Thermal Conduction Module: A High-Performance Multilayer Ceramic Package

Innovations in package design coupled with major advances in multilayer ceramic (MLC) technology provide a high-performance LSI package for the IBM 3081 Processor Unit. The thermal conduction module (TCM) utilizes a 90 × 90-mm MLC substrate to interconnect up to 118 LSI devices. The substrate, which typically contains 130 m of impedance-controlled wiring, provides an array of 121 pads for solder connections to each device and an array of 1800 pins for interconnection with the next-level package. A unique thermal design provides a cooling capacity of up to 300 W. This paper describes the TCM design and outlines the processes for fabrication of these modules. The TCM is compared to prior technologies to illustrate the improvements in packaging density, reliability, and performance.