A Tainan-based semiconductor equipment maker that claims to be the only Taiwanese supplier capable of inspecting photomasks for both EUV (Extreme Ultraviolet) and DUV (Deep Ultraviolet) lithography processes is targeting double-digit revenue growth this year, riding demand from chipmakers pushing toward sub-2-nanometer manufacturing and advanced packaging technologies.
Hwa Yang Precision Machinery (華洋精機), founded in 2012 and headquartered in Tainan's Xinhua District, held a media briefing Tuesday ahead of its formal pre-listing investor presentation, as the company prepares to join Taiwan's Emerging Stock Market at a tentative offer price of NT$85 per share.
General Manager Hsiao Hsien-te (蕭賢德) said that amid accelerating AI and high-performance computing demand — which has intensified chipmakers' push into advanced packaging formats such as CoWoS (Chip-on-Wafer-on-Substrate) — the company sees strong momentum across both its core photomask inspection business and new product lines entering revenue contribution later this year.
A Physical Optics Approach Where Competitors Rely on Algorithms
Hwa Yang's central competitive claim rests on its patented SFO (Surface-optics Foreground-only) technology — a technique that eliminates background interference at the optical level rather than relying on software filtering after image capture.
Hsiao said conventional automated optical inspection (AOI) systems typically photograph a raw image and then apply algorithms to strip out background patterns, a process he described as slow and prone to distorting defect data during processing. Hwa Yang's approach, by contrast, uses a patented light-source design to produce background-free images directly at the point of capture.
"Our SFO uses a patented light-source design to obtain background-free images directly at the optical level," Hsiao said. The result, he added, is faster defect identification and more precise dimensional measurement — including the ability to detect flat-surface anomalies such as watermarks, alcohol residue, and fingerprints that he said most competitors cannot reliably capture. The company argues the technology translates directly into cleaner photomasks and higher wafer production yields.
Advanced Packaging Demand and a Japan Push Underpin 2026 Outlook
As process nodes advance below 2 nanometers and techniques such as hybrid bonding and 3D stacking become more widespread, Hwa Yang said the industry's shift toward per-wafer inspection — rather than periodic sampling — is accelerating demand for its equipment. The company said it has already delivered 14-inch photomask inspection systems to CoWoS facilities operated by leading global foundries, and that its technology has passed qualification by advanced-process customers.
Japan is identified as a strategic priority for 2026. "As customers continue to expand capacity in Japan and push toward N2 processes, demand for photomask inspection will surge — and that is one of our core focuses for this year," Hsiao said. To capture that opportunity, Hwa Yang has also developed an In-line Wafer Inspection Automation (IWIA) module designed to enable fully automated, wafer-by-wafer process monitoring.
German Optics Partnership Targeted as a Second Growth Pillar
Beyond its core inspection business, Hwa Yang said it is co-developing what it describes as Taiwan's first high-magnification, high-precision inspection and metrology system in partnership with a major German optics manufacturer. Hsiao said the collaboration is expected to begin contributing revenue between late 2026 and early 2027, and characterized the equipment as carrying strong margin potential capable of serving as a second pillar of the company's growth. （Related： TSMC's 2nm Secrets Were Stolen From the Inside. A Court Just Handed Down Its Verdict. ｜ Latest ）
