Date: 29/05/2012

ECP technology from Mentor and AT&S optimizes PCB design-through-manufacturing flow

Mentor Graphics Corporation has announced the technology collaboration with the AT&S (Austria Technologie & Systemtechnik) Embedded Component Package (ECP) process for Mentor Graphics PCB design-through-manufacturing flow. AT&S' advanced ECP technology for microelectronic component packaging leverages embedded bare die and discrete passives into the core of a PCB, reducing the package form factor by 30-50% for improved functionality and system performance. Now, with the Mentor Expedition Enterprise flow, designers are able to implement AT&S's advanced technology on their PCB cores up to 40% faster and with improved quality than with previous design tools. As a result, PCB designers using ECP technology will realize improved electrical performance, thermal management, miniaturization, cost efficiency and overall product quality, with significant time reduction.

AT&S has worked with Mentor Graphics to develop a streamlined design workflow for embedded active components into the core of a PCB. This is an emerging technology that has drawn great interest from semiconductor companies. Since embedding active components is relatively new to PCB and package design, it does present challenges to the traditional design flow. As well, Mentor provides a complete PCB design-through-manufacturing flow with its integrated Valor manufacturing and assembly software tools.

"Our ECP technology addresses the complexities of today's embedded systems and is currently being adopted by major silicon vendors in the mobile handset market," said Mark Beesley, COO of advanced packaging, AT&S. "Mentor is the global leader in PCB design software so the integration of our ECP technology process with Mentor's design-through-manufacturing flow provides an optimum solution for our mutual systems design customers."

Mentor and AT&S have found dramatic time savings using Mentor Graphics PCB design tools with the ECP technology. A recent design project comprised a complex package module with two embedded flip-chip die and, on top of the substrate, a stacked die along with another flip-chip die. This would normally require ten working days to setup, design and output for manufacturing. However, using the Mentor-AT&S integrated technology, product development was achieved in just six days; this also enabled the inclusion of thermal vias using the Mentor FloTHERM tool for thermal analysis.

"Mentor is the first company to fully integrate the ECP technology within its design-through-manufacturing flow, making this solution accessible to our global customers," stated Henry Potts, vice president of Mentor Graphics Systems Design Division. "Our mission is to provide advanced, seamless software tools and services to help our mutual customers develop innovative, profitable products in today's competitive global economy - from PCB design through fabrication and assembly."

The Mentor Graphics Expedition Enterprise platform with the ECP technology will be released later this year. For more details www.mentor.com/expedition