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    "License to Speed: Extreme Bandwidth Packaging"
    -- Sean Cahill, VP-Technology, BridgeWave Communications

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Presentation Slides: "License to Speed: Extreme Bandwidth Packaging " Sean Cahill, VP-Technology, BridgeWave Communications (600 kB PDF)

Thursday, June 25, 2009

  • Pizza and drinks served from 11:30 - 12:00 noon (no cost); presentation at 12:00 noon, tours at 12:45 - 1:15 PM.
    OVERVIEW:
        As device operating frequencies increase, packaging engineers look to interconnection methods that provide better signal transmission properties for high-volume applications. Next-generation interconnect approaches such as wireless and optical are areas garnering increasing research dollars, but are in practicality many years away. Flip-chip is limited as an approach because it does not address cross-talk issues without numerous extra bumps dedicated to shielding. These approaches are considerably more expensive and less flexible than wire bonding, the dominant player, either because of tooling costs or added labor-intensive steps.
        This talk will describe a new interconnect approach, MicroCoax, with the capability to create high-bandwidth interconnects for increasingly higher frequency digital and analog electronics systems. Prototype devices show excellent performance over DC-100+ GHz frequency range. Transmission line losses less than 0.5 dB, 160 µm pitch, and cross-talk isolation of approximately 40-50 dB from DC-50 GHz are demonstrated. The technology has implications for improved package design, and these design implications will be discussed. In particular, low-cost QFN packages capable of operating to 80 GHz and beyond will be shown. Such a package could propagate 150 Gbps data-rate signals on a single channel.
        Since the package structure is broadband, it allows for a variety of chipsets to be assembled using the same process sequence and I/O configuration, thereby eliminating costly overhead. With less than 0.5dB insertion-loss and >15dB return-loss per interconnect at 50GHz, a 5x5mm microCoax QFN package allows existing bare-die only applications to enter the world of high-speed PCB assembly, significantly driving down the cost of high-frequency systems. Process technology, I/O performance, active device performance, PCB board material selection and test protocol will all be discussed.

    Speaker Biography:
        Sean Cahill is VP, Technology at BridgeWave Communications where he is working on next generation millimeter-wave systems. Sean earned his MSEE/Solid State Physics from UC Santa Barbara where he fabricated some of the first surface micromachined MOEMS (Micro-opto-electro-mechanical systems). His undergraduate work entailed dual BS degrees in ECE/Signals and Systems and Biochemistry/Biophysics from UC Davis. Over his more than 20 years in industry, Sean has applied his multi-disciplinary expertise at numerous research and product development companies focused on microfabrication technologies.
        Sean began his career at Exxon Research working on flat panel displays based on electrophoresis. At NovaSensor he was primarily responsible for novel devices such as microrelays, force rebalanced accelerometers, vibrating beam pressure sensors, and ion/electron beam lithography mask membranes. At Teknekron Sensor Development Sean managed the Micromachining group. This group supported the company's efforts in pioneering chemical and biosensor platforms while developing novel mechanical sensors and microstructures. Examples of such devices include a microheater used for catalytic gas sensing, NDIR gas sensors, high dynamic range capacitive pressure sensors, SFM (scanning force microscope) probe tips which were the sharpest available, and frequency selective earthquake detectors.
        After co-founding two product-based MEMS startups, Sean was recruited by Maxim Integrated Products to establish their MEMS fabrication facility and to create their patented media-compatible pressure sensor technology. Sean has served in consulting, advisory, and board member capacities at several Silicon Valley MEMS companies. He holds 23 US Patents for micromachined devices addressing many industries including automotive, process control, semiconductor, medical, and communications fields.


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