Beyond the mask: How DLP® technology is enabling new computing solutions with advanced packaging

In the race to create powerful, innovative, and efficient chips that run artificial intelligence (AI), connected Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and 5G networks, the demand for more powerful computing continues to grow.

Previously, the electronics industry has relied on Moore’s Law, an observation that the number of transistors in an integrated circuit should double every two years, driving performance improvements in electronics and enabling the components in chips to be smaller, too.

“But now, we’re reaching a point where shrinking components is increasingly difficult and expensive,” said Jeff Marsh, vice president and general manager of DLP products at TI.

As a result, system assembly equipment manufacturers are turning to advanced packaging. In this context, advanced packaging is a technique that integrates many dies into one package, allowing chips to communicate faster with each other while consuming less power. It combines the best components for specific tasks and links them even more efficiently onto a printed circuit board, enabling more powerful and energy-efficient chips for applications such as data centers and autonomous driving.

Advanced packaging represents the next iteration of packaging techniques. However, equipment manufacturers must innovate to make lithography more affordable, scalable and adaptable for advanced packaging. Today, these companies are looking to use digital lithography with DLP technology to improve precision and scalability. At the core of the technology is the digital micromirror device (DMD), which has up to 8.9 million microscopic mirrors that direct light in real time to print patterns on materials.

But what is it about DLP technology that is allowing equipment manufacturers to enable advanced packaging?

Enabling cost-effective and adaptable precision at scale

Historically, lithography equipment has projected light through a mask (which works like a high-end stencil) onto a very flat surface coated with a photosensitive material. The light then prints patterns that connect components. Because advanced packaging systems print patterns on materials that can have variations in typography, which can occur on a surface that is not completely flat, maskless lithography is becoming a cost-effective and adaptable option for equipment manufacturers.

“DLP technology continuously adjusts the pattern to match the material’s actual surface conditions,” said Jeff. “Its real-time adaptability ensures that patterns are printed precisely, even when the surface beneath them isn't perfectly level.”

With DLP technology, system manufacturers can update patterns instantly from digital files without needing to create new masks. If a pattern needs adjustment, engineers can make changes and implement them immediately by updating a software file. This accelerates innovation cycles and reduces wasted materials.

“Whether an equipment manufacturer is developing machines that print small patterns for smartphones or complex patterns for larger applications like data centers, the same core DLP technology can adapt to meet their needs,” Jeff said.

Powering the next wave of innovations

DLP technology has built on its legacy in cinema technology by continuing to challenge and redefine the perception of what’s possible. DLP technology facilitated the transition from film to digital projection in cinemas; now, it’s facilitating the transition from masked to maskless digital lithography.

“We're enabling the creation of digital lithography systems that further empower engineers to bring powerful, new computing solutions to market,” Jeff said. “Before pivoting to display technology, we had initially designed the first DMD chip for printing. Now, as we deliver some of our most advanced solutions for digital lithography systems, we're connecting with DLP technology’s printing heritage in an innovative way.”

From data centers to autonomous driving systems and other high-power computing applications, advanced packages enabled by digital lithography systems using DLP technology will drive innovations that touch all aspects of our lives. “At the end of the day,” Jeff said, “it's about enabling technology that makes a difference.”