Hybrid Packaging: Flexible circuit integration for modern IC package technology.

As electronics continue to transition to flexible and/or conformal design spaces, modern IC integration has similarly become increasingly complex. To meet the needs of these new packaging paradigms, one must similarly expand the capabilities of additive manufacturing techniques. To overcome these challenges, we present a packaging system that combines printed encapsulants, mechanical design, and multi-dimensional material integration for robust printed interconnects operating at frequencies ranging from DC to X-band. The proposed methods and materials have demonstrated increased stability and resilience on flexible heterogeneous circuits with discreate passive components and modern IC packages. Additionally, we demonstrate integration of fine pitch packages such as micro ball grid array (μBGA), wafer-level packaging (WLP), and quad flat no-lead (QFN) on a variety of substrates including Kapton, UHMWPE composite, and RF laminate (I-Tera MT40). As a case-study demonstration, we analyzed the integration of pre-packaged ICs with printed RF circuits using an adhesion promoter and encapsulant. As the demand for advanced IC packaging continues to grow, we expect that this work will provide a base understanding of the possibilities of wholistic AM design and fabrication.