SBIR Phase I: Manufacturable Implementation of Thin Glass for Next Generation Electronics Packaging

小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是，能够处理薄玻璃基板以满足下一代通信和封装需求，将意味着更快的通信和更高的功率效率。由于移动通信、云计算、物联网(IoT)等技术以及通信向更高频率(1s-10s GHz)的转变，社会对数据的需求不断扩大。随着频率的增加，传统的材料选择，如硅，可能会经历非常高的损耗，因此人们对使用绝缘材料，如玻璃，以提高功率效率越来越感兴趣。同样，由于设备大小也很重要，处理薄材料的能力也很关键。这项工作的成功完成将使薄玻璃基板的加工具有成本效益，并使影响商业、军事和工业市场的下一代通信计划成为可能。这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目旨在实现在大批量环境中加工薄玻璃基板。多年来，由于玻璃优越的材料性能和可扩展性，人们对将玻璃用于下一代射频和封装解决方案一直非常感兴趣。特别令人感兴趣的是介电特性，它提供了相对于现有材料(如硅)的低电损解决方案。此外，玻璃的光滑性、密封性和可伸缩性提供了比陶瓷和有机层压板等材料更多的优势。在建立通过玻璃通孔(TGV)形成薄玻璃和制造精密玻璃的工艺以及在实验室环境中展示有利的功能性能方面已经取得了很大进展。由于供应链中的缺口，为薄玻璃解决方案建立大批量扩展的能力一直是一个挑战。该SBIR项目将建立一个流程，支持使用硅载体的载体解决方案，该解决方案将允许在现有基础设施中加工玻璃，使薄玻璃解决方案可供当前成熟和有能力的供应链使用。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is that enabling processing thin glass substrates for next generation communications and packaging needs will mean faster communications with improved power efficiency. Society has an ever-expanding need for data, due to technologies such as mobile communications, cloud computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), and the shift of communication to higher frequencies (1s-10s of GHz). As the frequency increases, traditional material choices, such as silicon, can experience very high losses and therefore there is increasing interest in using insulating materials, such as glass, to improve power efficiency. Similarly, as device size is also important, ability to process thin materials is also critical. Successful completion of this work will enable cost-effective processing of thin glass substrates and enable next generation communication initiatives impacting commercial, military and industrial markets.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is proposed to enable processing thin glass substrates in high volume environments. There has been substantial interest in using glass for next generation RF and packaging solutions for many years due to its advantageous material properties, and scalability. Of particular interest is the dielectric properties, which provide low electrical loss solutions relative to incumbent materials such as silicon. Furthermore, the smoothness, hermetic properties and scalability of glass provides additional advantages over materials such as ceramics and organic laminates. There has been a lot of progress in establishing processes to form thin glass and make precision through glass vias (TGV), as well as demonstrating advantaged functional performance in a lab environment. There has been a challenge to establish the ability to scale to high volume for thin glass solutions due to gaps in the supply chain. This SBIR project will establish a process that enables a carrier solution using a silicon carrier that will allow processing of glass in existing infrastructure making thin glass solutions available to the current well established and capable supply chain.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.