Memory Packaging Challenges

for the New Era

E. Jan Vardaman, Founder and
President

© 2017 TechSearch International, Inc.

 Outline

•  Mobile memory packaging trends

•  Wearable electronics
•  SSD trends and new non--volaGle memory
•  Memory for automoGve safety features
•  High--performance memory packaging trends
•  China joins the memory club

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 Demand for Thin Smartphones Drives Package Developments
•  Smartphones volumes remain
largest volume applicaGon in
units
–  Approximately 1.5 billion
–  IDC predicts smartphone
volumes will increase by 4.2%
this year
–  Mobile devices drive demand
for DRAM and flash
•  Smartphones drive thinner
packages Separate package for logic
–  Low profile requirements for Separate package for memory
thin product and to create Packages individually tested, then stacked
more room for baIery
–  New forms of package--
on-- package (PoP)

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 Qualcomm MDM9645M LTE X12 Modem

Package size: 8.41 mm x 8.61 mm x 0.71 mm

Modem chip: 6.14 mm x 5.45 mm x 0.098 mm
Memory: 4.38 mm x 3. 7mm x 0.072 mm

Source: TPSS.

•  Modem chip is flip chip bonded to

substrate •  Memory wire bonding on top

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 ApplicaGon Processor and Memory Packaging Trends
•  Thinner package and smaller footprint InFO is 20% thinner than FC-PoP
–  High--end smartphone ≤0.8mm package height
•  3D IC with TSV provides the ulGmate in package
height reducGon, but conGnues to be pushed out
(thermal, cost, business issues)
•  PoP in high--end smartphones
–  OpXon 1: ConXnue with FC on thin substrate
–  OpXon 2: Embedded AP in boIom laminate
substrate
–  OpXon 3: Fan--out WLP with applicaXon processor
as boIom package and memory in top package
–  OpXon 4: Some new format (RDL first/chip last)
•  Challenge is memory top package moving to finer ball
pitch for packages
–  Requires pre--stack of memory on AP package
•  FO--WLP AP in bo[om PoP for Apple’s A10 processor
–  Low profile
–  High rouXng density
–  Improved electrical and thermal performance

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 3D IC Design: Thermal is CriGcal
•  Low--cost thermal management soluGons required for logic and memory stacking
•  Current PoP soluGon provides be[er thermal soluGon
•  Thermal issues: 3D circuits increase total power generated per unit surface area
–  Chips in the stack may overheat of cooling is not provided
–  Space may be too small for cooling channels (very small gap for fluid flow)
–  Thinning chips creates extreme condiXons for on--chip hot spot
–  Need new low--power designs

Source: Renesas.
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 Trends for Top PoP Memory Package

Source: eWiseTech.

•  Package--on--package (PoP) made up of logic in bo[om package and

memory (typically >1 die) in top package
•  Apple A10 PoP includes FO--WLP for bo[om package, four side--by--side
memory wire bonded on laminate substrate for top PoP
•  Future versions of top memory package could use FO--WLP

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 Amkor’s SWIFT™ High Yield FO--WLP with Chip Last
•  Target applicaGons
–  Mobile
–  Networking SWIFT™ Single Die Overmold

•  Target device types

–  Baseband
–  ApplicaXon processor
SWIFT™ 2 Die Overmold
–  Logic + memory
•  UGlizes exisGng bump and
assembly capability
–  MulX--die and large die capability SWIFT™ 2 Die Exposed
as well as large package body size
–  3D format possible by stacking
packages with Cu pillars or through
molded via (TMV) SWIFT™ 2 Die TMV PoP Overmold

SWIFT™ 2 Die Fan-in PoP

Source: Amkor.

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 Google’s View of Future Memory Requirements

•  Need an affordable DRAM-- In Package Memory Concept

based IPM closely coupled to a
applicaGon processor with low
voltage swing I/O in FO--WLP
–  Allows fine--pitch RDL
L1 LVSO
rouXng and short distance No use TSV
between AP die and IPM 64Gbit SoC
DRAM / FOWLP
–  Increases interconnect Sec

bandwidth dramaXcally LPDDR4

from number of pin outs High Latency for SoC 12
Gbit
/Sec POP or
and data rate perspecXve
L2 Board Assembly
–  TerminaXon--less low
voltage I/O swing I/O Capacity for SoC DRAM
transceiver/receiver circuits
ideal for within package
chip--to--chip communicaXon
–  Allow aggressive reducXon LVSIO : Low Voltage Swing IO
in signal swing for power LPDDR4 : Low Power Double-Data-Rate
opXmizaXon because the TSV : Through Silicon Via
FOWLP : Fan-out Wafer Level Package
data bus inversion and
POP : Package on Package
reduce trace distance

© 2017 TechSearch International, Inc.

 Wearables

•  Health and fitness tracking bands

including pedometers
•  Watch products
•  System--in--Package (SiP) modules include
–  ConnecXvity
–  Controller
–  Memory (Flash, SRAM, etc.)
–  MEMS Source: Apple..

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 Packages in Apple Watch Module

•  Stacked die CSP for processor

and memory packaging Stacked die CSP (logic boIom die, memory top die)

–  Package height 0.56 mm

–  Processor solder bumped
flip chip
–  Memory wire bond
•  NAND flash memory stacked die
CSP
–  Package height ~0.60 mm

Source: TPSS.

© 2017 TechSearch International, Inc.

