In the early 1990’s all the major players in assembly housing like Amkor, STATSChipPAC and ASE licensed flip chip and Unitive technologies. This move made flip-chip technologies available in abundance.

The early use of FC was marked by the obstacle that there were not many area array designed chips. RDL which consisted of addition of metal layers on the surface of the wafer had an aim which was to re-route the input-output layout. This required the use of thin polymers like Asahi glass and BCP and metallization using Aluminum or Copper. Later discoveries revealed that in low input-output devices the pitch of the chip could be relaxed using RDL. Solder balls of large diameter were used to provide relief for CTE stresses. This was an economical solution which was effective and efficient till a thickness of 5mm. the concept being proposed in 1994 by Sandia Labs by the name BGA.

Later the requirement arose which needed the use of WLP for devices with a large number of input-outputs. Fan out packaging (now known as fan-in) was developed to provide a solution to this issue. Significant industrial attention has been received by Infeneon’s eWLB and Freescale’s RCP.

To improve the performance of the device by improving the delay in gate switching by decreasing the operating voltage IC technology has been shrinking gate dimensions for decades. Scaling down of dimensions has resulted in increase of line resistance and capacitance for wires of small cross section. Hence, ways to improve device performance economically have become less. 3D integration has been found as a solution. It is believed that 3D technology will provide lower risk and cost once infrastructure is installed. Elpida and Samsung have recently commercializing 3D stack memory. Products employing 3D stacked memory have been announced by Xilinx and IBM.

After the installation of Latitude machine at Selby and two in Romania, The Desborough casemaker is the fourth Latitude machine within VPK group. Pre-feeder, end of line palletiser and materials handling systems in this fourth Latitude machine are its key features. Apart from factory renovation and extensions, this new casemaker is a part of investment of £2.5m for Desborough this year. Such advances assure that the company is getting a newer improved direction.

Richard Coward also said that market conditions were “much more buoyant” than ever before and the installation of new casemaker is of great help for the firm as it “drives at the retail-ready packaging market”. Rigid offers the cutting edge services in retail packaging market with improved technology introduced by installation of machines like four-colour Latitude flexo casemaker.

Rigid is one of the largest independent box and container manufacturers in UK based in Desborough, Northamptonshire, Selby and North Yorkshire. Rigid employs 465 people in United Kingdom, 165 people at Selby, 180 people in Desborough and some people in HQ and sales roles. Ranging from high volume transit cases to retail ready packaging, Rigid offers converting services and helps in any kind of box design requirement. The products and services of Rigid include case making, box design, converting, high quality pint, warehousing & logistics and stock management. VPK, parent of Rigid, has sales of £554m and it operates more than 25 sites across the Europe. Also it is an integrated group that manufacturers packaging papers for its own sites and wider market.

In regard to this problem, Dell announced a long term sustainable packaging strategy. It started using bamboo packaging from sustainable resources and later it began testing mushroom based materials which are grown by cotton husks with mushroom spawn and other agricultural wastes. Consequently it was found that bamboo packaging for efficient for smaller products like notebooks and smart phones whereas mushroom cushions are good for heavier products such as desktops and servers.

Yet another approach to eco-friendly packaging is extending the life of packaging by reuse. The Reusable Packaging Association revealed radio-frequency identification or RFID tags are although designed for single use, however the technology used in its packaging allows it to be used for multiple trips. This enables the packaging to be traced back to manufacturer which is a key factor when reuse is considered.

Cebit IT industry came up with a very innovative packaging solution this year. Taiwanese IT Company has set yet another example of packaging solution by developing a box used for shipping motherboards which also doubles up similar to PC case. Most of IT packaging is concerned with PC hardware has led to massive wastages in software packaging. In 2009 through research conducted Microsoft stated that providing its software to consumers online has much more environmental benefits that by any other means. This is evident from the fact that downloading Office 2007 eliminated amount of carbon emissions in packaging and shipping a DVD to about eight times.

Inspite of so many new packaging ideas developed, still there’s a lot more that IT industry can do to create better packaging options for other products. In 2009, sustainable packaging coalition released a web based tool which can be used by packaging designers to assess environmental impacts of their design.

SUKANO comes with its innovative and cutting edge technology making the most of the recycled PET which has a reduced packaging weight. What adds to the performance and stability of the recycled PET is the use of viscosity enhancer. This also gives it a uniform structure which in turn imparts it the best functional features. It is also equipped with white masterbatch to give it an opaque and optical appearance.

