Haesung DS 進軍 aQFN 引線框架市場，生產線獲客戶投資

ASE's aQFN package features three rows of contacts around the perimeter of its underside, compared with one row in a conventional QFN package. The large central pad is where the chip is mounted. (Photo: ASE)

Haesung DS is entering the leadframe market for advanced quad flat no-lead (aQFN) semiconductor packages for the first time.

The company has established a production line at its new manufacturing building in Changwon with partial funding from a customer. The investor is believed to be Taiwan's ASE, the world's largest outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) company.

Haesung DS said Nov. 4 it will begin supplying aQFN leadframes to the customer in the first half of 2027. The company began installing equipment in 2024 after receiving partial funding for the new production line from an OSAT customer. It has also secured product approvals from two integrated device manufacturers (IDMs) that are the end customers.

The new manufacturing building in Changwon, which houses the aQFN production line, was constructed in 2022 at a cost of approximately 322 billion won. Once the investment is completed at the end of November, annual leadframe production capacity will increase 50%, from 500 billion won to 750 billion won.

This will mark Haesung DS's first mass production of aQFN leadframes. The company previously manufactured leadframes for quad flat packages (QFPs) and quad flat no-lead (QFN) packages.

QFPs use metal leads extending from the package body that are soldered to a printed circuit board (PCB) to connect the chip to external circuits. QFN packages instead use exposed metal contacts on the underside of the package, eliminating protruding leads. Both package types use copper leadframes.

Leadframes are manufactured either through stamping, which uses dies to punch copper sheets, or etching, which chemically removes copper after patterns are defined. Fine patterns and multiple rows of terminals can only be produced through etching. aQFN uses precision etching of copper leadframes to increase the number of contact rows on the underside of a QFN package from one to as many as three. This allows more input/output (I/O) terminals to fit within the same area.

Chips requiring large numbers of terminals have traditionally used package substrates such as ball grid arrays (BGAs) instead of leadframes. aQFN increases terminal density using only a leadframe, eliminating the need for a substrate. This simplifies manufacturing and reduces material costs compared with BGA, potentially replacing some applications currently served by BGA packaging.

ASE developed aQFN packaging technology and has been seeking suppliers of high-performance aQFN leadframes as packaging demand grows for Wi-Fi chips, mobile devices and automotive semiconductors. Haesung DS is South Korea's only leadframe manufacturer and ranks second globally behind Japan's Mitsui High-tec. Taiwan's Chang Wah Technology (CWTC), the third-largest supplier, also manufactures aQFN leadframes.

Leadframes are Haesung DS's core business, accounting for 76% of revenue in the first half of this year. Major customers include IDMs such as NXP, Infineon and STMicroelectronics, as well as OSAT companies including ASE and Amkor. Demand for leadframes has also increased recently as more analog semiconductors are used in artificial intelligence (AI) servers.

"An individual server contains far more analog semiconductors than graphics processing units (GPUs), so demand for leadframes has surged alongside increased investment in AI servers," said Yoon Hyun-soo, senior vice president and head of Haesung DS's leadframe business division. "Customer demand far exceeds our production capacity, and we are allocating available volumes among customers."

Haesung DS expects record annual revenue this year as the expansion of its Changwon operations contributes to sales. Securities analysts forecast revenue of around 880 billion won, exceeding the previous record of 839.4 billion won set in 2022. They also expect annual revenue to surpass 1 trillion won for the first time in 2027.