High density microelectronic packaging with thick film hermetic packages

A high-density packaging approach that uses hermetic ceramic packages made with thick film techniques has been developed. The overall approach involves building thick film chip packages, packaging and testing chips in them, and then mounting and wire bonding them on PC boards. The author describes practical aspects of this packaging approach with respect to the design and fabrication of the thick film ceramic packages, chip packaging and test using these packages, PC board design and fabrication, and PC board assembly. The issues of procurement costs, design, and fabrication cycle times, parts screening, packaging density, rework, electrical considerations, thermal performance, process maturity, and reliability are discussed