Semiconductors Assembled Simultaneously... 100-Fold Increase in Production Volume

[Asia Economy Reporter Junho Hwang] Domestic researchers and small and medium-sized enterprises have developed a Gang-Bonder equipment that can increase the productivity of semiconductor back-end processes by 100 times compared to existing methods. This equipment, which assembles multiple semiconductors simultaneously, has been commercialized for the first time in Korea.

The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) announced on the 11th that Vice President Junyeop Song of KIMM and Protec developed the Gang-Bonder equipment. This equipment is a 'large-area (300mm × 300mm or larger) panel-level package assembly equipment' that can arrange flexible semiconductor chips thinner than half the width of a human hair at 20㎛ (nanometer) scale on a flexible substrate and connect or stack them with assembly precision at the 2-nanometer level.

This equipment packages semiconductors not by wafer or individual chip units but by panel units at once. This means multiple semiconductors can be assembled simultaneously. After a primary assembly at a low temperature, the equipment performs batch electrical connections to complete the assembly. Accordingly, it can increase semiconductor production by 100 times compared to the conventional back-end process method (TC bonder).

To implement the Gang-Bonder packaging technology, the research team also developed a technology that applies pressure without contacting the chip by using special gases. This technology can apply uniform pressure even if there are thickness variations in the chip or substrate. It solves assembly errors caused by misalignment of chips. Currently, semiconductor packaging assembly is done by mechanically applying pressure with an assembly head on each individual chip. However, thickness variations in chips and substrates cause assembly errors, limiting production volume.

The research team also developed a multi-cell ceramic heater capable of rapid heating or cooling of large areas over 300mm × 300mm at rates exceeding 20℃/sec. This technology divides the flexible substrate into cells to enable simultaneous heating while ensuring uniform heat transfer.

Vice President Junyeop Song of KIMM said, "The equipment developed this time is world-class technology ahead of the highest-spec semiconductor assembly equipment led by a few companies in leading semiconductor equipment countries such as Europe and Japan," adding, "It can be applied not only to wearable devices, smart cards, medical devices, and Micro-LED displays but also to ultra-precise wafer and panel-level package assembly fields such as AI semiconductor packages. We expect it to expand into a new equipment industry creation in line with the rapid growth of related industries."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.