ERS Unveils Automated Panel-Level Packaging System for Semiconductor Industry

ERS electronic, a leading provider of thermal management solutions for semiconductor manufacturing, has unveiled a fully automated panel-level packaging (PLP) system for 310×310 mm substrates. This new machine, capable of processing 13 panels per hour, integrates temporary carrier bonding, debonding, and detaping into a single automated platform, eliminating the need for inter-tool transfers across three thermally critical process steps. The first unit of this machine has been delivered to a leading semiconductor manufacturer for integration into its panel production line.

Developed and manufactured at ERS's Advanced Packaging facility in Barbing, Germany, the new system combines ERS's 55 years of thermal management expertise with over 30 years of in-house machine-building capability. This facility follows ERS's 2024 integration of a semiconductor specialist equipment engineering team. The 310×310 mm panel format is gaining traction across the industry due to its significant improvement in substrate area utilization compared to 300 mm circular wafers. According to Yole Group, the panel-level packaging segment is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of over 40% over the next five years.

ERS's new machine addresses the increasing importance of dual-carrier bonding and debonding workflows for backside processing in 3D IC, High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM), and 2.5D IC packaging. By consolidating all three process steps within one platform, the machine reduces handling time and risk without changes to the surrounding fab layout.

ERS electronic GmbH, based in the Munich suburb of Germering, has been providing innovative thermal management solutions to the semiconductor industry for more than 50 years. The company has gained an outstanding reputation, notably with its fast and accurate air cooling-based thermal chuck systems for wafer probing. In 2008, ERS extended its expertise to the Advanced Packaging market, and today, their fully automatic and manual debonding and warpage correction systems can be found on the production floors of most semiconductor manufacturers and OSATs worldwide.