Documents and Databases

The CALCE Consortium maintain various information sources to facilitate the acquisition of information for its members. These sources include:
  • Thermal Effects on Electronics
      • An authoritative source on the effects of temperature on microelectronic device failure mechanisms. The document covers the important issues of steady state temperature dependent models, temperature effects associated with temperature cycling, temperature gradient and time dependent temperature changes.   It identifies models quantifying the temperature effects on various package elements; and address the impacts of various design for temperature trade-offs on electronic systems. Temperature related models are assessed in terms of their use for determining the maximum and minimum allowable thermal stresses for a given system architecture. 


  • Plastic Encapsulated Microelectronic Encyclopedia
      • The document presents the science and technology behind PEMs. The document discusses the advantages of using plastic packages, and the state of the current technology. The primary package styles, the materials employed in plastic packages, including their composition and characteristics, and significant recent developments in plastic packaging materials technology are also promoted. The document discusses PEM fabrication technology and process steps used in modern plastic packages and presents issues related to the quality and reliability of this technology. Aspects of shipping containers and handling that are of special significance for PEMs in storage, transportation, and the pre-assembly stage are focussed upon and information pertaining to moisture and electrostatic discharge protection in containers is also included. The book includes a perspective on future trends in plastic encapsulation, especially on chip technology, packaging, design, materials selection, manufacturing processes, device integration and application-specific reliability. 


  • Electronic Packaging Materials and their Properties
      • The effectiveness with which an electronic system performs its electrical functions, as well as the reliability and cost of the system, are strongly determined not only by the electrical design, but also by the packaging materials. Electronic packaging refers to the packaging of integrated circuit (IC) chips (dies), their interconnections for signal and power transmission and heat dissipation. Packaging is also required for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. In electronic systems, packaging materials may also serve as electrical conductors or insulators, provide structure and form, provide thermal paths and protect the circuits from environmental factors such as moisture, contamination, hostile chemicals and radiation. As the speed and power of electronics increase, the heat dissipation problems and the signal delay caused by the capacitive effect of the dielectric material become even greater issues that need resolving. The solution involves the devising of innovative packaging schemes and the continuing search for more advanced materials.

      The level of packaging or packaging architecture is often used to classify materials and the required material characteristics for effective performance over time. The chip, component, printed wiring board, and assembly level packaging are referred to as the zeroeth, first, second and third levels of packaging, respectively (the fourth and fifth levels of packaging being the electronic module formation by the integration of backpanel and power supply with an outer housing and the system formation by integration of electronic modules, e.g. peripherals). In general, each level has unique material properties requirements. The actual applications of materials in electronic packaging include interconnections, printed circuit boards, substrates, encapsulants, interlayer dielectrics, die attach materials, electrical contacts, connectors, thermal interface materials, heat sinks, solders, brazes, lids and housings.
       

  • High Temperature Electronics
      • The development of electronics that can operate at high temperatures has been identified as a critical technology for the next century. Increasingly, engineers will be called upon to design avionics and automotive and geophysical electronic systems requiring components and packaging reliable to 200ºC and beyond. Packaging and device engineers and technologists will find this book required reading for its coverage of the techniques and tradeoffs involved in materials selection, design, and thermal management and for its presentation of best design practices using actual fielded systems as examples.
       
       
      Gives detailed information about failure and reliability

  • Semiconductor Device Failure Mechanisms (for CALCE Consortium members)
      • Modern systems, containing many millions of transistors, are, by and large, very reliable, and tend to perform far better than was thought possible only a few years ago. The key question is what happens next ( how is the understanding of the failure mechanisms and experiences gained to date going to be used in the future? It is clear that laws of physics will apply to future products too, and in fact that they will have to be 'more strictly enforced.' It is also clear that some of the practices from the past will have to be changed to deal with the future. This book focuses on the issues associated with the individual failure mechanisms associated with semiconductor devices.

  • Integrated Passive Devices (for CALCE Consortium members)
      • This book increases understanding of the issues involved in the decision to use integral passives, allowing the reader to make an informed decision about technology insertion. The book includes information about the motivation to use integral passives, types of integral passives, application and technology insertion issues, substrate materials, passive materials, failure mechanisms and qualification tests and information about integral passive supply chain members.