Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Gold Mitigation for Class 2 Electronics
Punching Out: Your Financial Preparation for a Sale
Nolan's Notes: The Next Killer App in Component Manufacturing
High-Density Interconnect and Embedded Board Test
June 5, 2015 | Mark Lau, Keysight Technologies Inc.Estimated reading time: 1 minute
The printed circuit board assembly landscape is changing rapidly, driven primarily by handheld consumer devices. The highest-volume PCBA is the cell phone, which is understandable given that virtually everyone equips themselves with at least one such device to stay connected these days. More and more consumers want data connectivity, not just voice, and that has pushed telecommunication companies to switch from voice to data networks. In the process, server farms and data centers have sprung up around the world to support the data volume generated by the ever growing list of cell phone applications.
Cell phones and portable devices have now become the driver for electronics innovation and technology development. As an example, the need to stay connected every second of the day to instantly receive the latest news or updates has prompted industry to pursue a way to bump up the cell phone’s speed and turn down its power for longer battery life. Likewise, consumers’ insatiable demand for feature-packed, thin, lightweight, and energy-efficient devices is spurring the need for HDI technology. It’s an innovation that is now rippling through the electronics ecosystem—from semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) to PCBs and SMT equipment.
An Industry Perspective
The semiconductor industry rose to the “more than Moore” challenge, downsizing 28 nm silicon nodes to 22 nm and now 14 nm to increase the speed and lower the energy consumption (watts) of devices. The primary beneficiary of this silicon node technology is the central processor unit, which also exists in the micro controller unit and when integrated with other electronic functions becomes system-on-chip (SoC). Innovations like through-silicon via (TSV) have enabled the creation of 3D integrated circuits (3D ICs) by connecting layers of different silicon dies stacked vertically, which can then be integrated into the smallest and densest SoC package. The stacked silicon die can be of the same technology, like DDR memories, or a SoC made up of different technologies or applications.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the June 2015 issue of SMT Magazine.
Share on:
Suggested Items
Intervala Hosts Employee Car and Motorcycle Show, Benefit Nonprofits
08/27/2024 | IntervalaIntervala hosted an employee car and motorcycle show, aptly named the Vala-Cruise and it was a roaring success! Employees had the chance to show off their prized wheels, and it was incredible to see the variety and passion on display.
KIC Honored with IPC Recognition for 25 Years of Membership and Contributions to Electronics Manufacturing Industry
06/24/2024 | KICKIC, a renowned pioneer in thermal process and temperature measurement solutions for electronics manufacturing, is proud to announce that it has been recognized by IPC for 25 years of membership and significant contributions to electronics manufacturing.
Boeing Starliner Spacecraft Completes Successful Crewed Docking with International Space Station
06/07/2024 | BoeingNASA astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams successfully docked Boeing's Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS), about 26 hours after launching from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
KIC’s Miles Moreau to Present Profiling Basics and Best Practices at SMTA Wisconsin Chapter PCBA Profile Workshop
01/25/2024 | KICKIC, a renowned pioneer in thermal process and temperature measurement solutions for electronics manufacturing, announces that Miles Moreau, General Manager, will be a featured speaker at the SMTA Wisconsin Chapter In-Person PCBA Profile Workshop.
The Drive Toward UHDI and Substrates
09/20/2023 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamPanasonic’s Darren Hitchcock spoke with the I-Connect007 Editorial Team on the complexities of moving toward ultra HDI manufacturing. As we learn in this conversation, the number of shifting constraints relative to traditional PCB fabrication is quite large and can sometimes conflict with each other.