Thin packages enabling thin mobile products

The booming business of mobile applications like cell phones, tablet computers, etc., is intimately linked to their thin packaging format and is continuing the drive for ever thinner applications. Concomitantly, the electronic packages inside the applications need to shrink i.e. dice, substrates, interconnects and assembly all need to contribute to the shrinkage. A packaging roadmap will be presented that aligns with this industry trend and examples of package types satisfying the roadmap will be presented. For two specific package types, aQFN and a-S³ BGA, more details will be provided for the package cross-section as well as the manufacturing process flow on a substrate and assembly level. Package and board level reliability has been collected to demonstrate the viability of these packages which have already reached the high volume manufacturing stage.