Besi hybrid bonding systems by Besi (BE Semiconductor Industries): status and timeline

Besi hybrid bonding systems

Make 3D chip stacking a volume process: replacing solder bumps with direct copper bonds packs far more connections between stacked chips, using less power and shedding heat better.

ScalingStage 5 of 5

Shipping to logic makers for AI chips; orders doubled in H1 2026, but HBM adoption slipped to HBM5.

Updated 5d agoChecked 11 Oct1 update this week

Milestones

Next · Hybrid bonding enters HBM (pushed back to HBM5 by SK hynix)

Collaboration with Applied Materials on hybrid bonding begins2020Complete.
Order for 26 systems (100 nm accuracy) from a top logic maker9 May 2024Complete.
Applied Materials takes a 9% stake14 Apr 2025Complete.
Kinex integrated die-to-wafer bonder launched with Applied2025Complete.
Over 150 hybrid bonders ordered in total2025Complete.
Partnership widened: Besi joins Applied's EPIC Center1 Oct 2026Complete.
Hybrid bonding enters HBM (pushed back to HBM5 by SK hynix)Not yet reached.

Most important updates

Current obstacles

Speed and yield at volumeOne particle or a few nanometres of misalignment ruins a bond, and every die is placed one at a time, which caps tools' output.
Memory makers wait a generationA JEDEC change let HBM stacks grow to 775 microns, removing pressure to thin dies; SK hynix now keeps microbumps through HBM4E.
New rivals may enterASML has said it is studying hybrid bonding; Bank of America cut Besi to neutral in Oct 2026 citing the threat.

Physics limits

Flatness at the atomic scaleTwo surfaces only bond if they are almost perfectly flat across the whole die. Any warp, dust or copper dishing leaves voids that break connections.
Alignment shrinks with pitchPlacement error must stay a small fraction of the pad spacing. Each halving of pitch, which quadruples connection density, demands roughly twice the accuracy.
Stacking multiplies riskEvery added layer is another bond that must be perfect. Yield of a 16-die stack is the product of 15 bonds, so small per-bond losses compound fast.

How it works

4 parts

Prepare

Polish, clean and activate

Both surfaces are polished flat to the atom, cleaned and plasma-treated so the glassy insulator around each copper pad will stick on contact.

Place

Align each die to 100 nm

The bonder picks a finished chip and lays it on a wafer of other chips, lining up thousands of copper pads to within a tenth of a micron.

Fuse

Insulator bonds, then copper

The insulators bond at room temperature; a later bake expands the copper so facing pads fuse into one metal joint with no solder.

Why

More wires, less heat

Without bumps, pads can sit much closer, so far more connections fit between chips, signals travel shorter paths and heat crosses fewer layers.

Spec sheet

Spec	Besi hybrid bonding systems
Placement accuracy	100 nm^R (reported)
Hybrid bonders ordered (to end 2025)	Over 150^R (reported)
Company orders, H1 2026	€562.6M (+116.5% y/y)^R (reported)
Company revenue, Q2 2026	€249.9M (+68.7% y/y)^R (reported)
Tools by 2030, optimistic case	More than 2,000^R (reported)

^R reported by the company

Update log

6 updates

About Besi (BE Semiconductor Industries)

The team behind Besi hybrid bonding systems

Besi (BE Semiconductor Industries)

Hybrid bonders, die attach, chip assembly equipment

Besi is a Dutch maker of chip assembly machines. Its hybrid bonders, which fuse stacked chips copper to copper with no solder, are the leading tool for 3D chip stacking in AI processors and future memory.

H1 2026 orders €562.6M, up 116.5% on H1 2025, led by hybrid bonding, photonics and data-centre computing.
Applied Materials owns 9% and co-develops Kinex, an integrated die-to-wafer hybrid bonding line.
SK hynix pushed hybrid bonding in HBM back a generation (Aug 2026), delaying Besi's memory upside.

besi.com (opens besi.com)Company profile →

Founded: 199531 yrs
Headquarters: Netherlands
Status: Public
Listed: BESIEuronext
Valuation: public
Works in: ComputingAdvanced packaging
Coverage: 1 program · 6 updateslatest 5d agochecked 11 Oct
Customers: SK hynix (opens bits-chips.com)TSMC (opens bits-chips.com)NHanced Semiconductors (opens 3dincites.com)
Investors: Applied Materials (opens sec.gov)
People: Richard Blickman (opens en.wikipedia.org)Founder, President & CEO

Spec

Besi hybrid bonding systems

Placement accuracy

100 nm^R (reported)

Hybrid bonders ordered (to end 2025)

Over 150^R (reported)

Company orders, H1 2026

€562.6M (+116.5% y/y)^R (reported)

Company revenue, Q2 2026

€249.9M (+68.7% y/y)^R (reported)

Tools by 2030, optimistic case

More than 2,000^R (reported)

Besi hybrid bonding systems

Milestones

Most important updates

Current obstacles

Physics limits

How it works

Polish, clean and activate

Align each die to 100 nm

Insulator bonds, then copper

More wires, less heat

Spec sheet

Update log

Tue 6 Oct

Thu 1 Oct

Wed 26 Aug

Thu 23 Apr

Mon 14 Apr 2025

Thu 9 May 2024

About Besi (BE Semiconductor Industries)

Current obstacles

Physics limits

How it works

Polish, clean and activate

Align each die to 100 nm

Insulator bonds, then copper

More wires, less heat

Spec sheet

Update log

Tue 6 Oct

Thu 1 Oct

Wed 26 Aug

Thu 23 Apr

Mon 14 Apr 2025

Thu 9 May 2024

About Besi (BE Semiconductor Industries)