I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

We definitely have advanced packaging on our minds this week at I-Connect007. We just launched our monthly “Advanced Electronic Packaging Digest,” and we’re feeling the excitement. Whenever we find ourselves in the middle of a technological sea change, we’re in for some fun.

As a scalable manufacturing technique, advanced electronic packaging has been pushed mostly by cell phone OEMs. But with the sheer volume of phones produced each year, I’ll argue that the median for feature sizes likely has shifted significantly smaller in the past five years. In addition, with monolithic semiconductor architecture’s inability to maintain Moore’s Law, package designers responding to the pressures continue to shrink both the internals and the externals of the packages. They are changing the game. Our mission with the Advanced Electronic Packaging Digest is to bring you targeted information about these developments.

Of course, advanced packaging leads to advanced design requirements, which leads to advanced materials, which lead to advanced solutions. This month’s issue of PCB007 Magazine discusses advanced materials for PCB fabrication; it takes all the pieces to integrate advanced packages and advanced electronics systems.

Elsewhere, one of the news stories I’ve been following is a report from OpenAI regarding the realization that AI LLM “hallucinations” are, in fact, encouraged by how the LLMs are rewarded and punished for their answers. The development teams now realize that guessing at an answer carries less punishment for the LLMs than truthfully saying, “I don’t know the answer to that, Dave.” The spokespeople at OpenAI state that they’re working on fixing the problem now that they understand it. Hopefully, we will see more trustworthiness in AI-generated data over time.

However, I don’t need AI for my five must-reads each week. Instead, the news we’re packaging here is decidedly advanced (and varied.) So, without further ado, here are the five things you should read about this week.

The Marketing Minute: Cracking the Code of Technical Marketing
Published September 17

Brittany Martin, our digital marketing maven, says, “Marketing is never a one-size-fits-all endeavor, but the challenges are magnified for highly technical industries like electronics. How can marketers in electronics and other technical fields create campaigns that truly resonate?” Her answer revolves around “The Three C’s.” Learn more in her column.

Too Important to Ignore: Unpacking Advanced Packaging for AI Semiconductor – Report Summary
Published September 16

Analyst Ray Wang summarizes the findings in his recent advanced packaging report. What does Wang see? He makes the argument that “advanced packaging is becoming the cornerstone of AI semiconductor scaling as Moore’s Law slows.” These new packages will undoubtedly have a trickle-down effect on assembly and board fabrication. Read this report and then subscribe to our free new monthly newsletter, the Advanced Electronic Packaging Digest.

Transforming the Industry: Advint's Mission in Metallization
Published September 18

Venkat Raja has a passion for electroplating. His company, Advint Incorporated, solves operational challenges, and provides specialized training programs. In this interview, Venkat emphasizes the importance of intention and tailored solutions for companies, including those at the forefront of technology in the electronics sector.

I-Connect007 Launches New Podcast Series on Ultra High Density Interconnect (UHDI)
Published September 16

As if meant to make my point, American Standard Circuits’ John Johnson is my guest for an extended conversation on ultra high density interconnect (UHDI) techniques, and how this capability might be the right process at the right time to support advanced packaging.

Trouble in Your Tank: Implementing Direct Metallization in Advanced Substrate Packaging
Published September 15

Michael Carano joins the advanced substrates discussion by bringing his plating expertise to bear on the advantages of conductive graphite in conjunction with direct metallization processes. Read more to learn how Mike sees not only increased capabilities, but also increased productivity and sustainability in these new processes.