However, the main challenge for mass production of Mini LED (and Micro LED) is still the transfer part. As we all know, to process such a large number of chips, it is difficult to shorten the time and reduce costs by using original technology and equipment. Therefore, equipment vendors that launch solutions for massive transfer technology play a key role in leading MiniLED to the commercialization stage.
Kulicke & Soffa (K&S), a semiconductor packaging equipment manufacturer from Singapore, uses advanced laser transfer technology to enter the field of mass transfer of Mini LED (and Micro LED) and plays the role of a total solution provider to help customers reduce production costs and accelerate mass production.
Breaking through the bottleneck of mass transfer, K&S strengthens laser transfer technology
Zhang Zanbin, executive vice president of K&S, said that consumer electronics such as tablets and laptops will be the main application market for Mini LED in the future, and related products will gradually appear in the next two to three years.
However, Zhang Zanbin further explained that although the development of Mini LED has become more mature in recent years, many challenges can be overcome one by one and then commercialized; but when facing mass production, mass transfer is still the main challenge.
Zhang Zanbin said that many companies in the market currently use the mechanical pick & place (Pick & Place) concept of stamping (Stamp) technology for transfer, because it is relatively easy and can be satisfied with existing equipment. However, although the mechanical pick-and-place process has matured enough to be used in mass production, it is still not fast enough, and a lot of consumables are used during transfer, which will also increase the cost of goods.
Therefore, MiniLED requires faster and more efficient transfer technology. For this reason, K&S decided to use laser transfer technology; and in order to further strengthen the laser transfer technology, K&S alsoIn early 2021, it announced the acquisition of the American technology company Uniqarta.
It is reported that Uniqarta's Laser-Enabled Advanced Placement (LEAP) technology breaks through the technical bottleneck of traditional pick-and-place placement with a high-precision, ultra-fast laser transfer crystal placement system. The non-contact method of placing chips in large batches makes the transfer rate faster and accelerates the development of K&S's next-generation high-precision solutions, thereby promoting the widespread adoption of multi-functional, low-cost display technology. This next-generation LED transfer method is expected to accelerate the introduction of Mini LED backlights and also promote the development of Micro LED direct display applications.
Zhang Zanbin revealed that transfer is still the main challenge for Mini LED mass production. However, K&S's strengths are technical capabilities and innovation capabilities, so it hopes to use laser transfer technology to achieve a transfer speed of 1,000-10,000 pieces per second to help customers reduce overall costs. This goal has been successfully achieved in the laboratory and has entered the product verification stage, which is expected to be completed in the next two years.
Transforming into a service integrator, connecting the upstream and downstream industries
Not only that, in addition to strengthening laser transfer technology, K&S has also actively transformed into a Total solution supplier, playing the role of a bridge connecting upstream and downstream industries to accelerate the development of the Mini LED and Micro LED industries.
Zhang Zanbin emphasized that K&S is no longer a pure equipment manufacturer, but will cooperate with customers (chip manufacturers). In fact, the quality of the arrangement and combination of LED chips is closely related to the transfer speed; if the arrangement and combination of the upstream chip manufacturer is not good, they will have to spend a lot of time sorting and selecting errors during transfer, which will slow down the transfer speed; but if the chips have a good arrangement and combination at the beginning, the transfer speed can be accelerated.
Zhang Zanbin said that, therefore, to speed up the transfer, close cooperation with the upstream is very important. The Mini/Micro LED industry has just begun to develop. K&S's strength lies in its technical capabilities and innovation. Through joint development agreement (JDA) with upstream customers, it contributes its own experience so that customers can be faster and more efficient in the development process.
Zhang Zanbin emphasized that indeed, at the beginning, K&S was a simple equipment manufacturer, doing whatever customers wanted. However, after two or three years of development, it has gained rich experience in Mini/Micro LED technology research and development.Experience can be shared with customers.
In other words, K&S is no longer just an equipment supplier, purely taking orders, selling equipment, and then installing the machines and leaving; K&S has become a technical expert, able to provide customers with one-stop solutions with its rich experience, and become a bridge connecting the upstream and downstream industrial chains. This is also K&S’s unique market competitive advantage. There are still many challenges for LED to be solved, such as transfer, chip size, repair, etc. But Mini LED already has solutions and has entered the product verification stage; after Mini LED has obvious results, the next step is to develop Micro LED,” Zhang Zanbin said when talking about future layout planning.
ANNA