Circuits Assembly - November 2007 - (Page 25)

Small Packages, Big Markets Mobile phones are driving explosive WLP growth. afer-level package (WLP) shipments have devices in WLPs. Recent mobile phones such as exceeded expectations, both in number of Sharp’s SH904i contain one of Fujitsu’s power units shipped and device size. Once relmanagement devices in a 195 I/O WLP with 0.4 egated to the few I/O range, WLPs with more than mm pitch. The die is 5.98 x 6.08 x 0.74 mm. 100 I/Os routinely ship. Devices shipping in WLPs Analog Devices, Intersil and National Semiconare expanding from integrated passives and analog ductor ship products in WLPs. National’s micro devices to a variety of ICs, including RF. While SMD package is used for an increasing number of many of the early parts were on 6" wafers, compaanalog devices such as voltage regulators, controlnies migrated from 8" wafers and are now designlers and op amp devices. Devices with 200 bumps ing on 12" wafers. Some will use wafers fabricated and finer pitch are in development. The high pin using low-k dielectrics. How large are today’s count parts are called micro SMDxt (for external WLPs? And what difficulties will be encountered technology to the micro SMD). Body sizes range as WLPs expand? from 0.78 x 0.78 mm to WLPs (also called Table 1. WLP Trends 5.5 x 5.5 mm, and lead wafer-level CSPs) are Characteristic counts range from four WLP New WLPs fully packaged before Die size (mm) to 100 balls. While many 5 x 5 dicing and do not typi- I/O count DRAM makers planned 4 to 100 >100 cally use underfill for Minimum I/O pitch (µm) to use WLPs for DDR3, 400-500 400-500 thermal stress manage- Bump diameter (µm) few shipments have 250-500 250-300 ment, but underfill is Bump height (µm) been made because 180-400 200-250 used by some compa- Package height (mm) wire bond technology 0.5-1.2 0.45-0.80 nies to pass the drop Typical wafer size on a laminate substrate 6” and 8” 8” and 12” test. Typically the ball or Source: TechSearch International, Inc., adapted from Amkor (the FBGA) has thus far bump is a larger diambeen sufficient to meet eter and has a larger performance requireTable 2. WLPs in Panasonic’s P902i pitch than found in flipments. Package Type Pin Count Terminal Pitch (mm) chip bump applications. Dialing up growth. WLP 54 0.5 Increasingly, WLPs use a WLPs can be found in WLP 31 0.5 preformed solder ball. applications such as WLP 119 0.4 WLPs are the packcellphones and laptops, WLP 34 0.4 age of choice for analog and consumer prodSource: TPSS devices such as power ucts such as watches, amplifiers, battery manMP3 players, cameras agement devices, MOSFETs, image sensors, conand camcorders. Demand for greater functionaltrollers, memory and integrated passives. However, ity in smaller spaces is driving WLP adoption in many companies plan to use WLPs for higher pin cellphones faster than in any other market segcount applications, including analog parts with ment. Table 2 shows examples of WLPs found in larger die sizes. This will increase the number of Panasonic’s P902i mobile phone. Almost half the wafers to be processed, as well as the unit volumes. CSPs are WLPs. Motorola’s RAZR V3, the thinnest Table 1 shows current and forecast WLP trends. phone of its time, contains at least 14 WLPs. The Fairchild, Vishay, and International Rectifier WLP heights range from 0.27 to 0.5 mm, offering sell MOSFETs in WLPs. Integrated passives are the lowest profile possible 1. Motorola has shipped supplied in WLPs by AVX, California Micro Devicmore than 50 million RAZR mobile phones. es (CMD), STMicroelectronics, On SemiconducApple’s iPhone also uses WLPs, but these packagtor, NXP and others. Shinko Electric assembles es are not just for high-end phones. For example, the power regulators and analog devices in WLPs. low-cost, high-volume mobile phones made in India Ricoh supplies voltage regulators and detectors for the domestic market contain many CSPs, includin WLPs. CMOS image sensors are packaged in ing WLPs. The Nokia 2310 is a dual-band GSM 900, WLPs by a variety of companies. Cambridge SiliGSM 1800 phone. The phone is 105.4 x 43.9 x 19.05 con Radio (CSR) supplies many of its RF devices mm, sells for $70, and contains five WLPs. in WLPs. Fujitsu supplies power management A new association. With higher I/O sizes, some circuitsassembly.com Circuits Assembly NOVEMBER 2007 On the Forefront W E. Jan Vardaman is president of TechSearch International, Austin, TX; jan@TechSearch Inc.com. Her column appears bimonthly. 25 http://circuitsassembly.com

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Circuits Assembly - November 2007 Contents Caveat Lector Industry News Market Watch Talking Heads Focus on Business Global Sourcing On the Forefront Screen Printing Better Manufacturing Pb-Free Manufacturing from a Tier III EMS Perspective ‘Living Documents, Subject to Change’ Creating Ideal Solder Joints An Alternative Drying Process for MSDs ‘Customer Satisfaction is More than a Score’ Optoelectronic Substrates: Will They Happen? Tech Tips Wave Soldering Process Doctor Test and Inspection Getting Lean Materials World Equipment Advances Product Spotlight Assembly Insider Technical Abstracts Ad Index

Circuits Assembly - November 2007

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