Ultrathin chip package enables wearable electronics

Ultrathin chip package enables wearable electronics

Technologists from IMEC and its associated laboratory at Ghent University presented a 3D integration process that enables flexible electronic systems within a thickness of less than 60 µm at the Smart Systems Integration Conference held in Brussels, Belgium, last month. This ultra-thin-chip package (UTCP) technology was used to create a prototype flexible wireless monitor, which IMEC demonstrated to measure heart rate and muscle activity. The UTCP technology will help avoid the need for expensive high-density flexible substrates, because it relaxes the interconnection pitch from 100 µm or lower to 300 µm or more, and is compatible with standard flex substrates. The use of thinner chips for the UTCP embedding makes them mechanically flexible, which results in increased flexibility of the complete system and allows it to be used in low-cost wearable electronics such as health-monitoring devices.

IMEC’s flexible wireless monitoring system with an embedded microcontroller chip. (Courtesy IMEC)

The high-density integration is achieved by thinning down the chip to 25 µm and embedding it into a flexible UTCP package. The entire package is then embedded into a standard double-layer flex PCB, allowing other components to be mounted above and below the embedded chip. This process enables easy testing of the packaged thin dice before embedding, solving the common known-good-die issue of chips failing after being placed into packages. For more information, visit www.imec.be.

Christina D’Airo