PALO ALTO, CA - Feed me, fill me. Those two needs-more speed and more storage-in the communications market will be the driving forces for developing advanced connector technology in the coming months and years, according to recent research conducted by Frost & Sullivan (www.frost.com).
The study, “Emergent Technology Developments in Chip/Board Level Interconnects,” finds that higher speed requirements for wireless broadband connectivity, VoIP, and video over IP, along with an “incessant need” for storage in the storage/server market, will require more advanced connector solutions to meet the demand.
Interconnect innovations supporting low-k dielectric silicon is likely to occur with the introduction of 45-nanometer (nm) process technology and, according to researchers, is likely to get commercialized within three to four years. “Substantial amounts of investment and effort were being poured into R&D of optoelectronics technology for short range interconnections (for example, less than 1 meter) over the last several years,” says Frost & Sullivan technical insight industry analyst Sivakumar Muthuramalingam. “Many companies globally are investigating the development of affordable metal-based interconnect solutions that will meet performance requirements and foreseeable needs of electronic interconnections over those same distances.”
Researchers globally are also investigating the possibility of integrating flip chip and wire bond die in a single package, with the research focus likely to shift soon toward high-volume assembly. Research worldwide, says Frost & Sullivan, has also sought to address the inherent issues associated with optical interconnect technology by building most of the device components on a standard CMOS process. Further global research to address this issue has enabled what the study calls “a promising foundation for chip-to-chip interconnects for the next decade.”
The Frost & Sullivan report includes detailed emerging technology opportunities and industry trends that have been evaluated, following extensive interviews with market participants.
