Test Chip and Substrate Design for Flip Chip Microelectronic Package Thermal Measurements

PurposeThis paper's purpose is to review the design of a flip chip thermal test vehicle.Design/methodology/approachDesign requirements for different applications such as thermal characterization, assembly process optimization, and product burn‐in simulation are outlined and the design processes of different thermal test chip structures including the temperature sensor and passive heaters are described in detail. The design of fireball heater, a novel test chip structure used for evaluating the effectiveness of heat spreading of advanced thermal solutions, is also explained.FindingsDescribes the design considerations and processes of the package substrate and printed‐circuit board with special emphasis on the physical routing of the thermal test chip structures. These design processes are supported with thermal data from various finite‐element analyses carried out to evaluate the capability and limitations of thermal test vehicle design.Originality/valueThe validation and calibration procedures of a thermal test vehicle are presented in this paper.