Issue

Recent columns published in Advanced Packaging reported on the moves of IC makers to outsource assembly and test operations based on the argument that if a capability is not something that you put in your sales literature, then maybe that capability should be outsourced.

Everything is measured in numbers. This September, Sunnyvale-based Advanced Micro Devices introduced a 64-bit chip designed for speeding up and increasing memory in desktop computers. Though most wonder if the increase from today's 32-bit is useful, since most desktop software cannot take advantage of the new capabilities.

The goal of saving time and money by conducting final test in strip or matrix format can be achieved by applying prober-based sort floor technologies and methods to final test handling. While today's sort floors can process multiple types of devices in the same physical format, a wafer, final test has a proliferation of multiple handler types for each package family.

A major challenge facing the semiconductor manufacturing industry is increasing the efficiency of final manufacturing processes. The migration of cost structure from wafer fab toward final manufacturing has placed it in the crosshairs of fiscal scrutiny and revealed economic and technical issues that could conceivably impair some manufacturers' economic viability.

Flip chip assembly is a key capability to enable product miniaturization. Our previous studies have investigated several flip chip interconnection types, including anisotropic conductive film or paste, and Au-Au thermosonic bonding. This project focuses on the assembly of 0.200- and 0.250-mm-pitch solder flip chip devices.

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are finding applications in products or systems that require reliable operation over extended periods of time.

Ball grid array (BGA) package warpage caused by the mismatch of coefficients of thermal expansion and asymmetric package geometry creates some solder joint reliability problems — especially for chip-scale packages.

Due to environmental and health concerns about lead contamination, there is increasing pressure in legislation and a growing market demand to eliminate toxic materials. Lead-free soldering for the electronics industry is becoming a global trend, and several alloy systems alternatives have been recommended.

There is a rapid increase in the number of electronic packages using flip chip technology. With the ongoing expansion of the Internet, mobile phones, PDAs, desktop computers and laptops, digital camcorders, digital cameras and other electronic-based consumer products, the flip chip revolution is in full swing.