How Die Dimensions Challenge Assembly Processes

By Anne Meixner, SemiEngineering (September 19th, 2024)

Chiplet-based products must accommodate small differences in die size and bump pitch, placing new demands on manufacturing tools.

Multi-die assemblies are becoming more common and more complex due to technology advancements and market demands, but differing die dimensions are making this process increasingly challenging.

To fully enable a multi-chiplet ecosystem, standardized component handling and interfaces are needed. The underlying concept is similar to LEGO blocks that simply snap together, yet it’s nowhere near that simple. Building these multi-die assemblies today involves various flavors of interposers, bonding methods, and packaging approaches. Also different die dimensions (e.g., x, y, z) require a wider assembly process envelope. And as the number of chiplets on interposers and/or substrates increases, managing warpage, thermal dissipation, and mechanical stability become proportionately more difficult.

This is made even more challenging when those dies/chiplets are sourced from different foundries. Dies may be manufactured with different heights, areas, and bump pitches. While not insurmountable, those inconsistencies increase the time, effort, and cost needed to make these systems work.

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