IC & package co-design: challenge or dream?

In recent years, major breakthroughs have occurred in packaging technology, which have led to the industrialization of several kinds of new packages, more powerful, and yet more flexible, in the attempt to cope with the challenges posed by multi-million gates and multi-GHz systems-on-a-chip (SOC). While offering a great deal of opportunities, ball-grid array (BGA) substrates, flip-chip and multi-stacked dies require an unprecedented level of integration between IC and package design and verification.