ABSTRACT In package, it¡¦s easy to have defects in the solder joint, for the request of environment protection, lead-free solder research is one of the most important topics now. In soldering, the adhesion, diffusion barrier, and wettability of the interface between UBM and a lead-free solder, and the caused IMC structure that are important elements to influence long-term reliability tests. The thesis is aimed to investigate the combination of pure tin/Al-NiV-Cu UBM/STD Au substrate under reliability tests. The samples are bare dies in which the combination is pure tin/ Al-NiV-Cu UBM and packages of is pure tin/Al-NiV-Cu UBM/STD Au substrate. The goals are to realize the mechanical properties under multiple reflows and long term HTST tests with different temperatures and the operational life. We also uses SEM to observe the growth of IMC and the failure modes that help us to realize the connection between failure modes and IMC. The results of experiment can be concluded as follows. In a bare die, 260¢Jmultiple reflows test causes delamination between IMC and die, but doesn¡¦t affect the mechanical properties of it, and HTST test lowers the bump shear strength of it. In package, multiple reflows test and HTST test lower the mechanical properties significantly, the result also means that the adhesion between bump and die will drop significantly as tests go on. In HTOL test with the conditions of 150¢J and 320mA, the average stable service time of the package is 892 hours, and the average ultimate service time of the package is 1,053 hours, most probable failure site is in R1 joint.

Solder bump is used to connect organic substrate with chip to form Flip Chip package. Comparing to wire bond package, the path is reduced so the electrical performance is much better. Due to the environmental concern, eutectic bump is replaced by lead-free bump gradually. Meanwhile, since wafer technology is improved from 55 nm to 40 nm, the material for dielectric layers is also changed so the material for the package need to revised to meet the characteristic of wafer. Now the laser grooving is adopted before blade sawing to accommodate the brittleness of new 40nm wafer. Also, one extra polyimide is added in the wafer fabrication to reinforce the robustness of the circuit. The stress inside the lead-free bump can be reduced by optimizing the temperature of the reflow process and the speed of cooling. Different UBM structure is also reviewed to find out its affect on the strength of bump and low-K circuit so the failure mode of bump can be predicted. The selection of underfill need to be well considered so, the warpage of package can be reduced, the maximum protection of bump and low-K circuit can be achieved, and the process is easier to control. (The four underfills are reviewed) The reliability test is utilized to decide the best bump composition, the structure of UBM, the selection of underfills and the process parameter. By adding the laser grooving in the wafer sawing process, the chance of crack on die low-K layer is reduced during the reliability test. As for the UBM structure, the POU is better than RPI to reduce the crack of die low-K layer. The result is verified on the package with no underfill by Temperature cycle. Last, the matching of SnCu0.7 bump with SAC305 C4 pad has the best result. During the research, the variance of CTE for the core of substrate contributes less warpage of package, comparing to the difference of Tg for underfills. The adhesion of underfills varies and the underfill UA9 has the best result. The flip chip package with underfill UA9 can passes TCB1000. The optimization of UBM structure for lead-free bump is researched and discussed. Composition of the lead-free bump, process parameter, and cost, those factors are also studied.

EVALUATION OF PARAGLIDING THEORY TEST ITEMS FOR PILOT LICENSE APPLICANTS Objectives: The aim of this work is to evaluate and optimize a set of paragliding the theoretical items appropriate for testing pilot license applicants of LAA ČR. Methods: This aim is realized by means of the theory of testing. Basic methods of testing form the background research of this work. The items were de- signed as multiple-choice, to select one correct answer. These items were assigned to the applicants for pilot licenses and were evaluated by the apparatus of testing. Microsoft Excel 2003 was used for collecting data and results evaluation. The computation according to the formulas in the theoretical part was performed in Matlab 2007b. Based on this analysis, the results were presented and optimization of these items was proposed. Results: Three hypotheses were examined in this work. The first dealt with a rela- tion between evaluated difficulty of test items and their points value, which was assigned by the LAA ČR. The second hypothesis concerned the number of used distractors. The third hypothesis was focused on the sensitivity of the items. The evaluated difficulty of test items matched items point value in 26 % of the number of items. 92 % of the alterna- tives were used and sufficient sensitivity had 78 % of...

