Micromechanical Properties of a Single Die QFN Package on Different Gamma Irradiation Dose Wan Yusmawati Wan Yusoff1, A.

Jalar1,a, N. K. Othman1,2,b, I. B. Abdul Rahman2

1

MIPAC Laboratory, Institute of Microengineering and Nanoelectronic, 2 School of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia a azmn@ukm.my,binsan@ukm.my

Keywords:

Abstract. The effect of gamma irradiation (doses: 0.5 Gy, 1.5 Gy, 5.0 Gy, 10.0 Gy and 50.0 kGy) of single die Quad Flat No lead (SDQFN) was studied. The change in the micromechanical properties of SDQFN at different doses of gamma irradiation was evaluated by using three point bending. The three point bending method was used to measure micromechanical properties such as stress, strain, maximum load and deflection of the SDQFN package. After exposing with gamma radiation, the result showed the decreasing in the strength of the package behaviour of irradiated SDQFN when increasing the dose of gamma irradiation. The highest changes in the stress-strain and load-deflection behaviour of irradiated SDQFN when the high dose was used in this investigation. The strength of the package decreases with increasing the gamma irradiation dose. The failure of the package is increased when exposed to the radiation environment. Introduction Gamma rays are electromagnetic waves, which are very short in wavelength and higher in energy. Gamma radiation is very high-energy ionizing radiation. A gamma ray is a packet of electromagnetic energy called photon. Gamma ray do not have any mass or charge but interact with the material by collide with the electrons in the shells of the atoms. Cobalt-60 radiation source is an option to observe the effects of ionizing radiation on a component and material [1] because it has enough energy to change the nature of chemical substance with chemical bonding decides [2]. QFN is the latest semiconductor technology with submicron size scale. Due to the trend of miniaturization moving towards more efficient, multifunction, fast efficiency and cost reduction [3,4], the ability to predict and eventually to prevent mechanical failures of microelectronics is becoming increasingly important. Consumer of QFN package covers almost all fields of microelectronics applications such as an electronic device without wire (wireless), PDAs, satellite sensors, including radiation-related industries such as radiography, medical sciences and health services and non-destructive testing. In manufacturing or production of microelectronics package, the effect of radiation is uncounted. When electronics device was exposed to ionizing radiation, a charge particle from radiation can cause the signal interference on electronic device. In addition, the malfunction of the circuit and the data in it will loss. To prevent the malfunction of the circuit, the loss of data in the electronic device and the proper operation of such system, knowledge of the radiation resistant of the package are very important. The effects of radiation on polymers have been widely investigated. This radiation are consists of free radicals production, which can lead to degradation and/or crosslinking phenomena [5]. The literature on the mechanisms behind these effects shows two opposite trends, depending on irradiation conditions; either crosslinking of the polymer molecules, which increases the mechanical strength or oxidative degradation, which generally causes material weakening [6,7,8]. The oxygen is extremely reactive with the free radicals produced by irradiation. In contrast, there is little

