Coupled package-device modeling for microelectromechanical systems

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), by their nature as sensors and actua tors, require application specific packaging. The package is the near envir onment of the MEMS device and hence has a direct effect on its thermal beha vior, mechanical effects, environmental compatibility and contamination. Th erefore, understanding the influence of the packaging on MEMS device perfor mance is critical to a successfully coupled package-device co-design. Here, an automated package-device interaction simulator has been developed. The simulator uses separate finite element method models for both the package a nd the device analysis and ties the simulations together through parametric behavioral package models. This technique allows the generation of package model libraries and supports the co-design of application specific packagi ng and MEMS devices. In the current implementation, thermomechanical packag e models have been implemented. Experimental verification of the technique is demonstrated by the comparison of simulation results to the measured pac kage strain data. Although MEMS device-package interactions are not the onl y systems that could benefit from this method, they are a significant appli cation area, focused on here. (C) 2000 ACRS. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.