The mainstream size for high-frequency chip inductors has been reduced from 0402 to 0201. Using the traditional process to make miniaturized components will usually lead to poorer product efficiency; and for products to maintain or even improve its efficiency, changes need to be made to the materials or circuit design.

While the multilayer inductor traditional process can no longer support the 0201 design, the multilayer inductor via process has become the mainstream because it can achieve higher production precision and smaller internal circuit design through support of virtual software. Therefore, Chilisin, which is capable of manufacturing using the via process.

The via process is demanding because it uses extremely thin foil. Advanced laser is used to create via holes on the foil and the holes are then mapped onto different positions of the component. Compared to the traditional process, the via process can allow the printing of more varieties of shapes. According to Chilisin's R&D team, different inductor makers may use the same models of equipment, but the difference is how the equipment is tuned, which involves a lot of know-how.

Among all Taiwan-based inductor makers, Chilisin has the most via process production equipment with a monthly capacity for 400 million units of 0201 high-frequency chip inductors. It plans to expand the monthly capacity to 600 million units in first-half 2015 and 800 million in second-half 2015, as order visibility is clear and demand has been up growing. Currently, via processed products account for around 40 percent of all Chilisin-made multilayer chip inductors, and the proportion is expected to increase to 70 percent in the near future.

Currently Chilisin mainly uses the via process for making multilayer 0201 high-frequency chip inductors (CHQ0603), multilayer power inductors (MPE), and multilayer common mode filters (CMF). Although the size has been reduced, the functions have not been compromised.

In fact, Chilisin has seen breakthroughs in the handset market in recent years. The revenues from this market increased from 16 percent of total revenues in 2013 to around 25 percent in 2014.