For optical networks, the operating life of optoelectronic components is expected to be over 20 years. Network designers therefore require components, which have been reliability tested in accordance with assured protocols, such as Telcordia Generic Reliability Assurance Practices (BellCore). In this paper, we report on the development of a system for thermal reliability studies of optoelectronic devices. The system incorporates an environmental test chamber programmed to provide differing temperature environments in the range (-180° to 300° C) as well as constant bias current or voltage to the device udner test. Case studies for preliminary screenign and temperature cycling tests on a wide range of novel active and passive devices fabricated at NMRC for short-haul networks markets are assessed and reported using this system.
Among the main benefits of microsystem technology are its contributions to cost reductio, reliability and improved performance. however, the packaging of microsystems, and particularly microsensor, has proven to be one of the biggest limitations to their commercialization and the packaging of silicon sensor devices can be the most costly part of their fabrication. This paper describes the integration of 3D packaging of a microsystem. Central to the operation of the 3D demonstrator is a micromachined silicon membrane pump to supply fluids to a sensing chamber constructed about the active area of a sensor chip. This chip carries ISFET based chemical sensors, pressure sensors and thermal sensors. The electronics required for controlling and regulating the activity of the various sensors ar also available on this chip and as other chips in the 3D assembly. The demonstrator also contains a power supply module with optical fiber interconnections. All of these modules are integrated into a single plastic- encapsulated 3D vertical multichip module. The reliability of such a structure, initially proposed by Val was demonstrated by Barrett et al. An additional module available for inclusion in some of our assemblies is a test chip capable of measuring the packaging-induced stress experienced during and after assembly. The packaging process described produces a module with very high density and utilizes standard off-the-shelf components to minimize costs. As the sensor chip and micropump include micromachined silicon membranes and microvalves, the packaging of such structures has to allow consideration for the minimization of the packaging-induced stresses. With this in mind, low stress techniques, including the use of soft glob-top materials, were employed.
Packaging influences the reliability and performance of microsystems. A brief history of developments in packaging is presented along with an overview of 3D packaging philosophy. An example of the integration of a micromachined silicon membrane pump into a 3D vertical multichip module package is presented. Finite element techniques are used to analyze the encapsulation stress in the assembled structure to improve the integrity of the packaged microsystem.
The capability of combining single photon counting with information on the spatial distribution of incoming photons is of great interest to many scientific disciplines such as astronomy and spectroscopy, where an accurate assessment of this information can be critical to the success of an experiment. Photomultiplier arrays and scintillators are usually used in these applications. However these electromechanical solutions need to be operated at high voltages (approximately kV), they tend to be very fragile, bulky and extremely expensive. A solution to this problem which utilizes silicon integrated circuit technology would alleviate a lot of these undesirable effects and would be low cost, small area and more robust. This makes the concept of a solid state photon counting array very attractive for a large number of applications. To date this has not been achieved because of the difficulties involved in integrating high voltage optical detectors into an integrated circuit. This paper shows how this can be achieved and indicates areas of future research which will enable the possibility of large area and high pixel count spatially resolved photon counting devices.
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