Best Practices for Thermal Modeling in Microelectronics with Natural Convection Cooling: Sensitivity Analysis

A detailed sensitivity study was carried out on various key parameters from a high precision numerical model of a microelectronic package cooled by natural convection, to provide rules for the thermal modeling of microelectronic packages subjected to natural convection heat transfer. An accurate estimate of the junction temperature, with an error of less than 1˚C, was obtained compared to the experimental data for the vertical and horizontal orientations of the test vehicle in the JEDEC Still Air configuration. The sensitivity study showed that to have an accurate estimate of the temperature, the following elements should be present in the thermal model: radiation heat transfer in natural convection cooling;a computational fluid dynamics analysis to find realistic convection coefficients;detailed models of the high conductivity elements in the direction of the heat flow towards the environment;and finally precise values for the thicknesses of layers and the thermal properties of the substrate and the printed circuit board.

Effect of Kovar alloy oxidized in simulated N_2/H_2O atmosphere on its sealing with glass

The effect of Kovar alloy oxidized in simulated field atmosphere on its sealing with glass was studied in this article. After Kovar plates and pins were preoxidized in N2 with 0℃, 10℃ and 20℃ dew points at 1000℃ for different times, Fe304 and Fe203 existed in the oxidation products on Kovar surface, and the quantity of Fe203 increased with increasing dew point and oxidation time. Then they were sealed with borosilicate glass insulator at 1030℃ for 20 rain. The results indicated that the type and quantity of oxidation products would directly influence the quality of glass-to-metal seals. With the increase of oxidation products, gas bubbles in the glass insulator were more serious, the climbing height of glass along the pins was higher, and corrosion of Kovar pins caused from the molten glass was transformed from uniform to the localized.

Calculation Model for the Steady-State Vibration Amplitude of a New Type of Cascaded Composite Structure-Based Ultrasonic Transducer

The steady-state vibration amplitude is an important performance indicator of high-frequency ultrasonic transducers for ultrasonically assisted manipulating,machining,and manufacturing.This work aimed to develop a calculation model for the steady-state vibration amplitude of a new type of dual-branch cascaded composite structure-based ultrasonic transducer that can be used in the packaging of microelectronic chips.First,the steady-state vibration amplitude of the piezoelectric vibrator of the transducer was derived from the piezoelectric equation.Second,the vibration transfer matrices of the tapered ultrasonic horns were obtained by combining the vibration equation,the continuous condition of the displacement,and the equilibrium condition of the force.Calculation models for the steady-state vibration amplitude of the two working ends of the transducer were then developed.A series of exciting trials were carried out to test the performance of the models.Comparison between the calculated and measured results for steady-state vibration amplitude showed that the maximum deviation was 0.0221μm,the minimum deviation was 0.0013μm,the average deviation was 0.0097μm,and the standard deviation was 0.0046μm.These values indicated good calculation accuracy,laying a good foundation for the practical application of the proposed transducer.

Recent Progress in Metallurgical Bonding Mechanisms at the Liquid/Solid Interface of Dissimilar Metals Investigated via in situ X-ray Imaging Technologies

The liquid/solid(L/S)interface of dissimilar metals is critical to the microstructure,mechanical strength,and structural integrity of interconnects in many important applications such as electronics,automotive,aeronautics,and astronautics,and therefore has drawn increasing research interests.To design preferential microstructure and optimize mechanical properties of the interconnects,it is crucial to understand the formation and growth mechanisms of diversified structures at the L/S interface during interconnecting.In situ synchrotron radiation or tube-generated X-ray radiography and tomography technologies make it possible to observe the evolution of the L/S interface directly and therefore have greatly propelled the research in this field.Here,we review the recent progress in understanding the L/S interface behaviors using advanced in situ X-ray imaging techniques with a particular focus on the following two issues:(1)interface behaviors in the solder joints for microelectronic packaging including the intermetallic compounds(IMCs)during refl ow,Sn dendrites,and IMCs during solidification and refl ow porosities and(2)growth characteristics and morphological transition of IMCs in the interconnect of dissimilar metals at high temperature.Furthermore,the main achievements and future research perspectives in terms of metallurgical bonding mechanisms under complex conditions with improved X-ray sources and detectors are remarked and discussed.

Analytical investigation on thermal-induced warpage behavior of ultrathin chip-on-flex(UTCOF) assembly

The serious warpage issues of ultrathin chip-on-flex(UTCOF) assembly induced by mismatched thermal stresses have greatly affected the mechanical stability and reliability of emerging ultrathin chip packaging technology. Currently, a theoretical prediction as a convenient and straightforward approach is still lacked for describing effectively the thermal-mechanical behavior of UTCOF during the adhesive curing and cooling process. In consideration of the adhesive thickness approximating to ultrathin chip and flexible substrate thickness, we develop a layerwise-model of ultrathin chip-adhesive-flex structure under plain strain condition, where the behavior of thick adhesive bonding can be described precisely through increasing the subdivided mathematical plies. Further, the analytical results show that the concave and convex forms of ultrathin chip warpage yield at the end of the curing and cooling process respectively. Meanwhile, the effects of its structure dimensions and material properties are also revealed for discussing a way to relieve the extent of ultrathin chip warpage. Additionally, in order to verify the validity of the theoretical prediction, we also introduce the corresponding numerical technique and experimental method. These results suggest that a kind of rigid and ultrathin flexible substrate such as metal foil should be adopted for small warpage of ultrathin assembly.