Technology, Process and Cost
Fan-Out Packaging Processes Comparison 2020
By Yole SystemPlus —
In-depth technical and cost overview of key Fan-Out process technologies form Infineon, nepes, TSMC, SEMCO and ASE.
Back in 2015, only Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) players were involved in Fan-Out (FO) packaging. In 2016, TSMC led the entry of foundries into this market with its integrated FO (inFO) packaging technology. Next, Integrated Device Manufacturers (IDMs) like Samsung joined the race with new in-house technology at the panel level. The result is that in 2019 OSATs have only a third of the market. Even with this reduced share, they are still developing and enhancing their portfolio in this segment.
Recently ASE, in partnership with Deca Technologies, has entered the core market with its M-Series technology. Next, nepes bought the technology from Deca. As the market is continuously moving, System Plus Consulting offers an overview of the technologies on the market, providing the original equipment manufacturers’ (OEMs’) technical and cost choices of fan-out packaging.
This report provides insights on technology data for FO packaging for different application segments. It includes a comparative study of eight components from power management integrated circuits (PMICs) to processors to radar Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits (MMICs) using Fan-Out technology from different suppliers.
Physical data of several components has been compared in term of process flow, cost and integration to provide a large panel of OEM technical and economic choices from the market such as:
- embedded Wafer Level Ball (eWLB) grid array from Infineon, Amkor and STATSChipPAC
- Redistributed Chip Package (RCP) from nepes
- M-Series from ASE/Deca Technologies
- Integrated Fan-Out (inFO) from TSMC
- Enhanced Panel Level Packaging (ePLP) from SEMCO
The report includes a description of each process flow for the five major fan-out technologies on the market. It also contains a complete cost analysis of the packaging and tries to explain OEM choices.
Overview/Introduction
Fan-Out Technologies:
- Infineon’s eWLB
- nepes’ RCP
- TSMC’s info
- Samsung’s ePLP
- ASE’s M-Series
Device Teardown:
- Denso Radar and Continental Radar
- Apple Watch Series 4 and Samsung Galaxy Watch
- Samsung Galaxy S10 5G and Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
- FitBit Charge 3
Physical Comparison: Dimensions, Materials, Structure
- eWLB vs. RCP (Infineon RRN7745P vs. NXP MR2001) For Thermal Dissipation
- inFO vs. ePLP (A12 vs. Exynos 9110) For High I/O Density
- eWLB vs. M-Series (WCD9335 vs. PM8150) For Side Wall Protection
- RCP vs. eWLB (SCM-iMX6 vs. CY8C68237FM-BLE) For SiP
- Packaging Analysis
Manufacturing Process Flow
- Global Overview: Thermal Dissipation, High I/O, Side Wall Protection, SiP
- Fan-Out Packaging Process & Fabrication Unit
Cost Analysis
- Summary of the cost analysis
- Yields Explanation & Hypotheses
- Front-End Cost Analysis
- MMIC packaging for thermal disspation Cost Analysis
- AP packaging for High I/O Cost Analysis
- Audio Codec packaging for Side Wall Protection Cost Analysis
- Packaging for SiP Cost Analysis
Cost Comparison
- Summary of physical and cost analysis
- Board Level Reliability vs. Cost Estimation
COMPLETE TEARDOWN WITH:
- Comparative study with photos and cross-sections
- Precise measurements: line/space, materials, dimensions
- Manufacturing process flow
- Supply chain evaluation
- Manufacturing cost analysis
- Cost comparison