IC testing interface solution provider Chunghwa Precision Test Tech (CHPT) has obtained probe card orders from a handset applications processor vendor, and is vying for orders from another major player in the handset AP segment in 2021, according to industry sources.

The company's probe cards are also being validated by major US chipmakers including Intel and AMD for processing CPU and GPU chips, and it may start shipments later in the year, the sources said.

CHPT president Scott Huang said vertical probe cards developed in house will serve as a major growth driver for the company this year, with gross margin likely to hit 50-55%.

Huang continued that shipments of vertical probe card sets shot up 165% on year in 2020, with revenue contribution ramping up to 26-27%. He said the ratio may rise further in 2021 as the company will roll out more options for probe heads.

To meet increasing demand, CHPT will enforcing a capacity expansion plan, with a new plant to be completed for official run in 2024 at the latest, according to Huang.

As interposers with C4 pad pitch of under 79um will become a mainstream offering for processing high-end chips, CHPT has moved to develop interposers with C4 pad pitch 50um and will start volume production of new-generation multi-layer organic (MLO) substrate for probing applications in second-quarter 2021, Huang noted.

By DIGITIMES