SINGAPORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Kulicke & Soffa Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ: KLIC) ("K&S") today announced the launch of its new OptoTMceramic and OptoTMPCB Package Singulation Blades for the LED market.

OptoTM Hub and Hubless Blades significantly improve LED package singulation quality, precision and productivity, by providing improved stability and longer blade life. Highlighted features of the new OptoTM blades include: attractive cost of ownership through consistently longer blade life, 100% pre-dressed to shorten on-site dressing steps, and an optional kerf control feature to meet special application requirements. Significant UPH improvement has been observed in some applications by enabling higher feed speeds.

The new OptoTMceramic blade utilizes unique electroplating technology to achieve up to 3 times the blade life of traditional resin/metal bonded blades, with minimal kerf change and blade wear. The new design minimizes machine downtime for blade changes, achieves the highest cut quality, and allows higher feed speeds, increasing productivity.

The new OptoTMPCB blade for PCB & composite material substrates has an optimized design which provides uniform vertical wear, maintaining cutting power and consistent sawn package dimensions, thus eliminating in-process dressing steps. The optional ‘slits' feature improves blade cooling, achieving high singulation quality without typical whisker issues.

Nelson Wong, Vice President — Wire Bonding Solutions Business Unit, said: "The OptoTM blades provide a significant CoO improvement and a ‘plug and play' solution for most dicer spindle configurations. Moreover, the hub-type design provides flexibility to various dicer configurations for package singulation and enhances machine utilization and factory productivity."

The OptoTMceramic & OptoTMPCB will debut at the Semicon China show at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre from March 19-21, 2013.

About Kulicke & Soffa

Kulicke & Soffa (NASDAQ: KLIC) is a global leader in the design and manufacture of semiconductor and LED assembly equipment. As a pioneer in this industry, K&S has provided customers with market leading packaging solutions for decades. In recent years, K&S has expanded its product offerings through strategic acquisitions, adding wedge bonding and a broader range of expendable tools to its core ball bonding products. Combined with its extensive expertise in process technology, K&S is well positioned to help customers meet the challenges of assembling the next-generation semiconductor and LED devices. (www.kns.com)

Kulicke & Soffa Industries, Inc.
Sheila Frese
Public Relations
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Joseph Elgindy
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