Bonding wire manufactured by Tanaka Denshi Kogyo K.K.
Tanaka
As the shift to electric vehicles (EVs) accelerates around the world, one Japanese company is attracting attention as a major supplier of components used in batteries and other indispensable mechanisms for EVs. That company is TANAKA Denshi Kogyo K.K. of the Tanaka Precious Metals Group, which has the world’s top market share for bonding wire, a semiconductor material.
“Bonding wire is used not only in semiconductors but also in the lithium-ion battery connectors in EVs,” said Takekazu Tanaka, manager of TANAKA Denshi Kogyo’s marketing department. “With the number and variety of semiconductors used in cars rising dramatically, we expect bonding wire to play an increasingly important role in the automotive industry.”
A crucial global player since the early days of electric vehicles
How bonding wire is used in EVs
Tanaka
In an EV, bonding wire connects the electrodes of the onboard lithium-ion battery’s cylindrical cells to a component called a busbar. Bonding wire is also used in the power semiconductors that control and convert electric power, making it an important under-the-hood component for all EVs.
TANAKA Denshi Kogyo decided to enter the EV industry in the early 2010s when the industry was still in its infancy and companies at various levels were striving to secure a position in the supply chain. “By listening to the needs of our customers at all levels from an early stage and making sure we could meet their requirements, we developed business relationships with customers all around the world,” Tanaka said. “EVs are constantly undergoing technological innovation, and we are involved with new technologies from the development stage.”
TANAKA Denshi Kogyo’s advantageous position in the EV industry is due in large part to the trust the company has built up over many years in the semiconductor industry. In 1963, two years after the company’s founding, TANAKA Denshi Kogyo succeeded in mass-producing gold bonding wire for silicon transistors. Although copper and palladium-coated copper are more commonly used than gold today, the company has responded to this change by offering a full lineup of materials to ensure a stable supply of high-quality products.
TANAKA Denshi Kogyo has extensive knowledge about working with precious metals such as gold, silver, and palladium, as well as alloy manufacturing. Although copper and aluminum are not precious metals, when using these substances, the company is able to draw on the wealth of experience it accumulated when gold was the norm. By providing solutions that include not only the bonding wire itself but also expertise in metal-to-metal bonding, TANAKA Denshi Kogyo sets itself apart from the competition.
Helping to build a smarter society and decarbonize the world
An EV is made up of multiple parts
Herr Loeffler/Shutterstock
Bonding wire has great potential in the EV industry. One new application is automotive all-solid-state batteries, which are being developed at a rapid pace worldwide. Metal-to-metal bonding technology is also indispensable for Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS). Tanaka predicts that demand for bonding wire will continue to grow as the EV industry expands.
What’s more, demand for semiconductors is increasing dramatically throughout society as digitization continues. Bonding wire and other essential semiconductor materials support this digitization in the background and will undoubtedly play an even more important role in the future.
“As society grows smarter, more and more products will use electricity or be powered by motors — like EVs are — which, in turn, will lead to decarbonization,” Tanaka said. “By providing a stable supply of high-quality bonding wire, TANAKA Denshi Kogyo will help to build a decarbonized society.”
