20 YEARS DRESDEN MASK TECHNOLOGY CENTER
We celebrate 20 years of Dresden Mask Technology Center
In May 2022, we will look back on 20 successful years of Masken history in Dresden. What does the General Manager say about the past years?
Thomas Schmidt: Shortly after the startup of the mask store, the transfer from Dupont to Toppan Photomasks took place and later the partner change from Infineon to Qimonda. Thanks to the technological orientation of the new partners, we intensified our activities in the field of high-end photomasks. This technological orientation of the Advanced Mask Technology Center was significantly determined by Qimonda as a technology leader and driver in the semiconductor sector, up to the Qimonda insolvency in 2009.
Now the cards had to be reshuffled, a decision on the future of AMTC was pending. At that time AMD was already considering a transfer of the operational business to GLOBALFOUNDRIES and the negotiations of the partners led to the signing of the joint venture agreement between Toppan Photomasks and GLOBALFOUNDRIES in 2010, which still exists today. As a result of this merger, there was a change in the direction or priorities of our business activity. If before technological development was clearly the first priority, now the focus is on manufacturing with short lead times at competitive costs. We have met these new requirements very successfully in recent years, as demonstrated by the numerous investments and the various expansion stages of our production.