IEEE ESTC 2026 Short Courses on September 9, 2026

Heat is generated in almost all technical processes. For example, the integration density in modern electronic systems is so high that their performance is limited by cooling. Microelectronic reliability depends on thermo-mechanical properties of packages. Highly integrated batteries of hybrid electrical vehicles depend on cooling. The properties of electrical machines are determined by the heat losses, etc. These effects can be determined by numerical simulations via e.g., finite element analysis of thermal or thermomechanical fields. However, the key to correctly considering the entire system is a system-level simulation in which compact models are connected to further mechanical, electrical or fluidic components. Furthermore, the compact models can be used for efficient design optimization and control and can be shared along the supply chain, as they protect the IP.

Using industry-relevant examples, this seminar shows the great advantages of compact thermo-mechanical models, explains the underlying theory in a comprehensive way and presents the state-of-the-art software tool “Model Reduction inside Ansys” and working flow.

The PDC will introduce the SLID technology, commonly used metallurgies, and compare SLID microbumps with the traditional microbumps such as Flip Chip (FC) and state-of-the-art Hybrid Bonds (HB). SLID microbumps could fill the pitch gap between FC and HB, making it attractive for Heterogeneous Integration and Advanced Packaging applications. Emphasis will be placed on processing related challenges such as process integration, selecting suitable metallization, controlling processing related thermo-mechanical stresses, as well as key reliability challenges. Recent results concerning electromigration reliability and high-frequency performance of SLID microbumps up to 10s of GHz will be presented.

Advanced packaging, such as CSP, FCBGA, 2.5D/3D, HBM packaging, heterogeneous packaging with multiple dies and multiple Si nodes, embedded die packaging, certain wafer level package or panel level packaging, is based on flip chip technologies. Industry-wise in terms of total annual revenue flip chip packaging has grown steadily and already passed wire bond-based packaging.

This course will cover the fundamentals of all aspects of flip chip assembly technologies, including various type of wafer bumping technologies, solder joint formation, non-solder joints and assembly considerations. The course is divided into two sections. The first section focuses on the key steps of flip chip assembly technologies and their associated equipment and materials. The second section dives into the depth of the fundamental aspect of flip chip technology. It will detail the various interconnect technologies used in today’s flip chip assembly. It will discuss the various under-bump metallurgy (UBM) fabrication methods (electroplating, electroless plating and sputtering) and solder depositions methods (electroplating, ball drop, IMS, and solder screening). The course will cover the various failure modes related to bumping, such as barrier consumption, Kirkendall void formation, non-wets, BEOL dielectric cracking, etc.  The course will conclude with fine pitch technologies, mainly u-Pillar and Hybrid bonding.

Course Outline:

1. Introduction to Flip Chip Technologies
2. Flip Chip Technologies: Mass Reflow vs Thermal Compression Bonding
3. Underfill, Package Warpage Control, and Yield Detractors
4. Bumping Ground Rules
5. Flip Chip Under-Bump Metal and Intermetallic
6. Flip Chip Solder Deposition Processes
7. Cu Pillar Technology
8. Hybrid Bonding

Who Should Attend:

The goal of this course is to provide a comprehensive understanding of flip chip fabrication and its use on the various advanced packages. Students are encouraged to bring topics and technical issues from their past, present, and future job function for group discussions.

In this course, participants will learn how advanced packaging technologies enable the development of hardware components and modules for emerging applications, particularly mobile and consumer, wireless infrastructure (e.g. for 5G, 6G), automotive radar, high-performance computing (HPC) and AI applications. The focus will be on advanced packages such as fan-out wafer/panel-level packages (FO-WLP/PLP) with multilayer RDL, chiplets, organic packages, die-embedded packages as well as on interposers (e.g., silicon, glass, polymer). Materials and processes used for the fabrication of these packages will be extensively discussed. Furthermore, RF, signal and power integrity design considerations of advanced packages for automotive, 5G and future 6G communication, HPC and AI applications will be presented. An overview of markets for advanced packaging will also be discussed. Finally, examples of packages and components designed and manufactured at Fraunhofer IZM, will be presented. 

Course Outline: 

1. Key applications driving advanced packaging
2. Overview of markets for advanced packaging and key players in supply chains in these markets
3. Materials and fabrication processes for advanced packages: Fan-out wafer/panel level packages with multilayer RDL, chiplets, embedded die packages and interposers (e.g., glass, silicon, polymer)
4. RF, signal and power integrity design considerations of advanced packages for automotive, 5G and future 6G communication, HPC and AI applications
5. Examples of advanced packages and components designed and manufactured at Fraunhofer IZM

Who Should Attend: 

Engineers, scientists, researchers, designers, managers, and graduate students interested in advanced packaging technologies as well as those involved in electrical design, layout, fabrication and/or system-integration of packages and chiplets should attend. 

