Challenge on Packaging Substrate Technologies Towards Next Decade

Organic packaging substrates are still dominant in the worldwide market not only for high performance and cost performance applications but also stacked memory applications. Since increasing signal transmitting speed and decreasing operating voltage, packaging substrate requires higher density of circuits with thinner materials to assure signal integrity. It is quite difficult challenges not only for packaging substrate manufacturers but also materials suppliers to assure required electrical performance such as signal integrity and power integrity together with mechanical strength and thermal management. In addition, current organic packaging substrate technology approaching to fabrication technology limit in terms of manufacturing process, base materials, test and engineering staff. In addition to achieve sub-10 microns wiring production, capital investment requires more than 500 million US$. The two technological directions of substrates for advanced electronic packages will be mapped out: miniaturization and functional integration, and explained in terms of 'More Moore' and ' More than Moore', respectively. Fine pitch wiring on packaging substrates can be combined with embedded active and passive devices and has been proven as a technology. Examples of leading edge applications and their package as well as packaging substrate foundation will be provided to demonstrate these emerging technologies, specifically: PoP (package on package), embedded active devices, silicon interposers and wafer level packages. Since the digital portable electronics products such as cellular phones, digital video camcorders, digital still cameras and other portable AV products required more function into lighter, smaller and thinner form factor with higher signal processing speeds and more memory devices. And gap between semiconductor and electronics products and printed wiring boards becoming wider and wider. Thus we need potential solutions to fill this gap. One of example of potential solution is system in packages and/or module boards with embedded active devices, and it is already in volume production in Japan for cellular phone applications. For my presentation, I will explain "More Moore" and "More than Moore" challenges on printed wiring board industry in next decade.