Microelectronic Packaging [antikvár]

PREFACE THE PACKAGING DESIGNER: AN INTEGRATED ENGINEER Integrated electronics, or microelectronics if you prefer, is the technology of making and using integrated circuits. Unquestionably the most important advance in electronics in this decade, it is also the most difficult to define and employ because it is not one technique, but many interrelated processes, designs and fabrication methods. Singly, none of these are as important as the invention of the transistor, which started the ball rolling 20 years ago, but their cumulative effect is proving to be far more profound. "Integrated circuits are creating a revolution in the electronics industry. Their applications have already fanned out from military avionics and space systems into military ground equipment and they are rapidly being adopted by manufacturers of industrial and commercial electronics equipment. "The effects of this revolution will be greater than the changes brought about by the switch from tubes to transistors. Sweeping changes in the manner of designing, developing, manufacturing and using electronic equipment are starting to become apparent." Such comments have often been made by men active in the integrated electronics field. In this instance, the commentator is Jack J. Staller, the author of the Electronics magazine articles that appear first in this book. In addition to his experience as manager of the Advanced Electro-Mechanical Systems department of Sylvania Electric Products Co., Staller'scredentials include participation in industry efforts to bring some measure of practical simplicity and commonality to IC packaging. Staller went on to assess the effect that the IC revolution is having upon the individual electronics engineer: "A new class of engineer is needed for the microelectronic era. More than ever, he must keep up with technological advances. Electrical engineers must know the characteristics of the new building-block circuits and how to interconnect them as a system. The mechanical—or packaging-engineer must know the physics and chemistry as well as the mechanics of mounting, interconnecting and cooling integrated circuits. "Circuit-design engineers, as we know them now, will virtually disappear," he predicted. "Most circuit designers will be working for integrated-circuit manufacturers or on limited-quantity, special circuits for systems V