Evaluation of embedded IC approach for automotive application

Embedding of discrete passives or functional chips as bare dies has been successfully proven in the last years. The embedding technology provides multiple advantages when compared to conventional surface mount technology. As of today multiple possibilities to embed active devices in the substrate exist. One method has been selected here and a fully parameterized finite-element framework has been created to assess its reliability potential. It is shown how it is possible to represent even very complex geometries with features spanning over multiple orders of magnitude, while fulfilling the requirement of reasonable simulation time effort and the possibility to still extracting all necessary local simulation result information. Special attention has been given to the simulation sequence used for the proposed model. Because the embedding technology involves multiple temperature critical production process steps it is advised to transfer the residual stresses of the previous step into the following. This ensures simulation results with high quality. Furthermore it is proposed to update the geometries according to the process calculations. In this work a feasible modeling approach for the underfill curing process is given. With the proposed framework the structural behavior of an embedded IC component both during the manufacturing stage and under environmental loading conditions can be investigated. This will facilitate future design choices and help expose the reliability potential of the novel embedding technology compared to conventional SMT.