Dutch semiconductor equipment company ASML is expanding into next-generation hybrid bonding, according to semiconductor and AI supply chain research firm SemiAnalysis. Hybrid bonding creates dense electrical connections by directly joining chips or silicon wafers. SemiAnalysis said in a report published on Thursday that ASML submitted 27 patent families related to hybrid bonding tools between December 2022 and November 2024. SemiAnalysis said the number could be higher because publication delays affect recent filings.
The filings suggest ASML is moving beyond lithography, a market ASML dominates, into back-end processes as demand for high-performance chips surges amid the global artificial intelligence boom. SemiAnalysis cited industry media reports that ASML had begun developing a hybrid bonder architecture with Dutch technology firms Prodrive Technologies and VDL ETG. SemiAnalysis said ASML could gain an advantage in alignment accuracy and particle control for hybrid bonding. SemiAnalysis said those two factors determine bonding yield and ASML has expertise in solving the same problems in lithography.
ASML has not officially announced the extent of ASML's progress on advanced packaging. CEO Christophe Fouquet said during an April earnings call that ASML was continuing to seek opportunities to support customers in hybrid bonding. ASML said by email on Friday that ASML would continue examining how the 3D integration industry evolves. ASML said the examination would consider how that evolution relates to ASML's roadmap and where ASML's expertise could add value.
Hybrid bonding allows ultra-high-density electrical connections and is widely viewed as one of the next major trends in chipmaking. Recent breakthroughs by Huawei Technologies and ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) used hybrid bonding to improve performance as United States-led export restrictions limit access to some advanced semiconductor equipment. Those restrictions prevent Huawei and CXMT from importing ASML's most advanced extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines.
A September report by Guotai Haitong Securities, citing Samsung data, said hybrid bonding can reduce thermal resistance in high-bandwidth memory stacks by about 30%. Lower thermal resistance can help heat escape more easily, potentially reducing cooling requirements and related investment needs.
Huawei disclosed new details this week about the flagship Kirin 9050 series, the first mass-produced chip to use Huawei's proprietary LogicFolding architecture. Huawei developed LogicFolding under a framework Huawei calls the Tau Scaling Law. Huawei said the design integrated more than 50 million hybrid bonds. Huawei said the design increased overall transistor density by 53.5%.
CXMT announced last week that CXMT's latest "4F square" dynamic random-access memory architecture used hybrid bonding. The technique could allow CXMT to increase wafer bit density without relying on advanced EUV lithography.
However, Huaan Securities said in a separate report that China remained heavily dependent on imported hybrid bonding equipment, particularly advanced machines. Huaan Securities said domestic equipment manufacturers were increasing research and development to narrow the gap, with Piotech and Xinhui Lianxin among the leading players. Piotech's annual report said Piotech's hybrid bonding equipment generated 136 million yuan (US$20.3 million) in revenue in 2025, up 41.9% from a year earlier. Nomura analysts said in a report last week that Huawei's LogicFolding architecture could drive demand for bonding equipment and Piotech's mainstay thin-film deposition tools.
ASML Expands into Hybrid Bonding as Chinese Firms Adopt Chip Technique
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Summary
ASML is expanding into hybrid bonding, a key chip technique as Chinese firms adopt it to bypass export restrictions. The Dutch firm filed 27 patent families between late 2022 and 2024, signaling a shift into back-end processes. Huawei’s Kirin 9050 series uses over 50 million hybrid bonds, boosting transistor density by 53.5%. CXMT also uses the method in its latest memory design. Traders tracking altcoins to watch may note this trend in the daily market report.
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