Core Insights - The SRC has released the Microelectronics and Advanced Packaging Technology (MAPT) Roadmap 2.0, which is a comprehensive update to the industry's first 3D semiconductor roadmap [1] - The roadmap emphasizes the exponential growth in data volume required for information and communication technology (ICT), highlighting the limitations of traditional semiconductor technologies and the urgent need for heterogeneous integration (HI) to enhance system performance and energy efficiency [1][2] Group 1: System Integration and Design Challenges - Different applications require specific architectures and system integration strategies to effectively balance performance, power, area, and cost (PPAC) while ensuring signal integrity, power conversion, thermal management, reliability, and security [2][3] - The challenges of system integration extend beyond chip packaging to include material selection, interconnect scaling, and thermal management solutions, all of which must meet reliability and yield targets [3] - The transition to 2.5D/3D heterogeneous integration is crucial for achieving significant performance and cost advantages in future ICT systems [5] Group 2: Heterogeneous Integration (HI) and Chiplet Design - Chiplets and their signaling interfaces introduce a new silicon module to the microelectronics ecosystem, offering high bandwidth, area efficiency, and low cost, necessitating design capabilities for defining physical cores and chip-to-chip interfaces [7] - Design Space Exploration (DSE) utilizes analytical models and AI-assisted technologies to rapidly evaluate HI system designs, becoming increasingly important as HI system integration scales [8] - Close collaboration between chiplet and packaging design throughout the design cycle is essential, requiring early involvement of system architects to analyze system and packaging trade-offs [9] Group 3: Testing, Reliability, and Security - Future heterogeneous systems will require modular testing solutions to address the unique electrical, mechanical, and thermal characteristics of various components, balancing coverage, complexity, and cost [10] - As multi-chip system-level packaging (SiP) becomes more complex, security considerations must be integrated into design automation tools to mitigate potential threats from untrusted components and external attacks [11][12] Group 4: Advanced Packaging and Interconnect Technologies - The demand for more efficient, scalable, and high-performance solutions is driving innovations in heterogeneous integration and advanced packaging technologies, which are critical for high-performance computing, AI, and edge computing applications [14] - Key advancements in interconnect technologies include the development of through-silicon vias (TSVs), intermediate layers, and hybrid bonding methods, which are essential for enhancing performance, increasing data bandwidth, and reducing energy consumption [14][15] - The exploration of photonic interconnect technologies aims to overcome the limitations of electrical connections, providing low-latency, high-throughput connections for high-bandwidth and long-distance communication [17] Group 5: Power Delivery and Thermal Management - Integrated Voltage Regulators (IVRs) are becoming key solutions for addressing power delivery challenges, particularly as processor power levels continue to rise, especially in data center CPUs and GPUs [25] - The increasing complexity of power delivery networks necessitates the development of robust platform-level voltage regulators to efficiently distribute power across integrated voltage regulators on the chip [25][26] - Advanced packaging and heterogeneous integration face significant thermal management challenges due to rising power densities and the need for effective cooling solutions, including embedded cooling structures [29][30] Group 6: Material Innovations and Future Directions - The transition from traditional substrates to integrated platforms requires new materials and processing techniques to enhance system-level performance, particularly in high-performance computing and electrification applications [34][36] - Future developments in high-density substrate technologies will focus on achieving finer bump pitches and higher routing densities to meet the demands of advanced applications [42][43] - The need for innovative solutions in RF devices and systems, particularly those operating at frequencies above 6 GHz, is driving the demand for new materials, structures, and assembly techniques [44][45]

Core Viewpoint - Co-packaged optics (CPO) technology is emerging as a promising solution to enhance bandwidth and energy efficiency in data centers, particularly for applications involving generative AI and large language models. However, manufacturing challenges remain, particularly in fiber-to-photonics integrated circuit (PIC) alignment, thermal management, and optical testing strategies [1][20]. Group 1: CPO Technology and Benefits - CPO enables network switches to route signals at speeds of terabits per second while significantly improving bandwidth and reducing power consumption required for AI model training [1][20]. - The technology achieves a bandwidth density of 1 Tbps/mm, optimizing rack space in increasingly crowded data centers [1][6]. - CPO can reduce power consumption associated with high-speed data transmission from approximately 15 pJ/bit to around 5 pJ/bit, with expectations to drop below 1 pJ/bit [6][7]. Group 2: Manufacturing Challenges - Key challenges in CPO manufacturing include achieving precise alignment between fiber and PIC, which is critical for effective optical signal coupling [8]. - The most common passive alignment method is the V-groove technique, which connects the fiber directly to the PIC to minimize loss [8][9]. - Efficient coupling between standard single-mode fibers and silicon waveguides is complicated due to significant differences in size and refractive index, leading to potential light loss [8][9]. Group 3: Thermal Management - CPO systems are sensitive to temperature fluctuations caused by high-power devices like GPUs and ASICs, which can affect the performance of photonic devices [11][12]. - A temperature change of just 1°C can lead to approximately 0.1nm wavelength shift in most photonic systems, necessitating careful thermal management strategies [11][12]. - Advanced thermal interface materials and monitoring circuits are deployed to maintain PIC temperature within predefined ranges [11][13]. Group 4: Reliability Design - Ensuring reliability in CPO systems is crucial, especially with multi-chip integration, requiring known good die (KGD) testing and optical testing solutions [14][16]. - High reliability designs incorporate redundancy, such as backup lasers, to maintain operation in case of component failure [15][16]. - Integrated monitoring and self-correcting features are being developed to detect performance degradation and facilitate quick recovery [15][16]. Group 5: Integration Techniques - Both 2.5D and 3D packaging methods are utilized in CPO, with 2.5D placing electronic ICs and PICs side by side on a silicon interposer [17][18]. - 3D integration allows for optimal manufacturing processes for each chip type, enhancing performance while increasing complexity and cost [18][19]. - The integration of optical features with traditional CMOS processes is becoming more compatible, facilitating advancements in CPO technology [17][18].