01 Rapid commercialisation of hybrid and fine-pitch bonding Advanced chip performance is increasingly driven by sophisticated packaging. Techniques like wafer-level hybrid bonding, direct copper-to-copper bonds and ultra-fine-pitch thermo-compression bonding are critical for high-performance memory (HBM), chiplets and logic. This is evident in equipment orders from businesses. For example, in Q1-Q2 2025, BE Semiconductor Industries (Besi) reported a rise in bookings for hybrid bonding tools specifically for HBM4 and leading-edge logic, citing follow-on orders from major foundries and memory customers. This shift means higher revenue for equipment vendors, as advanced bonding tools are more expensive than traditional ones. As a result, companies are focusing on integrated solutions that combine tools, recipes, and metrology to speed up production and secure long-term contracts.
02 Verticalization and near-shoring of advanced packaging drives regional equipment hubs Governments and major chipmakers have shifted their focus from front-end fabrication to advanced packaging. This shift is supported by government programs like the U.S. CHIPS National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program, which finalised awards totalling $1.4 billion in early 2025. This has led to new packaging and test centres For instance, in January 2025, GlobalFoundries announced the New York Advanced Packaging and Photonics Centre, the first-of-its-kind centre aiming to enable advanced packaging and test capabilities for U.S.-made essential chips used in AI, automotive, aerospace, defence, and other applications. This trend expands the overall market for equipment vendors, as these new centres require both traditional and next-generation tools.
March 2026 ASMPT expanded its semiconductor assembly and packaging equipment portfolio with advanced die bonding, wire bonding, and packaging solutions designed to support AI chips, advanced semiconductor manufacturing, and high-performance computing applications.
January 2026 BESI expanded its semiconductor packaging equipment solutions with advanced hybrid bonding and die placement technologies, supporting next-generation chiplet architectures and advanced packaging requirements.
October 2025 Kulicke & Soffa expanded its semiconductor packaging equipment portfolio with advanced bonding and automation solutions designed for automotive electronics, AI processors, and high-density semiconductor applications.
August 2025 Tokyo Electron expanded its semiconductor production equipment portfolio with advanced packaging and wafer-level processing solutions supporting next-generation semiconductor manufacturing.