Last year, we emphasized how packaging interconnect density requirements are driving new technologies, challenges, and solutions in the Advanced Packaging industry.

In this year’s talk, we will review front-end and packaging innovation more broadly in the context of an AI-focused semiconductor industry.

Front-end semi processing has seen massive innovation in the last 40 years, initially about scaling on planar processes but increasingly diversifying into complex transistor architectures, EUV, and backside power.  Challenges and process control technology to enable will be reviewed, particularly those relevant for enabling AI-relevant products.

Packaging, once a minimalistic, low-cost final step in the semiconductor supply chain, is rapidly becoming an enabling technology.  Particularly for new AI architectures requiring innovative memory-to-logic integration.  KLA’s experience and learning in process and process control for new foundational packaging technologies like interposers, die stacking, hybrid bonding, glass substrates, and Co-packaged optics will be discussed.

Finally, KLA’s goal in bringing our deep experience in front-end semiconductor technology and methodologies to the packaging space will be briefly reviewed.

Keywords: Innovation, Advanced Packaging, Technology Roadmap, Heterogeneous Integration, Interconnect