Dissipative Dynamics of Polymer Phononic Materials

Phononic materials are artificial composites with unprecedented abilities to control acoustic waves in solids. Their performance is mainly governed by their architecture, determining frequency ranges in which wave propagation is inhibited. However, the dynamics of phononic materials also depends on the mechanical and material properties of their constituents. In the case of viscoelastic constituents, such as most polymers, it is challenging to correctly predict the actual dynamic behavior of real phononic structures. Existing studies on this topic either lack experimental evidence or are limited to specific materials and architectures in restricted frequency ranges. A general framework is developed and employed to characterize the dynamics of polymer phononic materials with different architectures made of both thermoset and thermoplastic polymers, presenting qualitatively different viscoelastic behaviors. Through a comparison of experimental results with numerical predictions, the reliability of commonly used elastic and viscoelastic material models is evaluated in broad frequency ranges. Correlations between viscous effects and the two main band-gap formation mechanisms in phononic materials are revealed, and experimentally verified guidelines on how to correctly predict their dissipative response are proposed in a computationally efficient way. Overall, this work provides comprehensive guidelines for the extension of phononics modeling to applications involving dissipative viscoelastic materials.     

Sources and control of volatile gases hazardous to hermeticelectronic enclosures

Four gases that threaten operating reliability may be present in hermetic electronic enclosures. Condensates of moisture and/or ammonia can cause metallization corrosion. Hydrogen is a rapid diffuser that can degrade metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) device operation. Oxygen can cause oxidation and ensuing failure of solder attachment materials within the sealed package. Other gases, such as carbon dioxide, helium, argon, and organic volatiles are not threats to reliability, but do provide clues to package materials behavior. Knowing sealed package ambient gas composition helps improve materials and processes for hermetic sealing and enables process control to assure reliable products. This paper describes the analysis method for hermetic microelectronics, residual gas analysis (RGA), available at only a few laboratories worldwide. It discusses sealing processes and package piece part materials that are sources of volatiles hazardous to product reliability. It presents materials selection and improvement considerations to reduce and control dangerous volatiles in hermetic packages     

硅通孔技术的发展与挑战

3D堆叠技术近年来发展迅速,采用硅通孔技术(TSV)是3D堆叠封装的主要趋势.介绍了3D堆叠集成电路、硅通孔互连技术的研究现状、TSV模型;同时阐述了TSV的关键技术与材料,比如工艺流程、通孔制作、通孔填充材料、键合技术等;最后分析了其可靠性以及面临的挑战.TSV技术已经成为微电子领域的热点,也是未来发展的必然趋势,运用它将会使电子产品获得高性能、低成本、低功耗和多功能性.     

Viscoelastic Effect of FR-4 Material on Packaging Stress Development

In the microelectronics device, FR-4 material is one of the key component materials in the packaging structure. The structure of FR-4 is featured as a typical orthotropic polymer composite material reinforced with glass fiber. Although the material may exhibit viscoelastic behavior, the material is commonly regarded as temperature-dependent elastic one in the microelectronics reliability analysis. The purpose of this study is to investigate the material property modeling effect of FR-4 on the reliability prediction. To obtain the FR-4 material properties, a series of stress relaxation test was performed. Based on the data, the behavior of the FR-4 was modeled as orthotropic temperature-dependent elastic and viscoelastic. An analytical method was employed to calculate the engineering constants required for the calculations. The elastic calculation was performed by ANSYS, and the viscoelastic calculation by a FORTRAN program, respectively. The FORTRAN program was written separately, and capable of calculating the viscoealstic calculations when the material is orthotropic. Board on chip (BOC) packaging structure, a new type of the first level packaging for memory chip, was considered for the stress development analysis. The results were compared to examine the difference based on the FR-4 material property modeling.     

