What Is IEEE Transactions on Components, Packaging, and Manufacturing Technology Part B?

IEEE Transactions on Components, Packaging, and Manufacturing Technology Part B is a peer-reviewed archival journal that published original research on advanced electronic packaging technologies, particularly at the substrate and system-integration level. Operating from 1994 to 1998 under the IEEE Components, Packaging, and Manufacturing Technology Society, Part B occupied a distinct position within a three-journal structure: while Part A addressed component-level enclosures and thermal paths, and Part C addressed manufacturing processes, Part B focused on advanced substrate fabrication, high-density interconnect structures, and the integration of heterogeneous components into assembled modules. The journal's output was later absorbed into IEEE Transactions on Advanced Packaging and ultimately into the IEEE Transactions on Components, Packaging and Manufacturing Technology, which unified the three predecessor publications in 2011.

Part B drew on thin-film processing, polymer chemistry, electrical circuit theory, and mechanical reliability analysis. Research papers typically described novel substrate dielectrics, redistribution layer fabrication for multi-chip modules, or the design of high-frequency interconnects for microwave and mixed-signal assemblies.

Advanced Substrates and Interconnect Structures

A primary focus of Part B was the design and characterization of substrates that support dense, high-speed electronic assemblies. Papers addressed organic laminates, ceramic co-fired substrates, and thin-film redistribution layers built on silicon or glass carriers. Work on sequential build-up substrates examined how alternating dielectric and conductor layers could achieve finer line widths than conventional printed wiring boards allowed. Controlled-impedance transmission lines, via design, and signal integrity under high-frequency excitation appeared across many papers as clock rates in digital systems pushed into the gigahertz range during the mid-1990s.

High-Density Interconnect and Multi-Chip Modules

Multi-chip module (MCM) technology, which integrates multiple bare dice on a single substrate to reduce interconnect length and improve electrical performance, was a defining research theme of Part B. MCM-D (deposited), MCM-C (ceramic), and MCM-L (laminate) variants each presented different trade-offs in density, cost, and dielectric properties. Papers explored the electrical characterization of these assemblies, the mechanical stresses arising from coefficient-of-thermal-expansion mismatches between chips and substrates, and the yield challenges of assembling unpackaged known-good die. This research contributed to the foundational understanding of heterogeneous integration that now underpins advanced packaging approaches discussed in IEEE Electronics Packaging Society publications.

Reliability of Advanced Packages

Part B published systematic reliability studies on the assembled structures that its papers designed and fabricated. Accelerated thermal cycling tests, underfill material studies, and failure mode analyses for flip-chip and wire-bond connections provided the data needed to project field lifetimes. Finite-element models quantified solder fatigue under cyclic mechanical and thermal loads, and correlations between model predictions and physical test results drove improvements in both substrate design rules and assembly processes. The reliability assessment methods developed during this period informed later industry specifications such as those maintained by JEDEC for board-level reliability qualification.

Applications

IEEE Transactions on Components, Packaging, and Manufacturing Technology Part B has applications in a range of fields, including:

• High-performance computing requiring dense, low-latency chip interconnect at the module level
• Telecommunications equipment where multi-chip modules reduce board real estate and signal delay
• Microwave and radio-frequency subsystems that depend on controlled-impedance substrate routing
• Aerospace electronics that require hermetic and reliable high-density packaging under harsh conditions
• Consumer mobile devices where substrate miniaturization enables compact system-in-package assemblies