This may give you a clue to truly "embedded" passive and active devices -
laminated inside the board.  Numakura has his newsletter posted publicly
on a couple of web sites for PWB assembly.  This is from last September.

Denny
----- Forwarded by Dennis Fritz/MacDermid/MACDERMID/US on 03/09/04 05:06
PM -----




Dominique Numakura
Managing Director
DKN Research
62 Adams Street
Haverhill, Massachusetts 01830 U.S.A.
Telephone: 1-978-372-2345
Fax:       1-978-469-0188

EPTE Newsletter from Japan, September 28, 2003
(Electronic Packaging Technologies)


Embedded Active Devices
There have been a lot of R&D works and considerations about EBD (Embedded
Passive Devices) Technology in the last several years. A
lot of material suppliers, PWB manufacturers, design houses and customers
in the U.S. and Asia have been involved for the big
projects. They have been employing thick film technologies, thin film
technologies, etching technologies, plating technologies, etc.
Also they have been proposing a lot of new unique materials.
Unfortunately, we have had very few volume applications currently.
There are many reasons, cost, investment, design, reliability, process
yield, patent issue, etc.  We can not expect a quick take-off
of the technology for a while.

On the other hand, several major Japanese PWB manufacturers such as
Matsushita, DT Circuit Technology and Shinko Electric have been
proposing alternative EBD technologies, recently. The basic idea is to
embed actual chip components into the inner layers of the
multi-layer boards. It can not reduce the cost significantly, but it
utilizes the space of the inner layers more effectively. And it
looks more practical, because it does not need very unique materials or
processes.

Another big advantage of the technology is the availability for the EAD
(Embedded Active Devices), actually bare chips. The
manufacturers have been showing actual examples.  The strength of the
companies is in the tight relationship with the end customers.
They are working together for the actual projects to apply the new
technology. They will be the tough competitors for the orthodox
EPD technology manufacturers.