Silicate-based composite as heterogeneous integration packaging material for extreme environments
Tuesday, February 16, 2021
11 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. EST
James McRae, Graduate student
Mechanical Engineering (MechE)
MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Advanced Materials & Microsystems
Electronic microsystems are foundational to today’s computational, sensing, communication, and information processing capabilities, therefore impacting industries such as microelectronics, aerospace, healthcare, and many more. Cell phones are an example of what is possible when a variety of systems can be tightly integrated into a highly portable and capable system. However, as we aim to improve our ability to interact and operate (e.g., sense, communicate, record, compute, move, etc.) in extreme environments (such as outer space or the human body), new methods and materials must be developed to manufacture such integrated systems that will endure post-processing, environmental, and operational challenges.
Typical organic-based packaging materials (e.g., polymer adhesives, coatings, and molding materials) often suffer from outgassing and leaching that can lead to system contamination, as well as coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatches that can lead to warpage and breakage with fluctuations in system temperature during operation. This work demonstrates an alternative, by using a silicate-based inorganic glass composite as an electronics packaging material for stability in extreme environments. Combining liquid alkali sodium silicate (water glass) and nanoparticle fillers, composites can be synthesized and cured at low temperatures into chemically, mechanically, and thermally (up to 400 oC) stable structures using high throughput processing methods such as spin and spray coating. Further, this material can be processed into thick layers (10s to 100s of microns), fill high aspect ratio gaps (13:1), withstand common microfabrication processes, and have its CTE tailored to match various substrates.
Attendees can join and participate in the series via Zoom. Meeting ID#: 860 986 455.