Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS
Fraunhofer IMWS provides innovations and expertise in failure analysis and reliability assessment of electronic devices and systems. We investigate materials and components for microelectronics, power electronics and sensor technologies using our cutting-edge infrastructure for microstructural diagnostics supplemented by micro-mechanical and customized testing, finite element modeling and numerical simulation. Fraunhofer IMWS is the point of contact for industry and public contracting bodies on the topic of material functionality and reliability. Its core competencies are microstructure diagnostics and design. We understand materials down to the molecular level and link their microstructure to their functionality, efficacy and durability.
Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems (IMWS) is s a methodologically oriented institute with core competencies in microstructure diagnostics and microstructure-based material design. The business unit “Electronic Materials and Components” provides longstanding and internationally recognized expertise in failure analysis and reliability assessment of electronic devices, particularly for the automotive market. We investigate materials and components for microelectronics, power electronics and sensor technologies, covering the complete supply chain from semiconductor and chip level and packaging up to system level. These are analyzed and tested comprehensively in order to understand relationships between technological process and application conditions with microstructure and material properties as well as with the affected functional performance in detail.
Major areas of our work are the process characterization of innovative semiconductor and packaging technologies as well as the fast and client-focused root cause analysis of electrical faults and related structural defect formation. The results are incorporated into the clients’ manufacturing processes and thus help to increase the quality and reliability of electronic devices. For the benefit of our customers, we master complex, powerful methods that include non-destructive analytics, high-resolution methods of electron microscopy and solid-state spectroscopy, surface and trace analysis methods and mechanical material characterization that includes modeling and numerical simulation.
Role
Fraunhofer IMWS will take over responsibility as member of the iRel40 core team to establish the pan-European reliability community, as coordinator for the Fraunhofer research activities and as task leader for modeling of the relevant failure mechanisms and the investigation of the impacts of material contamination from chip level impurities. Within iRel40, the institute will contribute to the development of physics of failure and design for reliability concepts for GaN semiconductor devices in close cooperation with IMEC, UMS and University of Padova.
Furthermore, Fraunhofer IMWS will work together with ELMOS and Sensitec on analyzing, modelling and testing of packaging-induced contamination effects on reliability risks, including electrochemical corrosion and degradation of the insulation properties of engineering plastics in power electronics encapsulation and will develop improved methods for detection of impurity-induced defects in SOI-wafer bonding technologies for MEMS together with Okmetric, ELMOS, Sensitec and Aalto university.
Key contribution
Fraunhofer IMWS will develop a significantly deeper and more comprehensive physical understanding of the underlying defect-related mechanisms of GaN semiconductor devices to make such risks avoidable by providing validated “Design for Reliability” concepts and will explore the role of contaminations from real packaged electronic systems, their particular electrochemical interaction with the chip contacts, and the resultant reliability risks for electronic components and modules relevant for automotive and power applications. Furthermore, we will provide improved high frequency Scanning Acoustic Microscopy methods for detection of impurity- induced defects in SOI-wafer bonding technologies for MEMS.
Fraunhofer Institute for
Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS
Walter-Huelse-Straße 1
06120 Halle
Germany
Phone: +49 345 5590 - 139
E-Mail: Frank.Altmann@imws.fraunhofer.de
www.imws.fraunhofer.de
