2009 Volume 2 Issue 1 Pages 134-138
There is a strong development activity constantly ongoing in the electronics packaging industry to find new and cost-effective packaging solutions. At the same time that existing package technology solutions are being pushed to the limit, completely new and revolutionary electronics manufacturing solutions are emerging to the market. A great challenge in the ongoing development is to be able to create a package technology solution that provides further miniaturization and improved electrical performance with a cost effective and robust manufacturing concept.
Imbera Electronics has developed several generations of Integrated Module Board (IMB) technology to embed discrete components inside an organic, low-cost PCB motherboard or substrate. The 1st and 2nd generations were initially developed in late 90's at the Helsinki University of Technology. The current focus is in the 3rd generation IMB technology developed by Imbera Electronics in 2003. The 3rd generation technology provides a flexible platform for multiple component types from low- to mid-range I/O count components.
In this paper the IMB technology concept is reviewed with a focus on technology capability, reliability, production quality and potential application areas. The cost impact of different production process alternatives are studied and reviewed. Also, an analysis of key cost drivers is presented.