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This study focuses on development a planar power module with low thermal impedance and thermo-mechanical stress for high density integration of power electronics systems. With the development semiconductor technology, the heat flux generated in power device keeps increasing. As a result, more and more stringent requirements were imposed on the thermal and reliability design of power electronics packaging. In this dissertation, a boundary-dependent RC transient thermal model was developed to predict the peak transient temperature of semiconductor device in the power module. Compared to conventional RC thermal models, the RC values in the proposed model are functions of boundary conditions, geometries, and the material properties of the power module. Thus, the proposed model can provide more accurate prediction for the junction temperature of power devices under variable conditions. In addition, the transient thermal model can be extracted based on only steady-state thermal simulation, which significantly reduced the computing time. To detect the peak transient temperature in a fully packaged power module, a method for thermal impedance measurement was proposed. In the proposed method, the gate-emitter voltage of an IGBT which is much more sensitive to the temperature change than the widely used forward voltage drop of a pn junction was monitored and used as temperature sensitive parameter. A completed test circuit was designed to measure the thermal impedance of the power module using the gate-emitter voltage. With the designed test set-up, in spite of the temperature dependency of the IGBT electrical characteristics, the power dissipation in the IGBT can be regulated to be constant by adjusting the gate voltage via feedback control during the heating phase. The developed measurement system was used to evaluate thermal performance and reliability of three different die-attach materials. From the prediction of the proposed thermal model, it was found that the conventional single-sided power module with wirebond connection cannot achieve both good steady-state and transient thermal performance under high heat transfer coefficient conditions. As a result, a plate-bonded planar power module was designed to resolve the issue. The comparison of thermal performance for conventional power module and the plate-bonded power module shows that the plate-bonded power module has both better steady-state and transient thermal performance than the wirebonded power module. However, due to CTE mismatch between the copper plate and the silicon device, large thermo-mechanical stress is induced in the bonding layer of the power module. To reduce the stress in the plate-bonded power module, an improved structure called trenched copper plate structure was proposed. In the proposed structure, the large copper plate on top of the semiconductor can be partitioned into several smaller pieces that are connected together using a thin layer copper foil. The FEM simulation shows that, with the improved structure, the maximum von Mises stress and plastic strain in the solder layer were reduced by 18.7% and 67.8%, respectively. However, the thermal impedance of the power module increases with reduction of the stress. Therefore, the trade-off between these two factors was discussed. To verify better reliability brought by the trenched copper plate structure, twenty-four samples with three different copper plate structures were fabricated and thermally cycled from -40°C to 105°C. To detect the failure at the bonding layer, the curvature of these samples were measured using laser scanning before and after cycling. By monitoring the change of curvature, the degradation of bonding layer can be detected. Experimental results showed that the samples with different copper plate structure had similar curvature before thermal cycle. The curvatures of the samples with single copper plate decreased more than 80% after only 100 cycles. For the samples with 2 × 2 copper plate and the samples with 3 × 3 copper plate, the curvatures became 75.8% and 77.5% of the original values, respectively, indicating better reliability than the samples with single copper plate. The x-ray pictures of cross-sectioned samples confirmed that after 300 cycles, the bonding layer for the sample with single copper plate has many cracks and delaminations starting from the edge. / Ph. D.

