Semiconductor Fuse Package With Shock-Absorbing Blast Shielding
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sacrificial fuse elements in semiconductor packages release significant energy during an overcurrent event, leading to potential damage to adjacent components such as the PCB, as the heat and gas from vaporization can cause rupture and fragmentation.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a sacrificial fuse element within a semiconductor package with structural features like multilayer dielectric gaps, vias, or a shock-absorbing material to absorb and deflect energy during a fusing event, mitigating damage beyond the package.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a sacrificial fuse element is used to protect against overcurrent conditions, then circuit protection is achieved, but significant energy release causes package material rupture and potential damage to adjacent components
Solution Approach 1:
A shock-absorbing material is introduced as an intermediary component between the sacrificial fuse element and the package structure. This mediator absorbs the mechanical energy and shock waves generated during fuse operation, preventing damage to adjacent components while maintaining the fuse's protective function.
Solution Approach 2:
The shock-absorbing material is pre-positioned around the fuse element before the overcurrent event occurs. This beforehand cushioning ensures that when the fuse operates and releases energy, the damaging effects are already mitigated by the pre-placed protective material, preventing package rupture and component damage.
2Loss of energy
If the shock-absorbing material has lower melting point than the conductor, then energy absorption is improved, but material selection constraints increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the thermal parameter (melting point) of the shock-absorbing material to be lower than the conductor material. This parameter change enables the shock-absorbing material to melt first and absorb the thermal energy from the fuse operation, converting harmful thermal energy into phase change energy while protecting the higher-melting-point conductor and package structures.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively interrupts high currents while minimizing damage to surrounding components by absorbing and redirecting mechanical energy, ensuring the package's integrity during an overcurrent event.
Implementation Method 1
Either a glass transition temperature of the shock-absorbing material or a melting point of the shock-absorbing material is lower than a melting point of the conductor
Implementation Method 2
Either a glass transition temperature of the shock-absorbing material or a melting point of the shock-absorbing material is lower than a melting point of the conductor
Implementation Method 3
The open circuit is created when current passes through the fuse element, causing the fuse element to heat enough that the fuse element melts or 'blows'
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor package includes a metallic pad and leads, a semiconductor die including a semiconductor substrate attached to the metallic pad, and a conductor including a sacrificial fuse element above the semiconductor substrate, the sacrificial fuse element being electrically coupled between one of the leads and at least one terminal of the semiconductor die, a shock-absorbing material over a profile of the sacrificial fuse element, and mold compound covering the semiconductor die, the conductor, and the shock-absorbing material, and partially covering the metallic pad and leads, with the metallic pad and the leads exposed on an outer surface of the semiconductor package. Either a glass transition temperature of the shock-absorbing material or a melting point of the shock-absorbing material is lower than a melting point of the conductor.