Nanoscale deformation analysis for fracture mechanical evaluation of interface cracks in electronic packages

The ongoing development of highly integrated electronic packages leads to a steadily increasing number of material interfaces within a package. In combination with increasing harshness (vibration, humidity, temperature) of the system environment the reliability of such packages is often dominated by interface fracture. Therefore interface fracture mechanics is one of the main focuses of electronics reliability research. The authors present a combined simulative and experimental method for crack tip location determination and crack evaluation of interface specimens. The specimens are loaded in a testing apparatus which is an advancement of a mixed mode bending test. Based on crack length measurements and Finite Element Analysis crititcal energy release rates can be axtracted in a fast and inexpensive method.