STATS ChipPAC Pte. Ltd., a provider of advanced semiconductor packaging and test services, announced today that it has shipped 1.5 billion fan-out wafer level packages (FOWLP), also known in the industry as embedded Wafer Level Ball Grid Array (eWLB). In high volume production for over seven years, STATS ChipPAC has led the industry in FOWLP technology innovations and unit shipments.
“As an early adopter of FOWLP, STATS ChipPAC set an aggressive course in pushing the boundaries of advanced package architecture and manufacturing capabilities long before its peers. We have delivered a number of breakthrough achievements in package density, form factor and heterogeneous integration while continually driving innovations in the manufacturing process to provide a proven, cost effective advanced packaging platform for our customers,” said Shim Il Kwon, Chief Technology Officer, STATS ChipPAC. “Shipping 1.5 billion eWLB packages is a testament to the growing adoption of this technology and the performance, size and cost advantages it provides to our customers.”
FOWLP or eWLB is an advanced packaging technology platform that provides ultra-high density interconnection, superior electrical performance and the ability to integrate multiple heterogeneous dies in a cost effective, low-profile semiconductor package. STATS ChipPAC has a comprehensive portfolio of eWLB package designs, including small die, large die, multi-die, multi-layer, Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), 2.5D and 3D Package-on-Package (PoP) and System-in-Package (SiP) architectures. A number of eWLB technology milestones have been driven by STATS ChipPAC such as dense vertical interconnections as high as 500 – 1,000 I/O, very fine line width and spacing down to 2um/2um and ultra-thin package profiles below 0.3mm (including solderball) for single packages and below 0.6mm for a stacked PoP with proven warpage control.
Although there are multiple variations of fan-out packaging in development in the industry, eWLB is the only FOWLP solution in the market today that has been in high volume manufacturing for over seven years. STATS ChipPAC has been instrumental in driving important optimizations in the manufacturing process and infrastructure. The eWLB manufacturing process has evolved into the innovative FlexLineTM manufacturing method which was introduced and implemented by STATS ChipPAC in 2014. The FlexLineTM method delivers unprecedented flexibility in producing both fan-out eWLB and fan-in wafer level chip scale packages (WLCSP) on the same manufacturing line for higher economies of scale and lower cost.
“The depth of production experience we have gained over the years has enabled STATS ChipPAC to continually refine and optimize the eWLB manufacturing process to drive higher output and lower cost per unit. We have made significant capital investments over the years to expand our capacity and continue to increase our production volume to support growing customer demand,” said Cindy Palar, Managing Director, STATS ChipPAC Singapore. “Our 1.5 billion unit milestone reflects the confidence our customers have in eWLB technology and our ability to deliver an advanced packaging solution that best meets the cost and performance targets for their product requirements.”
Currently all leading mobile products as well as some consumer electronics contain eWLB packages that are baseband processors, RF transceivers, connectivity devices, near field communication (NFC), security devices, MCUs, memory, memory controllers, RF MEMS and power management ICs (PMICs). The compelling performance, integration and size advantages of eWLB are also accelerating customer adoption in new and emerging market segments such as the Internet of Things (IoT), wearable electronics, millimeter wave (mmWave) technology for 5G wireless devices, MEMS and sensors, and automotive applications such as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).