Hanmi Semiconductor (Photo = Hanmi Semiconductor)

 

[Alpha Biz= Reporter Kim Jisun] Hanmi Semiconductor, the world's leading company in the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) equipment market, has filed a patent lawsuit against Hanwha Precision Machinery. The legal action highlights a direct confrontation between South Korea's top two players in the rapidly growing HBM equipment industry.

Hanmi Semiconductor announced on the 19th that it had filed a lawsuit on September 4 with the Seoul Central District Court, alleging that Hanwha Precision Machinery infringed its patent for the TC Bonder, a key piece of equipment used in HBM production. HBM, a next-generation memory solution primarily used in AI applications, is created by vertically stacking DRAM chips. The bonding process, which connects these stacked chips, relies heavily on TC Bonder equipment.

As a critical back-end process tool, TC Bonder technology significantly impacts the yield rate of HBM production. Consequently, competition among semiconductor equipment manufacturers in this space is intense.

Hanmi Semiconductor is estimated to hold a dominant 65% global market share in TC Bonder equipment and supplies its products to major players like SK Hynix and Micron Technology. Since the early stages of HBM commercialization, Hanmi has worked closely with SK Hynix to co-develop and supply TC Bonders, effectively securing a near-monopoly in the sector.

Meanwhile, Hanwha Precision Machinery has recently entered the Bonder equipment market, investing nearly 200 billion KRW in expanding facilities and enhancing its R&D capabilities. It is currently competing with Hanmi Semiconductor for TC Bonder supply contracts with SK Hynix's HBM production lines. Singapore-based ASMPT has also joined the race in the Bonder market, further intensifying competition.

 

 

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