After nearly a year of rigorous testing and validation, PrecisioNext’s DA403 COB/COC high-precision die bonder has earned high recognition from the world’s two largest optical module manufacturers for its outstanding performance. Both have signed volume supply agreements, and formal deliveries have been completed. This is the first time domestic high-end optical module packaging equipment has achieved large-scale commercial use in the production of 400G/800G/1.6T-related high-end products, marking a breakthrough for domestic equipment in the high-end optical module field.
Industry Pain Points in 400G/800G/1.6T Optical Module Production
In the production of 400G/800G/1.6T optical modules, the industry faces the following pain points:
1. Many materials need to be bonded. For example, multimode optical module materials (VCSEL, PD, wire-bonding resistor, TIA, Driver) and single-mode silicon photonics optical module materials (PD, Lens spacer, TIA, FA spacer, PIC, COC, Field Lens), etc. Traditional processes use a relatively limited chip feeding method and cannot simultaneously support multiple types of chip incoming materials. The problem is that for optical module products involving many materials, one-stop bonding cannot be achieved, and multiple bonding and baking/curing cycles are required. Repeated baking may cause substrate deformation, thereby affecting subsequent bonding accuracy and yield.
2. High bonding accuracy requirements for 400G/800G/1.6T optical modules. For example, the optical chips “VCSEL/PD” in optical modules require accuracy of at least ±3 µm. Few domestic die bonder manufacturers can guarantee such accuracy, while imported products have extremely low production efficiency (low UPH). How to improve UPH while ensuring accuracy is a key point for optical module manufacturers to reduce equipment investment.
3. Equipment use and maintenance place extremely high demands on engineering and technical personnel. Traditional high-precision die bonding places extremely high demands on engineering and technical personnel in two dimensions—equipment operation and maintenance—resulting in high manufacturer costs, difficulty in recruiting personnel, difficulty in rapidly expanding production, and difficulty in ensuring yield. How to reduce requirements for operators and improve stability and efficiency is one of the bottlenecks for optical module manufacturers’ expansion.
One-stop 400G/800G/1.6T Optical Module Die Bonding/Placement Solutions
In response to the above industry pain points, the DA403 series, jointly developed by PrecisioNext and top customers and delivered in volume, supports die bonding (COB) and eutectic bonding (COC). It is designed with five 6-inch wafer rings and one 8-inch wafer ring, and can handle incoming material formats such as 6-inch and 8-inch wafers, waffle packs, and Gel-Pak. It also supports simultaneous placement of up to six types of chip materials, enabling a single machine to place multiple materials, including multimode optical module materials (VCSEL, PD, wire-bond resistor, TIA, Driver) and single-mode silicon photonic module materials (PD, lens spacer, TIA, FA spacer, PIC, COC, Field Lens), effectively reducing equipment changeover time and multiple baking/curing cycles. The dual ejector pin system design can support different products according to customer needs, providing a one-stop 400G/800G/1.6T optical module placement solution.
The DA403 series has the following features:
1. The equipment supports multiple placement modes. For example, chips on a PCB can be placed separately by type, followed by placement of the next chip type; alternatively, all chips within a single pad area can be placed before placing chips in the next pad.
2. The dual ejector pin system effectively solves the problem of ejector pin incompatibility caused by large size differences among chips supplied on blue film.
3. It offers two options: dip adhesive and pneumatic dispensing. Pneumatic dispensing effectively solves the problem of multiple dispensing cycles required by the dip adhesive mode for some large-size chips, effectively improving production efficiency.
4. Depending on chip type and size, it supports up to six different nozzles, and the calibration and compensation algorithm after nozzle replacement effectively ensures the accuracy requirements for multi-chip placement.
For a long time, the market for ultra-high-precision die bonders for high-end optical module packaging has been monopolized by overseas manufacturers, leaving domestic manufacturers in a passive position of blind faith in imports in equipment procurement, maintenance, and technical support. This cooperation not only demonstrates PrecisioNext's technical strength in the high-end equipment field, but also signifies that for core equipment in the most cutting-edge optical module packaging fields such as 800G/1.6T, the domestic substitution process is accelerating and gradually moving toward high-end and international development.
