GS Nanotech, microelectronics products development and manufacture center, plans to launch mass assembly of 3D stacked TSV (through-silicon via) microcircuits in next few years. The company does not disclose the total investments in the project, but it will include the cost of hardware, software, and staff training.
GS Nanotech is a part of Technopolis GS, a private innovation cluster of GS Group holding located in Kaliningrad region, Russia. Launched in 2012, it is the only back-end facility in Russia that performs mass packaging and testing of integrated circuits, including multi-chip units built using the SiP (System-in-Package) technology. The production capacity of the plant is enough for GS Nanotech to become the first in Russia to run its services in the global mass market.
Microcircuits, assembled at the facilities, could be used in any consumer or industrial electronics devices. In particular, the GS Lanthanum chip, designed and issued by GS Nanotech, is implemented in GS U510 digital set-top box under the General Satellite brand. U510 became the first mass consumer electronics product with a Russian-made microprocessor built in.
3D packaging would bring the Russian company to the next technological level. It will allow the facility to provide its customers highly integrated chips, packaged with advanced technology that is widely used today by the world leaders of the microelectronics industry. Within 3D TSV integration technology, dice are placed one above another with vertical interconnections between them.
“This method provides such advantages as smaller size of the system, power consumption reduction, and heat dissipation improvement,” noted Sergei Belyakov, GS Nanotech senior marketing manager.
According to the Yole Development forecast, all TSV packaged devices market value will represent nine percent of the total semiconductor value by 2017, hitting almost 39 billion US dollars.
A business model for microcircuits packaging is at an early stage in Russia. Even large Russian microelectronics enterprises assemble chips in small amounts just for domestic needs specializing on the metal-ceramic cases only. Yet the costs of the packaging services contribute a significant share in the microcircuit prime cost. Development of the 3D TSV packaging will open wide opportunities for a new leap of modern technology in Russia. Mass and high quality 3D packaging by local Russian manufacturers will allow using the technology not only for civil, but military and space applications as well. Chips packaging in Russia will simplify logistics, reduce expenditures for the components transportation, so that the Russian customers could get the parts faster and easier. Integrated circuits, packaged in Russia, will become cheaper and more qualitative alternative to Asian components for European customers as well. All these factors combined contribute to the development of Russian electronics as a modern high-tech industry competitive in the global market.
Miniaturization of manufactured consumer electronics devices is a global trend today, and 3D TSV technology development in Russia will allow the domestic industry keep up with the world technological tendencies. The technology will also foster Russian design and production market development of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), optoelectronics, hybrid power modules, LED, and other innovative products in the electronics industry.
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