Short Courses

This course explores the critical role of thermal management and packaging in advancing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and High‑Performance Computing (HPC). It addresses current and emerging challenges through state‑of‑the‑art thermo‑mechanical solutions supported by recent IEEE publications and industry developments. Participants will examine the Heterogeneous Integration Roadmap (HIR) and Advanced Packaging Technologies (MAPT), and learn the Seven Principles shaping next‑generation thermal architectures. Key topics include first‑ and second‑line cooling, direct liquid cooling, immersion cooling, microfluidics, and methods for managing thermal loads beyond 1 kW. Practical examples highlight how to decouple mechanical tolerances while optimizing system‑level thermal performance. The course also covers manufacturing, assembly, and reliability considerations from both package and system perspectives. Designed for thermal, mechanical, reliability, and assembly engineers, it offers interactive discussions and hands‑on insights that can be applied directly to modern AI and HPC system design.

In this lecture semiconductor advanced packaging is defined. The kinds of advanced packaging are ranked based on their interconnect density and electrical performance and are grouped into 2D, 2.1D, 2.3D, 2.5D, 3D. 3.3D, and 3.5D IC integrations, which will be presented and discussed. Chiplet communication such as bridges embedded in build-up package substrate and in fan-out epoxy molding compound (EMC) with RDLs (redistribution layers) will be discussed. The fundamentals of hybrid bonding will be briefly mentioned and high-volume products with hybrid bonding will be presented. High bandwidth memory (HBM) and customized HBM (cHBM) are one of the key elements of high-performance computing (HPC) products driven by artificial intelligence (AI) will be discussed. Glass-core substrates and glass-core interposers will be presented. Co-packaged optics will be examined. Some recommendations will be provided. The contents of this lecture are shown below.

• Introduction
• Chiplets and Heterogeneous Integration
• Advanced Packaging for Chiplets and Heterogeneous Integration
  • 2D IC Integration
  • 2.1D IC Integration
  • 2.3D IC Integration
  • 2.5D IC Integration
  • 3D IC Integration
  • 3.3D IC Integration
  • 3.5D IC Integration
  • Bridges Embedded in Build-up Substrates
  • Bridges Embedded in Fan-Out EMC with RDLs
  • Hybrid Bonding Bridge
  • Hybrid Bonding
  • HBM and cHBM
  • Glass-Core Substrates and Glass-Core Interposers
  • Co-Packaged Optics
• Summary and Recommendations

Who Should Attend?
If you (students, engineers, and managers) are involved with any aspect of the electronics industry, you should attend this course. It is equally suited for R&D professionals and scientists. The lectures are based on the publications by many distinguish authors and the books (by the lecturer). Each attendee will receive more than 250 pages of lecture notes.

Fan-out wafer and panel-level packaging (FO-WLP/-PLP) technologies have emerged as key enablers for advanced semiconductor integration, offering high I/O density, improved electrical performance, and cost efficiency. However, one of the most critical challenges in these processes is warpage, which occurs due to complex thermo-mechanical interactions and other shrinkage effects during molding, redistribution layer (RDL) formation and assembly. Excessive warpage and die shift can lead to yield loss, reliability issues, and assembly misalignment.

This tutorial provides a comprehensive overview of warpage modelling methodologies for FO-WLP and -PLP processes. It covers fundamental principles of thermo-mechanical behaviour, material property characterization, and process-induced stress evolution. Both analytical and numerical approaches, including finite element modelling (FEM), will be discussed, along with strategies for model calibration and validation using experimental data. Practical case studies will illustrate how predictive modelling can guide design optimization, material selection, and process control to mitigate warpage risks.

Sensors are everywhere! They create data and provide the “food” for the Internet of Things. Which specific requirements distinguish MEMS and sensor packaging from standard assembly? How are these challenges being tackled? Do we need advanced packaging technologies for MEMS? These and more questions will be addressed in the course. From a general introduction into package platforms, we will derive MEMS-specific challenges – e. g. the need for low package induced stress and its impact to MEMS performance, the necessity to create cavities or the implementation of MEMS-specific package materials and processes. The course reviews the state of the art and will be dominated by case studies comprising pressure and impact sensors, microphones, mirrors, magnetic sensors and Radar devices. A further section elaborates on robustness requirements and approaches for risk mitigation in harsh environments.
How does MEMS- and sensor packaging fit into the AI-dominated world of “Advanced Packaging”? Case studies comprise the integration of MEMS-microphones or RF-antennas into Fan-Out-Wafer-Level-Packages. An open discussion on the future of MEMS- and sensor packaging will be appreciated.

Linear superelements and model order reduction (MOR) techniques enable significant reductions in computational effort while preserving the relevant physical behavior of complex models. This short course provides a practice-oriented introduction to the use of linear superelements in Ansys Mechanical for structural, thermal, and coupled thermomechanical simulations. Starting with structural dynamics, the course demonstrates how linear superelements can be created and applied using native Ansys Mechanical functionality. The workflow is then extended to thermal and coupled thermo-mechanical analyses using the CADFEM Extension “Model Order Reduction inside Ansys”. Participants will learn how reduced-order models are generated, validated, and efficiently reused in simulations of larger systems. The course combines concise theoretical background with extensive live software demonstrations, focusing on industrially relevant workflows, modeling decisions, and typical pitfalls. A mixed audience from industry and academia is addressed, and interactive discussion is explicitly encouraged.