ATX Group continuously invests in advanced semiconductor packaging technology research and development ("R&D") and cultivates experienced and skilled engineering teams to meet customers' needs for product performance enhancement and cost reduction. By identifying key R&D directions based on future industry needs as well as technology trends by government and customer requirements, we have developed a strategic technology roadmap for the next 3-5 years to grasp business opportunities, build patent portfolios and implement sustainable development.
ATX Group attaches great importance to R&D investment, the R&D investment of ATX Jiangsu is 140.27 Million RMB in 2023, 157.38 Million RBM in 2022, 189.39 Million RMB in 2021, and the proportion of R&D investment to the sales revenue for the years of 2023, 2022 and 2021 were 5.39%, 5.32% and 5.76%, respectively. As of December 2023, ATX Jiangsu had a total of 3,279 employees, of which 460 were R&D personnel, accounting for approximately 14.03% of the total employees.
Key products and technologies successfully developed in recent years are as follows：
1）power device IC packaging products and processes applied in the field of new energy, the types of packages include PSOP, and the main sites include: laser welding, die bond, wedge bond and plastic sealing processes, so as to achieve the R&D of power device IC packaging products.
2）DSM double-sided package products: This product is designed as a top and bottom two-cavity structure, on both sides of the package substrate, through the micro-assembly process to assemble the chip, so as to improve the density of the product package, to meet the needs of high-reliability field of microprocessor miniaturisation, lightweight, high integration. After completing the double-sided package, it can be combined with the sputtering process to achieve the effect of metal shielding.
3）Bumping：For advanced wafer-level packaging technology, by growing metal bumps on the wafer surface as a process technology for electrical connection. Metal bumps include Bump, RDL, Cu pillar, Solder Bump and so on. The process mainly consists of metal film sputtering, yellow light process (including coating, exposure, development), metal bump generation (plating, Ball Placement).
4) R&D of power device packaging process with Cu clip structure: Using Cu clip structure as the signal connection and output method, adopting high-density lead frame and high-speed printing adhesive, the placement efficiency of wafers and Cu clips is greatly improved, the connecting operation reduces the turnaround time of loading and unloading, and significantly improves the efficiency of product operation.
5) FCLGA high heat dissipation package products: Strip grinding and metal film are used to improve heat dissipation efficiency and reduce thermal resistance.
6) MEMS packaging product development: Combined with substrate/chip stacking, different types of chip soldering, cavity structure, protective cover mounting to achieve anti-RF and other radio frequency interference. This packaging process can not only be used for bone conduction packaging, but can also be used to integrate acceleration, pressure and other MEMS sensors.
Every year, the company's R&D projects have been verified by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) to prove the novelty of the projects. Moreover, the project products have passed the performance tests of the company, the client and the third-party qualified testing company, and all the performance indexes and reliability indexes are in line with the requirements.
Technology platforms
The company has provincial-level R&D platforms, including provincial-level enterprise technology center and provincial-level engineering technology research center. The R&D center gathers the company's overall technological advantages, has a team of high-tech R&D talents, and possesses advanced machinery and equipment and R&D experimental conditions in the industry, which undertakes the R&D of the enterprise's core products and process technologies, and provides domestic and foreign customers with products and services with market competitiveness and excellent quality. In addition, the technology platform has a perfect management system, including "Management Charter of R&D Department", "Management Measures for R&D Project Establishment", "Management System for Introducing Excellent Talents", etc., which ensures the enterprise's technological innovation activities in terms of system and mechanism.
Modalities for sharing scientific and technological achievements: workshops
In order to strengthen the technical communication and sharing of technical achievements within the industry, the senior executives of the R&D Centre participate in industry technical seminars as speakers every year. In addition, the company organises the R&D staff of the technology center to participate in semiconductor exhibitions or seminars every year, which strengthens the communication with domestic and foreign industries. The number of seminars attended is more than four per year.
Management platforms and systems：PLM platform
ATX Group make good use of various management systems to improve management efficiency, For example, PLM platform, as a project management tool, is responsible for the management and control of the whole life cycle of new projects, from project initiation to project closing to later maintenance, and controls the progress of project development through this system.
Industry-University-Research Cooperation and Innovation
While realizing self-innovation, our company attaches great importance to industry-university-research cooperation, strengthens cooperation with universities through industry-university-research cooperation, and realizes the complementary advantages of enterprises and university resources. Enterprises have strong capital and resource facilities, and universities have a steady stream of talents. The cooperation between the two can achieve complementary advantages. Examples of industry-university-research cooperation are as follows:
In 2016, our company established an industry-university-research cooperation relationship with Guangdong University of Technology to carry out joint research and development activities for high-end dedicated chips such as RF transceiver integrated circuit chips, RF power, switch and front-end integrated circuit module chips.
In 2017, after research and discussion, our company and the School of Electronic Information of Soochow University continued to sign an industry-university-research cooperation agreement, continued friendly cooperation in the field of integrated circuits, and continued in the field of MEMS sensors, extensive cooperation in the field of 4G mobile communication chip packaging and testing, environmental protection and energy saving packaging.
In 2019, our company and Soochow University signed a technical service cooperation agreement on "Research and Development of Power Device Packaging and Testing Process" to jointly overcome the difficulties of power devices in the sealing and testing process.
In 2023, a technology development contract was signed with Xidian University: "Simulation Research on Thermal Stress of High Density Solder bump Integrated Circuits", and a joint research was carried out on thermal stress analysis of high density Solder bump.
In the future, our company will continue to strengthen cooperation with colleges and universities, make full use of the talent advantages and R & D strength of colleges and universities, and open R & D sites and instruments and equipment for colleges and universities.
Intellectual Property Management
1.Patent Protection
The company has always attached great importance to the patent protection of its own technology, planned patent applications around multiple technical topics, comprehensively constructed a patent mesh, and continuously improved market competitiveness while protecting its own patent rights. As of December 31, 2023, ATX Group has applied for a total of 453 domestic and foreign patents, including 146 invention patents and 307 utility model patents. At present, 238 valid patents have been obtained, including 63 valid invention patents and 175 valid utility model patents.
2.Establishment of intellectual property institutions and formulation of systems and policies
The company has an independent intellectual property department, which is subordinate to the R & D center of ATX Group. It is managed by the vice president of R & D and reports directly to the general manager. The Intellectual Property Department leads the company's patent layout, mining, search analysis, application and other work, and has established a complete patent life cycle management system, and has clear intellectual property management objectives. And for the convenience and convenience of patent management, the company has established a patent management system, through which patents are reviewed, state maintenance and data storage, thereby improving the efficiency of patent management.
In 2017, our company implemented the national standards for enterprise intellectual property management Standards (GB/T 29490-2013) and formulated the procedure for Implement enterprise intellectual property management procedure. Standardize the intellectual property management of enterprises from the management and implementation aspects, and at the same time call on all employees to participate in intellectual property management and implement the intellectual property policy: "Encourage creation, effective use, protection according to law, and scientific management", through the implementation of the system, the level of creation, management, application and protection of intellectual property rights at the company level is effectively enhanced, and an intellectual property management model with a good degree of strategic integration of enterprises is gradually formed, at present, the company's intellectual property management system continues to operate effectively, so that the new intellectual property management work of ATX Group can be carried out stably and take a new step.