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Kulicke & Soffa Wins SEMI Award for North America

Kulicke & Soffa Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ: KLIC), affectionately known as K&S, has marked a significant achievement in the semiconductor space by receiving the prestigious 2026 SEMI Award for North America. This accolade is considered one of the highest honors within the semiconductor industry, celebrating exceptional technical and commercial contributions to semiconductor manufacturing.

The award specifically highlights Kulicke & Soffa's innovative in-situ formic acid bonding technology, known as Fluxless Thermo Compression bonding (FTC). This groundbreaking solution effectively tackles critical interconnect scaling challenges, enabling the next wave of heterogeneous integration architectures that are crucial for supporting advanced artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance computing, and cutting-edge photonics applications.

The recognition was officially presented at the CEO Summit Keynotes of SEMICON West, underscoring the growing significance and adoption of Kulicke & Soffa's advanced packaging portfolio, including its renowned APTURA™ platform. As semiconductor performance increasingly relies on advanced packaging and heterogeneous integration, the ability to scale interconnect density efficiently has become crucial. Raj Talluri, the Chief Executive Officer of Kulicke & Soffa, expressed gratitude for the recognition, stating, "This award reflects the ingenuity, dedication, and relentless execution of our global teams, who continue to develop innovative solutions that help customers navigate complex manufacturing challenges."

Historically, traditional Thermo-Compression bonding often entails a post-bond flux cleaning process, which can become increasingly challenging as interconnect pitches get finer. Meanwhile, while hybrid bonding solutions boast significant capabilities, they can also introduce complexities and costs that impact manufacturing efficiency. In contrast, Kulicke & Soffa's proprietary Fluxless Thermo-Compression bonding technology utilizes advanced plasma pre-cleaning alongside in-situ formic acid oxide reduction. This dual approach not only enhances the yield of ultra-fine-pitch interconnect capabilities but also simplifies manufacturing processes while driving down production costs.

The FTC technology has become a cornerstone of Kulicke & Soffa's advanced packaging roadmap. Its revolutionary capabilities enable manufacturers to explore interconnect pitches below 10 microns across wafer-level, substrate-level, and panel-level production environments. John Molnar, VP and General Manager of Advanced Solutions at Kulicke & Soffa, commented on the importance of this recognition: "This validates our innovation-driven strategy of selecting differentiated technologies that solve real customer challenges. By facilitating hybrid-bonding-class performance with more manageable manufacturing processes, we are accelerating the adoption of advanced packaging solutions critical for next-generation AI, high-performance computing, silicon photonics, and other rapidly expanding semiconductor markets."

Receiving this award further solidifies Kulicke & Soffa's status as a leading provider of semiconductor interconnect solutions. The company boasts a robust advanced packaging portfolio that encompasses thermocompression bonding, hybrid bonding enablement technologies, wedge bonding, and vertical interconnect solutions—all designed to tackle some of the industry's most intricate heterogeneous applications.

As the complexities of semiconductors continue to increase, innovations in interconnects and packaging have become essential to achieving system-level performance across the semiconductor landscape. The recognition offered by this award highlights the vital role Kulicke & Soffa is playing in shaping the industry's future.

About Kulicke & Soffa

Founded in 1951, Kulicke & Soffa is an industry leader in semiconductor assembly technology, dedicated to enhancing device performance across various markets, including automotive, computing, industrial, memory, and communications sectors. The company's commitment to innovation positions it uniquely to tackle the ever-evolving process challenges and deliver long-term value by strategically aligning technology with emerging opportunities.

About SEMI

SEMI® stands as the global industry association linking over 4,000 companies and 1.5 million professionals worldwide, all involved in the semiconductor and electronics design and manufacturing supply chain. Through advocacy, workforce development, sustainability initiatives, and supply chain management, SEMI accelerates cooperative efforts to tackle the industry's most pressing challenges. Their SEMICON® exhibitions, technology communities, standards, and market intelligence serve to bolster business growth and innovations across design, devices, equipment, materials, services, and software, empowering advancements in the world of electronics.