Solutions

Embedded Die Substrate

Overview

Burying the die inside the substrate for a smaller, cooler, better-performing package — offered as a-EASI and SESUB.

As the market needs to pack more chips and functions, higher performance, lower power and better heat dissipation into a smaller form factor, demand for embedded die substrates (such as a-EASI and SESUB) is expected to grow worldwide. ASE offers a full turnkey embedded-die-substrate solution, drawing on its advanced packaging and test expertise and its substrate design and manufacturing capability.

What is it

What is embedded die substrate?

Conventionally, active dies sit on top of a substrate for support and interconnect. In an embedded die substrate, the die is embedded within standard PCB material (organic laminated layers) and/or a lead frame during substrate formation, then connected to other components (MEMS or passives) through copper-plated vias and conductive traces.

Advantages

Miniaturization & flexibility

Frees space for other components or shrinks the whole solution
Design moves from 2D to 3D

Thermal & electrical

Shorter interconnects reduce parasitics, minimizing distortion and power loss
Lower electrical and thermal resistivity improves power performance

Reliability

High mechanical stability from stable Cu interconnections

a-EASI

Advanced Embedded Active System Integration (a-EASI)

ASE's Embedded (Chip) Technology is considered an alternative solution to achieve higher-level integration with multi-functionalities and form factor shrinkage advantages. ASE a-EASI is suitable for power electronics applications to reduce power loss and high thermal dissipation which also had robust mechanism. Embedded Technology provides SMT integration and flexible routing solution to reduce PCB size. The short connection path though Cu via structure. a-EASI applied metal lead frame to die placement which has high thermal dissipation and EMI benefit.

Applications

MOSFET
IGBT
Regulator
Power modules
DCDC

Features

Pinout: BGA/LGA/QFN
IOs: Up to 100
Package size: <50 (mm²)
Power: 1000+ (W)
Thermal: Excellent

P1 Structure

via direct on chip pad
Excellent electrical & thermal performance
HVM production proven

P2 Structure

Thermal enhance (exposed pad)
Thinner package
Support various footprint (BGA, LGA, QFN)
Single die pass AEC-Q100 G1 by customer
Embedded 8 chips max. (under customer qualification)

P3 Structure

via direct on chip pad
Improve design flexibility for vertical current device
Highly integration – smaller form factor

SESUB

Semiconductor Embedded in Substrate (SESUB)

SESUB (Semiconductor Embedded in SUBstrate) is a technology that embeds the IC in the laminated substrate. This substrate with the thinned IC embedded can be mounted with various electronic components to form a highly integrated, multiple-function module/package. SESUB enables the micro-modularization of functional circuitry such as high-performance PMUs for smartphones as well as Bluetooth modules. SESUB has already been a proven technology by many customers and IC vendors.

Applications

MCU
FEM
PMIC
Optical
Connectivity
Audio
Power
Sensor
Processor
Image module
Automotive ADAS
High-Frequency Application
Memory

Features

Pinout: BGA/LGA
IOs: Up to 1000
Package size: 200+ (mm²)
Power: <20+ (W)
Thermal: Good

The figure below illustrates the cross-section view of a multi die embedded module utilizing SESUB technology. The SESUB is a 1-2-1 4-layer structure which provides properties for size reduction, thermal dissipation, mechanical robustness, performance improvement. SESUB not only serves as module, but also as package with thin thickness.