SmartDie(TM) Product Applications: Smaller, Lighter, and Smarter

Market Trends
The 1980s gave people a powerful new tool to use at work and home: personal computers (PCs). The PC revolution spawned multi-billion dollar industries as hardware manufacturers, chip makers and software companies joined the fray. While the 1980s will be forever marked by the PC revolution, the 1990s legacy is taking a decidedly different bent.
The latest market trend can be captured in three words: miniaturization, modularity and mobility. Consumers are becoming increasingly more mobile and sophisticated when it comes to computer and communication devices. As the mobile office comes of age, users are likely to be away from the office when they need information. To augment their desktop PCs, consumers want lightweight, low-cost computer and communication devices that they can take with them wherever they go. Four main mobile market segments are emerging:

• PCMCIA expansion cards: While today's cards are mainly for memory expansion, the emerging product trends are toward combination cards that combine multiple functions onto a single card such as fax/modem and flash memory. Another trend is toward cards for small hard disk drives. AP Research estimates that more than 80 percent of portable computers will utilize this modular expansion approach and have PCMCIA slots by 1996.
• Embedded PCs: These products range from intelligent terminals, such as the scanners at the grocery store, to office and factory automation applications. Other applications include home entertainment systems such as multimedia boxes and games.
• Hand-held computing: This market area includes pen tablet and notepad devices, mobile companion computers (MCC) and personal digital assistants (PDAs).
• Personal communicators: This emerging area combines personal communications, such as cellular telephones and pagers, with personal organizers that include calendars, notepads and daily planners.

The good news is that the technology for all of these small form-factor systems already exists. While small-outline packages satisfy the requirements of most applications today, certain applications face form-factor constraints that demand the next level of size reduction -- unpackaged die. According to BPA Technology and Management, die consumption is expected to grow at more than three times the semiconductor industry rate through the year 2000. This growth is driven by the fact that the design and manufacturing of smaller and portable products can best be achieved by using die-level semiconductors.

What are die?
Basically, die are semiconductor chips without any packaging. Chips come in a variety of packages, which are different sizes and shapes. The problem is that many packages are too bulky for tomorrow's small form-factor systems. For example, the die version of the Intel386 CX processor is only 12 percent of the total area of the smallest packaged version, and 25 percent of the height. Up to five-to-one gains in overall circuit board real estate savings are not uncommon with die versions vs. packaged chips. This gain gives manufacturers the ability to get the same functionality in a much smaller space. In other words, they can create the smaller, thinner and lighter end products consumers want.
SmartDie^TM products are the unpackaged die in Intel's die product line which provide the same levels of quality, reliability, performance and support as their packaged counterparts.

Intel's SmartDie^TM Products vs. "The Myths"
Although die level products are not the right choice for every application, they can provide a significant size advantage for systems that require the smallest form factor available. There are a lot of myths floating around that often prevent design, product development and manufacturing engineers from fully exploring die as an option. Right now is a good time to debunk the myths about die.

Myth #1: Die is not an option because it's too expensive. In the past, this may have been the case because semiconductor companies weren't set up to handle die sales. A customer buying untested die faced uncertain manufacturing yields and associated rework costs. Even if the customer could buy "Known Good Die," they usually paid a stiff price premium. Today, however, Intel has the testing infrastructure in place to deliver SmartDie^TM products that are comparable to its packaged components. In addition, fully-tested SmartDie^TM products are priced at parity with their packaged counterparts.

Myth #2: Large semiconductor companies such as Intel would never sell die. Again, in the past this may have been the case. Selling die was out of the main flow of many companies' product offerings.
Today's system manufacturers, however, are demanding die-level products to develop smaller and more mobile products, causing a dramatic increase in die sales through the end of the decade. Intel will continue to offer more SmartDie^TM Product options, including certain versions of its industry-standard processors, microcontrollers and flash memories.

Myth #3: Even if we could get them, die aren't that much smaller anyway. The absolute smallest package you can get is no package at all: unpackaged die. Die are the smallest form factor available today. Up to five-to-one reductions in circuit board area are not uncommon using die.

Myth #4: There is no product support available for die-level products. The "You buy it, you own it" mentality is gone. Intel now offers full support for die products including complete product documentation and die-specific application and manufacturing support.

The Intel Solution
Intel's SmartDie^TM products take the guesswork out of die level products by offering the same standards as packaged products. With Intel SmartDie^TM products, customers get the same quality, reliability, performance, availability, support and price as with traditional packaged components. For example, the quality and reliability processes for Intel SmartDie^TM products are equivalent to its packaged products. These include:

• Full speed testing/parametrics (AC/DC)
  
• Screening for operation over a 0°C - 80°C (Junction) temperature range
  
• Die level burn-in when required
  
• 100-percent visual inspections during processing and packing
  
• Full product support from Intel and third parties
  
• Comparable cost to traditional packaged components
  
• Standard sales and distribution channels

Product Support
In addition to the above support, Intel offers die-level manufacturing assistance through its unique Technical Alliance Program (TAP) as an aid to customers who lack the necessary experience and equipment to handle unpackaged die. Intel evaluated several contract manufacturers that are technically capable in the design, assembly and final test of systems using unpackaged die. These contract manufacturers can help customers with Chip On Board (COB) solutions using cost-effective laminate circuit boards. Several manufacturers can also build multi-chip packages to deliver several die in one surface-mountable package.
Intel is working closely with these TAP participants to provide them with technical and product support. Customers can then choose the TAP participant that best suits their needs.
Whether dealing through TAP or working directly with the end customer, Intel dedicates factory resources to assist with die-level products. Multi-disciplined support teams are available to help customers with die-level design and manufacturing process issues. Intel offers comprehensive customer support for its SmartDie^TM products, including return material authorization and functional analysis and correlation report support.

Intel SmartDie^TM Product Solutions
We live in a world made smaller by increasingly dazzling computer and communication options. As the 21st century unfolds, our ability to develop smaller and lighter products is limited only by our imagination. Intel SmartDie^TM products enable tomorrow's small form-factor designs.

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