Multilayer planarization of polymer dielectrics

Polymers are widely used in the microelectronics industry as thin-film interlevel dielectrics layers between metal lines, as passivation layers on semiconductor devices and in various packaging applications. As multiple layers of polymer and patterned metal are constructed, the ability of these polymers to planarize topographical features becomes increasingly important. In this study, the degree of planarization (DOP) for five commercially available polymers has been examined for three different structural configurations with the intent of simulating practical applications. Specifically, this study investigates single layer planarization, multiple coat planarization, and planarization of metal lines patterned on a polymer base. This study also examines the effects of orientation of the metal structure to polymer flow during spin casting and location on the wafer. The polymers are selected to investigate different polymer chemistries frequently used in the microelectronics industry. The underlying structures were fabricated using standard photolithography and electroplating techniques. Feature dimensions include 25-200 μm line spacings and widths with the polymer overcoat thickness being twice the height of the underlying structures     

Ensuring the reliability of electron beam crosslinked electric cables by the optimization of the dose depth distribution with Monte Carlo simulation

The reliability of electric cables and wires using electron beam crosslinked polymers as isolator materials strongly depends on the accuracy in predicting the dose deposited during irradiation. This paper presents the main reliability issues that can be encountered in field operation, experimental data showing the criticality of the dose parameter, and proposes the use of a built-in reliability approach based on Monte Carlo simulation to design optimum processing conditions. The main requirements and advantages of the Monte Carlo based methodology are discussed in conjunction with the limitations of the traditional heuristic calculation procedure. Finally, Monte Carlo simulation is used for the first time to point out some relevant effects that occur during processing and that can lead to severe dose estimation errors.     

Material issues in electronic interconnects and packaging

Electronic packages consist of metallic, polymeric, and sometimes ceramic materials as integral entities. Individual physical and mechanical properties of these constituents, and their influence on each other's behavior, affect the overall reliability of the electronic packages. The most common failures in electronic interconnects arise from thermomechanical fatigue of the solder joints. Mismatches in coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) that exist between these constituent materials are the main cause of such failures. Several approaches such as alloying and composite methodology are being explored to improve the reliability of the solder, which is metallic in nature, by improving its mechanical attributes. Other avenues such as matching the CTE of the constitutent materials are also being considered. In addition, the metallization of the electrical components and electrically non-conducting polymeric/ceramic layer to make it solderable has also been a source of concern regarding the joint reliability. Another concern relates to the high CTE of polymeric boards. This can cause significant CTE mismatch problems if silicon chips are directly mounted on them. Some of our significant findings in these respects are presented.     

Polymer‐Based Devices for Optical Communications

Polymers are emerging as new alternative materials for optical communication devices. We developed two types of polymer‐based devices for optical communications. One type is for ultra high‐speed signal processing that uses nonlinear optical (NLO) polymers in such devices as electro ‐optic (EO) Mach‐Zëhnder (MZ) modulators and EO 2×2 switches. The other is for WDM optical communications that use low‐loss optical polymers in such devices as 1×2, 2×2, 4‐arrayed 2×2 digital optical switches (DOSs) and 16×16 arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) routers. For these devices, we synthesized a polyetherimide‐disperse red 1 (PEI‐DR1) side chain NLO polymer and a low‐loss optical polymer known as fluorinated polyaryleneethers (FPAE). This paper presents the details of our development of these polymeric photonic devices considering all aspects from materials to packaging.     

Vacuum electronics

This paper explores the recent history and diversity of this remarkable technology, with emphasis on recent advances in the more traditional device types (traveling-wave tube and klystron), as well as more recent innovations such as the microwave power module, inductive output amplifier, fast-wave devices, ultrahigh-power sources, and RF vacuum microelectronics. These advances can be credited to a combination of device innovation, enhanced understanding gained through improved modeling and design, the introduction of superior materials and sub-assembly components and the development of advanced vacuum processing and manufacturing techniques     

Embedded Capacitors in Printed Wiring Board: A Technological Review

This paper reviews the technology of embedded capacitors, which has gained importance with an increase in the operating frequency and a decrease in the supply voltage of electronic circuits. These capacitors have been found to reduce the number of surface-mount capacitors, which can assist in the miniaturization of printed wiring boards. This paper describes various aspects of embedded capacitors, such as electrical performance, available dielectric materials, manufacturing processes, and reliability. Improvement in electrical performance is explained using a cavity model from the theory of microstrip antennas. The advantages and disadvantages of dielectric materials such as polymers, ceramics, polymer–ceramic composites, and polymer–conductive filler composites are discussed. Various manufacturing techniques that can be used for the fabrication of embedded capacitors are also discussed. Embedded capacitors have many advantages, but failure of an embedded capacitor can lead to board failure since these capacitors are not reworkable. The effect of various environmental stress conditions on the reliability of embedded capacitors is reviewed.     

