Flip chip gold-wire free LED packages are going mainstream in China this year, according to a report by China-LED.org. With Samsung LED bringing flip chips into TV products, technology skeptics are now assured that flip chip is here to stay. Many big brands in Asia including Samsung and Lextar are focusing development on flip chip gold-wire free LED packages.

“Flip chip gold-wire free LED packages are definitely in this year,” said Tang Guoqing, General Manager, Samsung LED China. From a technological perspective, gold wire free LED package is more mature now, explained Tang. Currently, Samsung LED has seen huge potential for the packages, and has the capacity to mass produce high power package components 3535B (second generation).

According to understanding, Samsung’s flip chip gold-wire free LED package 3535B can reach 140 lm/W at 350mA. The company is planning to fully develop gold wire free products and terminate production of gold-wire packages.

Besides Samsung, Lextar Electronics has also displayed flip chip gold-wire free products based on frameless lighting components at the Light + Building 2014 at Frankfurt. The company was unable to meet manufacturing plans in second quarter, but has mass produced package free products. Samsung’s move can be seen as a sign that Taiwanese manufacturers are entering the gold-wire free package industry.

Compared to Samsung Electronics strategy, Lextar revealed “package free” white LED technology is still in its early stages. It will take some time before the technology matures, and market acceptance for the product improves. This will not have an immediate impact on the SMD and COB production.

In the short-term, Lextar is actively promoting package free white LED products and technology, and will continue to release the more well-received SMD and COB products.

However, Lextar believes once future product and market matures, “package free” products will be much more competitive than conventional SMD and COB in terms of energy efficiency and pricing. In addition, package free products has the same surface mounting flexibility as SMD. With more manufacturers entering the market, this technology has an opportunity of becoming the mainstream packaging method in the future.

“Although, gold-wire free packaging has not become mainstream yet, from international manufacturers attitude it can be seen that it is one out of many methods,” said Tang.

Benefiting downstream manufacturers 

Whether “gold-wire free” package products will affect most mid-stream manufacturers survival, downstream manufacturers will definitely benefit from this technology.

Previously Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and Chinese manufacturer Topstar jointly developed a gold-wire free, and package free Phosphor on Die (POD) package components and luminaires.

Topstar, a lighting application manufacturers experience with the technology has been positive. By using POD package in end market products, reflow soldering can be omitted, and package manufacturers can customize products according to client demands, said the company’s LED Business General Manager Liao Guochun.