Transforming Electronic Interconnect

From nanometers at the transistor level to 100's of microns at the ball grid array (BGA) connections, electronic interconnect of semiconductors spans orders of magnitude as it forms the central nervous system of today's advanced electronic products. Tectonic shifts are currently underway within the industries providing electronic interconnect. Traditional supply chain boundaries produce back end of line (BEOL) structures within wafer foundries ranging from 10's of nanometers to 10's of microns. First-level interconnect, or packaging, the classical purvey of semiconductor assembly and test services (SATS) providers operates in 10's to 100's of microns. Second-level interconnect, or board level assembly, historically rests with electronic manufacturing systems (EMS) providers measuring their work in 100's of microns and above. The transformation underway in electronic interconnect will redefine historical supply chain boundaries as it blurs the lines between foundries, SATS and EMS providers. At the heart of the transformation is ‘fan-out’ technology moving from initial capacities in wafer form to an emerging format of large panels. Breaking through capital cost, reliability and yield concerns with novel solutions will open the door for widespread industry growth of fan-out.