TABLE OF CONTENTS In simple terms, manufacturing can be defined as the process by which raw materials are converted into finished products. As illustrated in Figure 20.1, a manufacturing operation can be viewed graphically as a system with raw materials and supplies serving as its inputs, and finished commercial products serving as outputs. In electronics packaging, input materials include metals, polymers, solder, ceramics, and integrated circuits (ICs). The corresponding outputs include a variety of packages, such as dual in-line packages, ball grid arrays, pin grid arrays, and multichip modules, as well as printed wiring boards and ultimately, various commercial electronic systems and products, such as computers, cellular phones, and digital cameras. The types of processes that arise in electronics packaging manufacturing include coating and deposition processes, photolithography, electroless and electrolytic plating, planarization, soldering, die attachment, bonding, and encapsulation.
