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18 SMT007 MAGAZINE I JANUARY 2023 met by integrating silicon chips through an advanced packaging process. Keep in mind this is just one of many differ- ent components in a system. While these com- ponents are important—they're the brain of a system—they're still just one of many differ- ent component types. Advanced packaging is a very specific component type. But what types of components are they? ese advanced pack- ages have different functions, the first of which is compute. It's the Intel chip inside your lap- top (CPU), graphics accelerators (GPU), AI- based neuro-network chips (NPU). It's also the solid-state memory (DRAM, NVRAM, NAND Flash) within your phones and computers. ese packages can also serve as sensors, ana- log, mixed signal, and system integration func- tions. Basically, they are actively doing some- thing within the circuit design. ose are the main functions of an advanced package. ere's also a difference between definitions of advanced packaging in the past, what it means today, and what it will mean in the future. For example, for at least 50 years, there's been an active type of component called monolithic silicon, a single chip that is mounted to a sub- strate and then packaged into a component. A class of those are called multi-chip modules (MCM) and have been in use for decades. As we move forward with the monolithic silicon, the idea of Moore's Law becomes less economically viable and advanced packaging is morphing. For example, when you think about a cir- cuit card from the past, you typically had a compute chip and DRAM (memory banks), which were two different things connected on a printed circuit board. ose are now merging using chiplet-based heterogeneous integration architectures that are now integrating compute and high bandwidth memory (HBM) together within the same electronic package. e result is faster speeds and reduced latencies within a single component package. e resurgence in advanced packaging is driving increased func- tionality, performance, and speeds within a single device. Johnson: Increased functionality, increased speed, and an overall smaller package means leaving more real estate available to further integrate more things. Kelly: Absolutely. For example, if you look at images of a recent Apple Watch teardown, it's unbelievable what can be accomplished in these small spaces. ere are numerous small chips performing many functions within a very small area. Next generation designs continue driving miniaturization, increased functional- ity, and speeds. On the downside, these con- figurations are power hungry, meaning there are more power and thermal needs—thus chal- lenges—that need to be addressed with these architectures. How Does This Affect EMS Companies? Johnson: For an EMS company, your job is to reliably put these components onto boards. While that doesn't fundamentally change, these packages will change the skill set needed to do the work. How will this affect the EMS companies? Matt Kelly