| Sponsor |
|
Plasma Processing Wafers and Dies
The STW-10 automated plasma system optimizes front-end semiconductor processing, activating silicon surfaces for hybrid bonding. It handles 300 mm wafers or dies on tape frames.
Surfx Technologies
|
|
| Viewpoint |
February 27, 2026
VIEWPOINT 2026: Paolo Fioravanti, CEO, Circuits Integrated Hellas
|
|
Paolo Fioravanti, CEO, Circuits Integrated Hellas
|
As we approach 2026, the radio-frequency (RF) segment of the semiconductor industry is entering a period of sustained growth1, fueled by advanced 5G, non-terrestrial networks, satellite communications, and defense modernization.
Market forecasts project the global RF semiconductor market to nearly double by the early 2030s, reflecting strong long-term demand. Yet this growth also exposes a structural challenge: RF system architectures have not evolved at the same pace as the applications they serve.
Today's RF designs still rely heavily on planar, two-dimensional integration of discrete components. Power amplifiers, signal-processing logic, and control circuitry are typically placed side-by-side on a PCB and linked through wire bonds or long traces.
While incremental advances in gallium nitride (GaN) and gallium arsenide (GaAs) devices have improved performance, 2D layouts introduce parasitics that degrade signal integrity and waste power—limitations that become increasingly problematic at Ka-band and millimeter-wave frequencies.
The next change in RF performance will come from heterogeneous 3D integration.2 Rather than forcing a single material to do everything, 3D architectures allow each technology to play to its strengths: GaAs for linear RF front ends, GaN for high power density, and silicon for complex control and beamforming logic.
By vertically stacking and tightly interconnecting these dies using advanced system-in-package approaches, engineers can dramatically shorten signal paths, reduce losses, and shrink system footprint. For RF systems where size, weight, and power are critical, particularly in satellite and phased-array applications, 3D integration is no longer optional—it is foundational.
References:
1. "RF Semiconductor Global Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2019 – 2032." Fortune Business Insights, 2025, https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/rf-semiconductor-market-110167.
2. "Heterogeneous AiP/SiP for Satcom." Lourandakis, Errikos; Fioravanti, Paolo; Kontogiannopoulos, Giannis; and McMahon, Carl. Research Gate, 2025, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/392228907_Heterogeneous_AiPSiP_for_Satcom.
Paolo Fioravanti, CEO
Circuits Integrated Hellas
|
Free Newsletter Subscription
Semiconductor Packaging News is built for professionals who bear the responsibility of looking ahead, imagining the future, and preparing for it.
Insert Your Email Address
|
|