<p>In the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) industry, bonding and joining play an important role in the manufacturing and assembly process, which is critical to the cost, safety, reliability, and design freedom of systems. The goal of this thesis is to understand and evaluate the usage of adhesive bonds in the manufacture of HVAC&R systems, specifically in regards to leakage/reliability characterization and stress analysis under loading.</p> <p>The bonding performance under static loading is first studied using a commercial epoxy adhesive product. In addition to the traditional surface preparation methods of mechanical and chemical etching, a novel laser-interference surface structuring preparation technique was utilized to improve bonding performance. Laser interference structuring uses a ND:YAG laser beam that is split into two beams that are re-directed to overlap on the same area of a copper alloy. A structuring pattern near the interference structuring limits is achieved due to the phase shift between the beams that is imparted as they are re-directed. Two different laser structuring methods were tested: spot-by-spot and laser raster. Different structuring parameters were varied including the laser spot size and pulses per spot (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 pulses/spot) for the spot-by-spot method, and raster speed (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 mm/s) for laser raster method. The microstructure morphology and surface profile after processing were characterized using the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and profilometry for all surfaces. It was found that the laser-interference structuring removed the surface contaminants efficiently and formed dot- or net-shaped structures on the surface. This indicates that melting, vaporization, and solidification of the metal happened differently. Due to the much higher speed of the laser raster method, considering practical industrial applications, it is selected for additional investigation for shear strength improvement. The shear strength is measured by a single lap shear test which pulls apart adhesively bonded single lap joint specimen under shear loading using a mechanical tester.</p> <p>Based on the surface profiles, three different laser raster speeds of 2 mm/s, 6 mm/s and 12 mm/s were selected for the manufacture of single lap joint specimens for comparison with the traditional surface preparation methods. The shear lap strength and displacement at maximum load were obtained for the specimens. The laser raster at 6 mm/s increased these values by approximately 11.0% and 25.1%, respectively, while the 12 mm/s condition had an increase of 16.8% and 43.8%, compared with the baseline traditional surface preparation method. It is concluded that laser structuring can enhance the single lap shear joint bonding performance. Within the tested laser processing parameters, a higher laser raster speed results in a larger enhancement. </p> <p>In addition to the static loading test with epoxy adhesive, different adhesive formulations are investigated and developed by the collaborating adhesive manufacturer to determine their suitability for use under the temperature and pressure conditions in HVAC&R systems. Reliability, especially fatigue failure, is another major concern because the strength of the adhesive joints is sufficient for HVAC&R applications. Two primary types of fatigue may happen in practical applications: thermal fatigue and vibration fatigue. Two test facilities were designed and built to test the adhesive performance and understand the failure mechanisms. For the thermal fatigue testing, a novel pressure and temperature cyclic (PTC) test stand was designed to simulate the pressure and temperature changes that may occur in HVAC&R systems. The test stand was designed to switch between hot high-pressure gas and cold low-pressure gas by using a compressor with hot gas bypass setup. For the vibration testing, a standard industrial shaker was used to provide the required vibration at a given displacement and frequency with a specially designed fixture for the tested joints. In both tests, adhesive joints were tested in parallel with brazed joints, undergoing extreme thermal and vibration loading conditions. All the samples were leak-checked before and after the testing, which were found to be leak-free after the testing, indicating that they pass the required qualification test according to available standards. It is confirmed that adhesive joints can be a potential alternative when dealing with thermal and vibration fatigue in the common working conditions of HVAC&R systems.