Program Management / Engineering Leadership / Staff Technical Program Manager at LAM Research / Ex AMAT / Ex GE / IIMK
#SouthKorean Semiconductor #Equipment Firms Thrive Amid Rising Demand for #TCBonders The demand for thermal compression (#TC) bonders produced by South Korean semiconductor equipment companies is surging, driven by #Samsung Electronics and #SKHynix increasing their high-bandwidth memory (#HBM) production. TC bonders, essential for HBM production, use thermal compression to bond and stack chips on processed wafers, significantly enhancing #HBM yield. According to industry sources, Samsung Electronics’ subsidiary #SEMES has delivered nearly 100 TC bonders within the past year. Meanwhile, #SKHynix recently signed a 150 billion won (approximately $107.98 million) contract with #HANMI Semiconductor, which holds a 65% market share in TC bonders. The cumulative order value for HBM TC bonders from HANMI Semiconductor to SK Hynix has reached 358.7 billion won, with each unit priced at around 2 billion won. Samsung sources TC bonders from Japan’s #Toray and #Sinkawa, and its subsidiary #SEMES, while #SKHynix obtains its equipment from Singapore’s #ASMPT, #HANMI Semiconductor, and #Hanhwa Precision Machinery. Both companies have been intensifying their #localization efforts since last year to reduce reliance on foreign equipment. SEMES produces TC bonders optimized for the #TC-NCF process, a stacking method for HBM involving the application of a film material each time a chip is stacked. #SEMES recently set a target to achieve over 250 billion won in TC bonder sales, a significant increase from around 100 billion won last year. #HANMI Semiconductor, which co-developed TC bonders with #SKHynix in 2017, supplies equipment for SK Hynix’s #MR-MUF process, which uses an adhesive-like material to bond DRAM chips. Although #HANMI Semiconductor has TC bonders compatible with both #TC-NCF and #MR-MUF processes, it currently supplies them only to SK Hynix and Micron. Market research firm #TrendForce reports that #Samsung plans to produce approximately 130,000 HBM units by the end of this year, nearly #tripling its #production capacity from 45,000 units last year. Similarly, #SKHynix aims to #increase its #HBM production capacity to 120,000-125,000 units by year-end, also nearly tripling from 45,000 units last year. Reference: https://lnkd.in/dMwd9pJx
Program Management / Engineering Leadership / Staff Technical Program Manager at LAM Research / Ex AMAT / Ex GE / IIMK
Quick Bytes : #Hanwha Precision Machinery secured a contract to provide #SKHynix with thermal compression (#TC) bonders for #HBM memory chip production, as reported by The Elec. This deal ends the near-monopoly of Hanmi Semiconductor, the previous main supplier of this equipment. Additionally, #ASMPT, partly owned by #ASM International (25%), has also committed to developing a #TC bonder for #SKHynix. Hanwha is scheduled to deliver two #TC bonders by June 10 for testing. The report notes that “SK Hynix was deeply involved in the development of Hanwha’s TC bonder from the beginning.” #TC #bonders use thermal compression to bond and stack chips on wafers that have finished processing. They are used in the production of HBM and 3D packaging which requires lots of bonding during their production. Reference: https://lnkd.in/gJW8F4pP Pic Reference: Wiley Online Library
