As global semiconductor demand continues to surge, international collaboration has become essential for driving technological innovation. The US-JOINT consortium represents a key initiative in fostering cross-border cooperation between Japan and the United States. This groundbreaking collaboration brings together 10 companies- Azimuth Industrial Co. Inc., KLA Corp., Kulicke & Soffa Industries Inc., TOWA Corp., ULVAC Inc., Moses Lake Industries Inc., MEC Co. Ltd., NAMICS Corp., Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co. Ltd., and Resonac Corp. to work on advanced semiconductor packaging research and development. Three of these companies, Kulicke & Soffa, Namics, and KLA—are members of the 3D InCites community.
In response to the growing need for sophisticated packaging solutions, the US-JOINT consortium aims to leverage the unique strengths of its participants in both countries. I spoke with several key members, including Kazuyuki Mitsukura, the technical director leading US-JOINT at Resonac America, to learn more about the initiative’s goals. I also spoke with representatives from KLA, Kulicke & Soffa, and Namics.
“US-JOINT is being established with the participation of 10 companies, including U.S.-based firms,” Mitsukura said. “This program builds on the experience of JOINT2, facilitating collaboration with participants and customers from major semiconductor, fabless, and tech companies. We are setting up US-JOINT in Silicon Valley, where cutting-edge semiconductor designs are born.”
He highlighted a paradigm shift in semiconductor development. “It’s no longer just about front-end processes; packaging processes are now equally important to achieve the performance required for modern applications. The growing influence of companies like Google, Amazon, and other tech giants in the semiconductor industry highlights the need for a holistic approach that integrates both design and packaging to drive innovation,” Mitsukura added.
Ken Araujo, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at NAMICS, emphasized the strategic advantage the US-JOINT consortium provides in introducing next-generation materials for advanced packaging solutions.
“This initiative allows us to showcase new materials directly to customers who may have emerging 3D or complex package designs,” Araujo said. “By using the consortium’s resources, we can conduct real-world evaluations rather than relying on simulations. This helps customers understand if materials, such as underfill or liquid compression molding (LCM), are compatible with their designs, while also providing us with immediate feedback.”
Araujo also noted that the hands-on collaboration at US-JOINT would not only reduce design cycles but also help NAMICS fine-tune its material development to align with evolving customer needs.
“Instead of using test vehicles or purely simulation-based studies, we can build actual products at the consortium. This allows us and our customers to see firsthand if these materials work within their intended packages or if design modifications are required,” Araujo added.
Chet Lennox, part of KLA’s industry and collaboration team, also shared KLA’s perspective on the consortium’s objectives.
“Our main expectation is to work more closely with our partner companies—whether they are material suppliers or other equipment providers—to prove next-generation capabilities in an environment where we can share information freely without concerns over customer IP,” said Lennox.
Lennox further elaborated on KLA’s contributions to the consortium detailing what specific industry tools they specialize in and the company’s goals to optimize efficiency through collaboration.
“We’re contributing a direct imaging lithography tool for patterning wafers and panels,” said Lennox. “One key goal is to co-optimize both the equipment and materials with suppliers, as successful lithography requires both elements to be finely tuned. This collaboration will accelerate our ability to optimize performance and deliver improved solutions to customers.”
We also got the chance to speak with Kulicke & Soffa CTO Bob Chylak about how the collaboration will influence the pace and direction of technology development in semiconductor packaging.
“Traditionally, Japanese companies have a leading position for semiconductor packaging materials and substrates and U.S. companies excel at assembly equipment,” said Chylak. The marriage of these will allow for the development of complete process flows with access to the latest R&D tools and materials. Combining these with engineering breakthroughs will increase the pace of packaging innovation in the U.S.
Beyond the technological advancements, the consortium strengthens ties between Japanese and U.S. companies, reinforcing collaboration in the highly strategic semiconductor sector. With the combined expertise of Kulicke & Soffa, NAMICS, KLA, and other members, the US-JOINT consortium is well-positioned to accelerate breakthroughs in semiconductor packaging and significantly impact the global supply chain.
This article first appeared in the Cover Feature of the 2025 3D InCites Yearbook. Read the full issue here.
