Samsung’s Galaxy S9 Plus Processor Packages: Samsung’s iPoP vs. Qualcomm/Shinko MCeP

In the high end smartphone market four manufacturers, Apple, Samsung, Huawei and Qualcomm, lead in the Application Processor Environment (APE) stakes. All four have a different supply chain but all remain competitive. Samsung is the only one present in two different supply chains. It provides the APE for its own flagship but it also provides the APE die for Qualcomm. Since 2016, the Galaxy smartphone series has featured the two APEs depending on where in the world they’re sold. This year Samsung renewed this partnership by integrating the Exynos 9 with several innovations like modified semi-additive process (mSAP) printed circuit board (PCB) or new package-on-package (PoP) integration developed by Samsung itself or the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 with Molded Core Embedded Package (MCeP) developed by Shinko.

Depending on where in the world it’s sold, the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus has several features that can differ. The ‘international’ version features an Exynos 9810 chipset with mSAP technology for the main board PCB while the US version features the Snapdragon 845 chipset with standard main board PCB.

The Exynos 9810 is an embedded die package with in-house packaging technology, using two moldings to improve the well-known Through Molded Via (TMV) technology. The Snapdragon 845 still uses Shinko’s MCeP technology, but with new improvement since the last analyzed Snapdragon APE. In this report, we will show the differences between both packages and their innovations, including molding compound, substrate and decoupling capacitors. The detailed comparison between both APE packages will give the pros and the cons of the PoP technologies.

This report reviews the Exynos 9810 and the Snapdragon 845, including a complete package analysis, cost analysis, and price estimate for the chips. Also included is a physical and cost comparison of the different solutions. Finally, it features a technical and physical comparison between the previous generation of the Exynos and the Snapdragon Series, and the other APE packaging solutions from Huawei and Apple.

COMPLETE TEARDOW WITH

• Detailed photos
• Precise measurements
• Material analysis
• Manufacturing process flow
• Supply-chain evaluation
• Manufacturing cost analysis
• Estimated sales price
• Comparison of the Samsung Exynos 9 (Octa 9810) and Samsung Exynos 8 (Octa 8890)
• Comparison of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 with Snapdragon 820
• Comparison of the Samsung Exynos 9 (Octa 9810) and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845

Overview/Introduction

Samsung and Qualcomm – Company Profiles

Samsung Galaxy S9+ Teardown – US vs. EU versions

Exynos and Snapdragon Physical Analysis

• Physical Analysis – Methodology
• SM-G965F/N and SM-G965U1 Main Board Analysis
  • Board overview and cross-section
• Package Assembly
  • View and dimensions
  • Package overview and cross-section
  • Package opening
• Die
  • View, dimensions, and markings
  • Cross-section and process characteristics

Physical and Cost Comparison

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 vs. 845 PoP
• Samsung Exynos 8 vs. 9 PoP
• Snapdragon 845 vs. Exynos 9 – cost comparison
• PoP technology comparison

Manufacturing Process Flow

• Die process and wafer fabrication unit
• Packaging process and fabrication unit

Cost Analysis

• Cost analysis overview
• Main steps used in the economic analysis
• Yield hypotheses
• Die cost
  • Wafer and die cost
• Packaging assembly cost
  • Panel front-end cost
  • Cost per process steps
• Component cost

Estimated Price Analysis