Seoul Semiconductor to mass-produce chip scale packaged LEDs
Seoul Semiconductor has announced that it is mass producing LEDs in a new kind of chip scale packaging (CSP) which does not need processes such as die bonding, wire bonding or component parts such as lead frames, gold wire and so on.
According to the company, its patented Wicop (Wafer Level Integrated Chip on PCB) package is designed to directly connect the LED chip to the PCB with no intermediate substrate. In effect, the package and chip are the same size.
Generally, when the size of a chip package does not exceed more than 1.2 times the chip, it is classified as CSP, a technology first applied to LEDs in 2012. However, at that time because products using such technology need die bonding equipment, intermediate substrates or ceramic or silicon material to attach the chip to the PCB, it was difficult to see the technology as a complete CSP.
Seoul Semiconductor says it has been supplying Wicop-packaged products to major customers since 2013 for use in LCD backlighting, camera flashlights and also in vehicle head lamps. Now the company plans to target the LED lighting-source market in lights, vehicles, and IT parts currently estimated to be $20B with the Wicop concept.
Kibum Nam head Seoul Semiconductor's Central Research Center said: "Through the development of Wicop which is an innovative small sized, highly efficient LED technology, the effective value of packaging equipment which was once essential in semiconductor assembly process will noticeably decrease. As all of the parts which had been used for more than 20 years will not be necessary any more, there will be a huge change in the future LED industry".
He added: "Seoul Semiconductor already has acquired hundreds of global patent portfolio regarding Wicop and takes a close look at how other manufacturers would develop the similar products using the similar technology".
