At the IEEE Global Interposer Technology (GIT2014) Workshop held at Georgia Tech on November 5-7, 2014, Georgia Tech announced the formation of a Panel-based Global Glass Industry Consortium for low-cost, ultra-miniaturization, high-performance and silicon-like ultra-high I/O interconnections to address both small and ultra-small system needs such as smartphones, wearables, IOTs and miniaturized medical systems as well as high performance systems.
“Georgia Tech was the first to start the glass program in 2010 with a single member,” stated Prof. Tummala. “Today, the panel-based industry consortium at Georgia Tech involves about 50 global companies that span from IDMs, OSATs, OEMs and supply-chain manufacturers for materials as well as design and process tools.” With these companies, Georgia Tech now has the complete eco-system to develop and apply this new technology for single chips with lowest cost than today’s packages, multi-chip in 2.5D architectures, similar in I/O pitch to silicon interposers but at much lower cost, and ultimately as 3D system package architectures with ultra-small through vias in ultra-thin glass.
Prof Tummala proposed “System Moore” as the next wave of electronics platform beyond current approaches of “More of Moore” that started in 1968 for on-chip integration and “More than Moore” that started more than 10 years ago for 3D module integration. He views System Moore as a complete system technology, initially for ultra-small wearable, sensor, medical and IOT applications enabled by double-side and direct integration of all system components interconnected in less than 50µm interconnection length. Such an approach involves small through vias in ultra-thin and flexible glass at the same pitch as TSVs but at lower cost, thus providing a path without TSVs in logic ICs. Georgia Tech views glass packaging to be a pervasive technology that is low cost, high performance and high reliability and high-temperature capable, applicable for many, many applications including wireless, healthcare, wearable, camera, RF/mm wave, digital, MEMS and sensors, photonics, automotive and harsh, analog and power electronics.
Georgia Tech is producing advanced experimental 2D, 2.5D and 3D system packages in its 300mm panel facility from which to transfer to both 300mm wafer fabs and 510mm panel fabs. Georgia Tech also plans to explore opportunities provided by ultra-thin glass for roll-to-roll manufacturing. Companies interested in this technology or the Georgia Tech Consortium are encouraged to contact Prof. Tummala.
