System level packaging: an alternative to monolithic ULSI?

Significant developments taking place in system level packaging are reviewed. The following issues are addressed: heat dissipation, interconnections, and silicon as a substrate material. Denser packaging leads to shorter chip-to-chip interconnects with concomitant improvements in speed, power and, presumably, cost. It is concluded that, in the near future, system level packaging might well be a more attractive investment for research and development than new technology for monolithic ULSI. However, the resulting significant improvement in packaging performance will revive the need to improve chip performance.<>