Electronics design, assembly and reliability for high temperature applications

There is a growing desire to install electronic power and control systems in high temperature environments to improve the accuracy of critical measurements, reduce the amount of cabling and elimination of cooling systems. Typical applications include down-hole petroleum/gas/geothermal exploration and production, turbine engines for aircraft propulsion and power generation and power modules for electric/hybrid vehicles. This requirement has posed a challenge to the traditional limit of 125°C for high temperature exposure of electronics systems. The leap in operating temperature to above 200°C in combination with high pressures, vibrations and potentially corrosive environments means that different semiconductors, passives, circuit boards and assembly processes will be needed to fulfill the target performance specifications. Although much attention has been paid to the development of semiconductor devices that can operate at higher temperatures, including SiC and SOI devices, understanding the design constraints, development of robust packaging systems and reliable interconnections are the key to the success of high temperature electronics systems. This paper will provide an overview of the high temperature electronics field covering circuit design, packaging technologies and reliability of systems.