Course abstract

Advanced packaging has permitted the integration of electronics into all manner of products and applications, embedding electronics into every facet of our lives and making them ubiquitous in every engineering system. We are facing an ever-increasing demand in the speed and amount of information we need to transmit, communicate and process. To meet this demand and compete in the international marketplace, we have to constantly seek methods to achieve early adoption of new and emerging technologies, improve quality and reliability, and reduce cost. It is now generally recognized that the performance and price of an electronic system are ultimately limited, not so much by advancements in new device and chip technology, but by our ability to package and manufacture these individual chips into modules, substrates, boards, sub-systems and systems. This course is designed to provide a basic knowledge of the technologies and processes required for the packaging and manufacturing of electronic products. The focus of the course will be on the mechanical, materials and manufacturing aspects which are often neglected in the design phase with potentially catastrophic consequences. Students will be exposed to the underlying scientific and technological knowledge-base needed to become proficient builders and users of electronic systems. Course topics will include fundamental principles for packaging active and passive electronic devices; design of components, circuit boards, connectors, and assemblies; additive and subtractive manufacturing techniques; thermal and mechanical design; and reliability assessment methods.