HANMI Semiconductor said on the 27th that it launched the world's first "BOC COB bonder" and will supply it to a global memory corporations' plant in Gujarat, India.
The "BOC COB bonder" is a two-in-one bonding system that can produce both the BOC (Board on Chip) process and the COB (Chip on Board) process on a single tool. BOC refers to mounting semiconductors directly on a printed circuit board (PCB) and connecting them. COB is a method of attaching and connecting an unpackaged chip directly to a PCB and then sealing it with epoxy.
HANMI Semiconductor aims to extend its technology leadership from TC bonders for high bandwidth memory (HBM) to the "BOC COB bonder." Through the BOC COB bonder, it plans to strengthen its lead in manufacturing high-performance memory used in artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductors, including stacked GDDR (Graphics DRAM) and enterprise (e)SSD.
BOC centers on the "flip" technology of attaching chips upside down. It is mainly applied to DRAM products that require high-speed signal transmission. COB uses the existing "non-flip" technology. It is used in manufacturing high-capacity NAND flash. Until now, semiconductor corporations had to use separate dedicated equipment to handle the two processes.
The company said, "Customers that adopt the BOC COB bonder can respond immediately to product design changes without replacing equipment," adding, "They can use factory space efficiently and also reduce capital expenditure (CAPEX)."
HANMI Semiconductor also applied its TC bonder design know-how to the "BOC COB bonder." For thermal management, which is key to Production yield in semiconductors, it equips the chuck table and bonding head with advanced precision systems to enable stable temperature control under a variety of process conditions.
According to market research firm TrendForce, the global memory market is expected to reach $551.6 billion (about 799 trillion won) this year, up 134% from last year, driven by rising demand for AI servers.
A HANMI Semiconductor official said, "The BOC COB bonder's core competitiveness lies in process flexibility and production efficiency that support both BOC and COB," adding, "Starting with supply to global customers, it will make a major contribution to this year's results, and we will maintain a competitive edge in the high-performance memory market."