IBM: New IBM chip technology extends life of Internet backbone.

M2 PRESSWIRE-13 July 1999-IBM: New IBM chip technology extends life of Internet backbone (C)1994-99 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

RDATE:120799

IBM today announced a semiconductor packaging breakthrough that can significantly increase reliability for servers and networking gear that are the backbone of the Internet. This new chip package is designed to support the very high-frequency, high-bandwidth requirements being driven by the Internet and to provide unmatched dependability, preventing outages.

Semiconductor packaging encases the chip, connecting it to the other parts in an electronic product.

"Packaging is the pathway for information from the chip to the rest of the system, and advanced packaging can turn that pathway into a four-lane highway," explained Mike Cadigan, general manager of IBM Microelectronics' Interconnect Business Unit. "Today's packaging announcement transforms that highway into the Motorway - there's virtually no speed limit and, thanks to improved reliability, no potholes."

Developed for manufacturers of servers and networking gear, IBM's high-performance chip carrier (HPCC) is designed to double the field life of similar existing chip packages, setting a new industry standard. In addition, its advanced performance allows the internal chips in equipment such as routers, hubs and switches to transfer more and more data to the rest of the system -- keeping pace with rising Web traffic and consumer demands.

The unmatched reliability of IBM's HPCC is the result of its groundbreaking design. The package is built around a unique flexible foundation that compensates for the expansion and contraction that takes places as the chip heats and cools during use. This works like expansion joints in a highway, preventing cracks and failures. IBM's chip packaging breakthrough can extend the life of the entire system, such as a hub, a router or a server.

This new packaging offering also features a fluoropolymer dielectric material, which optimises chip performance by speeding the flow of electrical current from the chip to the rest of the system. IBM's HPCC is designed to support chip speeds in the gigahertz range, as well as high bandwidths. The ability to support very high-speed designs makes this new packaging an excellent choice for both high-speed wired and server applications.

IBM Microelectronics' new technology is a significant step forward in what is called 'flip-chip' packaging design. Flip-chip packaging attaches directly to the surface of the chip, enabling the transfer of information to and from the rest of the system. Because flip-chip packaging can support higher and higher chip-wiring densities, it's currently recognised as the best packaging to support the electronics industry's drive to squeeze more and more of a system's function onto a single chip.

Customer prototypes of IBM's high-performance chip carrier will be underway later this year, with full production planned for 2000.

This announcement further enhances IBM Microelectronics' broad portfolio of semiconductor packages. More information on these packaging products and IBM Microelectronics products in general is available at the IBM Microelectronics Web site at http://www.chips.ibm.com. Images of these packaging products can be found at http://www.chips.ibm.com/news/packaging.

IBM is a leading provider of custom chips for servers, storage systems, wired and wireless communications, and pervasive computing products. For more information about these and other products and services from IBM Microelectronics, visit www.chips.ibm.com.

CONTACT: Adam Keal, IBM Tel: +44 (0)171 304 2437 e-mail: adam.keal@uk.ogilvypr.com Rupert Deighton, IBM Microelectronics, Europe Tel: +33 1 60 88 55 64 e-mail: rupertmicro@fr.ibm.com

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