The complete ST SIP RF platform provides a full design environment with several different ST technologies: IC, IPAD(tm), external filters, Surface Mounted Technologies (SMT), and passives embedded in laminate (BGA). ST is facing these design challenges in the package for RF: expertise on new technologies (several layers, routing, embedded passives), assembly rules and model library for SMT, assembly rules for dice stacking, design rules and model library for embedded passives, IC / IPAD(tm) wire bonding and flipchip compatibility. Before developing a complete RF design environment for this new technology, it is necessary to answer a few questions. Who should be the SIP designer? Should it be a package designer who knows all package constraints or should it be a RF designer who knows the constraints of his design.

Which tools should we use? A specific SIP tool which enables us to design very complex packages and which addresses all SIP constraints or Mentor Graphics IC Flow tool suite, which is well known by the RF designer, but was not designed for SIP design?

When the tools are chosen, do they address all SIP and RF constraints or should they be enhanced? This paper will describe the choices that were made at ST to answer these questions in order to reach a complete production RF SIP flow.