Introduction to Electronic System Packaging

Microsystems ?
Microsystems are microminiaturized and integrated systems based on microelectronics, photonics, RF, micro-electro-
mechanical systems (MEMS) and packaging technologies. o Impact of Microsystems: Personal
computers, cell phones, fax machines,
camcorders, stereos, microwave ovens,
calculators, electronic newspapers on
flat panel displays, small mobile x-ray
and diagnostic tools, medical implants,
smartwatches, and wireless Internet
access any time, anywhere.

o Technologies in automotive, consumer,

telecommunication, computer,
aerospace, and medical industries are all
based on microdevices and packaging
technologies.

o Microsystem miniaturization, leading to

electronics with larger memory
capacities, higher computing speeds
with lower energy consumption batteries,
and finally, more powerful data networks
and improved data compression
processes.
Microsystem products
 Technologies Waves
1st Microelectronics: 1. The invention of the transistor in 1949 by Brattain,
Bardeen and Shockley at Bell Labs
2. The development of transistor technology by JackKilby & Bob Noyce in
1959 and earned Nobel Prizes in 1972 and in 2000.

4 5 3

Microsystem Technologies
Microsystems Technologies

Trends in microsystems equipment.

Building block technologies of the information age

➢ Microelectronics acts as the fundamental base of more than 90% of all microsystems products.

The invention of the first integrated circuit.

Moore’s Law predicts the IC integration
to double every 18 months

In 1965, Gordon Moore published an article in Electronics magazine that the number of circuits on a silicon chip would keep
doubling every 18–24 months, a forecast that has held up remarkably well over several decades and countless product cycles.
 RF and Wireless: The Second Technology Wave (world is going portable and wireless).

The radio and wireless revolution started in December 1901, Gulielmo Marconi, in St. John’s, Newfoundland received the first
wireless message: the letter S—three dots in Morse code cross the Atlantic. Sent from Poldhu, Cornwall, in England.
 Photonics: The Third Technology Wave

➢ In 1970, Corning Glass Works demonstrated highly transparent fibers, and Bell Laboratories demonstrated semiconductor
lasers that could operate at room temperature and helped establish the feasibility of fiber optic communications.

➢ A good laser source can emit 1016 photons/s,

and a good detector-can detect 1015 b/s on a
single fiber. Whereas, with wavelength-division
multiplexing (WDM), it is now possible to transmit
different colors of light over the same fiber, which
has provided another dimension to increasing
bandwidth capacity and channeling raw data
capacity into smaller chunks of bandwidth.
 Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Technology: The Fourth Technology Wave
➢ Imagine a machine so small that it is imperceptible to the human eye and working machines with gears no bigger than a
grain of sand.
 WHAT IS MICROSYSTEMS PACKAGING (MSP)?

It includes three major technologies:

1. Microelectronics, Photonics, MEMS and RF Devices
2. Systems Engineering
3. Systems Packaging
➢ Microelectronics: Micro devices; integrated circuits ‘‘IC’’ & transistors,
resistors, dielectrics, and capacitors into an electrical circuit possessing a
specific function.
➢ ‘‘Systems’’ refers to all electronic products.
➢ ‘‘Packaging’’ is defined as the bridge that interconnects the ICs and other
components into a system-level board to form electronic products.
➢ The overlap of ICs and Packaging is referred to as Packaged Devices or IC
Packaging.

➢ The overlap of Packaging and Systems refers to unintelligent system-level

Boards, since these Boards do not contain the ‘‘brains’’. Integration of IC, packaging and system.

➢ The overlap of ICs and Systems can be referred to as Sub-Products , which

perform a partial function of a system, are limited by the magnitude of
integration at the IC level & don’t involve packaging extensively.
 Electronics Systems Are Similar to Humans
➢ Electronic products have ‘‘brains’’ or microprocessors, and their packaging provides the ‘‘nervous’’ and ‘‘skeletal’’ systems.
➢ Therefore, note that without packaging, an electronic system is useless.
➢ It needs its packaging in order to be interconnected, powered or ‘‘fed,’’ cooled via its ‘‘circulatory’’ system, and protected
via its ‘‘skeletal’’ system.

Electronic products are similar to humans.

