[Edaily Reporter Shin Yeong-bin ] Robotics specialist KNR SYSTEMS Inc.(199430)announced on the 1st that it has signed a contract to supply automated semiconductor transfer robot equipment to Amkor Technology Korea.

Amkor Korea is the main Korean subsidiary of Amkor Technology, headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, U.S. Amkor Technology is a global semiconductor back-end (OSAT) company that provides packaging and testing services—part of the semiconductor back-end process—and counts Apple, Qualcomm, and NVIDIA among its major clients.

The equipment to be supplied is an automation solution applied to the final inspection process for special-specification semiconductor chips. It precisely transfers mass-produced chips to testing equipment and automatically sorts and loads chips into good and defective piles once inspection is complete.

This equipment is used in high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chip-level testing and package final testing processes. HBM chip-level testing involves using a dedicated logic tester to verify that the multi-layered DRAM stack and the logic die controlling it operate as designed. Even minor errors can result in defects, making the precision of the transfer robot—which places the chips accurately onto the test equipment—critical.

Until now, the handling process for special-specification semiconductor chips has primarily relied on manual labor. However, introducing a 3-axis Cartesian robot to automate this process had the limitation of complicating the equipment structure.

KNR SYSTEMS Inc. simplified the equipment structure by applying a 6-axis articulated robot. Articulated robots can achieve precise movements using rotary joints and offer high degrees of freedom and flexibility. The company explained that this approach reduces the time required for device replacement in semiconductor equipment and improves process efficiency. It also expects to reduce costs associated with maintenance and equipment operation training.

Kim Myung-han, CEO of KNR SYSTEMS Inc., stated, “We are not stopping at this initial entry into the semiconductor equipment market; we are actively pursuing the expanded application of automation solutions utilizing robot technology across the entire semiconductor back-end testing process.” He added, “Based on our experience in integrating robot technology with semiconductor automation solutions, we are targeting additional global semiconductor equipment manufacturers.”