In today’s multi-die assemblies, the assembly and packaging lines are expected to maintain signal integrity at multi-gigahertz frequencies, manage heat in vertically stacked devices, isolate analog or RF functions from digital noise, and align components with micron-level precision for hybrid bonding and other fine-pitch interconnect schemes. Now this evolution is driving a manufacturing revolution in the back end, where packaging increasingly is recognized as a sophisticated discipline in its own right, requiring the same rigorous control, repeatability, and optimization as front-end wafer fabrication. What has traditionally been a process closely controlled by human operators is becoming increasingly populated by robotic handlers, AI-driven control systems, and adaptive process monitors.
In this Semiconductor Engineering article, Promex COO Dave Fromm shares his perspective on how companies should approach the integration of robotics and automation.