SoC and SIP

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Since the packaging of integrated circuit devices has moved from the development of a single component to the integration of multiple components, with the improvement of product efficiency and the demand for lightness and low consumption, it has entered a new stage of packaging integration. Under the guidance of this development direction, two new mainstreams related to the electronics industry have formed: System on Chip (System on Chip) and System in a Package (SIP).

SoC and SIP are very similar. Both integrate a system containing logic components, memory components, and even passive components into one unit.

SoC is from a design point of view, which is to highly integrate the components required by the system onto a chip.

SIP starts from the standpoint of packaging. It is a way of packaging different chips side-by-side or superimposed, and multiple active electronic components with different functions and optional passive components, as well as other devices such as MEMS or optical devices, are preferentially assembled together. , A single standard package that realizes certain functions.

The elements that make up SIP technology are the packaging carrier and assembly process. The former includes PCB, LTCC, and Silicon Submount (it can also be an IC), and the latter includes traditional packaging processes (Wire bond and Flip Chip) and SMT equipment. Passive components are an important part of SIP, such as traditional capacitors, resistors, inductors, etc. Some of them can be integrated with the carrier, and others, such as inductors and capacitors with high precision, high Q value, and high value, are assembled through SMT On the carrier.

SIP package)

In terms of integration, under normal circumstances, SoC only integrates AP and other logic systems, while SiP integrates AP+mobile DDR. To some extent, SIP=SoC+DDR. As the integration becomes higher and higher in the future, emmc is also likely to be integrated into SIP.

From the perspective of packaging development, SoC has been established as the key and development direction of future electronic product design due to the needs of electronic products in terms of volume, processing speed, or electrical characteristics. However, with the increasing cost of SoC production in recent years, frequent technical obstacles have caused the development of SoC to face bottlenecks, and the development of SIP has been paid more and more attention by the industry.

SIP package form

SIP packaging technology adopts a variety of bare chips or modules for arrangement and assembly. If the arrangement is distinguished, it can be roughly divided into planar 2D packaging and 3D packaging structures. Compared with 2D packaging, the use of stacked 3D packaging technology can increase the number of wafers or modules used, thereby increasing the number of layers that can be placed in the vertical direction, and further enhancing the function integration capability of SIP technology. The internal bonding technology can be simple wire bonding (Wire Bonding), flip chip bonding (Flip Chip), or a mixture of the two.

In addition, in addition to 2D and 3D packaging structures, a multifunctional substrate integration method can also be used-different components are embedded in a multifunctional substrate to achieve the purpose of functional integration. Different chip arrangements and different internal bonding technologies enable SIP packaging to produce a variety of combinations, which can be customized or flexibly produced according to customer or product needs.

(Several SIP packaging solutions)

Technical Difficulties of SIP

The mainstream packaging form of SIP is BGA, but this does not mean that SIP technology is mastered with traditional advanced packaging technology.

For circuit design, a three-dimensional chip package will have multiple die stacks. Such a complex package design will bring about many problems: for example, how to stack the chips when multiple chips are integrated in a package; and for example, complex wiring needs more Layer substrate, it is difficult to route traces with traditional tools; there are also issues such as spacing between traces, isometric design, and differential pair design.

In addition, as the complexity of the module increases and the operating frequency (clock frequency or carrier frequency) increases, the difficulty of system design will continue to increase. In addition to the necessary design experience, the designer must also have numerical simulation of system performance. Design link.

What is the market outlook for SIP packaging technology?

Compared with system integration on a printed circuit board, SIP can maximize system performance, avoid repeated packaging, shorten development cycles, reduce costs, and improve integration. Compared with SoC, SIP also has the characteristics of high flexibility, high integration, short design cycle, low development cost, and easy access.

The SIP package can integrate other components required by the system, such as passive components and antennas, into a single package, making it more complete system functions. From the point of view of application products, SIP is more suitable for low-cost, small area, high-frequency and high-speed, and short production cycle electronic products, especially power amplifier (PA), global positioning system, Bluetooth module (Bluetooth), The market for portable products such as image sensor modules and memory cards.

Because SIP packaging has the characteristics of high flexibility, high integration, relatively low cost, small area, high frequency and high speed, and short production cycle, SIP packaging technology can not only be widely used in industrial applications and the Internet of Things, but also in mobile phones and smart watches. , Smart bracelets, smart glasses and other fields also have a very broad market.

At present, when smart hardware manufacturers design smart wearable devices, the main challenge they face is how to put all the numerous required functions into a very small space. Take smart glasses as an example. In the hardware design part, it is necessary to consider the characteristics and integration methods of main components such as wireless communication, application processor, storage memory, photographic lens, micro-projection display, sensor, microphone, etc., and also to evaluate the integration Compatibility and overall operating performance behind the system board.

The use of SIP system miniaturization design can simplify the system design and meet the miniaturization of equipment by means of multi-component integration. Without changing the appearance, it can increase the portability, wireless and instant advantages of the product.

At present, the output value of packaging in the world only accounts for 10% of the total value of integrated circuits, and the emergence of SIP is likely to break the current industrial pattern of integrated circuits, and changing packaging is only a condition of subsequent processing plants. In the future, there may be a number of entities that combine design capabilities and packaging technology in the integrated circuit industry, and have their own branded products and profits. When SIP technology is mastered by packaging companies, the output value of the packaging industry may increase to a certain extent.