Henkel Adhesives Innovates Advanced Semiconductor Packaging Materials for High-Performance Computing and Generative AI

Henkel Adhesives Germany

Overview

Henkel is developing innovative material solutions for advanced semiconductor packaging, addressing demands for higher performance, greater integration, and improved efficiency in a rapidly evolving tech landscape. The focus is on materials enabling fine pitch, high-density interconnections, crucial for 2.5D and 3D packaging technologies driven by high-performance computing and generative AI. These advancements are critical for next-generation chip designs.

In Depth

Key Findings

Henkel Adhesives is developing innovative material solutions tailored for the rapidly evolving semiconductor packaging market, driven by the demands of next-generation High-Performance Computing (HPC) and Generative AI technologies. The company is focusing on materials that enable higher performance, greater integration, and improved efficiency through fine pitch and high-density interconnections.

Technical / Clinical Details

Henkel’s material solutions form the foundation for advanced packaging technologies such as 2.5D and 3D packaging. Key innovations include:

• Underfill Materials: Low-stress, high-toughness underfills are being developed to mitigate stress caused by coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch between chip and substrate, enhancing solder joint reliability. This ensures high connection reliability even with fine bump pitches.
• Die Attach Films (DAF) / Pastes: With demands for thinner packages and high thermal conductivity, DAFs and pastes are being developed that balance high adhesion strength with excellent heat dissipation capabilities, improving thermal management in multi-layered packaging.
• Epoxy Molding Compounds (EMC): Critical EMCs provide protection against moisture, chemicals, and physical damage while offering high thermal stability and low outgassing. Low-viscosity, high-flow EMCs are crucial for thin, reliable packaging.
• Thermal Interface Materials (TIM): High thermal conductivity (e.g., >3 W/mK) and long-term stability are essential for TIMs to enable efficient heat transfer from heat sources to heat sinks.

These materials require precise dispensing capabilities and controlled curing characteristics to support fine wiring patterns and high-density stacked structures.

Background & Context

The semiconductor industry is facing the limits of Moore’s Law, making innovation in packaging technology indispensable for performance improvements. AI and HPC applications, in particular, require high-speed processing of vast amounts of data, making chip-level interconnection density and thermal management more critical than ever. 2.5D/3D packaging, which vertically or horizontally integrates multiple chiplets, is a key method for reducing footprint and increasing data transfer speeds. Henkel, with its expertise in adhesives and material science, plays a crucial role as a partner in meeting the demands of this evolving market.

Strategic Significance & Outlook

Henkel’s advanced semiconductor packaging material solutions are essential for accelerating the realization of next-generation AI chips and HPC systems. These materials are expected to find broad applications in high-performance sectors such as data centers, autonomous driving systems in automotive, and 5G infrastructure. The company plans to continue investing in R&D, contributing to the sustainable growth of the semiconductor industry through improved material performance, enhanced manufacturing process efficiency, and greater environmental compatibility. This will further solidify Henkel’s position as a leading material provider supporting technological innovation.