Reliability testing is an important step in the development of microelectronic systems. For such qualification tests, a prototype must first be constructed, which is then subjected to sometimes lengthy experiments. Subsequent design changes must in turn be transferred to the prototype and retested. This makes the process expensive, slow and difficult to adapt. These drawbacks can be avoided by using simulation models. However, conventional simulation approaches are only suitable for individual components and not for complex assemblies. To complicate things further the data needed for realistic modeling is not published by component manufacturers in order to protect their intellectual property (IP).

New workflow for reliability simulations

In the “mikroVAL” project, ten partners from research and industry, including the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS, want to develop a workflow that combines different approaches to simulating qualification tests. The goal is to reduce the effort required for these tests or even replace them altogether. Using state-of-the-art modeling principles such as reduced-order modeling (ROM), the calculation time can be reduced without a loss of accuracy. This allows several systems, and therefore larger assemblies, to be evaluated in one step.  The approach enables component manufacturers to retain their IP protection, since only information about the interface and behavior from the simulation models is passed on. What is new is that the component models created in this way can be reused multiple times and integrated into increasingly complex systems. The focus of Fraunhofer IKTS is on the evaluation of soldered connections. In previous attempts to simulate qualification, interactions between the microelectronic components and the housing are often not considered. However, these are of great importance for reliability and will therefore be taken into account in the new approach. In the future, the use of the workflow developed in the project will reduce the costs and effort for the development of reliable microelectronics even more significantly. This creates incentives to develop more durable products, which in turn helps to conserve resources.

About the project

The “mikroVAL” (Micoelectronics Validation) project will run from February 2024 to January 2028 and is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research with 1.88 million euros. The industrial partners Hella GmbH, Robert Bosch GmbH, Siemens AG, BMW AG and Budatec GmbH support the project with a further 420,000 euros. Fraunhofer IZM, Fraunhofer IKTS, the Technical University of Dresden, the Technical University of Berlin and the Jade University of Applied Sciences are also involved in the project.