The production value of Taiwan's copper wirebonding segment is expected to rise along with demand over the next three years, according to sources at equipment suppliers.
Major Taiwan-based IC packagers, which currently lead the global industry in terms of copper wirebonding capacity and technology, have collectively installed more than 15,000 units of copper wirebonding equipment, the sources revealed.
Wirebonding packaging currently accounts for 60-70% of total output value for the global IC packaging industry, the sources observed. The proportion copper wire in the total wire bonding output value is expected to increase to 48% in 2015 from 18% at present, the sources said.
By 2015, the size of the global copper wirebonding segment will likely be 250% greater than the current level, the sources noted.
Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) is currently the leading provider of copper wirebonding packaging services. Sales generated from copper wirebonding have accounted for 57% of ASE's overall wirebonding revenues.
ASE indicated that its copper wirebonding packaging operation is mainly located in China, which is giving the company low-cost advantages over competitors including not only fellow IC packaging firms, but also IDMs.
ASE has also been vying for copper wirebonding orders from IDM firms for low pin-count and discrete devices.
Siliconware Precision Industries (SPIL), another major Taiwan-based IC packager, also has made progress transitioning from gold to copper wirebonding. Sales of the segment now account for 53-54% of SPIL's overall wirebonding revenues.
Article translated by Jessie Shen
