ABSTRACT
The role of the silicon germanium (SiGe) package is more important than other integrated circuit (IC) packages, since the SiGe devices make it possible to integrate digital, analog, and radio frequency (RF) functions on the same die and process. The primary function of a package is to provide a means for electrical connectivity from the semiconductor device to a printed wiring board (PWB), also known as a printed circuit board (PCB). Ball Grid Arrays (BGA) packages allow for PWB space savings since an array of solder bumps are used in place of traditional package pins. BGAs are expected to be the solutions for packages requiring over 200 pins and will be implemented using wire bonding in the lower I/O density parts and flip chip in the higher I/O count and higher power devices. The proliferation of flip chip and its application into BGAs provides the next level solution. Multichip modules (MCMs) offer even further solutions.
