Theoretical and experimental characterization of heat dissipation in a board-level microelectronic component

In this study, the steady-state heat transfer characteristics of a board-level microelectronic component in natural convection are investigated through numerical modeling and experimental validation. A typical plastic ball grid array (PBGA) package assembled to a piece of printed circuit board (PCB) is considered as the test vehicle. To achieve the goal, a three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) modeling technique that utilizes an effective heat conduction FE model together with empirical heat transfer (HT) coefficient correlation models for describing surface heat transfer of the electronic assemblies is applied for theoretical characterization while an infrared thermography-based technique (IRT) that incorporates FE modeling and IR thermography measurement, and a thermal test die measurement (TTDM) technique are applied for experimental validation. To facilitate the IR thermography measurement, the black paint coating technique is applied. The emissivity and optimal thickness of the specific black paint are explored through simple experiments. Besides, the uncertainty in the TTDM for the chip junction temperature measurement is also assessed. By the validated theoretical analysis model, numerical investigation of heat transfer enhancements, such as thermal balls and thermal vias, in the board-level microelectronic component is also accomplished, and eventually, an extensive thermal design guideline is accordingly provided.