Advanced Packaging - Yole Releases WLP Report

(February 15, 2008) Lyon, France — Yole Developpement has just released a new report entitled "WLP & Embedded Die Technologies 2008". This report presents the manufacturing challenges faced by the wafer level packaging industry in terms of MEMS, CMOS image sensors and semiconductor ICs.

Yole's report gives a precise description of the different type of devices using WLP and their related manufacturing challenges. Examples of major market findings are:

For CMOS imagers, WLP is indeed already an industrial reality. Today, about 35% of CMOS imagers to be found into latest consumer cell-phone and notebook cameras are encapsulated in a WL-CSP. We forecast that the technology could penetrate about 63% of this market as of 2012 as it will progressively widespread from CIF/VGAs to higher resolution image sensors.

Semiconductors integrated circuits indeed represent the largest potential for WLP. It used to be mostly restricted to small I/Os applications such as integrated passive devices, LED drivers and amplifiers. However, WLP technology tends now to integrate higher I/Os devices (>50) and manufactured on ever larger wafer diameters (6", 8" and 12"). Thus, we forecast WLP technology to grow from 1% of the mainstream IC with about 6 billions of units up to 2.5% by 2012. GaAs wireless RF chips are one of the most dynamic market segments with an expected CAGR > 100% over the 2007-2012 time period. Our analysis covers power, SAW, FBAR, logic, analog and memory devices as well.

For MEMS, the term "WLP" has been extensively used in the industry since many years now. However, it is more a WLC "Wafer Level Capping" approach that is currently developed and not a real "true WLP". Actually, production of first real WLP for MEMS started in 2006 and will account for a significant proportion of the WLP market by 2012. Companies like Samsung (KR), Dalsa Semiconductor (CA), Hymite (DK), Silex Microsystems (SW), Infineon (GE), IMT (US), TMT (TW), and VTI (FI) have all reported advanced developments in this area.

Different types of MEMS going to WLP have been analyzed: inertial (gyroscopes, accelerometers), RF (switch & resonators), Si-microphones, Biochips and optical MEMS. Proportion of MEMS devices to be encapsulated in a real WLP is going to rapidly expand in volume with a CAGR above 100% over the 2007-1012 time periods.

Ultimately, WLP market value has been evaluated over 2007-2012 for MEMS, GaAs wireless, CMOS image sensors, power devices, SAW, FBAR, logic, memories and IPDs. Market forecasts have being established at the material, equipment and device levels, in both wspy (wafer start per year) and in MUS$.

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