Embedded Packaging Technologies: Imbedding Components to Meet Form, Fit, and Function

As the electronics industry moves toward smaller form and fit factors, advanced packaging technologies are needed to achieve these challenging design requirements. Current design problems are not driven by circuit design capabilities but by an inability to reliably package these circuits within the space constraints. Innovative packaging techniques are required in order to meet the increasing size, weight, power, and reliability requirements of this industry without sacrificing electrical, mechanical, or thermal performance. Emerging technologies such as those imbedding components within organic substrates have proven capable of meeting and exceeding these design objectives. Imbedded Component/Die Technology (IC/DT®) addresses these design challenges through imbedding both actives and passives into cavities within a multi-layer printed circuit board (PCB) to decrease the surface area required to implement the circuit design and increase the robustness of the overall assembly. A passive thermal management approach is implemented with an integrated thermal core imbedded within the multi-layer PCB to which high power components are mounted directly. This paper discusses the design methodology, packaging processes, and technology demonstrations of prototypes packaged using this technology. The various prototypes designed and manufactured using this technology will be presented.