(November 15, 2010) -- In his presentation at the MEPTEC Semiconductor Packaging Roadmaps conference (Santa Clara, CA; 11/10/10), Lee Smith, VP, business development at Amkor, made a case for full supply chain collaboration as the industry moves to 3D ICs with TSVs. Among the drivers for collaboration in 3D packaging development are the rising R&D costs and capital intensity, shorter product and technology life cycles and the attendant margin "squeeze" along with the consolidation of demand to achieve ROI requirements.

One collaboration integrated design manufacturer (IDM)/outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) provider case study is Amkor’s work with TI; in July 2010, the companies announced qualification and high-volume manufacturing of fine pitch copper pillar technology. Smith said that the new lead-free technology enables bump pitches of ≤50µm and is cost competitive with wire bonding. 

Listen to Lee Smith's interview: Download or Play Now

In this podcast interview, Smith discusses the three generations in the transition to 3D packaging and how the OSATs shape the development roadmap. In the first generation of die stacking, it was the memory industry and their OSAT suppliers who collaborated; then logic plus memory integration led to further collaboration. In the second generation (package stacking), OEMs were the key drivers in initiating collaboration: the logic, memory, OSATs, plus EMS industry, all enabled package stack solution in high-volumes. And as the industry enters the third stage of 3D packaging -- a complete 3D architecture with TSVs -- Smith says that we need complete supply chain collaboration: EDA tool suppliers, equipment/materials suppliers, logic, memory, fabless, IDMs, and the SATs, to develop and deploy the technologies.

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