Electronics Manufacturing from Package to Board to Final Product

2009 proves to be a year of flux in all areas of electronics. Let's avoid confusion and take them in order: BiTS (sockets), IMAPS Packaging (3D TSV packages), APEX (board assembly), and SEMICON West (wafer to backend packaging), the major shows in the US and see what's coming up.

At BiTS Workshop in Mesa, AZ, the most important event for burn-in socket design, Brandon Prior, Sr. Consultant of Prismark Partners IC packaging solutions, kicks it off by talking about how packages have been evolving in many ways that were forecast. In some ways packages are moving in ways not predicted by any analysts. His presentation will look at the recent trends of IC packages in terms of package type, pitch, and integration for multi-chip and 3D solutions. In preparing for the next decade of innovations, he provides a forecast for current advanced packages, and looks into future developments in 3D and package integration that may have an impact on overall test strategies and challenges going forward. If it touches on burn-in test sockets and how they will correspond with 3D, this will be the place to catch everything.

IMAPS big event is the packaging area is the 4th International Conference and Exhibition on Device Packaging to be held in Scottsdale, AZ. This will be focused on the challenges and technologies for packaging and devices of all types. The format has expanded again this year, now featuring six workshops concentrating on: 3D packaging; flip chip technologies; wafer-level packaging/CSP; MEMS and associated microsystems; electronic packaging for medical devices; and new this year, packaging of power LED devices. These workshops are a continuation of past IMAPS Advanced Technology Workshops. If you attend BiTS, you might as well include the IMAPS packaging workshops, since they're in the same Phoenix-central area.

And what about IPC's APEX? This technical conference is known worldwide as one of the finest shows around. In the US especially, this is the place to take advantage of new research and innovations from key industry players in the areas of board fabrication and design and electronics assembly. New sessions this year include a focus on moisture sensitivity, high- temperature processing, die attach, and green electronics. That's in addition to their annual focus on the key areas of soldering, advanced packaging, materials and reliability. New research and innovations from key industry players in the areas of board fabrication and design and electronics assembly or old issues of moisture sensitivity,high temperature processing, die attach, and the environment.

This may be a slow or negative year in many aspects, but technology breakthroughs wait for no one.

SEMICON West can wait until tomorrow.
-G