Advancing Reliable High-Temperature Electronics through Compatible Material Interfaces

Abstract

The need for digital control and observability is continuing to expand into inhospitable environments - engines, energy exploration systems and space exploration. The limited available selection of components to fabricate modules for these high temperature environments, both active and passive, force manufacturers into packaging compromises that limit the performance and reliability of these modules. The lack of selection, as well as ordering requirements, dramatically slows prototyping cycles and the creation of solutions. Production of thermally hardened active and passive components that are designed and fabricated with packaging in mind can extend the operating temperature range of heterogeneously integrated systems. Ozark IC has demonstrated a wire bonding process that shows reliable powered function of a heterogeneously integrated system at 200°C for over 7500 hours. Ozark IC has also tested modules packaged with homogeneous gold metallization that endure powered function at 800°C for 1 to 50 hours, and powered function at 500°C for more than 100 hours. Increasing the availability of newly manufactured semiconductor die and passive components with compatible metallization would enable these high temperature packaging methods to rapidly advance the state of the art for thermally hardened electronics systems. The views, opinions and/or findings expressed are those of the author and should not be interpreted as representing the official views or policies of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government.