System-on-Package (SOP) - PRC's Research Vision

Recognizing the consumer electronic product industry's trend toward decreased size, increased portability and convergence of function, the Packaging Research Center (PRC) at Georgia Tech has become a global leader through a microelectronics vision that it calls "System-on-a-Package", or "SOP". PRC pioneered the SOP concept, which it sees as an emerging and fundamental microelectronics and microsystems paradigm for the portable and desktop convergent systems of the future. The SOP strategy is capable of bridging the time-to-market and technology gaps posed by the alternative approach "System-on-Chip" (SOC), by combining the best of on-chip integration with the best of packaging integration. Such a vision is expected to lead to microminiaturized and convergent systems with microelectronics, photonics, RF and MEMS in a single component system. In doing so, packaging will go far beyond MCM, flip chip, CSP and microvia and even the emerging SIP approaches. In order to fully realize the potential of SOP and deliver it to the industry in the form of viable enabling technologies, the PRC has established technology alliances with its members in critical focus areas. Included in alliances dedicated to focus areas, the Center also navigates a systems testbed alliance with the goal to develop a functional prototype or product model that will yield proof-of-concept.

 

What is SOP? How is it Different from Other Approaches?

Unlike today's packaging, which provides wiring to interconnect components on a system-level board, SOP integrates functions. Unlike SOC and SIP, which are expected to lead to partial systems, SOP provides complete system functions such as high speed digital, high bandwidth optical, analog, RF and MEMS in a microminiaturized board.