South Korean backend equipment manufacturer ASMPT has provided demonstration thermocompression (TC) bonders for high-bandwidth memory production to Micron. The two sides have begun joint development of the next generation of bonders for HBM4 production. Micron also purchased TC bonders from Japanese company ShinKawa Semiconductor and Korean-American semiconductor for HBM3E production. However, according to sources, as ShinKawa is supplying TC bonders to its biggest customer Samsung Electronics, it cannot respond to Micron's demand in a timely manner. Therefore, Micron has added Korean-American semiconductor as a second supplier and provided a KRW 22.6 billion ($20 million) TC Bonder purchase order to them in April this year.