Tailoring the Electrical Properties of Carbon Nanotube–Polymer Composites

Advances in functionality and reliability of nanocomposite materials require careful formulation of processing methods to ultimately realize the desired properties. An extensive study of how the variation in fabrication process would affect the mechanism of conductivity and thus the final electrical properties of the carbon nanotube–polymer composite is presented. Some of the most widely implemented procedures are addressed, such as ultrasonication, melt shear mixing, and addition of surfactants. It is hoped that this study could provide a systematic guide to selecting and designing the downstream processing of carbon nanocomposites. Finally, this guide is used to demonstrate the fabrication and performance of a stretchable (pliable) conductor that can reversibly undergo uniaxial strain of over 100%, and other key applications are discussed.     

Modulating the Properties of Azulene‐Containing Polymers through Controlled Incorporation of Regioisomers

Two libraries of random conjugated polymers are presented that incorporate varying ratios of regioisomeric azulene units connected via the 5‐membered or 7‐membered ring in combination with bithiophene or fluorene comonomers. It is demonstrated that the optoelectronic and stimuli‐responsive properties of the materials can be systematically modulated by tuning the relative percentage of each azulene building block in the polymer backbone. Significantly, these materials exhibit stimuli‐responsive behavior in the solid state with spin‐coated thin films undergoing rapid and reversible color switching. Ultimately, this work introduces a new design strategy in which the optoelectronic properties of conjugated polymers can be modulated by varying only the regiochemistry of the constituent building blocks along a polymer chain.     

计算机、微电子和总线技术的发展对雷达终端设计的影响

计算机、微电子和标准总线技术的发展促进了雷达终端的设计,并使高性能价格比和高可靠性的设计方案得以实现。本文介绍了新技术在雷达终端中的应用情况,概述了在雷达系统里只有使用最新技术才能研制高可用性的数字、数据处理设备。最后简单介绍了新型的光栅自动录取设备。     

Rational Design of a Printable,Highly Conductive Silicone‐based Electrically Conductive Adhesive for Stretchable Radio‐Frequency Antennas

Stretchable radio‐frequency electronics are gaining popularity as a result of the increased functionality they gain through their flexible nature, impossible within the confines of rigid and planar substrates. One approach to fabricating stretchable antennas is to embed stretchable or flowable conductive materials, such as conductive polymers, conductive polymer composites, and liquid metal alloys as stretchable conduction lines. However, these conductive materials face many challenges, such as low electrical conductivity under mechanical deformation and delamination from substrates. In the present study, a silicone‐based electrically conductive adhesive (silo‐ECA) is developed that have a conductivity of 1.51 × 10⁴ S cm^?1 and can maintain conductivity above 1.11 × 10³ S cm^?1, even at a large stain of 240%. By using the stretchable silo‐ECAs as a conductor pattern and pure silicone elastomers as a base substrate, stretchable antennas can be fabricated by stencil printing or soft‐lithography. The resulting antenna's resonant frequency is tunable over a wide range by mechanical modulation. This fabrication method is low‐cost, can support large‐scale production, has high reliability over a wide temperature range, and eliminates the concerns of leaking or delamination between conductor and substrate experienced in previously reported micro‐fluidic antennas.     

Smart Polymers for Microscale Machines

Microscale machines are able to perform a number of tasks like micromanipulation, drug-delivery, and noninvasive surgery. In particular, microscale polymer machines that can perform intelligent work for manipulation or transport, adaptive locomotion, or sensing are in-demand. To achieve this goal, shape-morphing smart polymers like hydrogels, liquid crystalline polymers, and other smart polymers are of great interest. Structures fabricated by these materials undergo mechanical motion under stimulation such as temperature, pH, light, and so on. The use of these materials renders microscale machines that undergo complex stimuli-responsive transformation such as from planar to 3D by combining spatial design like introducing in-plane or out-plane differences. During the past decade, many techniques have been developed or adopted for fabricating structures with smart polymers including microfabrication methods and the well-known milestone of 4D printing, starting in 2013. In this review, the existing or potential active smart polymers that could be used to fabricate active microscale machines to accomplish complex tasks are summarized.     