information on the effect of ionizing radiation in the degradation of SDQFN microelectronic package. The main objective of this investigation is to establish the relationship between the micromechanical such as stress-strain and load-deflection of the package behaviour and degradation by gamma irradiation. Experimental Details A SDQFN package was developed by researchers from Advanced Semiconductor Packaging (ASPAC) Research Group of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia. The outline dimension of SDQFN used in this investigation is 7.00 mm x 7.00 mm x 0.85 mm and the die size is 5.00 mm x 5.00 mm x 0.15 mm. The epoxy thickness was 0.0254 mm, which has 48 leads. The package then irradiate to gamma irradiation by using Gamma Cell (Excel 220), which uses a Co-60 source. This package was irradiated in vary doses of 0.5 Gy, 1.5 Gy, 5.0 Gy, 10.0 Gy and 50.0 kGy by using micromechanical test was conducted to study the effect of different gamma radiation dose to the stress-strain and load-deflection of the package behaviour. As received sample also were test as control sample. In the investigation, an INSTRON Micro Tester 5800 series was used to run the normal flexural test under three point bending, as shown in Fig. 1. The value of loading rate of 1 mm/min was used with a span supports of 5 mm. This loading rate value was chosen based on the study by Pintado & Miguel [9], indicating the loading speed of 1 mm/min that they setting three-point flexure jig for carbon/epoxy composite material. For the findings, the stress-strain and flexural load-deflection curve were plotted. Results and Discussion According to Donald and Pradeep (2006); for many brittle materials, the normal tensile test cannot be carried out easily due to the presence of flaws at the surface. In the three-point bending test, the concentrated load could be given directly at the midpoint of the package [11]. When the load is applied, the package will deflect significantly (proportional to the load). At the load which called critical loading, the structure will not able to sustain any additional load. If the loading increase greater than critical load, the package will break and failure. The variation in flexural stress-strain curve for SDQFN for different doses is shown in Fig. 2. The profile of the stress-strain gives a clue to the behaviour of that material of package. For the whole experiment, the flexural strain is seems to be linearly increase with the increment of applied stress. The mold compound fracture was started at the stress value reaches the ultimate stress. After that the stress level was slightly decrease to the value of the flexural stress at break, called fracture strength. This trends show the seemingly like metallic material stress-strain curve. At this level, it was observed that the stress is decreased until the mold compound broken or fractured. From observation, the failure strength of the SDQFN package is the maximum stress at the moment of breakage. These findings agreed with the results obtained by Rizvi et al, which mentioned that the higher mechanical loading results in higher stress that could lead to the failure of a semiconductor package. The value of the flexural stress at break versus gamma radiation dose was plotted as shown in Fig 3. For as received package, the flexural stress at break was obtained at 360.98 MPa and the flexural strain value was found to be at 7.19%. The fracture of this as received package was observed at the stress value reached the ultimate stress of 364.98 MPa, then the stress level was slightly decrease until 360.98 MPa and it is known as the fracture strength. It is observed that SDQFN package after exposure to gamma irradiation, presented the reduction in flexural stress at break with the increase of the gamma irradiation dose. Reduction from their original stress at break (as received package) for the irradiated samples with gamma, in the irradiation doses up to 1.5 Gy (reduce about 24.46% from the original to 272.75 MPa) and continue reduction of 28.60% in the dose up to 5.0 Gy. At the dose of 10.0 Gy, the value slightly same (it did not present the drastic change). For the highest dose (50.0 kGy), the value of

stress at break is observed gradually decrease to 78.04 MPa, which 78.38% lower as compare to as received package. The ultimate stress values for all radiate packages are less than as received (control). The fracture of irradiate package was obtained at the value of ultimate stress decrease to 281.97 MPa and 79.46 MPa for low (1.5 Gy) and high dose (50.0 kGy). This value presented 22.74% and 78.23% lower from their original value 364.98 MPa. Fig. 4 shows a flexural strain value against gamma radiation doses. It is presented that when the SDQFN package irradiates at the doses of 0.5 Gy, the flexural strain was obtained at the value of 6.64% slightly decrease from 7.19% for as received package. For the SDQFN irradiated at 1.5 Gy up to 10.0 Gy, it was observed slightly similar and the value is about 4%. Further exposure at 50.0 kGy, the registered value is lower than the original flexural strain about 79%. From Fig. 3 and 4, it clearly been seen that both value are decrease as increasing of gamma irradiation dose. This phenomenon is believed due to the interaction of gamma ray and material, which lead to change the behaviour of package material related to the degradation of the package. When the irradiation is carried out in ambient temperature with presence of air, the oxidative degradation occur, which the oxygen diffuse easily to the package [13]. The deflection of package is referred from the original neutral surface (zero deflection) to the neutral surface of the loading span deflection. A typical load-deflection diagram for different gamma irradiation dose for SDQFN package is shown in Fig. 5. From the graph, the maximum deflection for as received package was 0.35 mm and the maximum load before the failure occurred was found to be at 246.07 N. The plot also indicates that the deflection value was linearly increased with the increment of the flexural load. When the load reaches at 140.05 N, the deflection was slowly increased until the SDQFN was fracture at load 246.07 N. It shows that the deflection was influenced with applied load, and their association is in proportional relationship. When the package was irradiate at low dose (1.5 Gy), the deflection was obtained at 0.21 mm. For the package irradiate at high dose (50.0 kGy), the maximum deflection was obtained at 0.074 mm, which 78.86% and 64.76% less as compare to as received and low dose package, respectively. The deflection of package for different gamma irradiation dose was plotted as shown in Fig. 6. As been seen, a decrease in value of deflection package seems to be associated with increasing of gamma irradiation dose. From this figure, as received package deflect greater than the other. A clear interaction in the effect on strength of package is clearly seen by comparing to as received, low dose and high dose irradiation package which at the fracture occurred. For the maximum load, the value obtained at low dose and high dose irradiated also decrease to 189.44 N and 53.58 N, respectively as shown in Fig 7. Both values show a decrease as compared to as received package. The decreasing trend in the strength of SDQFN package is in agreement with the data reported by Pintado and Miguel [9], which have conducted short beam shear test on carbon/epoxy composite material by gamma irradiation (total dose of 2.5 MGy, 5.0 MGy and 10.0 MGy) and test temperature. Data presented by these authors show a general decrease in SBS strength average values against total gamma irradiation dose due to epoxy matrix modification. From figures 3, 4, 6 and 7, it shows that the fracture strength of SDQFN decreases with increasing of exposure dose of gamma irradiation, and the ultimate stress of as received SDQFN package always higher than the irradiated SDQFN. This may because of the gamma irradiation was change the behaviour of material, in which the deterioration of mechanical properties can be attributed to degradation of the package. This degradation can diminish the mechanical properties (6,14) and change in irradiation conditions can affect the predominant process, which crosslinking over chain scission or the reverse [15]. Padmakumar et al, (2008) state that the radiation can cause structural changes in the packaging materials by altering their mechanical, chemical properties and their original barriers, among others. Conclusion