 Worldwide systems packaging market ($ billions).
Examples of Systems Packaging

➢ Magnetic and optical storage for storing information processed

by the packaged Ics

➢ Displays (liquid crystal, flat panel, cathode ray tube, thin film
transistor) for displaying information processed by packaged ICs
Printers (laser, ink jet) for printing information processed by
packaged Ics

➢ Fiber optics (silica fiber for telecommunications) for transferring

information processed by packaged ICs
Relation between Information Technology (IT), Microsystems and Packaging
Packaging Hierarchy & Interconnection Levels

• Gate-to-gate interconnections on the silicon die

Level 0

• Connections from the chip to its package

Level 1

• PCB, from component to component or to external

Level 2 connector

• Connections between PCBs, including backplanes or

Level 3 motherboards

• Connections between subassemblies, for example a rack

Level 4

• Connections between physically separate systems, using

Level 5 for example an Ethernet LAN

Packaging Hierarchy.
 Device/IC and Systems Packaging?
IC level, involves interconnecting, powering, cooling and protecting ICs. At this level, typically referred to as Level 1, the packaging acts as an IC
‘‘carrier.’’ The IC carrier, also called Packaged IC, allows ICs to be shipped ‘‘certified or qualified’’ by IC manufacturers after ‘‘burn-in’’ and electrical test
to be ‘‘ready’’ for assembly onto a system-level board by end product or contract manufacturers.
Level 0 : Gate-to-gate interconnections on a monolithic
silicon chip.

Level I: Packaging of silicon chips into dual-in-line

packages (DIPs), small outline integrated circuits (SOICs),
chip carriers, multichip packages, and so on, and the chip
level interconnects that join the chip to the lead frames.
Occasionally, this level is skipped when tape-automated
bonding (TAB) or chip on-board (COB) technologies
are utilized.

Level 2: Printed wiring board (PWB), also referred to as

a printed circuit board (PCB), level of interconnection.
Printed conductor paths connect the device leads of
components to PWBs and to the electrical edge connectors
for off-the-board interconnection.

Level 3: Connections between PWBs. This may include

PWB-to-PWB interconnections or card-to-motherboard
interconnections.

Level 4: Connections between two subassemblies. For

example, a rack or frame may hold several shelves of
subassemblies that must be connected together to make
up a complete system.

Level 5: Connections between physically separate

systems such as host computer to terminals, computer to
printer, and so on
Connection Hierarchy: Blue Gene (IBM)

Low power: Blue Gene systems were

designed to be energy efficient.

Scalability: Blue Gene systems could

scale to very large sizes.

Parallel processing: Blue Gene systems

used multiple interconnection networks
and computing nodes that operated in
parallel.

System-on-a-chip (SoC) nodes: Blue

Gene systems used low-power SoC
nodes
 What is Packaging? Package serves four functions
Electronic Packaging?
❖ It refers to the method of enclosing, protecting or providing physical structure to either electronic components, assemblies of
components or finished electronic devices such as a DVD player is an electronic assembly packaged in a rectangular metal
case that both protects it and allows for the placement of buttons that are used to operate the device as well as the connectors
needed to connect the DVD player to other devices
Why Package Any Device? Two Reasons

Chip Packaging Technology

Interdisciplinarity of Electronic Systems

Electronic Packaging Considerations:

➢ Hazards to be protected against: mechanical damage, exposure
to weather and dirt, electromagnetic interference, etc.
➢ Heat dissipation requirements
➢ Tradeoffs between tooling capital cost and per-unit cost
➢ Tradeoffs between time to first delivery and production rate
➢ Availability and capability of suppliers
➢ User interface design and convenience
➢ Ease of access to internal parts when required for maintenance
➢ Product safety, and compliance with regulatory standards
➢ Aesthetics, and other marketing considerations
➢ Service life and reliability
Systems Packaging Involves Electrical, Mechanical, and Materials Technologies.
 Functionality of Chip Packaging & Advantages
• Delivers power to the Chip
• Transfers information into and out of the Chip to the (Printed Circuit Board) PCB
• Draws heat away from the Chip
• Protects the Chip from outside elements
 Summary
Essential for Modern Electronics – Electronic System Packaging is a critical bridge between semiconductor
fabrication and functional electronic products, ensuring performance, reliability, and manufacturability.

Multiple Levels of Integration – Packaging occurs at different levels, from chip-level (Level 1) to system-level
(Levels 4 & 5), with each stage playing a crucial role in the final product's efficiency.

• Chip-Level Packaging
• Board-Level Packaging
• System-Level Packaging

Material Selection Matters – Packaging materials (substrates, encapsulants, and interconnects) impact electrical
performance, thermal management, and mechanical stability.

Thermal and Electrical Considerations – Efficient heat dissipation, signal integrity, and electromagnetic
shielding are vital for ensuring the longevity and proper functioning of electronic devices.

Emerging Trends in Packaging & Reliability is Key – Packaging must withstand environmental stresses
(temperature, humidity, mechanical shock) to ensure long-term product durability. Heterogeneous integration,
flexible electronics, and 3D packaging are shaping the future of compact, high-performance devices.