Jun 30 2009
The Institute of Microelectronics (IME), a research institute of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), today announced the launch of the 10th Electronic Packaging Research Consortium (EPRC-10) to address key integration challenges of 3-dimensional (3-D) Packaging and Embedded Module technologies during a signing ceremony. IME is spearheading the consortium with 16 company members that include Asahi Glass Co Ltd, ASM Technology Singapore Pte Ltd, Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd, Compass Technology Company Ltd, Disco Hi-Tec Singapore Pte Ltd, EVG Group, Ibiden Singapore Pte Ltd, Infineon Technologies Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, Kinergy Ltd, Nepes Pte Ltd, NXP Semiconductors Singapore Pte Ltd, Shanghai Sinyang Semiconductor Materials Co Ltd, Silecs Oy, Sumitomo Bakelite Singapore Pte Ltd and Tango Systems Inc in 2 projects over the next 18-months.
The Electronic Packaging Research Consortium (EPRC) is a resource and cost sharing platform for electronics packaging research and development in pre-competitive areas of common industry technology needs. Its goal is to inject leading upstream core capability (mainly design and process guidelines) for consortium members to apply these enabling technologies to their products and processes. The consortium consists of members from the electronics companies, and the IC packaging supply chain such as wafer fabs, packaging and testing house, equipment and material. Since the first EPRC in 1996, this platform has injected invaluable R&D capabilities into the operation of many multi-national and local enterprises in the electronics packaging industry through nine consortia. Out of the 16 company members in EPRC-10, 13 companies are returning consortium members. The EPRC platform has successfully achieved new technological breakthroughs in novel chip size packages for wireless applications, laminate packages for high pin count high performance ICs, and optical packages for communication devices.
Professor Dim-Lee Kwong, Executive Director of IME, said “Despite the current economic downturn, we are very encouraged by the enthusiasm and number of participating companies in the consortium. This affirms the companies’ commitment to R&D and the value of EPRC to the industry. Over the years, the EPRC platform has been successful in bringing companies together to engage in pre-competitive R&D and develop new capabilities. To date, we have engaged 156 member companies and trained more than 560 engineers from member companies attached to various projects and consortia. In EPRC-10, our focus is on miniaturisation, chip stacking and integration technologies to incorporate more complex and sophisticated functions in a small form factor for next generation mobile phone, handheld devices, and consumer electronics. The know-how developed in consortium will open up new opportunities for companies in emerging products.”