Integrated circuits (IC) can be classified into analog, digital and mixed signal (both analog and digital on the same chip).
ICs were first packaged in ceramic flat packs, which continued to be used by the military for their reliability and small size for many years. Commercial circuit packaging quickly moved to the dual in-line package (DIP), first in ceramic and later in plastic.
Surface mount packaging appeared in the early 1980s and became popular in the late 1980s, using finer lead pitch with leads formed as either gull-wing or J-lead. Ball grid array (BGA) and Flip Chip Ball Grid Array packages booth emerged soon after.
When multiple dies are put in one package, it is called a System in Package (SiP). When multiple dies are combined on a small substrate, often ceramic, it's called a Multi-Chip Module (MCM).
