SLYY245 March   2025 DRV7308

 

  1.   1
  2.   Overview
  3.   At a glance
  4.   Introduction
  5.   How package variations meet market demands
  6.   Cost efficiency
  7.   Power efficiency
  8.   Enabling miniature products
  9.   Precision solutions
  10.   High voltage
  11.   Isolation
  12.   Multiple chips in one package
  13.   Reliability testing for packaging
  14.   Space-grade packages
  15.   Conclusion
  16.   Additional resources

Introduction

Semiconductors permeate nearly every aspect of life, with devices optimized for use in every application that you can imagine. Complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology, guided by Moore’s law, has fueled advances in digital computing, while variations of bipolar semiconductors have enabled analog products that connect digital processors to the physical world, detecting temperature, pressure, movement, light, sound and touch.

Every wafer contains thousands of integrated circuits (ICs), which are separated into individual units known as semiconductor chips, or dies. These chips are fragile, and require protective packaging for everyday use inside products from smartwatches to industrial robots. As shown in Figure 1, among other effects, a package protects the semiconductor chip, provides electrical connections to the printed circuit board (PCB), and provides a path for heat dissipation. As applications for semiconductor devices grew, package functionality and form factors evolved to meet different needs.

Internal diagram of a typical analog package, and what packaging accomplishes. Figure 1 Internal diagram of a typical analog package, and what packaging accomplishes.

A semiconductor device consists of a package that optimizes performance and protects the chip. Each package comprises several elements as outlined in Figure 2, including pins (or leads), resin, bond-wire and the chip itself. Pins or leads are the interface between the device and external circuitry, facilitating the transfer of signals and power. The resin covers the chip and bond-wires, protecting or shielding against factors such as moisture, dust, vibration and impact. The bond-wire connects the chip to the package leads, enabling electrical connections between the chip and external circuitry on a PCB.

A package includes pins (or leads), resin, bond-wire, the chip-attach epoxy and the semiconductor chip itself. Figure 2 A package includes pins (or leads), resin, bond-wire, the chip-attach epoxy and the semiconductor chip itself.

In today’s rapidly changing electronics landscape, design engineers are under tremendous pressure to get the analog semiconductors they need to meet stringent performance, cost and time-to-market requirements. A product portfolio with diverse packaging options gives designers the flexibility to leverage different package types and technologies to optimize performance, form factor, thermal management and cost-effectiveness, helping them innovate and accelerate time to market. Engineers have depended on industry-standard packages for decades. Figure 3 shows several common and plastic packages for analog and power-management ICs.

Common package types and miniature plastic packages for analog and power-management ICs. Figure 3 Common package types and miniature plastic packages for analog and power-management ICs.