Accelerated mechanical fatigue interconnect testing method for heavy wire bonds in power modules

Every new development in device performance and packaging design, due to new materials and design changes can influence the device reliability drastically. High performance and high reliability demands in power electronics over several decades and a short time to market development, raise the need for very fast reliability testing methods. In this study a mechanical fatigue testing method is presented for evaluating the interfacial fatigue resistance of heavy Al wire bonded interconnects in high power modules. By separating the concurrent thermal, mechanical and environmental failure mechanisms a selective investigation of the desired failure mode is possible. The setup is designed to reproduce the thermo-mechanical shear stresses by mechanical means, while provoking the same lift-off failure mode as in power cycling tests. With a frequency variable test setup of a few Hz up to several kHz, measurements from 1E3 up to 1E8 and determining the influence of the testing frequency on the fatigue life were possible.Energie-Umweltmanagemen