Packaging
Motorola's Freescale Semiconductor subsidiary/spin-out preparation vehicle has joined the effort of European companies STMicroelectronics, Infineon Technologies and Philips to further lead-free electronics packaging. Formerly E3, the group is now called E4 (environmental 4) and focuses on accelerating the use of lead-free packages while stimulating further development of environmentally friendly package technologies.
In July 2001, Philips, STMicroelectronics and Infineon Technologies teamed up to develop standards for lead-free products. The definition includes factors such as solderability, reliability of alternative materials and characterisation of the moisture sensitivity level (MSL). Lead-free, as defined by the companies, is content less than 1000 parts per million lead by weight. Each electronic device contains only small amounts of lead, but the total adds up over all the electronic equipment in the world. European Union rules gives July 1, 2006, as the deadline for the phase-out of lead usage in most electronic products. Members of E4 will share databases and methodologies, collaborate on standards and develop a common conversion strategy for the transition to lead-free.
National Semiconductor believes that it has the world's thinnest integrated circuit (IC) packages. The technology developed by National engineers in Santa Clara, California, and Melaka, Malaysia, allows the company to create micro surface mount device (SMD) and its proprietary Leadless Leadframe Packages (LLPs) as thin as four sheets of office paper. The new packages use bumping technologies, back-grinding, leadframe design and wire-bond technology.
The new 0.4mm ultra-thin packages are available today in National's analogue amplifier products. In H2 2004, they will be available for National's wireless products. The company also plans to offer ultra-thin chip packages for its portable power products. National's new package types are available with traditional tin-lead or lead-free interconnect options. The micro SMD chip-scale package is available in 4-bump to 36-bump packages. National's LLP packages are available in 6-lead to 80-lead package types.
"Over the last four years, National has patented several innovative designs and processes that reduce the thickness of its packages by 60%," reports Sada Patil, director, Package Technology group. National has more than 260 patents in package technologies, and receives on average some 30 new packaging patents per year. During 2004, National plans to introduce even thinner 0.3 and 0.2mm package types, with bump counts up to 100.
