IC Substrate - Discussion on ​sip system in package Technology

sip system in package means that different kinds of components are mixed into the same package body through different technologies, thus forming the system integration package form.  We often confuse the two concepts of system-level package SIP and system-on-a-chip SoC.  So far, in the IC chip field, SoC system chip is the highest chip;  In the field of IC packaging,SIP system level packaging is the highest level of packaging.  SIP covers SOC, and SOC simplifies SIPSoC, which is very similar to SIP in that both seek to consolidate a system that contains logical components, memory components, and even passive components into one unit.  However, in terms of development direction, the two are very different: SoC is from the perspective of design, which aims to integrate the required components of a system into a single chip, while SIP is from the perspective of packaging, which integrates the chips with different functions into an electronic structure.  

SIP system level is not only a kind of packaging, it represents a kind of advanced the thought of systematic design, it is the researchers creative platform, it involves to the chip, system, material, packaging and so on many issues, covering is very extensive, is a relatively broad, so research from different angles and understand the connotation of the SIP is very necessary,

Here are some of the current concepts of SIP technology:

1-SIP realizes the whole system function through the integration of the bare core and discrete components of each functional chip on the same substrate. It is a kind of semiconductor technology that can realize the system-level chip integration.

2-SIP refers to that the system functions formed by multiple chips and passive components (or passive integrated components) are concentrated in a single package body to form a similar system device.

3-As the feature size of SOC becomes smaller, it becomes more difficult to integrate the analog, radio frequency and digital functions together. An alternative solution is to package several different bare chips into one, resulting in system-level packaging (SIP).

4- SIP is a package integrated with a variety of circuit chips to complete the system functions, is another way to improve integration in addition to reducing the line width of the chip, and compared with it can greatly reduce costs and save time.

In fact, SIP is an evolution of multi-chip package (MCP) or chip size package (CSP), which can be called cascading MCP and stacked CSP. Especially, CSP will be the optimal integrated passive component technology because of its low production cost, but SIP emphasizes that the package should contain some system functions.

The technical elements of SIP are the package carrier and the assembly process. The difference between SIP and the traditional package structure is the two steps related to the system integration: the division and design of system modules, and the carrier to realize the system combination.  The carrier in the traditional package (i.e. the substrate) can only play the role of interconnection, while the carrier of SIP includes circuit units, which belong to the component of the system.

Module division refers to the separation of a functional module from the electronic equipment, which is not only conducive to the subsequent integration of the whole machine but also convenient for SIP packaging.  Take the Bluetooth module as an example, its core is a baseband processor, one end of which interfaces with the system CPU and the other end interfaces with the physical layer hardware (modulation and demodulation, sending and receiving, antenna, etc.).

The combined carrier includes advanced technologies such as high density multilayer encapsulation substrate and multilayer film technology.  In the field of chip assembly, chip on board (COB) and chip on chip (COC) are the mainstream technologies.  COB is an interconnection technology between a device and an organic or ceramic substrate.  Existing technologies include lead bonding and flip chips.  CoC is a multi-chip stack structure in a single package, that is, laminated chip packaging technology.

SIP technology is now widely used in three aspects: one is in the RF/ radio aspect.  For example, a fully functional single-chip or multi-chip SIP encapsulates both the RF baseband functional circuit and the flash memory chip in a module.  The second is sensors.  Silicon - based sensor technology is developing rapidly and has a wide range of applications.  The third is in the network and computer technology.

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