The grant will provide Alter with £55k matched funding over 4 months for project SOURCE: A feasibility study and proof-of-concept for the potential scale up of a system in package, advanced packaging platform at Alter UK. This allows to build on our QFN plastic encapsulation offering which we brought to market in 2022, by enabling much more complex multi-chip modules based on organic IC substrates. The platform will target heterogeneous integration of multiple semiconductor chip types within the same encapsulated package, achieving reduced size and weight while enabling increased device functionality and performance.
The work packages will allow us to review our current assembly capabilities, produce a proof-of-concept demonstrator package, conduct a full market study to introduce the capability to customers and scope the potential scale up to volume production.
Our partner in the project, Rydon Technology, will perform a study on relevant materials, suppliers, and software to enable the IC substrate procurement.
Innovate UK will run a follow-up competition in the Autumn 2023 offering up to £250k for implementing the scale up. This initial feasibility study will allow us to go into that proposal with a fully costed and considered plans, entering that competition with a high level of confidence.
The funding comes against a backdrop of significant demand for re-shoring of semiconductor production into Europe from Asia. The European Chip Act, the recently announced UK Government National Semiconductor Strategy and ESA’s EEE Component Sovereignty Compendium, all highlight a distinct need for Advanced Packaging to be available in Europe.
