Six institutions, including the Korea Institute of Materials Science, are pushing for the 100% localization of materials and technology for semiconductor device bonding processes.

The Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS, President Lee Jeong-hwan), a government-funded research institute under the Ministry of Science and ICT, announced on the 8th that it will embark on the development of cyanide-free gold bump materials and plating process technology for semiconductor device bonding processes (led by LT Metal Co., Ltd.) together with LT Metal Co., Ltd., Kyungpook National University, Andong National University, Hanyang University, and STECO.

The research projects to be pursued by the six institutions mentioned above have been selected for the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’s Materials and Components Technology Development Project (Package Type) and are scheduled to receive government support for one year and six months, from July 2021 to December 2022.

Current gold plating processes for PCBs and connectors mainly use the cyanide type, but due to environmental issues, there is a growing need to develop cyanide-free gold plating solutions.

Gold plating solutions containing cyanide, also known as potassium cyanide, are classified as hazardous materials and poisons, and are products that pose a significant environmental burden. Currently, the market for Musian gold bump plating solutions is 100% dominated by Japanese products, and it is difficult to find any history of domestic development or mass production.

In June 2020, the Korea Institute of Materials Science recognized this problem and began discussions with LT Metal Co., Ltd. to promote its localization.

LT Metal Co., Ltd. has established infrastructure for evaluating plating solutions, including a gold plating solution manufacturing facility, making it possible to quickly perform evaluation and performance testing of developed plating chemicals.

In addition, sodium sulfite (Na3Au(SO3)2), used in the eco-friendly anti-sulfite gold plating process, is a highly advanced technology that can be mass-produced by only three companies worldwide: the Japanese companies EEJA and Metalor, and the domestic company LT Metal Co., Ltd.

The six institutions promoting the project plan to proceed with research and development cooperation with the ultimate goals of developing cyanide-free gold bump plating solutions, plating process technologies, gold bump bonding processes, reliability evaluation technologies, and next-generation technologies.

The localization of Musian gold bump plating solution is linked to downstream industries such as the machinery, materials, and electronics industries, as well as downstream industries such as TV, mobile, and automotive display panels. It is expected to have a significant ripple effect not only on current major industrial groups but also on future major growth engine industries centered on 3D high-density semiconductors.

Lee Jeong-hwan, President of the Korea Institute of Materials Science, stated, “Musian gold bump plating solution is receiving significant attention as a material to replace environmentally hazardous substances,” adding, “We will cooperate closely to achieve our goals as soon as possible, including establishing a foundation for overseas exports, to simultaneously realize eco-friendly and social values.”