Hanwha Semitec has developed a second-generation hybrid bonder. Hanwha Semitec said on Feb. 25 it will deliver the second-generation hybrid bonder, the "SHB2 Nano", to customers in the first half of this year to conduct performance tests. That comes 4 years after it supplied a first-generation product in 2022. The company plans to target the next-generation semiconductor market with hybrid bonding technology following its TC bonder.

A hybrid bonder is equipment that directly bonds chip to chip on copper surfaces. It is drawing attention as a next-generation technology that improves performance and production efficiency of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for AI semiconductors. It can also produce thin, high-stack HBM with 16 to 20 layers. With no bumps between chips, it delivers faster data transfer speeds and lower power consumption.

The "SHB2 Nano" applies ultra-precision alignment technology with a positional error range of 0.1 micrometres. That is about 1/1,000 the thickness of a hair. Hanwha Semitec plans to quickly unveil mass-production equipment to the market after completing development of the second generation following the first.

A Hanwha Semitec official said, "Through continued investment in advanced technology development, we have solved technical challenges in hybrid bonding and have finally been able to put the product on track in the market," adding, "This new technology development has provided another foothold to lead the advanced packaging market."

The company is also strengthening its position in the TC bonder market. Hanwha Semitec generated more than 90 billion won in revenue last year from its TC bonder "SFM5 Expert". This year it signed supply contracts twice in January and February. It returned to profit in the fourth quarter of last year on results from its semiconductor business. That was about 1 year after it first officially supplied a TC bonder in March last year.

It is also developing a second-generation TC bonder for the next-generation HBM equipment market. This year it will introduce a TC bonder with a larger bonding head and a fluxless TC bonder with reduced chip spacing. Hanwha Semitec is expanding research and development (R&D) investment for new technology development. Last year's semiconductor-related R&D spending rose more than 50 percent from a year earlier.

It expects R&D investment and synergy among affiliates to grow if the tech solutions division is placed under a newly established holding company through a spin-off being pursued by Hanwha Group. A Hanwha Semitec official said, "We are focusing our capabilities on proactive technology development in line with rapid changes in the advanced semiconductor market," adding, "Through continued R&D investment and innovation in future technologies, we will leap into an advanced semiconductor solutions company with unmatched technological capabilities."