With all such functionalities available at a reasonable price, you cannot deny the contribution of SUKANO. Besides, you also do not need bring any other production equipment as they can be used well on single screw film extrusion lines. Thus SUKANO X-RPET finds its varied applications because of all the benefits and functionalities it offers.

SUKANO X-RPET also finds its application in foamed packaging where it can be used in the food industry, for packaging technical items and other applications such as chocolate packages. These are completely safe as far as food packaging purposes are concerned as they are approved for their use in food products. So you can use these without getting worried in terms of safety.

Thus, with the application of its advanced technology, SUKANO has done wonders in making the raw material PET even better in quality along with providing a perfect blend of features including processibility and better appearance. This has also contributed to the environment since it goes for the re-use and recycling of PET.

Thus, SUKANO with its portfolio of masterbatches has provided the best option in terms of sustainability and value.

It does not only boost up employees morale but also increases people’s faith in that particular industry. This increases the goodwill of the industry owner which helps in increasing the profits of the industry in a cost effective an efficient manner. The fishkers brand, which invented the smart propane trimmer, uses other sources of fuel which were more environmental friendly and cost effective. Other factors which bring such excellence awards are the service and the quality of products, the designs, innovation and ideas. The selling techniques must meet the present requirements of the consumers which include the way of selling the items, the services provided along with selling such as transportation, better packaging etc.

Additional services are provided along with the sales which enables the manufacturer to earn more goodwill and finally it helps the manufacturer to attract more profits. Providing better products at a reasonable cost keeping in mind the competition prevailing in the market, is the key for getting such excellence awards. These industries have to equip themselves with more environmental friendly advanced techniques like using recycled material for packaging purpose. Thus using alternative sources of fuel instead of using gasoline and other more polluting fuel, is a smart option for this industry. Indeed it is imperative to say that the Fiskars brand has done a remarkable work by inventing the smart propane trimmer which uses environmental friendly fuel other than gasoline.

The features of this service are to detect factors which are disturbing the process such as downtime, low machine output and wastage. Roland Pichler, the Manager of the OEE consulting services believes that every minute of production is crucial and so it is imperative for the manufacturers to determine the cause of losses so that the efficiency can be maximized. A methodical approach is required which will identify the main cause of losses; it also suggests improvement and implements solutions. At the OEE consulting services the specialists at Bosch work with the manufacturers, and offer the expertise that they have to ensure increase in productivity and hence overall efficiency also increases.

The first step is the preparation of an audit by the people at Bosch. In this the experts at OEE, Bosch analyse the current process which includes every individual machine and the complete packaging line. They gather data about three main areas related to production, namely: machine availability, performance and the quality of the output. Then the collected data is evaluated by experts at the OEE. The data of machine availability helps in identifying the causes of downtime and correcting it. Assessing the performance helps in determining the percentage of wastage that occurs when the machines are run at a speed which is lower than the optimal speed. Output quality is assessed to know how much time of the total production time was wasted in producing products that did not meet the standards set for product quality. These factors are analysed and evaluated continuously over a period of time and a detailed report is constructed which provides methods for improvement of overall efficiency and also solutions to problems related with the efficiency. This complete procedure helps companies to increase their productivity which is very much required in the competitive scenario.

A single solution cannot improve sustainability but a number of factors are considered while framing the plan for sustainable packaging. As per the respondents who practically work for sustainable packaging, recycling can be a better option regarding this. Use of recycled content can bring a positive change for sustainable packaging. However some respondents also believe in using renewable materials or bio based materials which are not harmful for nature and can bring a balance in this industry. Compostable material can also be used for packaging. A single thing cannot bring a considerable change which the industry wants.

Thus a mixture of the above ideas can be used to bring sustainable packaging. an extensive planning and implementation is required for using such materials which ensures that the product quality remains unaffected, and the material used in packaging must meet the parameters which are required to maintain the balance between the nature and industry. Now a day, the packaging industry cannot think just for profits but sustainable growth is required which takes care of the industry’s interest as well as the consumer’s interest. For packaging, polymers are widely used which are now made from more environmental friendly materials to ensure that it does not affect the nature. These techniques help the industry to promote its good in a better manner and the consumers understand it. This industry needs commitments towards sustainable packaging to ensure the proper growth and development of the industry which every one desires. Goals are required to be initiated in this regard for the industry’s betterment both internally and externally which will satisfy the industry demands and consumers.

