A Physics‐of‐failure Design Philosophy Applied to Flip‐chip Bonds

Abstract

This paper presents an application of the physics‐of‐failure design philosophy to flip‐chip bonds in a microelectronic package. The physics‐of‐failure philosophy utilises knowledge of the life‐cycle load profile, package architecture and material properties to identify potential failure mechanisms and to prevent operational failures through robust design and manufacturing practices. The potential failure mechanisms and failure sites are identified in this paper for flip‐chip bonds, and an approach is presented to prevent the identified potential failure mechanisms by design. Finally, quality conformance issues are discussed to ensure a robust manufacturing process and qualification issues are addressed to evaluate the reliability of the designed flip‐chip bond.