In a press release, Applied Materials announced it had acquired a 9% stake in Dutch semiconductor assembly equipment maker BE Semiconductor Industries, marking a deeper commitment to their four-year collaboration on hybrid bonding technology for advanced chip packaging.
The two companies began working together in 2020 and recently extended their agreement to co-develop the industry's first fully integrated equipment solution for die-based hybrid bonding. This technology, which enables direct copper-to-copper connections between chiplets, is increasingly seen as essential for creating high-performance, energy-efficient semiconductors—particularly those powering AI applications.
"We view this as a strategic, long-term investment," said Terry Lee, corporate vice president and general manager of Heterogeneous Integration and Packaging at Applied Materials. "It demonstrates our commitment to co-developing the most capable hybrid bonding solution, a technology that's becoming critical to advanced logic and memory chips."
The integrated system combines Applied's wafer processing strengths with Besi's expertise in die placement and assembly, aiming to bring hybrid bonding into high-volume production. Applied said the investment was made through open-market transactions and does not require regulatory approval. The company has no plans to seek board representation or acquire more shares.
Applied Materials said the move aligns with its broader strategy to strengthen its role in semiconductor packaging as chipmakers increasingly rely on advanced integration techniques to overcome the limitations of traditional scaling.
Article edited by Jack Wu