</p> <p>The qualification testing is specific to the required loading conditions, such as pressure and temperature variations, and limited to certain tube sizes. An analytical model is developed to allow for design and evaluation across various operating conditions. The model aims to predict the adhesive stress and strain fields of in tube-to-tube joints based on the geometric parameters, material properties, and the loading conditions. In particular, the model uniquely considers the influence of thermal expansion and contraction in the joint, which is necessary for the periodically changing temperatures in HVAC&R systems. It is numerically solved using Mathematica and validated against the published data in the literature. The exact same solutions are achieved using the reported data in the literature, under simplified conditions without any temperature change involved. The validated model is then used in parametric studies to investigate the influence of geometric sizes and temperature change. Several conclusions are made about the trend of stress changes as well as the maximum stress, which provide insight from a perspective of general design guidance. Adhesive bonding length should be selected such that the maximum stress is smaller than the allowed material strength for both normal and shear stress. Adhesive thickness has less impact in the parametric range considered and is nevertheless usually dictated by the manufacture recommendation in view of other practical considerations. In regard to the thermal stresses, it is found that in practical HVAC&R working environment, the temperature-induced thermal stress dominates the stress fields and leads to significant change in the stress distribution across the adhesive layer. If a temperature change is present, the combination of all possible loading and temperature change should be analyzed to find the most extreme loading condition. This work demonstrates the first stress and strain analysis of tube-to-tube adhesive joints considering the working conditions of HVAC&R applications involving temperature cycling. All of these results provide a detailed guidance for use of adhesive joints across different application or locations in HVAC&R systems. The model can be also used as a framework to evaluate and compare the performance of different adhesives, as long as the adhesive properties are available.</p> <p>Lastly, it is also essential to demonstrate the application of these joints in real HVAC&R systems. A proof-of-concept test was done to demonstrate that the use of adhesive joints in a real system would cause no change in operation or leakage. A commercial heat pump dryer system was used to perform the testing at the Ray W. Herrick Laboratories. Two adhesive joints were installed to replace the brazing joints at the compressor inlet and outlet, where the most extreme temperature and pressure conditions are present. Results show that the system operates without any change in performance and experience no obvious leakage after more than 50 hours of testing over 6 months. </p> <p>This work explores the feasibility and reliability of adhesive bonding of copper for HVAC&R applications. The bonding strength of adhesive was studied and tested with both traditional surface preparation and advanced laser-interference structuring technique. The results show that for the tested structural epoxy adhesive, the bonding strength is large enough considering the internal pressure in the tube and the laser structure technique can increase the shear strength. </p> <p>The long-term reliability with respect to thermal, stress and vibration fatigue are then experimentally investigated and the adhesive joints pass the qualifications tests required by the standard. Further modeling work for predicting the stress distribution in adhesively bonded joints is developed to understand the influence on geometric parameters and temperature change. The adhesive length can influence the stress distribution significantly and temperature-induced stress dominates the stress distribution under the HVAC&R loading conditions. Further material characterization is needed for crack propagation or detailed fatigue analysis, which is highly dependent on the adhesive formula, working environment and loading conditions, which can be performed with a more specific targeted application. The experimental and modeling work in this thesis provides a foundation for adhesives to be applied in HVAC&R applications and a framework to further develop, optimize, and utilize adhesive joining in HVAC&R applications. </p>

The approach-avoidance task (AAT) is an implicit task that measures people’s behavioral tendencies to approach or avoid stimuli in the environment. In recent years, it has been used successfully to help explain a variety of health problems (e.g., addictions and phobias). Unfortunately, more recent AAT studies have failed to replicate earlier promising findings. One explanation for these replication failures could be that the AAT does not reliably measure approach-avoidance tendencies. Here, we first review existing literature on the reliability of various versions of the AAT. Next, we examine the AAT’s reliability in a large and diverse sample (N = 1077; 248 of whom completed all sessions). Using a smartphone-based, mobile AAT, we measured participants’ approach-avoidance tendencies eight times over a period of seven months (one measurement per month) in two distinct stimulus sets (happy/sad expressions and disgusting/neutral stimuli). The mobile AAT’s split-half reliability was adequate for face stimuli (r = .85), but low for disgust stimuli (r = .72). Its test–retest reliability based on a single measurement was poor for either stimulus set (all ICC1s < .3). Its test–retest reliability based on the average of all eight measurements was moderately good for face stimuli (ICCk = .73), but low for disgust stimuli (ICCk = .5). Results suggest that single-measurement AATs could be influenced by unexplained temporal fluctuations of approach-avoidance tendencies. These fluctuations could be examined in future studies. Until then, this work suggests that future research using the AAT should rely on multiple rather than single measurements.

