ASML eyes hybrid bonding, report finds, as Chinese firms adopt chip packaging technique

Dutch semiconductor equipment giant ASML is expanding into next-generation hybrid bonding, a technique that creates dense electrical connections by directly joining chips or silicon wafers, according to a new report. Major Chinese companies are also adopting the technology to improve chip performance.

ASML submitted 27 patent families related to hybrid bonding tools between December 2022 and November 2024, according to a report published by semiconductor and AI supply chain research firm SemiAnalysis on Thursday. The number could be higher because of publication delays affecting recent filings, it said.

The filings suggest ASML is moving beyond lithography, a market it dominates, into back-end processes as demand for high-performance chips surges amid the global artificial intelligence boom.

The company had also begun developing the architecture for a hybrid bonder with Dutch technology firms Prodrive Technologies and VDL ETG, according to SemiAnalysis, citing industry media reports.