CMP.WERNER@UTEXAS-20.ARPA (Werner Uhrig) (04/11/85)
[ from the Austin American Statesman, April 9, 1985 ]
CIRCUIT BOARD UPDATE SHOWN
MOSAIC SYSTEMS Inc, said Monday it has developed a small alternative to the
conventional circuit board on which computer chips are mounted. Mosaic's
process uses microscopic current conductors deposited on a wafer rather than
using wires to link chips together. "This long-awaited development can make it
possible to build much smaller, faster and more powerful computers and to
manufacture them at a lower cost," said Robert Johnson, president of Mosaic
Systems, which is based in Troy, Michigan.
[ does anyone know what is being described here? Certainly, linking chips
together using wires doesn't sound like current methods. ---Werner ]
-------brando@linus.UUCP (T. J. Brando) (04/12/85)
In <9869@brl-tgr.ARPA>, CMP.WERNER@UTEXAS-20.ARPA (Werner Uhrig) writes: > [ from the Austin American Statesman, April 9, 1985 ] > > CIRCUIT BOARD UPDATE SHOWN > > MOSAIC SYSTEMS Inc, said Monday it has developed a small alternative to the > conventional circuit board on which computer chips are mounted. Mosaic's > process uses microscopic current conductors deposited on a wafer rather > than using wires to link chips together. "This long-awaited development > can make it possible to build much smaller, faster and more powerful > computers and to manufacture them at a lower cost," said Robert Johnson, > president of Mosaic Systems, which is based in Troy, Michigan. > > [ does anyone know what is being described here? Certainly, linking chips > together using wires doesn't sound like current methods. ---Werner ] I believe he was referring to WAFER-SCALE INTEGRATION. -- Thom Brando {allegra,decvax,ihnp4,philabs,utzoo,uw-beaver,...}!linus!brando.uucp
mat@amdahl.UUCP (Mike Taylor) (04/14/85)
> [ from the Austin American Statesman, April 9, 1985 ] > > CIRCUIT BOARD UPDATE SHOWN > > MOSAIC SYSTEMS Inc, said Monday it has developed a small alternative to the > conventional circuit board on which computer chips are mounted. Mosaic's > process uses microscopic current conductors deposited on a wafer rather than > using wires to link chips together. > [ does anyone know what is being described here? Certainly, linking chips > together using wires doesn't sound like current methods. ---Werner ] > ------- I vaguely remember a newspaper account of this where the channels consist of amorphous silicon (the Ovshinsky technology) which are made conducting or not by an applied voltage. Chips are glued on top of the wafer - sort of surface mount - and the wafer serves as the circuit board. It is alleged to be a neat way of fabricating very small "boards". The conduction of the channels can be changed for EC's. The above is a recollection of a newspaper article, so don't expect accuracy. -- Mike Taylor ...!{ihnp4,hplabs,amd,sun}!amdahl!mat [ This may not reflect my opinion, let alone anyone else's. ]
pape@leadsv.UUCP (Robin Pape) (04/19/85)
> > [ from the Austin American Statesman, April 9, 1985 ] > > > > CIRCUIT BOARD UPDATE SHOWN > > > > MOSAIC SYSTEMS Inc, said Monday it has developed a small alternative to the > > conventional circuit board on which computer chips are mounted. Mosaic's > > process uses microscopic current conductors deposited on a wafer rather than > > using wires to link chips together. > > [ does anyone know what is being described here? Certainly, linking chips > > together using wires doesn't sound like current methods. ---Werner ] > > ------- > > I vaguely remember a newspaper account of this where the channels consist > of amorphous silicon (the Ovshinsky technology) which are made conducting > or not by an applied voltage. Chips are glued on top of the wafer - sort > of surface mount - and the wafer serves as the circuit board. It is alleged > to be a neat way of fabricating very small "boards". The conduction of > the channels can be changed for EC's. > Back in 1968-69 timeframe we "surface mounter" a bunch of MOS memory chips onto a 2" silicon wafer using "solder bump" technique. The interconnection was by standard metalization layers. This was at Philco-Ford Micro E division in Santa Clara. We did this primarily because ceramic substrates processes were not available in-house but we were up to our ears in reclaimable wafers. Worked OK - but it was not commercialized. Figured it would come around again in due time! (-: ROBIN :-)