Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTSElectrical, mechanical, and thermal connections of electronic components and their printed circuit substrates are stressed by constant as well as changing loads. Thermo-mechanical stresses are the most common cause of failure for electronics due to low cycle fatigue (LCF) and thus limits the service life of the entire assembly.
For this reason, the material characterization of electronic packaging technology is an important topic at Fraunhofer IKTS. This can be used both for the selection and direct comparison of available materials and to support numerical reliability simulation and service life determination.
Material selection, contact geometry, PCB design and environmental conditions essentially determine the service life of electronics. Numerical structural-mechanical simulations (via ANSYS, Abaqus etc.) help with the design of the electronics and enable a quick analysis of weak links. The exact material characteristics required for the precise mathematical description of the temperature-dependent deformation behavior are determined at Fraunhofer IKTS in special characterization regimes.