As the digital demands of a progressively more connected society grow, semiconductor manufacturers must adapt. In just a few years, key steps in wafer manufacturing, such as packing, have changed so much that the role of back-end operations is unrecognizable.
A lot of progress has been made thanks to unrelenting innovation and problem-solving. To understand this further, it’s important to cover the two main parts of wafer manufacturing.
Fundamentally, the production of semiconductors is divided into two phases: front-end (wafer fabrication) and back-end (packaging and testing).
Wafer fabrication is building tiny electronic circuits on a silicon board. After testing and packaging, those wafers become completed chips with interconnects that can be incorporated into computers, smartphones, and other gadgets.
The process that follows the front end is called back-end wafer packaging. It includes connecting, packaging, and testing manufactured semiconductors and is highly interdependent with the front-end process.
In wafer-level packaging, some or all of the packaging steps are completed at the wafer level before wafer sawing. In contrast, in conventional packaging, the wafer is sawed before the chip is packaged.
Due to advanced packaging, the distinction between front-end and back-end processes has become blurrier. Nowadays, many manufacturing processes for advanced packaging are similar to those used in wafer fabrication, forcing manufacturers to adapt constantly.
We aim to offer the highest quality products at Wafer World, so we’re attentive to these changes. If you’re interested in learning more about our packing processes, reach out!
