Hybrid Bonding Equipment Market (2026-2036)

The growth of this market is mainly driven by the rapid growth of AI and high-performance computing, the shift toward 3D chiplet architectures that require ultra-fine-pitch interconnects, the adoption of wafer-to-wafer hybrid bonding in 3D NAND, and the expected adoption of hybrid bonding in future generations of high-bandwidth memory (HBM). In addition, record semiconductor equipment investment, the introduction of integrated die-to-wafer hybrid bonding systems, and growing investment in advanced packaging capacity in Asia and the U.S. are further supporting the growth of this market.

The Hybrid Bonding Equipment Market, also referred to as the hybrid bonding systems, Cu-Cu hybrid bonding equipment, or direct bond interconnect equipment market, comprises the equipment used to join wafers or dies through direct copper-to-copper and dielectric-to-dielectric bonds without solder bumps. The market includes wafer-to-wafer (W2W) hybrid bonders, die-to-wafer (D2W) hybrid bonders, including sequential and collective systems, and integrated D2W hybrid bonding systems; surface preparation, plasma activation, and cleaning equipment for hybrid bonding; alignment, overlay metrology, and bond inspection systems; and post-bond annealing and die preparation equipment specific to hybrid bonding. The market ecosystem extends from component and subsystem suppliers to equipment manufacturers, foundries, memory manufacturers, integrated device manufacturers (IDMs), and outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) providers.

Hybrid bonding allows chips to be stacked with interconnect pitches of a few microns or less, far finer than conventional microbumps. According to Applied Materials, the direct copper-to-copper connections increase interconnect density, shorten wiring, and improve performance, power consumption, and cost. Figures presented by TSMC at its 2026 technology symposium put face-to-face hybrid bonding at about 14,000 signals per square millimeter, compared with about 1,500 for face-to-back stacking with through-silicon vias, and AMD cites roughly 15 times the interconnect density of conventional 2.5D microbump stacking.

Semiconductor equipment investment is at record levels, supported by AI demand. According to SEMI, global semiconductor equipment sales are forecast to reach USD 165.9 billion in 2026, an increase of 23.2%, and a record USD 229.5 billion in 2028, while assembly and packaging equipment sales are forecast to grow 9.6% to USD 6.7 billion in 2026 and to reach USD 8.6 billion in 2028. Hybrid bonding is one of the fastest-growing areas of this investment, as chipmakers adopt 3D integration to continue improving performance as transistor scaling slows.

Logic and AI chips are the leading drivers of die-to-wafer hybrid bonding. TSMC scaled its SoIC bond pitch from 9 microns in 2023 to 6 microns in 2025 and has set out a path to 4.5 microns by 2029, with node-stacking roadmaps extending to A14-on-A14 by 2029. Intel began shipping Foveros Direct hybrid bonding in its Clearwater Forest server processor, built on its 18A process, in the first half of 2026, using a 9-micron copper-to-copper pitch, and has described a second generation targeting 3 microns. AMD has used hybrid bonding in volume since its first 3D V-Cache processors.

Equipment suppliers are introducing new systems for die-to-wafer bonding. In April 2025, Applied Materials acquired a 9% stake in Besi as a strategic, long-term investment in hybrid bonding, building on a collaboration that began in 2020. In October 2025, the two companies introduced Kinex, the first integrated D2W hybrid bonding system, which combines surface preparation, bonding, and metrology in one tool and is rated at about 1,600 die placements per hour. Besi reported that the number of its hybrid bonding customers increased from 15 at the end of 2025 to 21 at the end of Q2-26, including a new hyperscaler customer.

Wafer-to-wafer hybrid bonding is well established in CMOS image sensors and is now being adopted in 3D NAND. Kioxia adopted hybrid bonding in 2023 through its CBA architecture, Samsung plans to introduce the technology with its V10 NAND, and SK hynix plans to use hybrid bonding in its 300-layer V10 NAND, completing development on a pilot line in 2026 and starting full production in early 2027. Wafer-to-wafer bonding tools for these applications come largely from EV Group and Tokyo Electron. At the Electronic Components and Technology Conference (ECTC), EV Group and imec demonstrated a 200-nanometer wafer-to-wafer pitch with post-bond overlay below 40 nanometers.

High-bandwidth memory is expected to become a major application in the later years of the forecast period. Samsung and SK hynix had been expected to adopt hybrid bonding with HBM4 but continued to use thermo-compression bonding, partly because JEDEC raised the HBM package thickness limit from 720 microns to 775 microns with HBM4. Both companies continue to develop hybrid bonding, and Samsung stated at the NVIDIA GTC conference that hybrid bonding reduces thermal resistance by more than 20% compared with thermo-compression bonding. SK hynix is working with Hanwha Semitech on bonders aimed at a commercial HBM launch in 2027 and is validating 12-high hybrid-bonded samples for later generations.

Supplier results reflect the strength of demand. Besi reported 2025 revenue of EUR 591.3 million and orders of EUR 685.0 million, up 16.8%, with a significant increase in hybrid bonding orders in Q4-25. In H1-26, Besi orders increased 116.5% to EUR 562.6 million and revenue increased 48.8% to EUR 434.7 million, and management estimates that AI applications accounted for about 60% of H1-26 system orders, up from about 50% in H1-25. Customers have indicated to Besi that they are in a multi-year AI capital expenditure cycle.

The hybrid bonding process involves several steps, each of which requires specialized equipment. Wafer surfaces must first be planarized to near-atomic flatness, then cleaned and activated with plasma so that the dielectric surfaces bond at room temperature. The wafers or dies are then aligned and bonded, and the bonded stack is annealed so that the copper pads expand and fuse. Metrology and inspection are required throughout to measure surface topography, alignment, overlay, and voids. Integrated systems such as Kinex combine several of these steps in one tool to reduce contamination and process variation.

Competition among equipment suppliers is intensifying as the market grows. Besi and Applied Materials lead in D2W hybrid bonding, EV Group and Tokyo Electron lead in W2W bonding, and Korean suppliers such as Hanmi Semiconductor and Hanwha Semitech are developing bonders for HBM. EV Group has also partnered with ASMPT on hybrid bonding. The entry of front-end equipment suppliers, the formation of partnerships, and the qualification of new suppliers by memory manufacturers are expected to shape the market over the forecast period.

The value of hybrid bonding equipment per unit of capacity is also increasing, as finer pitches require more precise alignment, cleaner surfaces, and more metrology. As a result, market value is expected to grow faster than the number of bonded wafers over the forecast period.