Asahi Kasei is rolling out a photosensitive polyimide (PSPI) film that’s meant to keep up with the semiconductor industry’s shift toward panel-level packaging. By blending Pimel liquid PSPI with Sunfort dry film photoresist tech, they’re aiming to boost yield and productivity across advanced packaging.
This combo lets them laminate uniformly on big square panels and stack up several insulating layers for redistribution layers and package substrates. If you pair it with the Sunfort TA series, the PSPI film can form circuits just 1 μm wide.
That means you get both fine circuit patterns and insulating resin layers through one lamination step. They’re also working on enabling high-aspect-ratio copper pillar formation using CX-series materials for 3D packaging.
Right now, customers are evaluating the product. It looks like it’ll hit the market soon, showing Asahi Kasei’s push to keep electronic materials evolving for AI-focused semiconductor needs.
Overview of the PSPI film and its packaging impact
The PSPI film is Asahi Kasei’s answer to the industry’s shift from wafer-level to panel-level packaging. Larger-area substrates need precise, even coatings and strong interconnects, and that’s what this film is built for.
AI workloads demand higher-density interposers and tighter wiring. You need materials that laminate well on big panels but still deliver sharp, fine circuits. Asahi Kasei calls the film a blend of its Pimel liquid PSPI and Sunfort dry film photoresist, aiming for more throughput and fewer defects in big production runs.
The film’s main strength is its ability to coat large panels uniformly through lamination. This means you can add more insulating layers for redistribution and interconnections without giving up on flatness or reliability.
It works with Sunfort platforms, so manufacturers can simplify their process and hopefully see better yields in high-end packaging lines.
Key capabilities and integration with Sunfort lines
- Lamination-ready, large-panel compatibility: makes it easier to apply evenly across wide substrates and helps cut down on defects.
- Synergy with Pimel and Sunfort technologies: taps into both liquid PSPI and dry-film resists for more flexible process integration.
- 1 μm-wide circuit formation using Sunfort TA series: lets you create super fine circuitry on panels, so you can pack in dense interconnects without losing control over line widths.
- Layering of insulating resin via lamination: forms resin insulation and circuit patterns at the same time, which could make stacking layers a bit simpler.
- Compatibility with CX-series for copper-pillar approaches: supports building tall, skinny copper pillars—key for 3D packaging platforms.
- Product under customer evaluation with near-term commercialization: the tech is being tested now and looks set for market launch as packaging demands keep changing.
Asahi Kasei’s senior leadership says the PSPI film is built for bigger mounting tech and more precise assembly, especially as AI chips get more powerful. This fits right into the company’s broader push on electronic materials, which they see as a big growth area in their Trailblaze Together plan—especially for denser chip packaging and larger interposers in AI data centers.
Strategic context and market implications
The semiconductor industry is speeding up its move into panel-level and multi-layer packaging. Materials that support large-area lamination, thin-line circuitry, and reliable pillar formation are suddenly front and center.
PSPI film brings together lamination-friendly processing and works well with Sunfort TA and CX series. This puts Asahi Kasei in a good spot to tackle tighter wiring, more stacking layers, and the push for higher interconnect density in AI-focused devices.
This shift also helps the company expand its global manufacturing reach. Plus, it shows their ongoing drive to push electronic materials forward for next-gen packaging ecosystems.
Here is the source article for this story: Asahi Kasei Introduces PSPI Film Technology for Semiconductors