Critical and Subcritical Adhesion Measurements of a Model Epoxy Coating Exposed to Moisture Using the Shaft-Loaded Blister Test

The shaft-loaded blister test (SLBT) was used to investigate the adhesion between a model epoxy coating and a silicon oxide surface as a function of relative humidity. Critical and subcritical strain energy release rates were measured using specimens that incorporate reinforcing layers of Kapton® film. A simplified procedure that eliminates the need for video imaging to measure the blister radius and fracture energy was developed. A critical relative humidity level for adhesion loss was observed, in agreement with measurements that have been made previously in a number of polymeric systems. The SLBT was confirmed to be particularly attractive for fracture energy measurements on thin, strongly adhered coatings and films which otherwise tend to be problematic.     

Three-step concept (TSC) in modeling microelectronics reliability (MR): Boltzmann–Arrhenius–Zhurkov (BAZ) probabilistic physics-of-failure equation sandwiched between two statistical models

When encountering a particular reliability problem at the design, fabrication, testing, or an operation stage of a product’s life, and considering the use of predictive modeling to assess the seriousness and the likely consequences of the a detected failure, one has to choose whether a statistical, or a physics-of-failure-based, or a suitable combination of these two major modeling tools should be employed to address the problem of interest and to decide on how to proceed. A three-step concept (TSC) is suggested as a possible way to go in such a situation. The classical statistical Bayes’ formula can be used at the first step in this concept as a technical diagnostics tool. Its objective is to identify, on the probabilistic basis, the faulty (malfunctioning) device(s) from the obtained signals (“symptoms of faults”). The recently suggested physics-of-failure-based Boltzmann–Arrhenius–Zhurkov’s (BAZ) model and particularly the multi-parametric BAZ model can be employed at the second step to assess the remaining useful life (RUL) of the faulty device(s). If the RUL is still long enough, no action might be needed; if it is not, corrective restoration action becomes necessary. In any event, after the first two steps are carried out, the device is put back into operation (testing), provided that the assessed probability of its continuing failure-free operation is found to be satisfactory. If the operational failure nonetheless occurs, the third, technical diagnostics step should be undertaken to update reliability. Statistical beta-distribution, in which the probability of failure is treated as a random variable, is suggested to be used at this step. While various statistical methods and approaches, including Bayes’ formula and beta-distribution, are well known and widely used in numerous applications for many decades, the BAZ model was introduced in the microelectronics reliability (MR) area only several years ago. Its attributes are addressed and discussed therefore in some detail. The suggested concept is illustrated by a numerical example geared to the use of the prognostics-and-health-monitoring (PHM) effort in actual operation, such as, e.g., en-route flight mission.     

Investigation of ultrasonic vibrations of wire-bonding capillaries

Ultrasonic energy is widely used in wire bonding for microelectronics packaging. It is necessary to ensure that the maximum ultrasonic vibration displacement occurs at or near the tip of the bonding tool (capillary) for optimal performance. In this study, amplitude profiles of ultrasonic vibrations along capillaries were measured with load using a laser interferometer. This provided valuable information in understanding and improving capillary performance. The method was applied to real time applications to optimize capillary designs and bonding processes for specific bonding applications. First, the application of a new capillary material with different zirconia compositions was evaluated. The new material with certain amount of zirconia composition showed that it was the capillary material of choice for ultra-fine pitch wire bonding. Next, comparative analysis was conducted to investigate the ultrasonic energy transfer of a new ‘slimline’ bottleneck and the conventional bottleneck. The actual bonding response of the molded slimline bottleneck showed comparable performance with the ground conventional bottleneck using the same bonding parameters. Finally, optimization of a 60-μm-bond-pad-pitch process was performed on a wire bonder. Within the optimized parameter ranges, the ultrasonic displacement of the capillary was monitored. For all possible combinations of bond force and bond power, the ultrasonic displacement of the capillary increased with increasing bond power, without drastic changes caused by bond force changes. This indicated that the selected process window was located in a stable region.     