Epoxy molding compounds (EMCs) are key materials in automotive power electronics and heterogeneous integration, where thin packages, high power densities, and complex assembly processes strongly influence mechanical reliability. In advanced automotive applications, EMCs are used not only at component level but also for partial or full encapsulation of power modules and electronic control units.

This course focuses on material characterization of EMCs with direct relevance to thermo‑mechanical simulation and reliability prediction. Emphasis is placed on understanding EMC behavior across the full temperature range relevant for assembly and operation, including curing, coefficient of thermal expansion, viscoelasticity around the glass transition temperature, and aging effects.

Participants will gain a practical understanding of which material properties are essential, how they should be measured, and how they can be used effectively in simulation models for power electronics and heterogeneous automotive systems.

1. Introduction and Automotive Context (15 min)

• Role of EMCs in power electronics and heterogeneous integration
• Reliability challenges in automotive applications
• Why material characterization matters for simulation accuracy

2. Material Selection and Key Influencing Mechanisms (15 min)

• Qualitative screening of EMCs for power and system‑level encapsulation
• Dominant thermo‑mechanical effects and failure drivers

3. EMC Material Characterization Essentials (45 min)

• Curing shrinkage and residual stress generation
• Coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE)
• Linear viscoelastic behavior at low temperatures
• Impact of thermal aging

4. From Material Data to Simulation Models (30 min)

• Translating test data into simulation inputs
• Validation and calibration strategies
• Typical pitfalls and accuracy limitations

5. Summary and Key Takeaways (15 min)

• What level of characterization is “good enough”
• Practical recommendations for engineers and project teams

The Course is intended to introduce the use of diamond heatspreaders for the thermal management of advanced packages. Thanks to their unmatched thermal and electrical properties, the incorporation of diamond heatspreaders in advanced system-in-package (SiP) technologies holds tremendous potential to enhance heat dissipation and improve overall reliability.

During this course the participants will explore the unique properties that make diamond indispensable, review the main fabrication routes for synthetic diamond and their respective advantages and limitations, and learn effective strategies for integration within 2.5D and 3D architectures.

The course will also examine critical technical challenges and reliability aspects. The importance of Thermal Interface Materials (TIM) as promoters of interfacial heat transport and corner stones for enhancing the reliability of diamond-chip pairs will be discussed. The potential of diamond-based composites such as Cu-diamond or Ag-diamond composites will also be presented and strategies for decreasing the implementation cost will be provided.

Cu-Cu hybrid bonding is one of the flip-chip Bumpless assembly technologies. The advantages of hybrid bonding are: (a) higher density, (b) finer pad pitch, (c) lower profile, and (d) better performance. In this lecture, some fundamentals and more than 21 high-volume manufacturing (HVM) or to be in HVM products and 12 new applications using hybrid bonding will be presented. On the other hand, glass core substrate has been a very hot topic for high-performance computing driven by artificial intelligence. The advantages of glass packaging are: (a) ultra-high flatness for improved depth of focus for lithography, (b) dimensional stability needed for extremely tight layer to layer interconnect overlay, (c) higher interconnect density, (d) higher mechanical stability for ultra-large form-factor packages with high assembly yield, (e) improved flexibility in setting design rules for power delivery and signal routing, (f) better power delivery solutions while achieving high-speed signaling, (g) higher tolerance for higher temperatures, and (h) higher ability to seamlessly integrate optical interconnects. In the next few years, we will see more implementations of Cu-Cu hybrid bonding and a higher level of heterogeneous integration with glass packaging, whether it is for performance, form factor, power consumption or cost. The content of this lecture is shown below.

• Introduction
• Origin of Hybrid Bonding
• Cu-Cu Hybrid Bonding Fundamentals
• 21 HVM or to be HVM Products with Hybrid Bonding
• 12 New Applications with Hybrid Bonding
• Summary
• Glass Packaging
• Advantages of Glass Packaging
• Disadvantages of Glass Packaging
• Glass Substrates vs. Glass Interposer
• TGV, Metallization, and RDLs Formation
• Flip Chip on Glass Substrates with Microbumps
• Flip Chip on Glass Substrates with Cu-Cu Hybrid Bonding
• Summary
• Potential R&D Topics in Hybrid Bonding and Glass Packaging

Who Should Attend?
If you (students, engineers, and managers) are involved with any aspect of the electronics industry, you should attend this course. It is equally suited for R&D professionals and scientists. The lectures are based on the publications by many distinguish authors and the books (by the lecturer).

Integrated photonic modules combine advanced semiconductor technologies with optical and electronic components, motherboards, micro-optics, and thermal management systems to address complex subsystem requirements. They are widely used in applications such as communications (e.g. Co-Packaged Optics), artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality, quantum technologies, healthcare, sensing, space, and security. As these modules become more sophisticated, their assembly, packaging, and testing demand advanced techniques to enable reliable, high-volume manufacturing for emerging mass markets. This PDC provides an overview of the key packaging and testing methods for integrated optical modules.