Multichip Module Study

Multichip module MCM technology addresses the large gap that exists between the speed and circuit densities achieved in monolithic integrated circuits versus those achieved at the board and subsystem level using conventional through-hole and surface mount package technology. Multichip modules promise not only to improve board-level circuit densities but also to support dramatic increases in clock rate and reductions in overall power dissipation. This new technology is driven by the realization that current printed circuit board technologies are inadequate to achieve the speed and system throughput capabilities inherent in the chips that are now becoming available. Multichip module technology centers on the high-density interconnection of bare die on a suitable substrate, resulting in a module with up to 95 of the substrate area devoted to active circuits. The technology features substrates that are generally made of silicon or ceramic with insulating layers of polyimide. Various other materials are employed by a host of vendors, and the technology, which is available now, is continuing to mature at a rapid rate. MCM technology is supplanting printed circuit board technology for most high-performance applications and will provide a vehicle for leading- edge digital systems in the 1990s. multichip module MCM, MCM foundry, flip- chip, packaging, solder bump, MCM vendors, polymide, boundary scan. dielectric, die yield, cofired ceramic, silicon, interconnect substrate, TAB, thermal via, computer-aided design CAD, copper.