Thermal Characterization of Electronic Packages Using a Three-Dimensional Fourier Series Solution

Abstract

The need to accurately predict component junction temperatures on fully operational printed circuit boards can lead to complex and time consuming simulations if component details are to be adequately resolved. An analytical approach for characterizing electronic packages is presented, based on the steady-state solution of the Laplace equation for general rectangular geometries, where boundary conditions are uniformly specified over specific regions of the package. The basis of the solution is a general three-dimensional Fourier series solution which satisfies the conduction equation within each layer of the package. The application of boundary conditions at the fluid-solid, package-board and layer-layer interfaces provides a means for obtaining a unique analytical solution for complex IC packages. Comparisons are made with published experimental data for both a plastic quad flat package and a multichip module to demonstrate that an analytical approach can offer an accurate and efficient solution procedure for the thermal characterization of electronic packages. [S1043-7398(00)01403-1]