Multisorb Technologies was founded by John S. Cullen in 1961. Since then it has been innovating and developing packaging products which provide protection to products from moisture. Dyadem is a leader in the global market of Operational Risk Management and Quality Risk Management Solutions. It is a provider of software and services that enable the companies to know and deal with the risks that the design and manufacturing process poses to the people and the products. It serves companies like oil and gas, pharmaceutical, medical, automotive, electronics, aerospace and defense.

Multisorb Technologies has been in the field of designing, developing and producing active packaging technology which is used in healthcare, food and beverages, electronics and transportation equipments. Earlier it used to use Dyadem’s desktop software and now has announced to upgrade to Stature software. This up gradation will enable the users of Multisorb Technologies to access real time as well as historical data and information. According to the Process and Quality Engineer Leader at Multisorb Technologies, Keith Ware, Stature is a simple tool with intuitive properties and it can be accessed and shared simultaneously by a number of Multisorb websites and this will ensure consistency and clarity throughout the risk management process. This software by Dyadem will also help Multisorb save money and time and maintain the superior quality and reliability of their products. Dyadem’s stature is a web-based risk and quality management system. It helps companies in risk management by identifying and dealing with the risks across the globe. In ensures transparency and continuity of communication during the company’s program, project or process and thus helps the organization in recognizing its top risks.

The President and CEO of Dyadem, Kevin North told that in today’s competitive packaging market Stature will provide an edge to Multisorb. The purchase of this new software by Multisorb shows its commitment towards quality products.

By the end of the year 2010, flip chip packages constituted 13% of all the IC packages and was worth more than 29% of the Global IC market. Though it is the first ever eport by Yole Developments, it tells us a great deal about the dynamic market and how this technology grew from zero to a $16 billion market at the end of 2010. At first it seems like a large market, but the experts at Yole say that it is in th beginning stage with major advancements in applications waiting ahead in the future. Project Manager at Yole Développement Christophe Zinck, says that the factors such as increasing demand of thin devices, increase in the cost of gold used for wire bonding, higher current and temperatures, continued downscaaling of CMOS have encouraged the use of Flip Chips over time.

These factors get further strengthened by the fact that more and more sophisticated devices nowadays can not run on wire bonding alongwith weight reductions and higher electrical requirements of the new technologies being put into those devices. Apart from this, the greater than ever demand of the IO density which necessiates the development of new substrate technologies. Failure in resolving these issues will generate bottlenecks and hurdles for the continued application of the Moore’s Law.

The report elluminates the changing trends and major transformation in the technology and supply chains as well as the impact of flip chips on the semiconductor sector for the next 5 years. Limited word can be misleading about the dynamics and charecterstics of the flip chip market as the technology itself is too diverse and the applications too varied.

The report was published in April 2011 and can be obtained for a catalogue price of Euros 3,999.0 for a single user License.

The introductory speech was made by Bill Bottoms, who is the CEO of 3 MTS and also the chairperson of ITRS (International Technology Roadmaps for Semiconductors). He talked about collaborative efforts in roadmaps and the international view of roadmaps. He informed the attendees of the forum that ITRS has sponsors like Europe, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and US. The functions of ITRS are to forecast the technological requirements of semiconductors 15 years in future and also forecast new semiconductors devices and materials that can be used to manufacture them.

Bill Bottoms told that for the past 40years the main area of focus was the design and fabrication of semiconductors. The semiconductor roadmaps focus on reducing the dimensions and making larger wafers. In today’s era of nanotechnology, technology has become more complicated and packaging plays a very important role in determining the yield, reliability and also the performance of the semiconductors.

To meet the demands of better packaging WLP i.e. wafer level packaging was developed. This packaging technology comes with many benefits for small and portable products such as lower cost, better performance characteristics, low power input and small size. Other important developments which have taken place in the field of packaging are System in Package (SIP) which puts into a single package multiple dies.

Bill Bottoms also predicted that 3D will play a crucial role in maintain the price elasticity featured growth of the electronic industry. Though 3D comes along with a number of challenges but they all have feasible solutions. He foresees that 3D will first come up by silicon interposers. Bill concluded his talk by saying that packaging industry is growing at a great pace and semiconductor roadmaps will be very crucial is maintaining this pace of development.

The ITRS in its latest edition informs that use of 3D for packaging poses problems that are unique and were not found in the conventional 2D packaging such as reducing the width of wafers and dies and handling them, delivery of power and testing.