 Solid--State Drives Fueling Flash Demand
•  External and Add--in Card SSD: Micron 2.4TB PCIe Enterprise SSD:
–  1TB is popular high--capacity drive 32 x 16nm MLC NAND (16 on each side)
1 x NVMe 16-channel controller
–  Largest 2.5--inch drive in 9 x 512Mb DRAM (5 on one side, 4 on other)
producXon is 16TB; 24TB and
32TB in future
•  Embedded SSD (microSSD):
–  Up to 512GB in a single 16 mm
x 20 mm BGA
•  Boards or cards:
–  Single-- or double--sided
Source: Storage Review.
–  Generally have 1 to 8 NAND Samsung 512GB BGA SSD:
packages; Enterprise boards 16 x 48-layer MLC V-NAND (256Gb/die)
have as many as 32--40 1 x ARM-based controller
–  High--speed SSDs can also have 1 x LPDDR4: 4Gb
a DRAM on board for caching

Source: Samsung, Anandtech.

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 Flash Memory Stack

Source: Samsung.

•  3D Flash memory packaging

–  Wire bond for most cost effecXve soluXon
–  Everyone has a TSV demonstraXon vehicle
–  Cost has limited HVM applicaXon of flash with TSV stack some
low--volume producXon expected to start this year for SSD
•  Semiconductor process with stacked cells
•  New semiconductor non--volaGle memory development
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 Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)

•  From increasing number of safety features to autonomous driving……

•  Drives increased use of sensors including CMOS image sensor for
camera modules, collision sensors, object detecGon, etc.
•  Increased processing capability
•  System design and co--design
•  Memory as part of system--in--package (SiP) module
–  Flash
–  Serial EEPROM
•  Challenge is harsh reliability requirements for automoGve environment
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 Block Diagram of Infineon SP37 Tire Pressure Sensor

Source: Infineon.

© 2017 TechSearch International, Inc.

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 Renesas Module Sensor Fusion/ADAS Control ECU

•  Results from radar and camera sensors are fused with vehicle acceleraGon, braking,
and handling systems to avoid and reduce the possibility of accident in advance
•  Modules include memory such as EEPROM
•  Future systems other applicaGons may use high bandwidth memory (HBM)

© 2017 TechSearch International, Inc.

 High Performance Memory Stacks with TSV

•  New memory architectures

•  Tezzaron high--speed memory
–  ProducXon shipments
–  High--performance applicaXons
•  Micron Hybrid Memory Cube (HMC)
–  Intel’s Knight’s Landing Source: Samsung.

•  Samsung
–  DIMMS for servers
–  HBM (DRAM) stacks with TSVs
•  SK Hynix Source: SK Hynix.

–  HBM on silicon interposer for GPU

–  Advantages include higher bandwidth,
lower latency, and lower power
consumpXon

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 Samsung’s DDR4 with TSV

•  Samsung’s 128GB RDIMM uses DDR4 memory with TSVs

–  DDR4 DRAMs fabricated on 20nm silicon node technology
•  Targeted for Datacenters and Servers
–  Lower power
–  Double capacity of originally 64GB LRDIMM developed for Enterprise servers

© 2017 TechSearch International, Inc.

 Lower Power ConsumpGon
•  Lower Cio (0.4pF) and no terminaGon…small I/O current
consumpGon •  Lower speed per pin (1Gbps)… low power consumpGon

Source: SK Hynix.
© 2017 TechSearch International, Inc.
 AMD’s “Fiji” with Silicon Interposer with TSVs
ASIC
• Large die size: 586 mm²
• Fine pitch: ~40 µm
• High bump count: >200 k
Si Interposer
• Huge die size: 36 mm x 28 mm
• High pad count
• High C4 count: >20 k
High Bandwidth Memory
• TSVs: 65 k; 10 µm diameter
(HBM)
• Die size: 5 x 7 mm
• High bump density: ~5 k
• Small UBM: 25 µm
• Stacked dies: 4 DRAM +
1 Logic

Package
• Organic BGA substrate
• Size: 55 mm x 55 mm

•  AMD’s graphics processor uses silicon interposer with TSVs

•  More than 200,000 interconnects in the module including Cu pillar µbumps and
C4 bumps
•  Interposer has 65,000 TSVs with 10µm diameter vias

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 AMD’s “Fiji” with Silicon Interposer and HBM

Source: AMD.

•  AMD “Fiji” soluGon for the graphics market

•  Four HBM stacks, each containing stacked DRAMs and a logic die with TSVs
mounted on the interposer

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 Xilinx Products with Silicon Interposer

Source: Xilinx.

•  Future products with HBM

•  Silicon interposer to handle communicaGon between HBM
stack and FPGA

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Developing a Strong Memory Industry: Management Ma[ers

•  Memory industry conGnues to move around the globe

–  US
–  Japan
–  Korea
–  Taiwan
–  China
•  Development of memory industry requires more than just
technology •  Packaging developments will be key to memory success

© 2017 TechSearch International, Inc.

 Conclusions

•  Mobile devices (smartphones) drive unit volumes

–  Mobile DRAM
–  Flash memory
•  Growth of SSDs driving flash memory volume
growth •  New non--volaGle memory developments
•  High performance compuGng lower volumes, but increasing use
of high--performance memory with TSVs
–  DIMMs with TSV for increasing number of applicaXons
–  HBM on interposers
–  Performance is important, but cost is not irrelevant
–  Companies working on methods to lower cost of HBM
•  Memory industry conGnues to evolve

© 2017 TechSearch International, Inc.

 Thank you!

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