Material Needs and Measurement Challenges for Advanced Semiconductor Packaging: Understanding the Soft Side of Science

Published

August 27, 2025

Author(s)

Ran Tao, Polette Centellas, Stian Romberg, Anthony Kotula, Gale Holmes, Amanda Forster, Christopher Soles, Bob Allen, Edvin Cetegen, William Chen, Jeff Gotro, Mark Poliks

Abstract

This perspective builds upon insights from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)-organized workshop, "Materials and Metrology Needs for Advanced Semiconductor Packaging Strategies," held at the 35th annual Electronics Packaging Symposium in Binghamton, NY, on September 5, 2024. It outlines critical challenges and opportunities related to polymer-based "soft" materials in advanced semiconductor packaging, with emphasis on polymer science, measurement science (metrology), and the strategic development of research-grade test materials (RGTMs). These efforts, led by the NIST CHIPS team, aim to advance the fundamental understanding of structure–property–processing relationships, promote standardized guidelines and innovative methods for material characterization, and accelerate the development, qualification, and adoption of the next-generation packaging materials. The perspective also distills key insights from the panel discussion with industry experts, emphasizing the need for close collaboration among materials scientists, process engineers, and metrology experts to enable a holistic strategy, further highlighting the importance of cross-sector partnerships among industry, academia, and government to address pressing challenges in packaging materials and processes.

Citation

IEEE Transactions on Components, Packaging and Manufacturing Technology

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.1109/TCPMT.2025.3603484

Local Download

Keywords

Advanced semiconductor packaging, cure kinetics, heterogeneous integration (HI), metrology, moisture reliability, open access, open data, polymeric materials, research-grade test materials (RGTMs), residual stress, standardization and reproducibility, structure-property relationships, thermoset resins, underfill materials, viscoelastic modeling, warpage

Citation

Tao, R. , Centellas, P. , Romberg, S. , Kotula, A. , Holmes, G. , Forster, A. , Soles, C. , Allen, B. , Cetegen, E. , Chen, W. , Gotro, J. and Poliks, M. (2025), Material Needs and Measurement Challenges for Advanced Semiconductor Packaging: Understanding the Soft Side of Science, IEEE Transactions on Components, Packaging and Manufacturing Technology, [online], https://doi.org/10.1109/TCPMT.2025.3603484, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=959970 (Accessed October 20, 2025)