Vary dose of gamma irradiation affected the strength of the SDQFN package. The failure of the package becomes increase when it exposed to the radiation environment. The micromechanical properties such as flexural stress, strain, maximum load and deflection of package give an important influence for the failure of SDQFN package. A change in irradiation dose was change the behaviour of the package material in which the deterioration of mechanical properties and it believed to lead a degradation of the package. As a result, the strength of irradiated package was decrease as compared to the as received package due to the degradation of package. Acknowledgement The authors gratefully acknowledge the support provided by UKM (research fund: UKM-GGPM089-2010 and UKM-OUP-NBT-29-143/2011) and MOSTI. References [1] [2] [3] C. Cevdet, Radiation effects in wide-bandgap semiconductors, in: B.E. Thomas (Edt.), Focus on Semiconductor Research, Nova Science Publishers Inc., New York, 2005, pp. 135-182. H.S. Andrew, A. Alan, Handbook of Radiation Effects, second ed., Oxford University Press, New York, 2002. N. Chen, K. Chiang, T.D. Her, Y.L. Lai, C. Chen, Electrical characterization and structure investigation of Quad Flat Non-lead package for RFIC applications. J. Solid-State Electronics 47 (2003): 315-322. A.C.W. Lu, D.J. Xie, Z.F. Shi, W. Ryu, Electrical and Thermal Modelling of QFN Packages. Electronics Packaging Technology Conference (2000): 352-356. A.E. Goulas, K.A. Riganakos, M.G. Kontonimas, Effect of Ionizing Radiation on Physicochemical and Mechanical Properties of commercial multilayer coextruded flexible Plastics Packaging Materials, Radiation Physics and Chemistry 68 (2003): 865-872. F.J. Ley, The Effect of Irradiation on Packaging Materials, J. Soc. Cosmet. Chem. 27 (1976): 483-489. M. Goldman, R. Gronsky, R. Ranganathan, L. Pruitt, The Effect of Gamma Radiation Sterilization and Ageing on the Structure and Morphology of Medical Grade Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene, Polymer 37(14)(1996): 2909-2913. S.S. Cota, V. Vasconcelos, M. Senne Jr., L.L. Carvalho, D.B. Rezende, R.F. Crrea, Changes in Mechanical Properties due to Gamma Irradiation of High-density Polyethylene (HDPE) Brazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering (2007), Vol. 24, No. 02: 259-265. J.M. Pintado, and J. Miguel, Effect of -radiation on mechanical behavior of carbon/epoxy composite material, Cryogenics 38, Vol. 38, No. 1 (1998): 85-89.

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[14] H. Wilski, The Radiation Induced Degradation of Polymers. Radiat. Phys. Chem. 29 (1987), 1-14. [15] Y. Ulcay, S. Altun, Effects of Gamma Irradiation on Some Mechanical Properties of Novoloid Fibers, Fibers and Polymers (2004), Vol.5, No.2, 156-159. [16] Padmakumar R. Rao, Xinyang Wang, Albert J.P. Theuwissen, Degradation of CMOS image sensors in deep-submicron technology due to -irradiation, Solid-State Electronics 52 (2008) 1407-1413.

Applied Load
Fig. 1: Schematic diagram for three point bending test Fig. 2: A profile of the flexural stress-strain relationship for different gamma radiation doses Fig. 3: Plot of the flexure stress for gamma irradiation dose Fig. 4: Plot of the flexure strain for gamma irradiation dose Fig. 5: A typical load-deflection diagram for different gamma irradiation dose

Fig. 6: Plot of the deflection of package for different gamma radiation dose

Fig. 7: Plot of the maximum load for different gamma radiation dose

5 mm