ABSTRACT
The rapid development of integrated circuit (IC) technology from small-scale integration (SSI) to very large-scale integration (VLSI) has had great technological and economic impact on the electronic industry throughout the world. The exponential growth of the number of components per chip, the exponential decrease of device dimensions 1-2 (Figure 1), and the steady increase in IC chip size (Figure 2) have imposed stringent requirements, not only on the IC physical design and fabrication, but also on the IC encapsulants. The increase of integration in VLSI technology has resulted in the miniaturization of the device size which has reduced the propagation delay due to higher density packaging and interconnection. VLSI technology operates at a faster speed, consumes less power, and, consequently, dissipates less heat during operation. As a consequence, VLSI technology has increased the reliability and reduced the cost per function of the devices, which have had profound impact on the electronics industry.
