Aside from the significant increase in orders from the previous year, the market for semiconductor chips in 2022 faces an unclear future. The market appears to be slowing down and indicating lessened demand, particularly in the consumer electronics industries. However, the 5G radio frequency (RF) silicon chips and power management IC (PMIC) are continuing to rise strongly. PMIC continues to be high and is being driven by numerous applications, including automotive, industrial automation, and control systems. PMIC chips are required to meet the need for electric vehicle (EV) power charging stations, battery charging control, and USB power transfer.
The makers of IC chips are searching for creative production solutions to push a rapid ramp-up of the manufacturing scale in light of the enormous rise of electric vehicles and the EVSE. With their primary advantages of cost savings and heat dissipation features, fan out panel level packaging (FOPLP) technologies have the ability to address the present concerns about chip shortages. The demands placed on technology and equipment providers by FOPLP are always rising on a technical level.
Manz AG, one of the largest manufacturers of equipment for wet chemistry and Cu plating processes, will demonstrate ground-breaking FOPLP RDL machinery at the 2022 SEMICON Taiwan exhibition. During the high volume manufacturing phases of FOPLP operations, the Re-Distribution Layers (RDL) are important. And because to these solutions, FOPLP is quickly becoming the standard technology in the sophisticated package sectors.
This conversation with Robert Lin, general manager of Manz Asia, looks more closely at the most recent advancements in FOPLP machinery and technology. The current line width and spacing (L/S) specification covers the 10/10 to 25/25 m range, which perfectly satisfies the PMIC production requirements in the semiconductor industry. The prior process and equipment presentation was well received by international IDMs, who swiftly started the mass production planning for 2023. Manz AG is currently planning to work on the process machinery entering the customer’s factory and fine-tune the production parameters before the end of 2022. This is a crucial turning point in the successful production of FOPLP technology.
The FOPLP volume production phase is being pushed by the IDMs to handle rising chip output and bolster supply. On the other hand, Taiwan OSAT and significant IC design providers are also keeping up with the deployment of FOPLP and verification testing. Manz is collaborating with material suppliers and supply chain partners to help the industry maintain its strong growth while increasing the yield rate.
facilitating supply chain cooperation to quicken the uptake of FOPLP
The leading Taiwanese OEM/ODM manufacturer of display panels has announced beginning to offer FOPLP production services to clients while discussing the development of the FOPLP process for PCB and panel makers. Additionally, a number of Taiwanese OSAT suppliers invested in Capex to build new production lines in the existing fabs in order to get ready for volume production in 2023. Lin emphasizes that this is positive for Manz’s FOPLP technology development and goal to win the project.
In order to assist customers, Manz will actively broaden the scope of its Total Production Solutions in order to meet the wide range of market demands, particularly the trending heterogeneous integration, which has emerged as one of the critical solutions for the continuance of Moore’s Law. According to the current Manz roadmap, production will continue to be optimized while solutions will be offered to important problems including warpage difficulties caused by the integration of process equipment from supply chain partners.
Manz is displaying a cutting-edge manufacturing design with a surface size of 700 x 700mm at the SEMICON exhibit. Numerous production samples with substrates made of stainless steel measure 340 x 340 mm. Customers have received the production process for pre-production testing after it has been demonstrated. Additionally, using stainless steel substrates has demonstrated performance benefits that boost yields. This is strong indication that the FOPLP technology can be produced in large quantities.
aiming for a 700 × 700 mm process area standard in industrial production
Currently, the FOPLP method is most commonly used with three sizes: 515 x 515, 600 x 600, and 700 x 700 mm. The process dimension of 700 × 700 mm is optimal when considering the benefits of increased production efficiency. Four 12-inch wafers’ worth of silicon die will be produced, or nine 8-inch wafers’ worth. This will assist in achieving the objectives of miniature packaging and cost reduction as yields increase. For the industrial standard, Lin believes that a process dimension of 700 x 700 mm has a lot of possibilities.
Since 2016, Manz has invested in FOPLP RDL technology advancements. The precision adjustment of the Cu-plating method used in a significant area of redistribution layers, along with the resolution, electrical connection, and uniformity of the electroplating pattern, demonstrate the efficacy of the process verification. This innovation helps important clients set up prototype devices and acquire certifications for mass manufacturing. The steps that Manz will do in the future will aggressively broaden the scope of its Total Production Solutions to offer the services to construct from a single piece of equipment to automated production lines with approved manufacturing procedures. With the FOPLP RDL production systems’ outstanding performance, Manz is pursuing prospects with ongoing innovation in cutting-edge packaging applications.
Manz AG, one of the leading manufacturers of wet chemistry and Cu plating process equipment, will display ground-breaking FOPLP RDL machinery at the 2022 SEMICON Taiwan trade expo.
