The Journal of
the Korean Journal of Metals and Materials

The Journal of
the Korean Journal of Metals and Materials

Monthly
  • pISSN : 1738-8228
  • eISSN : 2288-8241

Editorial Office

Title Thermal-Cycling-Induced Si3N4 Damage in Semiconductor Devices Assembled Utilizing a Lead-on-Chip Package
Authors 이성민(Seong-min Lee); 김연욱(Yeon-wook Kim)
DOI https://doi.org/10.3365/KJMM.2023.61.2.76
Page pp.76-83
ISSN 1738-8228(ISSN), 2288-8241(eISSN)
Keywords semiconductor; chip; stress; fracture; reliability
Abstract This article shows how fractures in the Si3N4 layer, which comprises the top layer of semiconductor devices encapsulated utilizing a lead-on-chip (LOC) packaging technique, are influenced by changes in the lead-frame materials and thermal-cycling test conditions. Using thermal-cycling tests, it was found that fractures in the Si3N4 layer are the most sensitive to changes in the lead-frame materials at the early stage of thermal-cycling, between -65 ℃ and 150 ℃. Through SEM examinations and stress simulations, this work shows that adopting a copper lead-frame with a CTE-value similar to that of a package body effectively prevents filler-driven Si3N4 damage, providing semiconductor devices with better reliability margins during thermal-cycling.(Received 14 July, 2022; Accepted 14 November, 2022)