Agenda

Though signal speed/integrity, density requirements, miniaturized features and thermal performance can complement each other in some cases, they also often conflict with each other; especially, when it comes to thick boards with complex form factors and aspect ratios. In recent and future designs, the contrast is becoming even more evident, and standard concepts can no longer cope with the new challenges and constraints. HDMP and Z-Interconnect technologies are AT&S’s state-of-the-art answer to the rising challenges that come from combining increasingly high layer count/board thickness with the high density, signal speed/frequency requiring miniaturized features and tolerances.

Embedding semiconductor chips into organic substrates allows for a very high degree of miniaturization, as well as superior electrical performance through short and geometrically well-controlled interconnections, and a homogeneous mechanical chip environment, which results in exceptional reliability performance. New manufacturing processes should combine PCB and Semiconductor processing in one production line in order to meet the demanding requirements of today´s advanced packaging applications, allowing for higher levels of miniaturization and increased functionality at the same time.

Inkjets for solder masks offer high production flexibility with short cycle times. The process flow is simplified in terms of pre-treatment, printing and final curing. It not only eliminates conventional photo-structuring steps and their high energy and chemical needs, but also consumes less ink due to the on-demand printing principle. From a technical point of view, the on-demand printing principle enables a.o. SM layer thickness variation and ink-free holes on the same board. Some challenges occur in case of fine structures, like thin solder dams and solder mask contour, and can be mastered by using latest printing head technology.

Flatness of bare and assembled printed circuit boards as well as substrates are key requirements in the electronics industry. Process ability and reliability of electronic products are highly effected by warpage and thus should be reduced to a minimum. By using finite element simulation, it is possible to predict the warpage of a product before building physical samples. The AT&S simulation tools can be used to shorten the time needed to market, to eliminate additional design iterations and physical builds and finally, to reduce the total cost of products.

In modern applications, printed circuit boards are much more than just a carrier for electronic components: PCBs have to take on more and more demanding functions. To meet optimal cooling requirements in electronic components, a range of thermal solutions can be used. From influencing material properties to design rules for build-ups – PCB manufacturers have a number of options with which they can positively influence the thermal properties of the components.

5G car connectivity enables vehicles to connect to each other, infrastructure, network services, and to other road users such as cyclists and pedestrians. Radar Applications at 79 GHz and beyond act as the safety mastermind for automated driving. The technology development is ongoing at a fast pace. 5G & Radar Applications are pushing RF components into new designs, new materials, new packages, new substrates, improved PCB concepts, etc.. We at AT&S are on the forefront of answering these challenges by proposing novel solutions for RF devices.

Legal environmental related regulations such as REACh and RoHS affect not only the European manufacturers in the area of microelectronics. A great number of substances is under observation by the European Chemicals Agency and other institutions to improve environmentally friendly manufacturing processes, reduce the risk of usage and increase ecologically friendly life cycles with high recycling rates. But, how is it possible to handle European Regulations in a worldwide context? Which different roles related to environmental compliance do electronic manufacturers have? How can we circulate the right information in a proper time and quality across the supply chain?

The continuing trend towards miniaturization, system cost reduction, and less time to market electronic products, drives the need for the heterogeneous integration of a larger number of components in a single module. Large panel based technologies (PCB, SLP, IC Substrate) can offer the integration of a larger number of components in a single module when combining Chip first (embedding) and/or Chip last (assembly using Cavities) with ultra fine line structuring technologies (mSAP, SAP). Moreover, the existing high-volume manufacturing PCB and IC Substrate infrastructure can offer attractive potential for volume scaling.

Where Rigid PCB combinations are no longer sufficient, Flex & Rigid flex PCBs are the first choice. Requirements regarding the miniaturization of printed circuit boards are rapidly increasing. A complex layer structure, and constantly decreasing lines and spacing, have enabled exciting developments over the past years. Although new technical processes are now possible as a result of lines and spacing of 45 µm, sooner or later, this scope will no longer be enough due to the technical and physical limitations. With the high flexibility of Flex and Rigid flex technologies, AT&S can realize the most innovative & reliable applications on the market.

Modern electronics are high-end products based on complex PCB manufacturing processes and assembly technologies. The emerging printed circuit board technologies enable functional integration on miniaturized volume. However, the development requires a complex toolset and a cross-disciplinary skilled development team. Design suite interactions, constraint settings, board stack-ups and manufacturing rules might further extend the development cycle. Customer trainings, simulation solutions, as well as long-term experience, help to develop advanced electronics linked to performance, time and cost. In this talk, we will present the actual capabilities and advantages of the internal design solution of AT&S