Preparation

Encapsulation

Encapsulation Preparation

The process of encapsulation requires a systematic preparation as a prerequisite. Preparation is mainly focused on application based material selection, material management and material conditioning.

Preparation Work Flow

The preparation is carried out in the following four stages.

Design

The first stage of preparation is a detailed assessment of the intended application of the die and package or PCB board. Their operational conditions in terms of temperature, chemical exposure and mechanical stability are considered. The tolerances of the individual components and the whole system is considered to determine the maximum temperature, chemical exposure limits and suitable processing environment. The physical size of the die and package/PCB is acquired to evaluate the encapsulation requirements. Some applications may require the encapsulation process to be simulated before it is carried out.

Simulations can help determine the optimum material characteristics for a specific die, interconnect and package/PCB. These simulations are carried out in finite element analysis software such as Autodesk and COMSOL using analytical models of the die, interconnect and packaging/PCB arrangements.

Encapsulation Preparation at our Facility

The Advanced Packaging Facility has a range of material preparation and storage facilities. It has access to a dedicated material preparation facility which has a wide range of relevant equipment such as viscometers, speed mixer (centrifuge), vacuum chamber and mass scales. The materials preparation facility is located close to the packaging facility which helps avoid any significant time delay.

In terms of storage the packaging facility has a freezer which can store the materials down to -40°C and chemical cabinets which can store the materials at room temperature; the chemical cabinets are opaque so they offer protection against UV light. The facility also holds UV blocking containers for UV sensitive materials.

The packaging facility has access to a range of finite element analysis software such as Autodesk, ANSYS and COMSOL. We also have the relevant expertise to be able to comprehensively analyse a die to be encapsulated.

Arvin Mallari

4236, Building 59, University of Southampton
Highfield Campus, Southampton
SO17 1BJ
Phone: 02380593234
Email: