Henkel Advances in Semiconductor Packaging: Reliable & Sustainable Solutions

Henkel is a global leader in industrial and consumer adhesives, offering innovative materials and solutions for sectors like automotive, electronics, and consumer goods. During an interaction with Vidushi, Ram Trichur, Market Segment Head of Semiconductor Packaging, Henkel Adhesive Technologies and Zack Lee, Market Segment Head of Consumer Electronics, Henkel Adhesive Technologies discussed Henkel’s advancements in semiconductor packaging materials, addressing reliability and performance needs in automotive, AI, and consumer electronics, while emphasizing thermal management, miniaturization, and sustainability efforts across diverse applications.

What key materials and innovations have enabled Henkel’s wirebond packaging to meet the automotive industry’s reliability and performance standards?

Ram: Henkel has an extensive portfolio of semiconductor packaging materials for wirebond packaging applications in automotive applications. Some key areas include automotive CMOS image sensors (CIS) applications, which are served using our die attach paste and encapsulation materials to mitigate package stress and serve the needs of evolving larger body CIS packages. In power conversion applications using FETs, we have a portfolio of high thermal sintering die attach solutions that deliver ~200W/mK thermal conductivity and high adhesion to multiple leadframe and die backside surfaces. We also carry a portfolio of die attach film products that used to support Analog ICs and MCUs in automotive applications.

How is Henkel addressing the challenges of flip-chip, fan-in/fan-out WLP, and 2.5D/3D packaging in advanced semiconductor architectures?

Ram: Advanced packaging architectures are getting larger and more complex to serve next-generation processors in AI/HPC applications, while smartphone and mobile processor applications demand miniaturization, cost reduction, and new package architectures for premium smartphones. Henkel is developing a portfolio of underfills and lid/stiffener attach materials for large body and large die architectures. We recently launched our large die capillary underfill (CUF), Loctite Eccobond UF 9000AE, which has fast flow and fill capability to fill die sizes ~50x50mm. We are also developing liquid compression molding (LCM) material with industry-leading warpage performance of <1 mm on a 300 mm wafer size to serve wafer-level packaging applications like over-molding and fan-out. In addition, we have ultra-fine filler technologies embedded in our liquid compression molded underfill (LMUF) to enable the underfilling and encapsulation of 3D stacked chipsets seen in AI/HPC applications.

How has Henkel achieved 200+ W/m-K thermal conductivity in die attach materials, and what impact does this have on semiconductor performance and reliability?

Ram: Henkel has a portfolio of commercial and developmental grade sintering die attach platforms to service the market needs for power conversion applications in discrete and power module applications. We have unique resin and filler platforms in our formulation toolbox for pressure-less and pressure-assisted die-attach materials that enable complete sintering of conductive fillers in bulk and along the interface to the die backside and leadframe surfaces. We have achieved excellent reliability results to support automotive applications in a range of our products, enabling the use of wide band gap (WBG) semiconductors in power electronics applications. We continue our innovation investments to expand our offerings to support large die and large area sintering needs in power semiconductor applications.

How do Henkel’s materials contribute to the durability and design of rugged yet sleek consumer electronics?

Ram: In consumer electronics, the miniaturization of semiconductor packages is a key trend to improve functionality, enhance the final product form factor, and increase battery real estate. Some key semiconductor packaging processes that enable miniaturization are wafer-level packaging, fan-out, and 3D / package-on-package architectures. Henkel has an industry-leading portfolio of underfills, like pre-applied non-conductive paste (NCP) underfill & post-applied capillary underfill (CUF). These materials have a proven field reliability performance over several years and have enabled the miniaturization of the world’s leading application processors while offering best-in-class reliability performance. We are also developing low warpage liquid compression molding (LCM) materials to enable high-density wafer-level fan-out packages.

Zack: To build durable yet sleek consumer device, Henkel offer wide variety of solutions across different bondlines.

For Structural bonding, Henkel offers strong PURHM products such as High Impact Resistance PUR or Hot-creep Resistance PUR that provide that enable smartphones to be operate under high heat environment or to increase the durability when consumers accidentally. The recent breakthrough in the Flexible Display Protection (FDP) application narrows the width of smartphone bezel while greatly improving the phone reliability.

For Board Level, Henkel offers industry leading underfill & encapsulation products that greatly improves device reliability

What thermal management solutions does Henkel offer for AI-capable, high-density mobile devices to ensure optimal performance?

Ram: Managing thermals is critical in AI/HPC applications at the semiconductor packaging level. Henkel has sustained innovation investments to incorporate critical filler and resin materials to enable high thermal conductivity across some of our underfill (CUF) and liquid compression molding (LCM, LMUF) materials, enabling superior performance in devices using 2.5D and 3D packaging architectures.

Zack: Henkel has a wide range of TIM1.5 & TIM 2 solution for smartphone and offer thermally conductive underfill solution that can address the heat challenge for the advanced 3D stacking packaging chips.

How is Henkel incorporating sustainable practices and materials into its semiconductor packaging and consumer device technologies?

Ram: Henkel is committed to sustainability in semiconductor packaging by offering materials with no intentionally added PFAS. We are also leading the way in transitioning to renewable carbon sources away from fossil-based carbon sources. Moreover, we are looking into recycled silver and lower carbon footprint fillers to lower the carbon footprint of our semiconductor packaging materials.

Zack: For consumer device side, Henkel offers Bio based PURHM products made of high percentage of fossil-based materials. We also introduce several solutions which do not contain any intentionally added PFAS for component assembly areas.

What trends or challenges do you see in semiconductor packaging, and how is Henkel staying ahead in this evolving landscape?

Ram: End markets like generative AI, high-performance computing in data centers, and many edge applications require large die and large body packages using complex 2.5D and 3D architectures. The automotive industry is transitioning towards electrification and autonomous driving, which places severe demands on wirebond and advanced packaging architectures in terms of reliability and performance. New consumer devices are emerging that continue to push form factor, functionality, and miniaturization requirements for semiconductor packages. Material innovation is at the forefront to service all these demands from various end markets to deliver the desired performance and reliability metrics for future applications. We work closely with our customers and ecosystem partners to understand their unresolved pain points. We also have sustained long-term innovation investments and a strong team of scientists and engineers to develop our next-generation materials to support the market needs.

Can you share recent partnerships or collaborations that have been pivotal in advancing Henkel’s semiconductor and consumer device technologies?

Ram: Henkel is thankful to our customers and ecosystem partners for their long-standing trust and deep collaborations, which enabled our recent launch of large die capillary underfill platforms, our new sintering die attach products, and several others. We also sincerely value our collaborators’ support in Henkel’s ongoing development programs for high temperature encapsulants, underfills, and new sintering die attach materials.

Zack: Henkel has been partnering with leading smartphone brands to develop the Flexible Display Protection (FDP) adhesive that can decrease the display bezel width while improving device reliability. We believe with Henkel’s strong technology platform partnering with industry leading customers, this new product can empower our customers realize their innovative phone designs.