Korea Institute of Materials Science, a government-funded research institute under the Ministry of Science and ICT, will

develop cyanide-free gold bump material for semiconductor device bonding process and plating process technology together

with LT Metal (the leading institution), Kyungpook National University, Andong University, Hanyang University, and STECO.

Selected for the materials and parts technology development project (package type) of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and

Energy, the research project of the six institutions will receive government support for one and a half year from July 2021 to

December 2022.

The current PCB and connector gold plating process is mainly cyanide type, but due to environmental issues, a cyanide-free

gold plating solution is required to be developed. The gold plating solution containing cyanide is classified as a dangerous and

poisonous material that is environmentally hazardous. The cyanide-free gold bump plating solution market is currently 100%

dominated by products from Japan, and it is difficult to find domestic development or mass production cases.

In June 2020, KIMS recognized such a problem and started discussing it with LT Metal for localization. As LT Metal has

established an infrastructure for plating solution evaluation, including a gold plating solution manufacturing facility, it is

possible to quickly conduct evaluation and performance tests of plating chemicals. In addition, producing sodium gold sulfite

(Na3Au(SO3)2), a high-level technology, used in the eco-friendly cyanide-free gold plating process can be mass-produced by

only three companies worldwide: EEJA and Metalor which are Japanese companies and LT Metal, a domestic company.

The six institutions will cooperate in R&D with the final goal of △the development of cyanide-free gold bump plating solution,

△plating process technology development, △gold bump bonding process development, △reliability evaluation technology

development, and △next-generation technology development.

The localization of the cyanide-free gold bump plating solution is related to the front industries such as TV, mobile device, and

electronic display panels, as well as the rear industries including machinery, materials, and electronics industry. It is expected

that there will be a large ripple effect not only in present major industries but also in future major growth engines centered

on high-integrated 3D semiconductors.

“The cyanide-free gold bump plating solution is receiving a lot of attention as a material to replace harmful substances. We 

will achieve our goal as soon as possible with close cooperation so that we can simultaneously realize eco-friendly and social

values, such as building an export base for overseas markets.” said the president of KIMS Jung-hwan Lee.