Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1202019
78 PCB007 MAGAZINE I JANUARY 2020 In the recent IPC 2018 Technology Trends re- port, there are several very important trends that bare board fabricators should be aware of and plan for accordingly. These trends are moving quite fast, and for some, investment in equipment as well as adapting to new materi- als and processes will be needed. High-density Interconnect (HDI) HDI is not new as far as the trends go; how- ever, HDI is now mainstream technology. To- day, HDI is the fastest-growing segment of interconnect packaging used in portable prod- ucts, IC, and ASIC packaging and large, com- plex multilayers for telecom and servers. HDI provides the following: • Reduction in layer count for thickness control and RoHS compliance (lead-free assembly) • Method to integrate high-I/O and fine-pitch devices without adding layers • Method to achieve higher component density and component I/Os without adding more layers The use of blind vias provides opportunities to increase routing. As one can easily imagine, HDI is more than just miniaturization; it is an opportunity to adapt a technology to enable complex designs without compromising reli- ability and cost. Let's properly frame the situation related to HDI and the current and future (projected) landscape. IPC recently published the results 2018 Technology Trends survey. A key finding of the survey showed that the majority of the OEMs surveyed anticipate that they will require blind vias on two or more layers by 2023. In addition, a high percentage of the participating Technology Trends and Direct Metallization Trouble in Your Tank by Michael Carano, RBP CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY