BRIGE: Research and Education on Mechanical Behavior of Wafer-Level Films in Integrated Systems

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This Broadening Participation Research Initiation Grants in Engineering (BRIGE) grant provides funding to investigate the fundamental mechanics issues associated with thin film rupture at reflow process in microsystems. The three-dimensional integration of micro- and nano- electronics systems require innovations of manufacturing processes at the wafer level. The development of wafer-level thin film lamination is critical for the success in further function integration and lower power consumption. A multi-physics approach, which includes new theory development and numerical implementation, will be established to investigate the mechanical behavior of wafer-level films in integrated systems. Multi-scale analysis will be developed to understand the failure processes at the nano-, micro-, and macro-scales, respectively. Experiments will generate data for in-situ moisture weight gain, moisture sensitivity, and reflow. Specially designed small-scale assemblies will be fabricated and tested. The test data will be used to validate the theoretical predictions and numerical simulation results. If successful, the results of this research will directly benefit the technology development of three-dimensional micro- and nano- electronics packaging and system integration by providing an optimal manufacturing processing window. The research outcome will assist in the design of new wafer-level film materials by providing an optimal design protocol. Knowledge gained from this investigation will avoid "trial-and-error" experiments, and will contribute to making new process development and system-level integration a reality. This research will benefit the academic community, semiconductor industry, and general public through the dissemination of results. An education plan will be integrated to broaden the participation of engineering researchers including members from underrepresented groups and persons with disabilities in the engineering disciplines. The education plan also includes outreach programs that will promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers of minority undergraduate students, and will stimulate interest and promote future career choices in engineering for K-12 students.