The electronics industry began using the term heterogeneous integration (HI) about five years ago to describe a new approach to building semiconductor devices that would allow for greater density and capability. The legacy approach to making transistors, lines, and spaces smaller was becoming more difficult due to the limitations of lithography. Thus, a new idea was spawned: adding material and/or parts to die on conventional complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) wafers to add functionality beyond what is inherent in silicon CMOS.
In his article for Medical Design & Outsourcing, Promex’s CEO Dick Otte explained how heterogenous integration can help device developers fit more innovative technologies into smaller devices.