Security Issues Up With Heterogeneity


The race toward heterogeneous designs is raising new security concerns across the semiconductor supply chain. There is more IP to track, more potential for unexpected interactions, and many more ways to steal data or IP. Security is a difficult problem no matter what kind of chip is involved, and it has been getting worse as more devices, machines and systems are connected to the Internet. B... » read more

Board Level Reliability Improvement In eWLB


When it comes to reducing form-factor and increasing functional integration of mobile devices, Wafer Level Packaging (WLP) is an attractive packaging solution with many advantages in comparison to standard Ball Grid Array (BGA) packages. With the advancement of various fan-out WLP (FOWLP), it is a more optimal and promising solution compared to fan-in WLP because it can offer greater flexibilit... » read more

2.5D, Fan-Out Inspection Issues Grow


As advanced packaging moves into the mainstream, packaging houses and equipment makers are ratcheting up efforts to solve persistent metrology and inspection issues. The goal is to lower the cost of fan-outs, [getkc id="82" kc_name="2.5D"] and [getkc id="42" kc_name="3D-IC"], along with a number of other packaging variants consistent with the kinds of gains that are normally associated with Moo... » read more

Ultra-Thin Substrate Assembly Challenges For Advanced Flip Chip Package


Advanced semiconductor packaging requirements for higher and faster performance in a thinner and smaller form factor continues to grow for mobile, network and consumer devices. While the increase in device input/output (I/O) count is driven by the famous “Moore’s Law”, the packaging industry is experiencing opposing trends for more complex packaging solutions while the expected cost targe... » read more

Wirebond Technology Rolls On


Several years ago, many predicted the demise of an older interconnect packaging technology called wire bonding, prompting the need for more advanced packaging types. Those predictions were wrong. The semiconductor industry today uses several advanced packaging types, but wire bonding has been reinvented over the years and remains the workhorse in packaging. For example, Advanced Semiconducto... » read more

Moore’s Law: A Status Report


Moore's Law has been synonymous with "smaller, faster, cheaper" for the past 52 years, but increasingly it is viewed as just one of a number of options—some competing, some complementary—as the chip industry begins zeroing in on specific market needs. This does not make [getkc id="74" comment="Moore's Law"] any less relevant. The number of companies racing from 16/14nm to 7nm is higher t... » read more

Board Level Reliability Of Automotive Embedded Wafer-Level BGA FOWLP


With shrinking chip sizes, Wafer Level Packaging (WLP) is becoming an attractive packaging technology with many advantages in comparison to standard Ball Grid Array (BGA) packages. With the advancement of various fan-out Wafer Level Packaging (FOWLP) designs, this advanced technology has proven to be a more optimal and promising solution compared to fan-in WLP because of the greater design flex... » read more

2.5D, FO-WLP Issues Come Into Focus


Advanced packaging is beginning to take off after years of hype, spurred by 2.5D implementations in high-performance markets and fan-out wafer-level packaging for a wide array of applications. There are now more players viewing packaging as another frontier driving innovation. But perhaps a more telling sign is that large foundries in Taiwan have begun offering packaging services to customer... » read more

How Testing MEMS, Sensors Is Different


When it comes to testing microelectromechanical system devices and sensors, sometimes you have to shake and bake. [getkc id="311" comment="MEMS"] and [getkc id="187" kc_name="sensors"] are physically different from standard ICs. They require a specific type of stimulus to get the required testing results. Most chips only need to have an electrical charge run through them to gauge their pass/... » read more

Electroplating IC Packages


The electrochemical deposition (ECD) equipment market for IC packaging is heating up as 2.5D, 3D and fan-out technologies begin to ramp. [getentity id="22817" e_name="Applied Materials"]  recently rolled out an ECD system for IC packaging. In addition, Lam Research, TEL and others compete in the growing but competitive ECD equipment market for packaging. ECD—sometimes referred to as pl... » read more

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