Revolutionizing packaging technology: The Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM is spearheading the transition from fan-out wafer to fan-out panel level packaging with an initiative that has brought together illustrious international partners – innovative SMEs as well as global players. The global nature of the partnership meant coping with often conflicting time zones. Michael Töpper, co-coordinator at the Fraunhofer IZM, recalls: “We called Asia in the morning, our European partners during the day, and spent the evenings on the line to America.”

A kick-off meeting was held on December 8th / 9th to coordinate the next steps on the journey. Full members with extensive voting rights at the meeting and supply chain members actively involved with production machines and material applications will include such high-profile names as Intel, ASM Pacific, Hitachi Chemical, AT&S, Evatec, NANIUM, Süss MicroTec, Unimicron, Brewer Science, FUJIFILM Electronic Materials U.S.A, ShinEtsu, Mitsui Chemicals Tohcello and Semsysco. With Fraunhofer IZM providing the development hub in Berlin, the members are dedicated to promoting the transition to the innovative production standard.