SILICON MULTICHIP MODULES - EVOLVING A HIGH-PERFORMANCE TECHNOLOGY FROM LOW-END APPLICATIONS

Recently, silicon-on-silicon multichip modules (MCMs) have shifted awa y from high performance digital applications toward low-end, cost driv en products with a primary emphasis on volume production. This shift h as been accompanied by changes in the physical structure of the MCM in terconnections. Cost reduction has driven them toward thinner metal an d dielectric layers, and wherever possible toward the use of fewer lay ers. ft has also fundamentally changed the flip-chip attachment proces s. We are now reexamining the effect these changes are having on the p erformance characteristics of the technology, and the role of MCMs in systems packaging.