LG Innotek announced on June 25 that it has successfully developed and applied the world’s first copper post (Cu-post) technology for mobile semiconductor substrates to mass-produced products.
As the competition for smartphone slimming intensifies, there is a rapidly growing demand for technology that enhances the performance of mobile semiconductor substrates while minimizing their size. LG Innotek anticipated this smartphone trend and proactively developed the copper post, a next-generation mobile semiconductor substrate technology, from 2021.
Unlike the existing method of directly connecting semiconductor substrates and mainboards through solder balls, this technology uses copper posts to reduce the spacing and size of solder balls.
This enables the miniaturization of semiconductor substrates and the placement of more circuits on the substrate, improving circuit density, thus effectively implementing smartphone slimming and high performance. By applying LG Innotek’s copper post technology, it is possible to create semiconductor substrates that are up to 20% smaller while maintaining the same performance as existing ones.
It is optimized not only for slimming smartphone designs but also for high-spec functions such as artificial intelligence (AI) computations that need to efficiently process complex and extensive electrical signals. Heat dissipation can also be improved. The copper used in Copper Posts has more than 7 times higher thermal conductivity than lead, allowing heat generated in semiconductor packages to be dissipated externally more quickly.
LG Innotek is expected to further solidify its position as the global No. 1 in Radio Frequency System in Package (RF-SiP) substrates with the acquisition of copper post technology. Moon Hyuk-soo, CEO of LG Innotek, said, “This technology is not simply for supplying components, but comes from deep consideration to support our customers’ success,” adding, “We will continue to create differentiated customer value by changing the paradigm of the substrate industry with innovative products.”
