Advanced Packaging is increasingly shaping the future of microelectronics

The semiconductor world is looking to Saxony: In »Silicon Saxony«, Europe’s largest microelectronics and semiconductor cluster, a neighborhood so unique has developed north of Dresden that it’s colloquially referred to as the »Silicon Road«: The »who’s who« of major chip manufacturers – GlobalFoundries, Infineon, Robert Bosch Semiconductor, and ESMC – has set up shop here. Some companies are already in production, while others are about to begin.

This is an important step toward more chips »Made in Europe«. However, the crucial question for Europe’s competitiveness in microelectronics is no longer merely where chips are developed and manufactured, but rather where they are integrated.

For a long time, technological progress was driven by ever more powerful chips. However, the focus is increasingly shifting toward their intelligent system integration. In the future, the next leap in innovation will no longer come solely from individual semiconductor devices, but from the interaction of a wide variety of components.

Europe therefore needs not only front-end capabilities, but also state-of-the-art packaging and heterointegration expertise to secure long-term technological sovereignty.

Advanced Packaging as the Key to Future Technologies

This paradigm shift reinforces the importance of Fraunhofer IZM’s »All Silicon System Integration Dresden – ASSID« as a European research and technology transfer partner for 200- and 300mm advanced packaging technologies.

ASSID is also located on »Silicon Road«. Compared to the »big players« in our neighborhood, it may seem small. But we shouldn’t be tempted to equate size with relevance. On the contrary! Founded in 2010, the center has established itself as a reliable R&D partner with a strong international reputation – as I recently experienced firsthand during my delegation trips to Taiwan and Korea.

This also underscores the fact that many international players, particularly in Asia, are turning their attention to Advanced Packaging as a strategic key to competitiveness. 300mm advanced packaging is no longer just an additional process step. It is the crucial link in the microelectronics value chain and the key technology for artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, and quantum computing.

State-of-the-Art Infrastructure for Cutting-Edge Research

We see ourselves as enablers of innovation, from the initial idea to industry-ready implementation. And our partners appreciate that. To this end, we successfully operate an industry-ready, 200/300mm, 3D wafer-level process line at Fraunhofer IZM-ASSID.

Our goal is to continually drive new technological innovations while bridging the gap between research and manufacturing. That is why we continuously invest in expanding our state-of-the-art research infrastructure, as we are currently doing as part of the European pilot line APECS (Advanced Packaging and Heterogeneous Integration for Electronic Components and Systems).

Through this initiative, we are establishing the conditions necessary to develop new integration and packaging technologies in collaboration with industry partners, validate them under industry-relevant conditions, and prepare them for transfer into concrete applications and products. This allows us to combine cutting-edge research with faster and lower-risk technology transfer.

Expanded R&D Offerings Along the Value Chain

In close collaboration with our colleagues at Fraunhofer IPMS, we are currently establishing the Center for Advanced CMOS & Heterointegration Saxony (CEASAX). Here at Fraunhofer IZM-ASSID, we are expanding our expertise in 300mm wafer integration, hybrid bonding, and chiplet and 3D integration approaches, and are systematically building out our capabilities in these areas. Fraunhofer IPMS-CNT contributes expertise in upstream semiconductor processes, such as active devices, energy-efficient memory, or non-volatile memory.

With this center, we are consolidating our R&D activities based on industry-standard 300mm wafer equipment and our expertise in front-end and back-end technologies, as well as wafer-level system integration, thereby completing the value chain.

Together, we are creating the conditions to ensure that new technologies find their way into industrial applications and do not remain confined to the laboratory. After all, if Europe wants to secure its competitiveness and technological sovereignty, we must master the entire value chain! I am proud that ASSID, together with its partners, is playing an important role in developing new packaging technologies and system integration.

Dr.-Ing. Manuela Junghähnel

Site Director, Fraunhofer IZM-ASSID

The department »All Silicon System Integration Center Dresden« (ASSID), established in 2010, is an integral part of Fraunhofer IZM, specializing in 3D wafer-level system integration and packaging. ASSID operates a state-of-the-art 300mm process line based on Cu-Through Silicon Via (TSV) technology, offering tailored development and manufacturing of complex 3D systems.

The process line includes individual modules for TSV formation, post-processing, assembly, and 3D stacking, enabling both application-oriented development and the qualification and prototype production of 3D wafer-level system-in-packages. Typical application areas include high-performance and quantum computing, as well as edge sensor systems, driving advancements in these fields with cutting-edge technologies and flexible industry collaboration.

Fraunhofer IZM-ASSID is partner in APECS, CEASAX, High Performance Center »Functional Integration in Micro- and Nanoelectronics« as well as  a member in Silicon Saxony e.V., & EFDS.