Integrated Circuit packaging has always been integral to IC performance and functionality. An IC package serves many purposes: 1) pitch conversion between the fine features of the IC die and the system level interconnection; 2) chemical, environmental and mechanical protection; 3) heat transfer; 4) power, ground and signal distribution between the die and system; 5) handling robustness; and 6) die identification among many others. Numerous critical technologies have been developed to serve these functions; technologies that continue to advance with each new requirement for cost reduction, space savings, higher speed electrical performance, finer pitch, die surface fragility, new reliability requirements, and new applications. Packaging engineers must fully understand these technologies to design and fabricate future high-performance packages with high yields at exceptional low-costs to give their company a critical competitive advantage.
