Ziptronix Inc., a developer and provider of patented, low-temperature direct bonding technology for 3D integration, today announced a patent licensing agreement with Sony Corporation for application in advanced image sensors. The agreement marks the continued adoption of Ziptronix’s hybrid bonding patents for high volume applications.

“This license agreement with Sony is an exciting milestone for Ziptronix because it removes any doubt that our patented DBI hybrid bonding technology is both manufacturable and beneficial for high volume applications,” noted Dan Donabedian, CEO and president of Ziptronix. “We believe it demonstrates that our patented hybrid bonding technology is both enabling and cost effective as compared to stacking with TSVs. Sony licensed Ziptronix’s ZiBond direct bonding patents in 2011, which we also believe grew their image sensor market share from a few percent to the largest market share in the industry. We expect this new license for Ziptronix’s DBI hybrid bonding patents will further contribute to Sony’s growth within the industry. Any company wishing to compete in this space will need Ziptronix’s DBI hybrid bonding patents.”

Ziptronix offers patented technology for wafer- or die-level bonding. The company’s intellectual property has been licensed for a variety of semiconductor applications including BSI sensors, RF front ends, pico-projectors, memories and 3D integrated circuits.  Founded in 2000 as a venture-backed spinoff of RTI International, the company has been issued 45 U.S. patents and 42 international patents, with 18 U.S. and international patent applications pending.