6 Top Benefits of Hybrid Microelectronic Technology
June 2022
- High Temperature Operation: The absence of plastic packaging used in traditional semiconductors allows hybrid microelectronic components to operate at much higher temperature ranges (175-200C+). Hybrids, with a Nitrogen filled die cavity, do not suffer the CTE (coefficient of thermal expansion) mismatches that plastic components do. Mechanical CTE mismatches are one of the leading causes of wire bond failures in plastic packaged semiconductors, when operating at very low or very high temperature ranges. Wire Bonds in Hybrid Microelectronics are not potted in encapsulation material. They are free standing in inert gaseous Nitrogen.
- Real-estate footprint reduction: For any given circuit migrated to Hybrid technology, the absence of plastic packages with SMT and or PTH components, discrete wires, a printed circuit board, and connection cables, the real estate savings are significant to say the least. Migrating from a traditional PCBA to a Hybrid circuit can reduce the necessary footprint by as much as 10-20X.
- Circuit Longevity: With regards to operation in a high temperature environment, 185-225°C, the absence of traditional component solder, even with the usage of HMP solder (High Melting Point), Hybrid Technology can greatly extend the life cycle of the circuit. Hybrid technology can completely eliminate component solder from the assembly equation. So, what’s the issue with solder at these extreme high temperature ranges? Electrochemical Metal Migration. Greatly simplified, this EM Migration is a phenomenon that under the action of high-density current, exacerbated by high temperatures, atoms or ions migrate with electrons, leading to the component segregation in solder joints. The metals in the solder actually migrate from one area to another, creating a failed connection point. Our experience regarding circuit life, when comparing a Polyimide Printed Circuit Board to Hybrid Technology, is that Hybrid circuits have an operating life 6-10X greater than the Printed Circuit Board. We regularly have clients that remove our Hybrids from “old” machinery or tools (planned product lifecycle), retest the Hybrids, then install them in a new tool or machine set. The relatively high initial cost of Hybrids is greatly justified.
- Electrical Performance: In a manner of speaking we’re back to real estate (size). The very small physical geometries of a Hybrid substrate, and the very short distances between each piece of silicon semiconductor and passive components (measured in thousandths of an inch) lend to exceptional electrical performance of the circuit, including but not Iimited to: reduced noise levels, increased signal speeds, and superior thermal management.
- Mechanical Durability: Put simply, Hybrid circuitry is placed in a ceramic or metal package, then hermetically sealed (a type of weld). It can’t be scratched or contaminated chemically or with particulates. It can’t be bent, or flexed, or suffer delamination that Printed Circuit Boards can experience. Hermetic technology.
- Security: There’s plenty of talk around the world regarding technology theft and technology copying. There are actors worldwide actively engaged in reverse-engineering technologies for the purposes of copying the product. The reverse-engineering of a typical Printed Circuit Board circuit, while complicated and requiring a high skill level, can be done if the motivation is high enough to justify the effort and expense. Reverse-engineering a Hybrid is a near impossible task due to the usage of raw, unmarked, silicon semiconductors and passive components. Traditional Surface Mount Components (SMT) and Plated Through-Hole Components (PTH) are typically marked to identify the part number and a manufacturer’s date code, while raw Hybrid components are sanitized from such markings. Your circuitry IP is safe in a Hybrid package.