Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1490123
58 PCB007 MAGAZINE I JANUARY 2023 or functionality do not warrant the complex infrastructure investment required for chiplet designs. SiP also serves as a sort of proto- typing platform for future chiplet compo- nent development. Fine tuning of an applica- tion in a SiP can point the way for a successful chiplet implementation in a future generation of products. Viewing SiP as a chiplet precursor, however, belies its major role in and of itself. Appropri- ate leveraging of the same technologies that enable chiplet architectures extends the appli- cability of SiP in many different directions and arenas. By using glass substrates, SiP takes advantage of the same routing density advan- tages leading to improved thermal manage- ment capability, lower I/O counts, and high I/O pitch, again resulting in simplified assem- bly and higher yields at the PWB assembly level. Ideally suited to rapid creation of custom- ized applications using essentially off-the-shelf chip designs from any fabrication technology and/or supplier, SiP remains the champion in terms of time to market, as well as rapid revi- sion, e.g., a memory shrink implementation for SiP may not even require a substrate re-layout, whereas for a chiplet architecture this remains a significant challenge, to say the least. Additional SiP advantages include diver- sity of materials options for both the SiP sub- strate and the die attachment/interconnec- tion. Down-hole applications, for instance, can employ SiC device technologies on high- temperature substrates bonded with AuSi or AuSn, as appropriate. For implantable medi- cal products, SiP can incorporate substantial passive componentry to frequently allow com- plete implementation of the electronic func- tionality for the product in a single SiP config- uration. So, what implications arise from these advances, especially for the PWB and EMS sectors of the industry? e answer, of course, is "it depends." For manufacturers of larger PWBs, the implications are likely lower costs, higher yields, and smaller value-add due to larger geometries (lines/spaces), and fewer layers required by consolidation of circuitry within the package assemblies. e implica- tions are similar for EMS providers working with these boards. However, the EMS folks may retain some value-add due to handling requirements for these more valuable and sen- sitive components. More specialized segments of the supply chain, such as package substrate suppliers and OSATs (outsourced semiconduc- tor assembly and test), benefit from increased demand for their more specialized capabili- ties—and at increased volumes to boot. While PWB assemblies (the grandparent of SiP) and hybrids (the grandparent of chiplets) continue to thrive beyond their prognosti- cated demise, SiP- and chiplet-based compo- nents will revolutionize electronic products in the ways described here as well as many not yet foreseen. Expect accelerated growth in a wide range of applications, especially high-reliabil- ity arenas such as IoT, automotive, environ- mental monitoring, security, mobile com- munications and military/aerospace. Each of these areas presents unique challenges. PCB007 Charles (Chuck) Bauer is senior managing director and owner at TechLead Corporation. Fine tuning of an application in a SiP can point the way for a successful chiplet implementation in a future generation of products.