Pushing the 3rd Dimension – Floppy Wafers, Die and Packages? Stress Induced Chip Package Interactions on Thin Mobile Devices

Abstract

Ever thinner form factors for smart phones, tablets and other mobile devices are driving an aggressive scaling of the semiconductor devices/packages that enable them. A survey of the challenges of this trend points to mechanical stress as the major challenge apart from handling damage. Stress driven Chip Package Interactions impact the manufacturing flow, performance and the reliability of the finished product. We examine a number of the factors and risks driven by mechanical stress and discuss some ideas on how to manage and monitor these issues.