INDUSTRY TRENDS - ADVANCED PACKAGING

The semiconductor industry is breaking records and expectations are high for the market future. In this context, advanced packaging is transforming from follower of front- end industry to enabler of future semiconductor applications and products. This is because scaling and cost reduction is not possible just by continuing on the path the industry followed for the past few decades with Moore’s law. Advanced nodes do not bring the desired cost benefit anymore and R&D investments in new lithography solutions and devices below 10nm nodes are rising substantially. In order to answer market demands, the industry seeks further performance and functionality boosts in integration. Packages are now requested to bridge the gap and revive the cost/performance curve while at the same time adding more functionality through integration. They become enablers for new designs, new performances and new applications.

In contrast with classical packages, advanced types of packaging illustrate the important emerging role for better packaging technologies and are already widespread in key markets requiring high-end performance. They are gaining more and more market share thanks to the needs of various applications to get better integration. They will continue to dominantly address high-end logic and memory in computing and telecom, with further penetration in analog and RF high end consumer/ mobile segments, while eyeing opportunities in growing automotive and industrial segments.