-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- smt007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueComing to Terms With AI
In this issue, we examine the profound effect artificial intelligence and machine learning are having on manufacturing and business processes. We follow technology, innovation, and money as automation becomes the new key indicator of growth in our industry.
Box Build
One trend is to add box build and final assembly to your product offering. In this issue, we explore the opportunities and risks of adding system assembly to your service portfolio.
IPC APEX EXPO 2024 Pre-show
This month’s issue devotes its pages to a comprehensive preview of the IPC APEX EXPO 2024 event. Whether your role is technical or business, if you're new-to-the-industry or seasoned veteran, you'll find value throughout this program.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - smt007 Magazine
Semiconductors in Charge: The Changing Face of PCB Manufacturing
March 11, 2020 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamEstimated reading time: 1 minute
The I-Connect007 editorial team recently spoke with Chuck Bauer and Dana Korf in a technical discussion that spanned a number of topics around shrinking components, such as redistribution layers (RDLs), active embeddeds, and why even the most revolutionary technologies must show ROI to be successful.
Nolan Johnson: Thanks for joining us. There is a miniaturization and design constraint shift going on as a result of increased densities and shrinking board sizes that also seems to be pushing on the component supply chain. It’s not entirely clear to me whether components are driving board design shrinks or whether shrinking board size is driving component miniaturization. Let’s start with you, Chuck.
Chuck Bauer: It is kind of difficult; I haven’t thought about it a lot from that perspective. In general, we all know that the primary custom component of the product is the PCB. Most of the other components are pretty much standardized. But even though the PCB may not be a major piece of the bottom line cost, it is generally the only fully custom component in the product other than some of the external design functions. Packaging capability is driving toward miniaturization, primarily for two reasons. There’s a moderate impact on the cost by miniaturizing the package, but there’s a more significant impact on the cost by miniaturizing the board. The components drive the miniaturization from a technology standpoint, and the boards drive miniaturization from a cost standpoint.
Happy Holden: Yes, but what’s the drive toward wafer-level packaging? Is it to get away from having to buy a separate component that gets assembled flip-chip-wise or something like that? From what we’ve been following from the ECTC conference, the wafer-level packaging sessions keep growing and growing.
Bauer: The trends in wafer-level packaging are driven almost entirely by cost. The technology for doing it is like anything else; if you can minimize the cost, you’re going to have an opportunity to either capture market share by reducing pricing or increasing margins. Cost is always the driver. Holden: There seems to be a major push into the electronic panel level, wafer column plating, and other finishes for a level of assembly automation that includes embedded actives in the semiconductor package.
To read this entire interview, which appeared in the February 2020 issue of SMT007 Magazine, click here.
Suggested Items
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
05/03/2024 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007This week’s most important news is strategic—and telling. When one puts together the IPC industry reports, we simply have to include the recent conversation with Shawn DuBravac and Tom Kastner. On the design side, check out the latest “On The Line With…” podcast featuring Brad Griffin from Cadence Design Systems, discussing SI and PI in the realm of intelligent system design.
Synopsys, Samsung Electronics Collaborate to Achieve First Production Tapeout of Flagship Mobile CPU
05/03/2024 | PRNewswireSynopsys, Inc. announced that Samsung Electronics has achieved successful production tapeout for its high-performance mobile SoC design, including flagship CPUs and GPUs, with 300MHz higher performance using Synopsys.ai™ full stack AI-driven EDA suite and a broad portfolio of Synopsys IP on Samsung Foundry's latest Gate-All-Around (GAA) process technologies.
Altair Acquires Research in Flight, Forging a New Path for Aerodynamic Analysis
05/03/2024 | AltairAltair a global leader in computational intelligence, announced it has acquired Research in Flight, maker of FlightStream®, which provides computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software with a large footprint in the aerospace and defense sector and a growing presence in marine, energy, turbomachinery, and automotive applications.
Real Time with… IPC APEX EXPO 2024: Software Solutions for Circuit Board Challenges
05/03/2024 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPONolan Johnson speaks with Will Webb from Aster Technologies about their software solutions for design teams, manufacturing, test engineers, and process engineers. Aster's software addresses the increasing complexities of circuit boards and the need for alternative testing methods.
Real Time with… IPC APEX EXPO 2024: My Role as a Technology Solutions Director
05/02/2024 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOPeter Tranitz, senior director of technology solutions at IPC, shares insights into his role as the design initiative lead. He details his advocacy work, industry support, and the responsibilities of the design initiative committee. The conversation also covers the revamping of standards, the IPC Design Competition, and the implementation of design rules in software tools.