New electronic systems for automotive/industrial/medical/aerospace will continue to challenge both packaging engineers and technology due to the increased performance requirements, higher densities, higher temperatives and limited space available. This challenge mandates the use of unique packaging techniques such as multi-chip modules (MCM) that must not only provide the increase circuit density but also the reliability, electrical and medical performance, thermal management, and hermeticity. Recent interest MCM technology has focused on different packaging technologies such as laminate, ceramic, and thin film technologies. One such ceramic technology, low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) tape technology, offers significant benefits over other established packaging technologies for high RF, high density and fast digital applications that could require hermetically and good thermal management. This paper will address the current status of LTCC technology as well as new and promising developments that could make this the leading substrate and MCM packaging technology. All market indicators are predicting tremendous growth in the MCM market. One forecasting company has projected that in North America alone the MCM market will grow from $350 million in 1996 to about $10 billion by the year 2000. The military's share alone of the market will grow from about $36 million to $1.1 billion by the year 2000. So important is the MCM market, ARPA has awarded $40 million to one MCM consortium comprised of the key military electronics companies. It is interesting to note that much of the funds will be used to improve the technical merits of laminate technology (MCM-L) and reduce that already exists-LTCC and tape technology (MCM-C)!!
