The unsettled world of leak rate physics: 1 atm large-volume considerations do not apply to MEMS packages: a practitioner's perspective

Richard C. Kullberg; Arthur Jonath; Robert K. Lowry

doi:10.1117/12.921305

15 February 2012 The unsettled world of leak rate physics: 1 atm large-volume considerations do not apply to MEMS packages: a practitioner's perspective

Richard C. Kullberg, Arthur Jonath, Robert K. Lowry

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 8250, Reliability, Packaging, Testing, and Characterization of MEMS/MOEMS and Nanodevices XI; 82500H (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.921305
Event: SPIE MOEMS-MEMS, 2012, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

The world of leak testing, and the applicable physics, is unsettled. While globally lower MIL-STD leak rate criteria are under consideration even for 1 atm-large volume packages, industry is conversely moving rapidly into very small volume MEMS and vacuum packaging for advanced devices. These changes point out serious conceptual disconnects between the reality of properly characterizing a leak and the conceptual tools used to ensure the desired lifetime. The physical understandings and associated tool sets used to test and model the leaks are described. We modeled two actual packages, a large, ≈200 cc volume multichip module for aerospace applications and a small ≈0.01cc volume MEMS package for sensor applications. Impacts of various physical models of leak flow into a package are compared to include Fickian Diffusion, The Davy Model, Howl-Mann, and an empirically derived model based on Kr-85 leak testing as called out in the most recent edition of MIL-STD-883. As shown in the comparisons, simple He leak testing and physical models based thereon fall apart in the small volume MEMS packaging space.

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Richard C. Kullberg, Arthur Jonath, and Robert K. Lowry "The unsettled world of leak rate physics: 1 atm large-volume considerations do not apply to MEMS packages: a practitioner's perspective", Proc. SPIE 8250, Reliability, Packaging, Testing, and Characterization of MEMS/MOEMS and Nanodevices XI, 82500H (15 February 2012); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.921305

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