February 12, 2019
Higher density fan-out packages are moving toward more complex structures with finer routing layers, all of which requires more capable lithography equipment and other tools.
The latest high-density fan-out packages are migrating toward the 1µm line/space barrier and beyond, which is considered a milestone in the industry. At these critical dimensions (CDs), fan-outs will provide better performance, but there are several manufacturing and cost challenges to reach and break the 1µm barrier. Moreover, at this point only a few customers require these high-end packages.
Nevertheless, fan-out packaging is gaining steam in high-volume markets. “Mobile continues to be one main growth driver for both low-density and high-density fan-out,” said John Hunt, senior director of engineering for ASE. “Automotive will start to pick up momentum, as we get fan-out qualified for grade 1 and 2. And server applications are seeing growth for the high-end market.”
