| Abstract: | The influence of the substrate technology, assembly method, and housing material on the thermal, thermo‐mechanical and cost performance of a radar module for automotive applications has been studied to address the product reliability aspects during the design phase. Flip chip and wire bonding have been evaluated for Multi‐Chip Module—Laminate/Deposition (MCM‐L/D) and Multi‐Chip Module—Deposition (MCM‐D) substrate technologies used for electronic packaging solutions in a harsh environment. Solder ball and direct attachment have been investigated as second‐level assembly. As a result of thermal and thermo‐mechanical simulations and cost analysis, radar module designs combining MCM‐D and MCM‐L/D with wire bonding have been revealed, which are preferable for use in different temperature environments with respect to two performance criteria, the maximum junction temperature and the manufacturing cost. Simulation‐based guidelines have been developed for designing radar modules used in automotive applications while satisfying temperature and stress constraints provided for the module. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