Double-sided module exhibits electrical and thermal characteristics that are superior to wire-bonded counterpart. Such structure, however, induces more than twice the thermo-mechanical stress in a single-layer structure. Compressive posts have been developed and integrated into the double-sided module to reduce the stress to a level acceptable by silicon dice. For a 14 mm x 21 mm module carrying 6.6 mm x 6.6 mm die, finite-element simulation suggested an optimal design having four posts located 1 mm from the die; the z-direction stress at the chip was reduced from 17 MPa to 0.6 MPa. / Ph. D.

In the thesis, a methodology alternative to existing methods of digital systems design with increased dependability implemented into FPGA is presented, new features which can be used in the implementation and testing of these systems are demonstrated. The research is based on the use of FPGA partial dynamic reconfiguration for the design of fault tolerant systems. In these applications, the partial dynamic reconfiguration can be used as a mechanism to correct the fault and recover the system after the fault occurrence. First, the general principles of diagnostics, testing and digital systems dependability are presented including a brief description of FPGA components and their architectures. Next, a survey of currently used methods and techniques used for the design and implementation of fault tolerant systems into FPGA is described, especially the methods used for fault detection and localization, their correction, together with the principles of evaluating fault tolerant systems design quality.  The most important part of the thesis is seen in the description of the design methodology, implementation and testing of fault tolerant systems implemented into FPGAs which uses SRAMs as the configuration memory. First, the methodology of developing and automated checker components design for digital systems and communication protocols is presented. Then, a reference architecture of a dependable system implemented into FPGA is demonstrated including several fault tolerant architectures based on the use of partial dynamic reconfiguration as the mechanism of fault correction and the recovery from it. The principles of controlling the reconfiguration process are described together with the description of the test platform which allows to test and verify the design of fault tolerant systems based on the methodology presented in the thesis. The experimental results and the contribution of the thesis are discussed in the conclusions.

Background: Patient empowerment is viewed as a priority by policy makers, patients and practitioners worldwide. Although there are a number of measures available, none have been developed specifically for patients in the UK with long-term conditions. It is the aim of this study to report the development and preliminary validation of an empowerment instrument for patients with long-term conditions in primary care.Methods: The study involved three methods. Firstly, a systematic review was conducted to identify existing empowerment instruments, and to describe, compare and appraise their content and quality. The results supported the need for a new instrument. Item content of existing instruments helped support development of the new instrument. Secondly, empowerment was explored in patients with long-term conditions and primary care practitioners using qualitative methods, to explore its meaning and the factors that support or hinder empowerment. This led to the development of a conceptual model to support instrument development. Thirdly, a new instrument for measuring empowerment in patients with long-term conditions in primary care was developed. A cross-sectional survey of patients was conducted to collect preliminary data on acceptability, reliability and validity, using pre-specified hypotheses based on existing theoretical and empirical work. Results: Nine instruments meeting review inclusion criteria were identified. Only one instrument was developed to measure empowerment in long-term conditions in the context of primary care, and that was judged to be insufficient in terms of content and purpose. Five dimensions (‘identity’, ‘knowledge and understanding’, ‘personal control’, personal decision-making’, and ‘enabling other patients’) of empowerment were identified through published literature and the qualitative work and incorporated into a preliminary version of the new instrument. A postal survey achieved 197 responses (response rate 33%). Almost half of the sample reported circulatory, diabetic or musculoskeletal conditions. Exploratory factor analysis suggested a three factor solution (‘identity’, ‘knowledge and understanding’ and ‘enabling’). Two dimensions of empowerment (‘identity’ and ‘enabling’) and total empowerment showed acceptable levels of internal consistency. The measure showed relationships with external measures (including quality of chronic illness care, self-efficacy and educational qualifications) that were generally supportive of its construct validity.Conclusion: Initial analyses suggest that the new measure meets basic psychometric criteria and has potential for the measurement of patient empowerment in long-term conditions in primary care. The scale may have a role in research on quality of care for long-term conditions, and could function as a patient-reported outcome measure. However, further validation is required before more extensive use of the measure.