Electron‐Rich Alcohol‐Soluble Neutral Conjugated Polymers as Highly Efficient Electron‐Injecting Materials for Polymer Light‐Emitting Diodes

We report the design and synthesis of three alcohol‐soluble neutral conjugated polymers, poly[9,9‐bis(2‐(2‐(2‐diethanolaminoethoxy) ethoxy)ethyl)fluorene] (PF‐OH), poly[9,9‐bis(2‐(2‐(2‐diethanol‐aminoethoxy)ethoxy)ethyl)fluorene‐alt‐4,4′‐phenylether] (PFPE‐OH) and poly[9,9‐bis(2‐(2‐(2‐diethanolaminoethoxy) ethoxy)ethyl)fluorene‐alt‐benzothiadizole] (PFBT‐OH) with different conjugation length and electron affinity as highly efficient electron injecting and transporting materials for polymer light‐emitting diodes (PLEDs). The unique solubility of these polymers in polar solvents renders them as good candidates for multilayer solution processed PLEDs. Both the fluorescent and phosphorescent PLEDs based on these polymers as electron injecting/transporting layer (ETL) were fabricated. It is interesting to find that electron‐deficient polymer (PFBT‐OH) shows very poor electron‐injecting ability compared to polymers with electron‐rich main chain (PF‐OH and PFPE‐OH). This phenomenon is quite different from that obtained from conventional electron‐injecting materials. Moreover, when these polymers were used in the phosphorescent PLEDs, the performance of the devices is highly dependent on the processing conditions of these polymers. The devices with ETL processed from water/methanol mixed solvent showed much better device performance than the devices processed with methanol as solvent. It was found that the erosion of the phosphorescent emission layer could be greatly suppressed by using water/methanol mixed solvent for processing the polymer ETL. The electronic properties of the ETL could also be influenced by the processing conditions. This offers a new avenue to improve the performance of phosphorescent PLEDs through manipulating the processing conditions of these conjugated polymer ETLs.     

Recent Progress in Applications of the Cold Sintering Process for Ceramic–Polymer Composites

Ceramic–polymer composites are of interest for designing enhanced and unique properties. However, the processing temperature windows of sintering ceramics are much higher than that of compaction, extrusion, or sintering of polymers, and thus traditionally there has been an inability to cosinter ceramic–polymer composites in a single step with high amounts of ceramics. The cold sintering process is a low‐temperature sintering technology recently developed for ceramics and ceramic‐based composites. A wide variety of ceramic materials have now been demonstrated to be densified under the cold sintering process and therefore can be all cosintered with polymers from room temperature to 300 °C. Here, the status, understanding, and application of cold cosintering, with different examples of ceramics and polymers, are discussed. One has to note that these types of cold sintering processes are yet new, and a full understanding will only emerge after more ceramic–polymer examples emerge and different research groups build upon these early observations. The general processing, property designs, and an outlook on cold sintering composites are outlined. Ultimately, the cold sintering process could open up a new multimaterial design space and impact the field of ceramic–polymer composites.     

Fabrication of Reversibly Crosslinkable, 3‐Dimensionally Conformal Polymeric Microstructures

Multifaceted porous materials were prepared through careful design of star polymer functionality and properties. Functionalized core crosslinked star (CCS) polymers with a low glass transition temperature (T_g) based on poly(methyl acrylate) were prepared having a multitude of hydroxyl groups at the chain ends. Modification of these chain ends with 9‐anthracene carbonyl chloride introduces the ability to reversibly photocrosslink these systems after the star polymers were self‐assembled by the breath figure technique to create porous, micro‐structured films. The properties of the low T_g CCS polymer allow for the formation of porous films on non‐planar substrates without cracking and photo‐crosslinking allows the creation of stabilized honeycomb films while also permitting a secondary level of patterning on the film, using photo‐lithographic techniques. These multifaceted porous polymer films represent a new generation of well‐defined, 3D microstructures.     

Adhesion evaluation on low-cost alternatives to thermosetting epoxy encapsulants

The thermosetting epoxy curing systems have been widely used as encapsulants in the electronic packaging industry. With the continual evolving of electronic product markets, material suppliers have been challenged to provide more options to meet the requirements of advanced, yet cost effective, packaging solutions. In this paper, two low-cost alternative materials have been investigated experimentally regarding their adhesion and reliability performance, and these have then been compared with the thermosetting epoxy systems. One of the materials is thermoplastic bisphenol A epoxy/phenoxy resin, and the other is an interpenetrating polymer network composed of an epoxy curing component and a free radical polymerizable component. Some formulations of the materials being studied could exhibit excellent adhesion, durability and application reliability. While reworkability is expected for these materials, they are promising as cost effective encapsulants for electronic packaging, and may be applied with appropriate processing techniques.