Combined Temperature and Vibration Testing for Wire Bond Interconnections in Harsh Environment Electronics

Abstract

The performance of electronics in harsh environments is often affected by a combination of environmental factors. Qualification tests on such electronics are normally carried out by separate environmental tests such as temperature storage, temperature cycling and vibration tests. This approach may miss the effects of combined parameters, where for example, there may be degradation in a vibration environment that may be accelerated by temperature related effects on material properties. This paper presents results from a study of the combined effects of temperature and vibration on wire bonded interconnections that are used in the production of high temperature electronic components. The study is focused on the testing of electronic components under the combination of temperature exposure up to 250°C and vibration loading with a frequency range between 500 Hz and 2,000 Hz and acceleration up to 20 Grms. The study covers aspects of wire bond connections and their failure mechanisms, where the effect of wire loop height and length under separate and combined vibration and temperature tests has been investigated. The study has also assessed the effect on packaged Silicon on Insulator (SOI) devices assembled into ceramic packages under representative combined temperature and vibration profiles. The work has shown that the combined effect of temperature and vibration has increased the susceptibility of wire bond interconnections to vibration-induced failures.