MCMs are electronic components that house multiple integrated circuits (ICs) upon a single chip. Their use in design allow systems that are faster, hotter and more reliable than those built with standalone ICs. More and more, the speed needs of electronic systems require MCMs. This comprehensive handbook aims to provide designers with the knowledge needed to understand and work with MCMs.

Far from being the passive containers for semiconductor devices of the past, the packages in today's high performance computers pose numerous challenges in interconnecting, powering, cooling and protecting devices. While semiconductor circuit performance measured in picoseconds continues to improve, computer performance is expected to be in nanoseconds for the rest of this century -a factor of 1000 difference between on-chip and off-chip performance which is attributable to losses associated with the package. Thus the package, which interconnects all the chips to form a particular function such as a central processor, is likely to set the limits on how far computers can evolve. Multichip packaging, which can relax these limits and also improve the reliability and cost at the systems level, is expected to be the basis of all advanced computers in the future. In addition, since this technology allows chips to be spaced more closely, in less space and with less weight, it has the added advantage of being useful in portable consumer electronics as well as in medical, aerospace, automotive and telecommunications products. The multichip technologies with which these applications can be addressed are many. They range from ceramics to polymer-metal thin films to printed wiring boards for interconnections; flip chip, TAB or wire bond for chip-to-substrate connections; and air or water cooling for the removal of heat.

The Hybrid Microcircuit Technology Handbook integrates the many diverse technologies used in the design, fabrication, assembly, and testing of hybrid segments crucial to the success of producing reliable circuits in high yields. Among these are: resistor trimming, wire bonding, die attachment, cleaning, hermetic sealing, and moisture analysis. In addition to thin films, thick films, and assembly processes, important chapters on substrate selections, handling (including electrostatic discharge), failure analysis, and documentation are included. A comprehensive chapter of design guidelines will be of value to materials and process engineers, chemists, and electrical engineers who design and test hybrid circuits.

The packaging of electronic devices and systems represents a significant challenge for product designers and managers. Performance, efficiency, cost considerations, dealing with the newer IC packaging technologies, and EMI/RFI issues all come into play. Thermal considerations at both the device and the systems level are also necessary. The Electronic Packaging Handbook, a new volume in the Electrical Engineering Handbook Series, provides essential factual information on the design, manufacturing, and testing of electronic devices and systems. Co-published with the IEEE, this is an ideal resource for engineers and technicians involved in any aspect of design, production, testing or packaging of electronic products, regardless of whether they are commercial or industrial in nature. Topics addressed include design automation, new IC packaging technologies, materials, testing, and safety. Electronics packaging continues to include expanding and evolving topics and technologies, as the demand for smaller, faster, and lighter products continues without signs of abatement. These demands mean that individuals in each of the specialty areas involved in electronics packaging-such as electronic, mechanical, and thermal designers, and manufacturing and test engineers-are all interdependent on each others knowledge. The Electronic Packaging Handbook elucidates these specialty areas and helps individuals broaden their knowledge base in this ever-growing field.

Ceramics were among the first materials used as substrates for mass-produced electronics, and they remain an important class of packaging and interconnect material today. Most available information about ceramic electronics is either outdated or focused on their materials science characteristics. The Ceramic Interconnect Technology Handbook goes beyond the traditional approach by first surveying the unique properties of ceramics and then discussing design, processing, fabrication, and integration, as well as packaging and interconnect technologies. Collecting contributions from an outstanding panel of experts, this book offers an up-to-date overview of modern ceramic electronics, from design and material selection to manufacturing and implementation. Beginning with an overview of the development, properties, advantages, and applications of ceramics, coverage spans electrical design, testing, simulation, thermomechanical design, screen printing, multilayer ceramics, photo-defined and photo-imaged films, copper interconnects for ceramic substrates, and integrated passive devices in ceramic substrates. It also offers a detailed review of the surface, thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties of various ceramics as well as the processing of high- and low-temperature cofired ceramic (HTCC and LTCC) substrates. Opening new vistas and avenues of advancement, the Ceramic Interconnect Technology Handbook is the only source for comprehensive discussion and analysis of nearly every facet of ceramic interconnect technology and applications.

The most comprehensive source available on the preparation, characterization, and emerging applications of thin film. This book features extensive new advances applied in multichip modules (MCMs), and covers the basic principles and applications of thin film deposition techniques for practical use. It provides and develops design guidelines to realize multilayer structures in microcircuits, thus addressing a critical and rapidly growing area.

The superb organization of The Electronics Handbook means that it is not only a comprehensive and fascinating reference, but also a pleasure to use. Some of these organizational features include: