OL2.APR–MicroModule–SC
Thin-film MCMs debut in low-cost standard packages
Although the multichip module by and large remains a fairly expensive
custom product, standard multichip packages are beginning to emerge. The
latest company to enter the standard multichip module market is
MicroModule Systems, a merchant manufacturer of MCMs. MicroModule
recently unveiled thin-film multichip modules in industry-standard
packages. The packages, designated the MMS-D300 Series, will cost $10 to
$15 apiece in quantities of 10,000 or more–roughly equivalent to a
single-chip package. MicroModule plans to ship modules to selected volume
customers next quarter. The company will wire-bond bare, known-good-die
ICs–supplied by the user or procured by the company–to aluminum,
silicon, or ceramic wafers about 150 mm thick. A typical MMS-D module
will have two to ten CMOS ICs, along with passives (see photo), mounted in
a quad flatpack, plastic leaded chip carrier, or, later on, a land grid
array. The packages will themselves have up to 300 pins and dissipate up
to 8 W of power. MicroModule Systems, like Motorola Semiconductor with
its MCML series of ASICs in MCMs (see Electronic Products, Feb., p. 15),
hopes that supplying MCMs in standard packages will attract makers of
telecommunications equipment, medical instruments, peripherals, and
automotive equipment. These cost-sensitive, high-volume users will now be
able to realize the space savings and performance improvements of MCMs,
yet be able to use their existing assembly and processing equipment for the
packages. For more information, contact Howard Green at MicroModule
Systems, Cupertino, CA, at 408-864-7437, or . –Spencer Chin
CAPTION:
Thin-film multichip modules from MicroModule Systems will soon be
available in industry-standard packages. This substrate has nine chips
(not all visible) and three passive parts, in a 68-pin PLCC.
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