Producibility of Higher Density Avionics
Summary:
Tessera Technologies, Inc. (San Jose, CA), developed advanced three-dimensional (3-D) packaging technology for field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) chips for missile avionics applications. This technology has spinoff applications in consumer electronic devices such as cell phone cameras and digital cameras, as well as in general telecommunications. MP3 players, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and other popular electronic devices can also be beneficiaries of this technology.
Technology Description:
Tessera has a proven track record in the production of electronics packages for a variety of applications, and continues its efforts in creating more efficient circuitry. In this particular application of the company's expertise, Tessera combined field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) modules to reduce weight and signal latencies, and to improve signal integrity and reliability risk profiles. Compared to multiple boards and large processors, the novel interconnection and stacking regimen employed by Tessera reduced the complexity of the overall processing scheme to enable faster operation and finer resolution for missile interceptor imaging technologies, particularly in the infrared (IR) region of the spectrum.
MDA Origins:
Tessera had two SBIR Phase II contracts, one in 2004 for producing high-density ICs for missile-seeking applications, and one in 2005 for developing an actively cooled software platform to support massively parallel resolution of IR images. Both contracts succeeded in their goals to produce a novel stacking architecture to increase the number of processing elements by a factor of four (1024 to 4096), avoiding the reliability and signal latency problems associated with a multiple-board approach.
Spinoff Applications:
As the market drives demand for smaller electronic products with ever more functionality and power, semiconductor packages must provide the same or better capability in ever smaller footprints. Applications for Tessera’s technologies include personal computers and office workstations, as well as high-bandwidth networking devices (such as network servers) that incorporate double data rate (DDR) SRAM, Rambus Dynamic Random Access Memory (RDRAM), and SRAM. Home entertainment products such as 3-D video gaming consoles, high-definition television (HDTV), and camcorders, and modern indispensables such as cell phones, MP3 players, digital cameras, and personal digital assistants, are other areas in which advanced packaging for high-density circuitry is required.
Commercialization:
Tessera seeks to introduce its FPGA/SRAM module design into image-processing hardware for the cell-phone camera and digital camera market. In addition, Tessera is addressing the demands of general signal processing, particularly in software-defined radio, cell-phone communications, and general telecommunications.
Apart from its MDA SBIR activity, Tessera recently introduced one of the world's thinnest wafer-level, chip-size packaging technologies for image sensor applications and optical devices. The SHELLCASE® RT was designed with the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) in mind, and encapsulates image sensors at the wafer level, protecting them from contamination throughout the packaging process. The packaging solution allows the manufacturer to build higher-yielding, lower-profile camera modules for camera phones, PDAs, laptop computers, and automotive electronics.
Tessera is a major provider of miniaturization technologies for the electronics industry. Intel, Samsung, Texas Instruments, Toshiba, Micron, and Infineon are among its customers in consumer, computing, communications, medical, and defense applications.
Company Profile:
Tessera was founded in 1990 and has succeeded in applying its chip-scale packaging (CSP) technology in a broad range of products such as network servers, MP3 players, and cell phones. Tessera continues to refine its three-dimensional packaging technology to meet the electronics industry's need for high-speed performance, high reliability, and small size. Today, Tessera is a leading provider of packaging, interconnect, and consumer optics technologies.
Contact Information:
Mr. Philip C. Damberg
Tessera Technologies, Inc.
3099 Orchard Drive
San Jose, CA 95134
(408) 383-3623
fax: (408) 894-0285
email: pdamberg@tessera.com
web: www.tessera.com
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