Chinese semiconductor equipment company PrecisioNext (普莱信) launched the Clip Bond power semiconductor packaging equipment and is actively designing the third-generation semiconductor modular packaging equipment product line. It will bring about the adoption of more domestic packaging equipment and promote the upgrade of packaging by power semiconductor manufacturers, JW Insights learned.

The annual market size of Clip Bond equipment in the Chinese mainland is reportedly about RMB1 billion ($157.3 million), and the modular packaging equipment is about RMB2 billion ($314.5 million). The number is still growing.

Li Daodong, marketing manager of PrecisioNext in Dongguan, southern China’s Guangdong Province, said, “Compared with international manufacturers, PrecisioNext’s Clip Bond product line has a faster speed while ensuring the same accuracy as international manufacturers. Compared with domestic manufacturers, we can provide higher accuracy.”

Power devices and third-generation semiconductors are the current hotspots. They are also the most promising areas in the domestic semiconductor industry to catch up with the global companies.

Many Chinese power semiconductor manufacturers have made impressive progress, but the high-end packaging equipment still depends on imports.

Compared with digital IC, power semiconductors feature smaller line widths, longer lifecycle, larger market space, and broader application scenarios.

With the surging demand from autonomous driving, intelligent manufacturing, and new infrastructure construction, the global power semiconductor market will continue to grow. Market research firm Omdia predicts that it will break the threshold of $50 billion in 2024 globally and $19 billion, in China.

Clip bond and modular packaging are new types of power semiconductor packaging processes. Chinese power semiconductor manufacturers are adopting it and trying to improve the yield and reliability of discrete devices as well as their packaging, and testing. There is insufficient production capacity with surging demands in the application markets.

With advantages in Die Bonder equipment and customer needs, PrecisioNext has developed Clip Bonder equipment and vacuum furnaces, one of the few packaging equipment that provides a complete line of automotive-grade Clip Bond products.

PrecisioNext was established in November 2017. With its headquarter and production center in Dongguan, it has R&D and sales offices in Suzhou, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong.

The core members of the company are veterans in motion control, algorithms, machine vision, linear motors, semiconductor, and automation equipment.