Microsystem packages and package assembly processes have an enormous influence on the ability to successfully bring a microsystem product to market. Package and assembly processes can introduce both performance and reliability issues which can introduce significant delays in the product engineering cycle. Typically, thousands of devices must be made and tested to fully quantify the reliability of a microsystem product. While most microsystem products use package and package assembly technology adapted from the integrated circuit industry, the unique aspects of these devices requires unique package designs and unique implementation of the unit assembly processes. This paper discusses many of these unit processes, their adaptation to microsystem applications and the reliability issues that can be traced back to these processes. Solutions to these package assembly issues will also be presented.
Automotive passive restraint systems continue to take advantage of the benefits of microelectronics to provide more sophisticated occupant safety features. Traditional microelectronic advantages such as miniaturization, system integration, and part count reduction are being used to a greater level. This paper describes a `smart' automotive accelerometer that performs, in a single integrated component, all of the sensing and signal processing functions required to assess vehicle crash severity and generate a timely airbag deployment command if needed. The device improves system performance and reliability while lowering cost, by replacing the several acceleration-sensitive mechanical switches (and the associated wiring) currently used in most automotive passive restraint systems. The accelerometer consists of a capacitive sense element and a CMOS ASIC which contains interface circuitry and a digital deployment decision circuit. Signal filtering, calibration, and vehicle-specific programming are also performed on-chip. The design approach minimizes the effects of temperature and voltage variations and therefore eliminates the need for separate compensation circuits. Performance of the device in the laboratory as well as in vehicle crash tests demonstrates the accelerometer's ability to meet its design objectives.
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