Sources say Apple is trial-producing 3D stacking technology SoIC in small quantities

According to news on July 31, Taiwan media MoneyDJ quoted industry sources as saying that following AMD, Apple is trial-producing the latest 3D stacking technology SoIC (system integration chip) in small quantities. It is currently planning to use SoIC with InFO packaging solution, which is expected to be used in MacBook , there is a chance to see the end product come out as soon as 2025~2026.

According to public information, SOIC (Small Outline Integrated Circuit Package) refers to a small outline integrated circuit with no more than 28 external leads. It is derived from the SOP (Small Out-Line Package) package and generally has a wide There are two packaging forms: body and narrow body. It is one of the surface mount integrated circuit packaging forms. It reduces the space by about 30-50% and the thickness by about 70% compared with the equivalent DIP package.

Simply put, SoIC is TSMC's innovative multi-chip stacking technology that can perform wafer-level bonding technology for processes below 10nm. This technology has no protruding bonding structure and therefore has better performance.

It is understood that TSMC SoIC is the industry's first high-density 3D stacking technology. Through Chip on Wafer (CoW) packaging technology, chips of different sizes, functions, and nodes can be heterogeneously integrated, and it is installed at Zhunan Factory No. 6 (AP6 ) enters mass production. Among them, AMD is the first customer, and its latest MI300 uses SoIC with CoWoS.

Industry insiders said that unlike AMD, Apple plans to use SoIC with InFO solutions, mainly based on comprehensive considerations such as product design, positioning, and cost. If SoIC successfully introduces bulk consumer electronics products in the future, it is expected to create more demand and capacity, and greatly increase the willingness of other large customers to import. At present, SoIC technology is still in its infancy, with a monthly production capacity of nearly 2,000 pieces, and is expected to continue to double in growth in the next few years.