan-Out Wafer Level Packaging (FOWLP) have emerged. Saultech is well-positioned to leverage its technical expertise. In 2014, the company decided to further develop its innovative research and development capabilities, entering the semiconductor industry and engaging in the design and development of semiconductor equipment.

Facing a more competitive landscape than the LED industry, Swot continues to stand out with its precise and unique innovative designs, focusing on the development of semiconductor equipment. An example is the product WS－12, launched at the end of 2014. It is a fully automated IC Mapping Sorter, featuring a patented vertical wafer-to-wafer design. Leading the industry in sorting speed, it offers arrangement precision that can be tailored to different customer requirements. This makes it the optimal solution for 8-inch and 12-inch wafer applications in semiconductor packaging and testing fabs.

The WS－12 represents the culmination and extension of Saultech’s mature technology in LED equipment machinery. The precision control and stability of the software are notable, and the product is competitively priced. It has already entered mass production. “Many projects come from clients who initially did not know about Saultech, but once they became aware, they sought out Saultech,” said Lu Li Zhao, the Special Assistant to the General Manager of Saultech, expressing great confidence in their products.

Saultech possesses in-house research and development capabilities in automatic control and visual technology. With its disruptive designs that set it apart from other brands, the company has attracted numerous domestic and international businesses seeking collaborations for development.It has even become a process improvement and development partner for major European semiconductor testing equipment manufacturers. As the business volume continues to expand, Saultech finds itself inundated with a long queue of projects. Expanding the R&D team has become an urgent priority.

The R&D team is in urgent need of expansion, and it has secured government funding injections

R&D personnel are the core of Saultech, as expressed by the technically proficient Lu Yen-Hao. He emphasizes that Saultech’s growth primarily relies on its human resources, acknowledging the necessity of talent alongside proprietary technology. He points out that the expertise in designing equipment is embodied in individuals. Every diagram, every manufacturing process requires engineers to concentrate, think, and create. Therefore, cultivating specialized R&D talent is a gradual process. Saultech prefers to internally foster talent, making the expansion of R&D personnel more rigorous and challenging compared to other companies.

Venturing into the semiconductor field requires the recruitment of more talents. With the influx of a significant number of orders since 2014, Saultech inevitably needs to allocate more funds to seize opportunities, smoothly execute expansion plans, fulfill orders, and actively explore new markets. To achieve this, Lu Yen-Hao has initiated plans for a capital increase.

Firstly, Saultech successfully applied for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, addressing a portion of its research and development funding needs.Subsequently, In 2015, Saultech successfully obtained funding from the National Development Fund, Executive Yuan, through the “Implementation Project for
Strengthening Investment in Strategic Manufacturing Industries,” along with joint investments from venture capital firms. This infusion of capital provided financial support for R&D talent and company operations. Consequently, Saultech is poised to concentrate on equipment development in the semiconductor field in the future.

The “Implementation Project for Strengthening Investment in Strategic Manufacturing Industries” is aimed at promoting the development of strategic manufacturing industries in Taiwan. The  the National Development Fund, Executive Yuan  has allocated a phased provision of 10 billion NT dollars, overseen by the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Industrial Development Bureau, specifically for government investment in domestic strategic manufacturing industries. Through a collaborative effort between the National Development Fund and private venture capital, this program guides venture capital funds into the industry, assisting strategic manufacturing businesses in accelerating their goals of industry upgrading and transformation.

Micro-sized precision positioning, striving to achieve international standards.