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Packaging & Test · Ceramic

Quick-Turn Ceramic Packaging

Small-batch ceramic DIP, QFP, QFN, LCC, PGA, SiP, and BGA packages for engineering samples, MPW die, and parts that need to survive characterization.

What it is

Ceramic is the default for first silicon that has to be characterized hard: it runs hotter, seals better, and opens cleanly when a part needs to come back out for failure analysis. The catch is that production ceramic lines aren't set up for twenty parts.

We package ceramic in small batches, from a handful of MPW die to a pilot lot, and quote per die and drawing. Cavity, lid, bond plan, and pinout are worked out against the board the part is going onto, so the first package is one the board team can actually use.

Inside the package

An open-cavity ceramic package in section: the die sits in a cavity, wires run to a bond shelf, and a seam-sealed lid closes it.

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  1. 1LidMetal lid, seam-sealed over the cavity
  2. 2Seal ringMetallized ring the lid is welded to
  3. 3Bond wiresFine wire from die pads to the shelf
  4. 4DieAttached to the cavity floor
  5. 5Bond shelfPads routed through the ceramic to the leads
  6. 6Ceramic bodyMultilayer ceramic, sealed once lidded
  7. 7LeadsCarry the signals out to the board

Capabilities

Package families
  • Ceramic DIP and SOP
  • Ceramic QFP and QFN
  • LCC (leadless chip carrier)
  • PGA (pin grid array)
  • Ceramic BGA and SiP
Specialty builds
  • Chip-on-board (COB) bonding
  • Multi-die stacked packages
  • MEMS sensor and optical packages, including housings with windows
  • Special and custom ceramic packages to drawing
  • LCD driver IC bonding
Wafer prep in the same flow
  • MPW and shuttle die handling, block and 5×5
  • Wafer thinning and dicing, including GaAs
  • Automated bare-die pick and sort

Ceramic & COB catalog

Quick-turn ceramic and chip-on-board packages, small batch. Ceramic BGA and special cavities are built to drawing.

PackagePinsBody size
Ceramic QFP64–25610×10 to 28×28 mm
Ceramic DIP8–64300, 600, 900 mil
Open-cavity QFN16–1002×2 to 12×12 mm
Ceramic SOP16, 24Standard
Ceramic PGA84, 100, 132, 256Standard
Ceramic LCC28, 48, 64, 84Standard
Ceramic BGATo drawingTo drawing
COB48, 64, 256, 1,024, or to drawingTo drawing

Lids can be parallel seam welded; MEMS housings can take an optical or open window.

Quality systems

  • ISO 9001

    Quality management

  • ISO 14001

    Environmental management

  • ISO 45001

    Occupational health & safety

Packaging and test performed in ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001-certified facilities. Certificates available under NDA.

Common questions

What's the minimum quantity for ceramic packaging?
There isn't a production-style minimum. Ceramic builds are quoted per die and drawing, and engineering-sample quantities are the normal case.
Can you package die from an MPW shuttle?
Yes. We handle MPW and shuttle die, including block and 5×5 formats, and can thin, dice, and sort before packaging.
When should I pick ceramic over plastic for first silicon?
Ceramic suits characterization at temperature, hermetic needs, and parts likely to need decap and failure analysis. Plastic is closer to the production package and cheaper per unit. Many NPI programs do both.

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