Join us for a webinar June 5, where we’ll delve into the crucial role of electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, materials specialists, and design managers in understanding and addressing thermomechanical fatigue in electrical components. Your expertise is vital in this field, and we look forward to exploring these real-world challenges with you.
In a world increasingly driven by high-performance electronics—from electric vehicles to IoT sensors, one invisible threat looms large: thermomechanical fatigue (TMF). This phenomenon is a silent, persistent driver of failure in modern electronics, particularly in advanced packaging technologies like flip chips and ball grid arrays (BGAs). Fortunately, simulation tools are now sophisticated enough to understand TMF and design around it.
We’ll explore these topics in our upcoming webinar, and here’s why you’ll want to be there. By attending, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of TMF, learn how to use simulation tools to mitigate fatigue risk, and discover design and material considerations to increase lifecycle durability in your projects.
What is thermomechanical fatigue?
TMF is damage accumulating in materials due to the cyclic interaction of thermal and mechanical loads. Picture a flip chip in a vehicle control module: it powers up, heats up, then cools down—hundreds of thousands of times. Because the chip, board, and solder joints all expand and contract at different rates, this creates mechanical stress. Over time, that stress causes fatigue, especially at the solder joints in BGAs.
Why flip chips and BGAs are at risk
Flip chip technology, especially with BGAs, offers superior electrical performance and higher input/output density than traditional wire bonding. However, its reliability depends on how well it can withstand thermal and mechanical cycling. The number of thermal cycles to failure becomes a critical design parameter.
Key failure mechanisms include:
- Thermomechanical fatigue due to thermal cycling
- Creep from sustained high temperatures
- Solder joint degradation influenced by material composition and underfill strategies
Simulations: The key to prevention
AltaSim Technologies has deep experience modeling these issues using:
- Finite Element Analysis (FEA): Simulates strain and stress responses under cycling.
- Multiphysics Modeling: Couples thermal and mechanical effects to assess real-world behavior.
- Material Characterization: Evaluates solder chemistries for improved fatigue resistance.
Informed by real-world experience, our team helps electronics designers simulate and validate their packaging strategies before expensive failures occur.
A discovery-based approach
At AltaSim, we don’t start with a sales pitch. We start with your problem. If TMF is part of your world, whether you’re in automotive, aerospace, consumer electronics, or defense, we want to help you explore whether simulation can be part of your solution. We always start with a conversation, not a high-pressure sales pitch. We are in the business of helping others. If we can get you to a solution, that is what we want. Even if we cannot provide what you need. We want you to solve your problem by the best means possible.
What you’ll learn in the June 5 webinar
- What TMF is and why it matters for modern electronics
- How simulation tools assess and mitigate fatigue risk
- Design and material considerations to increase lifecycle durability
- Real-world examples from high-performance flip chip applications
Whether you’re an electrical engineer, materials specialist, or design manager, this webinar is tailored to provide you with a clearer understanding of how simulation can improve reliability and reduce development time in your specific role.
Ready to take the next step?
If you’re working on flip chip technology, evaluating BGA reliability, or simply trying to avoid failure in the field, this session will be worth your time.