Hanmi Unveils FC Bonder 3.5 for 2.5D AI Chip Packaging
Hanmi Semiconductor Co. (042700.KQ) on Thursday launched the FC Bonder 3.5, a flip-chip bonding system designed for 2.5D AI chip packaging, as the Incheon-based equipment maker broadens its customer base beyond memory to target global foundries and outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) firms.
The FC Bonder 3.5 supports substrates up to 340 millimetres in diameter and bonds 2.5D logic dies using a chip-to-wafer (C2W) method. The machine also handles face-up bonding with die-attach film (DAF) materials, making it compatible with multi-die AI accelerator architectures where individual dies of varying sizes must be precisely stacked on a common interposer.
The launch comes nine months after the company released its FC Bonder 75 in September 2025, underscoring an accelerated product cadence the company attributes to surging demand. Nvidia, AMD and Broadcom have all standardised on 2.5D advanced packaging—exemplified by TSMC's CoWoS platform—for their flagship AI chips, creating a large addressable equipment market historically dominated by Japanese suppliers.
Hanmi said the new tool offers higher productivity and precision than competing machines. The company plans to supply the FC Bonder 3.5 to global foundries and OSAT companies. Neither customer names nor unit pricing were disclosed at launch.
The 340mm capability mirrors the industry trend toward panel-level packaging, where larger substrates reduce per-unit cost in high-volume AI chip production.
Breaking Out of HBM: A Structural Pivot
Hanmi Semiconductor built its reputation on Thermal Compression Bonders for High Bandwidth Memory, supplying SK Hynix (000660.KS) and Micron Technology—the two dominant producers of HBM used inside Nvidia's AI accelerators. That position, however, is tied to HBM growth dynamics.
Diversifying into system semiconductor packaging is a structural shift. The FC bonder segment—used for attaching logic chips such as GPUs and custom AI ASICs to interposers—is currently dominated by Japanese precision-equipment makers, making Hanmi's entry a direct competitive challenge to incumbents.
Hanmi's stock closed at approximately KRW 273,000 on June 25, 2026, having rebounded from a 52-week low of KRW 81,400 (though still below the 52-week high of KRW 426,000). Trailing twelve-month revenue stands at approximately USD 405 million (roughly KRW 560 billion).
The FC Bonder 3.5 launch signals that Korean equipment makers are moving up the value chain. While Korean chipmakers—primarily Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix—dominate globally, Korea's domestic semiconductor equipment sector has historically lagged behind Japan, the Netherlands and the United States. Hanmi's push into advanced 2.5D packaging tools could reduce that gap and open new export revenue streams.
Sources: ETNews, Chosun Biz, Hankyung, Yonhap (June 26, 2026)
