Kobe Steel Limited announces that it has licensed Germany's Wieland Werke AG to produce and sell Kobe's Super KFC series of three copper alloys for lead frames.

The license agreement with Wieland addresses the need from lead frame manufacturers to procure materials from multiple sources, enabling them to reduce purchasing risks. Copper alloys such as C19400 and C70250 are widely used for IC semiconductor lead frames. These alloys contain considerable amounts of iron, nickel, silicon and other elements to give the lead frames strength.

However, the elements sometimes precipitate on the surface of the copper sheet. As they may in some cases adversely affect surface quality, special pretreatment after etching and cleaning after plating are required in lead frame production.

The license agreement is not the first time Kobe Steel has worked with Wieland, a major European producer of copper products. The two companies operate a JV called KobeWieland Copper Products, LLC, which makes copper tube in the United States. With the new license agreement, Kobe and Wieland aim to turn Super KFC into a next generation world standard.