ABSTRACT
There is a mixing of the relationship between printed wiring boards and hybrids. The continuing evolution of integrated circuits and printed wiring board technologies have steadily converged on hybrid applications. What was once exclusively hybrid technology is moving to board facilities. Solder screening for surface mount devices (SMD) is only one example. The reduction in the size of the board assemblies is also requiring techniques that were developed for hybrids. Surface mount technology (SMT), combined with high density, lowpower circuitry is currently reducing the size of electronics. For their part, packaging and interconnect technologies have had their own revolutions to keep up with the information processing technologies. Circuit boards are continuing the evolutionary process with finer lines and more layers. New processes such as laser drilled holes and thin film deposition have pushed this generic technology farther up the evolutionary tree. Although integrated circuit technology has advanced to an extremely high level of integration, it is certain that hybrid technology will continue to complement IC technology by providing complex packaging solutions. Hybrid technology allows the integration of semiconductors of various types as CMOS, Bipolar, and Gallium Arsenide with precision passive components such as power resistors, inductors, and capacitors. Such total integration is not possible on a single integrated circuit with known or forecasted IC technologies.
