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Microelectronics 101
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Interconnect
Breakthroughs

What is interconnect all about?


It's fair to say that the image of high technology is embodied by the semiconductor chip. The popular media has placed so much attention on the chip that one might believe that the electronics revolution of the late 20th century is the direct result of silicon advances alone. That's only half of the story. The truth is that in order to make them work, these wonder chips still need a connection to the outside world—and protection from that same world. Interconnect is the other half of this revolution. To understand its significance, consider the example of the human body.

The body serves as a protective shell for the skeleton, internal organs and connecting systems. In other words, it packages everything together so that we can go about the task of living. Now apply this concept to electronics. Just like the body, chips and other discrete devices need to be packaged to enable function. And much like the body's central nervous system, Interconnect serves as the link between the chip (e.g., the brain) and other devices (e.g., hands, feet, legs, etc.) which allows it to function as intended (the application). Therefore, Interconnect products include not only the packaging but the entire infrastructure which bridges the gap between the semiconductor chips and their ultimate applications. Interconnect products include chip carriers, printed wiring boards, assemblies and the electronic manufacturing services (EMS) which tie them together.

 
Interconnect
Why packaging is important 
Primer: the real world 
What is interconnect all about? 
Chip carrier packaging 
Ceramic chip carriers 
Organic chip carriers 
Multi-chip modules 
Printed wiring boards 
Multilayer cards and boards 
Surface laminar circuit cards and boards 
Card and backplane assemblies 
Electronic manufacturing services (EMS) 
Completing the circuit 




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