iNEMI/IPC White Paper on Complex Integrated Systems Highlights Future Technology and Manufacturing Ecosystem Needs

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

Today’s system solutions combine more varied functionality, such as digital, analog, optical, micro-mechanical, etc., packed into smaller form factors. As a result, electronics manufacturing has to deliver increasingly complex integration of diverse technologies with system designs that blur the distinction between chip, package, board, and assembly. 

As the industry evolves with new applications and architectures, complexity in design and manufacturing and the supporting infrastructures (e.g., metrology, standards, etc.) will be challenging.  iNEMI and IPC have recently published a white paper, “Complex Integrated Systems: The Future of Electronics Manufacturing,” intended to guide and focus cross-industry efforts and partnerships in the necessary research and development, as well as the manufacturing capability scale-up that will be critical to success.

The paper explores several issues, including: 

• Sample use-case applications needing CIS, such as:
  • Massive wireless broadband with 5G mmWave systems
  • High-performance computing applications in mobile equipment and data centers
  • XR (extended reality) devices, including augmented reality (AR) virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) 
  • Advanced driver assistance systems for passenger vehicles
  • Integrated photonics 
• The CIS manufacturing ecosystem and the challenges of shifting roles within that ecosystem
• The impact on the complete product life cycle, including design, test, manufacturing and end of life
• Roadmap of technical needs along with gaps, challenges and potential solutions
• Recommendations and calls to action

“CIS is driven by fast-growing market segments such as 5G mmWave communications, advanced assisted driving systems, and virtual and augmented reality,” said Grace O’Malley, iNEMI chief technology officer. “Electronics manufacturing is already investing tens of billions of dollars annually into manufacturing capabilities for CIS. This white paper grapples with the big technology issues that the industry should collectively address to ensure an adaptive, profitable CIS manufacturing ecosystem.”

“It’s great that INEMI and IPC were able to collaborate on such an important topic as complex integrated systems,” said Matt Kelly, IPC chief technology officer and vice president, technology solutions. “The concept of CIS is important to understand. It is an integral part of a 'silicon to systems’ approach that is needed for next-generation electronic products spanning HPC, AI, 5G/6G wireless, and EV automotive electronic applications.”

Download the White Paper

"Complex Integrated Systems: The Future of Electronics Manufacturing is now available. Visit https://go.ipc.org/complexintegratedsystems to download white paper.

Get Involved

The immediate cross-industry task is to define in detail the key technical issues and develop approaches to solve these issues in a precompetitive space. Follow-on activities will include creating tailored project-based learning programs, identifying and addressing standardization needs, and leveraging collaboration opportunities across different government-funded initiatives. If you are interested in getting involved in this effort, please sign up at here..