Effects of Sintering Process Conditions on Size Shrinkages of Low-Temperature Co-Fired Ceramic Substrate

The effects of sintering process conditions on the size shrinkages of low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) substrate were investigated. The process variables investigated were thickness of the stacked raw tapes, lamination pressure, lamination-pressure holding time, pre-heating time, debinding time, sintering dwell time, and sintering temperature ramp. Results revealed that the size shrinkage percentage of the LTCC samples in the lateral directions was always smaller than that in the thickness direction. The lateral shrinkage deviations were less than 2.1% for all the experiments conducted in this study. Pre-heating time, lamination-pressure holding time, debinding time, sintering dwell time and sintering temperature ramp had almost no effects on the lateral size shrinkage of the LTCC samples, and the average of the lateral shrinkage values was 15.3%, with a standard deviation of 0.17%. Lamination pressure and stacked raw-tape thickness had effects on the lateral size shrinkage of the LTCC samples, and empirical equations for calculation of the size shrinkage values were obtained by curve fitting.     

超临界流体在微电子器件清洗中的应用

本文介绍了超临界流体及其特性、超，临界流体清洗工艺及特点。结合现有的研究结果，论述了在微电子加工中应用超临界流体的可行性和有效性。并以硅片的清洗和干燥为例，说明了超临界CO2的应用优势，指出了超临界流体在微电子技术中尚需要解决的技术问题及其广阔的应用前景。     

从微电子到"活动的硅"--系统集成的未来潜力

本文主要介绍微电子发展趋势、微电子与微机械结合、系统集成的未来潜力。     

集成电路的现状及其发展趋势

集成电路是信息社会经济发展的基石。通过对集成电路发展规律的分析,从集成电路的设计、制造、新产品研发和市场动态等方面,描述了集成电路的最新动态;探讨了集成电路的发展趋势;指出集成电路与其它学科、技术的结合,不断形成新的研究方向;新材料、新结构、新器件不断涌现,特征尺寸继续缩小,摩尔定律仍然起作用。     

Fabrication of Stable Metallic Patterns Embedded in Poly(dimethylsiloxane) and Model Applications in Non‐Planar Electronic and Lab‐on‐a‐Chip Device Patterning

This article describes the fabrication of durable metallic patterns that are embedded in poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and demonstrates their use in several representative applications. The method involves the transfer and subsequent embedding of micrometer‐scale gold (and other thin‐film material) patterns into PDMS via adhesion chemistries mediated by silane coupling agents. We demonstrate the process as a suitable method for patterning stable functional metallization structures on PDMS, ones with limiting feature sizes less than 5 μm, and their subsequent utilization as structures suitable for use in applications ranging from soft‐lithographic patterning, non‐planar electronics, and microfluidic (lab‐on‐a‐chip, LOC) analytical systems. We demonstrate specifically that metal patterns embedded in both planar and spherically curved PDMS substrates can be used as compliant contact photomasks for conventional photolithographic processes. The non‐planar photomask fabricated with this technique has the same surface shape as the substrate, and thus facilitates the registration of structures in multilevel devices. This quality was specifically tested in a model demonstration in which an array of one hundred metal oxide semiconductor field‐effect transistor (MOSFET) devices was fabricated on a spherically curved Si single‐crystalline lens. The most significant opportunities for the processes reported here, however, appear to reside in applications in analytical chemistry that exploit devices fabricated using the methods of soft lithography. Toward this end, we demonstrate durably bonded metal patterns on PDMS that are appropriate for use in microfluidic, microanalytical, and microelectromechanical systems. We describe a multilayer metal‐electrode fabrication scheme (multilaminate metal–insulator–metal (MIM) structures that substantially enhance performance and stability) and use it to enable the construction of PDMS LOC devices using electrochemical detection. A polymer‐based microelectrochemical analytical system, one incorporating an electrode array for cyclic voltammetry and a microfluidic system for the electrophoretic separation of dopamine and catechol with amperometric detection, is demonstrated.     

Enhancement of the critical heat flux by using heat spreader

Direct immersion cooling has been considered as one of the promising methods to cool high power density chips. A fluorocarbon liquid such as FC-72, which is chemically and electrically compatible with microelectronic components, is known to be a proper coolant for direct immersion cooling. However, boiling in this dielectric fluid is characterized by its small value of the critical heat flux. In this experimental study, we tried to enhance the critical heat flux by increasing the nucleate boiling area in the heat spreader (Conductive Immersion Cooling Module). Heat flux of 2 MW/m² was successfully removed at the heat source temperature below 78°C in FC-72. Some modified boiling curves at high heat flux were obtained from these modules. Also, the concept of conduction path length is very important in enhancing the critical heat flux by increasing the heat spreader surface area where nucleate boiling occurs.