Man-Lung Sham

Challenges and Opportunities in System-in-Package (SiP) Business

System-in-package (SiP) is generally regarded as the long-awaited renaissance of multichip module (MCM) since its firstly introduced and assembled in a decade ago. As a matter of fact, simultaneously satisfaction of a number of key determining factors as well as the timely emergences of certain critical technologies are the reasons for the expeditious development of SiP in recent years, including the advancements in assembly technology, novel development of low-cost, high performance substrate materials, and more importantly, massive demands on high-performance and compact product profiles. Recent report has outlined the major reasons for industry to adopt SiP in their products, comprising miniaturization (3 7 %), electromagnetic insulation (EMI) noise reduction (26%), lower power consumption (13%), total cost reduction (12%) and circuitry simplification in high speed applications (12%). Nevertheless, there are still certain key issues necessary to be overcome for the robust development of SiP technology, for example, the availability of bare die and known good die (KGD), overall assembly yield, overall signal integrity of the system module particularly in high-speed/high frequency applications, heat dissipation in densely packed modules, lifetime prediction, etc. The outsourcing customs of the industry to date have also presented considerable challenges to the prevalence of SiP. Moreover, intimate collaborations among various sectors along the materials supply chain, semiconductor and assembly and testing (SAT) subcontractors are definitely the turnkey solution to timely deliver prototype products prior to mass production. Providing robust substrate design to insure first-pass success with the right design technologies is also challenging in order to satisfy the demands on low-cost, optimal performance and outstanding reliability. In this study we first try to elucidate the factors determining the successfulness of SiP, from the perspective of volume-in-production, technology advancement favoring SiP development and demands from various applications. Afterwards, we illustrate the challenges that the industries along the entire electronic packaging supply chain are facing in SiP implementation. We put forward to address the critical demands on having a design centre with integrated capabilities and experiences on packaging design, substrate layout, EM and thermal-mechanical analyses, package characterizations and prototyping and coordinations among various companies in order to assist the customers in developing advanced IC/module packaging solutions for mass production of their new products in a timely manner

System-in-Package (SiP) Design: Issues, Approaches and Solutions

With an increasing demand of low-cost, small-size, high- performance and multi-function portable and wireless applications, System-in-Package (SiP), which provides various advantages including shorter time-to-market, better performance and lower cost and allows a combination of the multiple semiconductor technologies, such as silicon (Si), silicon germanium (SiGe), gallium arsenide (GaAs), has aroused a lot of interest from both industries and academia. With the emergence and breakthrough of certain critical assembly and substrate technologies, SiP technologies become promising solutions for todays short life-cycle consumer electronic products. However, in order to timely deliver a first-pass SiP product and achieve the above mentioned advantages offered by SiP: small-size, low-cost and high-performance, careful and concurrent design in both electrical and thermo-mechanical aspects through skillful modeling, accurate and efficient simulation is needed. Tradeoff among multi-disciplinary performance constraints, manufacturability and cost is a must as well. In this paper, we address the issues, technical challenges, approaches and solutions including inter-disciplinary performance constraints, signal integrity, testability, etc., of designing different types of low-cost and high-yield SiP modules: digital, analog and mixed-signal. Examples covering techniques, methodologies and technologies utilized in designing different types of SiP modules, including electromagnetic (EM) simulation for signal integrity analysis, thermo-mechanical simulation for high-power devices and different substrate technologies will be provided.

FMEA of System-in-Package (SiP) -based Tire Pressure Monitoring System

For transferring R&D efforts into real product manufacturing, proper product reliability qualification is one of the most critical considerations during product development in addition to assembly yield prediction. It is particularly important for automotive electronics because the operating conditions are extremely harsh (e.g. -20degC ~ 105degC) and a number of applications are even related to human safety. Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) of SiP-based tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) is selected in this paper as an illustration of the process for transferring R&D efforts into real product. FMEA is proven as a useful tool in the early design stage to identify any potential design and/or process-related failure modes, corresponding effects, root causes followed by corrective actions. Better quality and reliability, shorter system development time and cost, as well as early identification and elimination of potential failure modes can therefore be achieved. In addition, numerical analysis was performed during the course of FMEA in order to address the potential risks and therefore to provide proper recommendations.

Advanced Packaging Technologies for Automotive Electronics

Modern automotive as a distinctive and enormous market is undergoing radical changes due to increasingly embedded electronics systems inside automobiles. These changes are considered as a new phase in the automotive industry, which enables automotives to be more intelligent and reliable. As witnessed in the automotive industry development in the last decade, electronic devices play a critical role in various automotive systems, such as in the power control system, chassis control system, security system, and even in the entertainment system; and indeed more than 70% of the technical innovations in automotives nowadays are due to electronics systems. In general, there are 4 main classifications in automotive electronics. namely, engine/powertrain, body/chassis, safey/security and telematics/entertainment, where keyless entry, tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS), air bag, collision avoidance and adaptive front-light systems are identified as the 5 most promising automotive electronics applications by Year 2010. To support the continuous development of automotive electronics, advanced packaging technology definitely represents one of the key enabling technologies. In tins paper we select TPMS as an example to demonstrate the role of advanced packaging in product evolutions requiring multiple functions within a confined space.