Advanced packaging as key enabler for system solutions

Whereas miniaturisation in packaging leads to tremendous progress towards smaller footprints, we nevertheless have to face a so-called "interconnection gap". This is an expression that PCB scaling and thus packaging could not follow scaling in wafer technologies. Since that, a number of innovative steps in advanced packaging have been developed and introduced. The most important step in this context seems to be the start to integrate die stacks in the third dimension. Integration is the key enabler for a number of consumer applications like CD-player, video recorder, DVD-player, digital TV. Nevertheless, more than 75% of IC content in a system is not related to integrated digital signal processing but includes RF, power management, analog and interfaces. Thus further progress in system development requires advanced "system on chip" or "system in package" concepts. In particular, system in package concepts seem to offer advantages with respect to flexibility and heterosystem integration.