ASE Honored with SEMI Award for Advancement in Copper Wire Bonding Technology

 Published on:    January 15, 2015        Filed under: CorporateNews

Source from: ASE Global

Taipei, January 15, 2015 – Advanced Semiconductor Engineering, Inc. (TAIEX: 2311, NYSE: ASX) announced today that SEMI, the global industry association serving the manufacturing supply chain for the micro- and nano-electronics industries, has awarded ASE the 2014 SEMI Award for North America. Recipients of the award are Jason Chang, Chairman and CEO, and Tien Wu, COO, whom are recognized for the relentless pursuit of commercializing copper wire in the IC assembly process at a time when gold wire bonding was the industry standard. The honorees accepted the award at the 2015 SEMI Industry Strategy Symposium (ISS) in Half Moon Bay, California.

In early 2005, anticipating a steep increase in gold price, ASE embarked on an ambitious push to encourage the use of copper wire bonding as an alternative to gold wire bonding. When the price of gold soared in 2007 and to all-time highs in 2011 and 2012, ASE was able to offer a proven and viable alternative to customers. The transition from gold to copper, however, was not without challenge. Customers were initially skeptical about the thermal and electrical performance of copper versus gold and whether cost savings would ultimately be worthwhile. The ASE engineering team went through months and years of laborious studies, evaluations, and qualification lots, and with each successful production run, customers become increasingly confident in the company. By 2011, ASE was shipping more than four billion chips using copper wire bonding processes.

“The award is especially meaningful to ASE and our employees. I am extremely proud of our team’s engineering achievement on copper wire bonding that has enabled the process to become an industry standard now,” said Tien Wu. “The industry is pushing for the next level of efficiency and each new process and technology we introduce to our customers will help them become eventual winners in the market as well as set us further apart from the competition.”

“It is a huge honor to receive the 2014 SEMI Award and be recognized amongst so many of our peers,” said Jason Chang. “In a dynamic industry where change and advancement is our lifeline, it is ASE’s mission to continue to propagate the latest technologies, the newest materials, and advanced production methods to enable the success of our customers’ IC designs.”

“SEMI is proud to honor ASE with a SEMI Award. Jason Chang and Tien Wu committed to resolve technical problems and address customer concerns. These two individuals, plus ASE’s willingness to underwrite risk, made a difference — and copper wire bonds are now the industry standard,” said Karen Savala, president, SEMI Americas.