Source: Content compiled by Semiconductor Industry Watch (ID: icbank) From "businesskorea", thank you.

Recently, TSMC plans to establish synergies with several companies by establishing a research institute in Japan to develop 3D SoIC packaging materials. TSMC emphasizes that 3D SoIC will become one of the main growth engines from 2022.

TSMC Japan Research Center (established with an investment of 18.6 billion yen) will focus on the development of 3D SoIC materials. In detail, the joint venture aims to establish synergies with a number of Japanese material companies by establishing the Japan Advanced Materials Technology Research Institute. TSMC regards 3D SoIC as one of its main growth engines from 2022, and will build two back-end process fabs for 3D SoIC technology, one of which will be completed in 2H21.

TSMC's 3D SoIC is based on the "hybrid bonding" back-end process. With hybrid bonding, a bonding pitch of 10μm or less (about a quarter of the previous generation of technology) can be achieved. Such a pitch size can increase energy efficiency between semiconductors by 20 times, and communication speed between semiconductors is 10 times faster (compared to earlier technologies).

Hybrid bonding forms electrodes by etching through-hole patterns on the wafer and depositing copper. The two dies are bonded together via exposed copper electrodes on the measured wafer to form a 3D package.

In addition to TSMC, Intel and Samsung Electronics are also developing related technologies. Investment in 3D back-end processes is expected to accelerate in the future. Domestic Korean equipment manufacturers related to this include Hanmi Semiconductor, Park Systems, and EO Technics.

At the same time, ASM Pacific Technology and EV Group (EVG) signed a contract to jointly develop bare wafer hybrid bonding technology. Specifically, ASM is developing technology for chip bonding, while EVG is developing technology for chip-to-wafer bonding. Due to the nature of hybrid bonding technology, collaboration between companies operating in different fields such as front-end processes, back-end processes, equipment manufacturing, and packaging is becoming increasingly important.