Coupled package-device modeling for microelectromechanical systems

Abstract Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), by their nature as sensors and actuators, require application specific packaging. The package is the near environment of the MEMS device and hence has a direct effect on its thermal behavior, mechanical effects, environmental compatibility and contamination. Therefore, understanding the influence of the packaging on MEMS device performance is critical to a successfully coupled package-device co-design. Here, an automated package-device interaction simulator has been developed. The simulator uses separate finite element method models for both the package and the device analysis and ties the simulations together through parametric behavioral package models. This technique allows the generation of package model libraries and supports the co-design of application specific packaging and MEMS devices. In the current implementation, thermomechanical package models have been implemented. Experimental verification of the technique is demonstrated by the comparison of simulation results to the measured package strain data. Although MEMS device-package interactions are not the only systems that could benefit from this method, they are a significant application area, focused on here.