Flexible tape gives package higher I/O density

A ST Assembly Test Services product story

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team Apr 25, 2001

ST Assembly Test Services (STATS) has developed a tape chip scale package (TCSP), said to be ideal for applications requiring a thin package with a small form factor and high I/O density.

ST Assembly Test Services (STATS) has developed a tape chip scale package (TCSP), said to be ideal for applications requiring a thin package with a small form factor and high I/O density.

Applications that can use the TCSP's high density and small form factor include portable electronics such as pagers, cellular phones, camcorders, digital cameras, and other wireless devices that require a thin package.

Chip scale packaging technology is used in both wireless and wired communications, and is characterised by a smaller footprint, which offers economy in space, lighter weight, and better thermal and electrical performance.

According to Dr BJ Han, STATS Chief Technology Officer, "CSP technology is critical to the semiconductor industry.

The complexity of advanced semiconductor devices used in wireless applications, particularly handheld devices such as handphones and personal digital assistants, requires squeezing more functionality into a tighter area.

CSP package technology helps solve this problem".

Unlike other IC packages that use a laminate substrate, the TCSP uses very thin flexible circuit tape, which enables higher I/O density.

TCSPs range from 17 x 17 down to 4 x 4mm, with the popular size being 12 x 12mm.

The tape substrate allows for finer lines and spaces and the 0.5mm ball pitch allows for high I/O count in a small footprint.

It is the latest addition to the STATS family of advanced packaging, including the small-thin plastic ball grid array (STPBGA) and stacked die ball grid array package (SDBGA).