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64 SMT007 MAGAZINE I OCTOBER 2026 attach technology for applications where it provides the right balance of performance, reliability, manu- facturability, and cost. Silver-based technologies remain the appropriate choice where application and performance requirements demand them. Let's look at what has happened with recent silver prices. In 2025, silver started at about $30 an ounce. It rose 144% by the end of the year, finishing at over $70, significantly outpacing gold. 1 Industrial consumption of silver had already reached record levels in 2024, with industrial demand totaling 680.5 million ounces and record consumption in electrical and electronics applications, including photovoltaic manufacturing. 2 Silver remains strategically important in elec- tronics and semiconductor manufacturing, with a broader industrial demand supported by structural growth in AI infrastructure, automotive applica- tions, power-grid investment, and photovoltaics. According to the Silver Institute, global industrial silver demand reached 657.4 million ounces, or approximately 20,446 metric tons, in 2025. 3 Silver pricing is influenced by both industrial demand and investment activity, contributing to the price volatility manufacturers may need to manage, a volatility profile that is more pronounced than copper's, where demand is predominantly industrial. 4 Copper pricing is also subject to market fluctuations, but for suitable die- attach applications, switching to a copper filler material can reduce a manufacturer's direct expo- sure to silver price fluctuations. For applications where copper meets the required package performance and process requirements, it can provide a pathway to reduce exposure to silver-price volatility. MacDermid's copper-filler die attach material was developed to reduce silver dependence while supporting the performance and manufacturing requirements of suitable metal lead frame packages. 5 Qualification should therefore be driven not by commodity price alone, but by application require- ments, process compatibility, and overall cost. Volume Production Risk A material like copper may look promising on a test coupon in the lab, but will that performance trans- late to volume production? OSATs need field reli- ability data, not just supplier test results, so any new die attach chemistry must be qualified for produc- tion factors such as voiding, bleed-out, die tilt, and moisture sensitivity. The copper-filler material is engineered for high- throughput automated dispensing on metal lead frame packages. 6 The data points that matter for OSAT die attach reliability are the ones an OSAT can actually verify on its own equipment: Dispensing stability: Viscosity of 10,000 centi- poise (cps) at 25°C and 5 rpm, with a thixotropic index of 3.6, values that support consistent deposit shape, controlled tailing, low slump, and repeatable dispense weight over long runs. Handling logistics: Pot life greater than 24 hours at 23°C and a 12-month shelf life at −40°C, meaning the material survives real production scheduling rather than demanding constant fresh batches. Bond integrity: Die shear of 13.5 kg on copper and 13.0 kg on pre-plated frame (PPF) at 25°C, holding 3.5 kg and 3.0 kg respectively at 260°C (measured on a 2 x 2 mm bare silicon die, 175°C/1 hr cure)— numbers an OSAT can build a qualification plan around. Reliability performance: Low outgassing and strong adhesion to both copper and PPF lead frames, which minimize contamination and support robust package reliability, including moisture resis- tance performance. An OSAT can qualify on its own package designs. Thermal and electrical function: Bulk thermal conductivity of 2.5 watts per meter-Kelvin (W/mK) and volume resistivity of 0.0006 ohm-centimeters (ohm-cm). The point is not that published material data is enough. It never is. The point is that this copper- filler material provides established material and process data, including dispensing characteristics, adhesion, thermal and electrical performance, that an OSAT can use as a starting point for package-