Metal package are the preferred package choice for high heat dissipation, high component count & density such as Multi-chip-module(MCM) and critical EMI shielding applications. Metal package can be designed to fit custom application at low volume with reasonable tooling cost. Ceramic Package, on the other hand, provides a small footprint and fine I/O pitch package solution. Ceramic package can be designed for ultra high temperature applications starting at 500°C. Tooling cost is typically much higher than metal package. Ceramic package is suitable for medium to high volume applications. It is absolutely the choice of the end users to select the right kind of package for their particular applications. Both metal and ceramic packages can be sealed hermetically.
Microelectronic circuits and components that are exposed to harsh environments require hermetic packaging. Beyond providing mechanical protection and thermal dissipation, a hermetic package prevents the intrusion of atmospheric contaminants such as moisture, ionic contaminants, airborne particles and unwanted gases.
Metal Package – Glass-to-metal seal and ceramic-to-metal seal are the common choices for metal hermetic packages. Typical metal encloses are formed by stamping, deep drawing, brazing, photochemical etch and machining. The package sealing methods include projection weld, seam seal, cold weld, laser weld and E-beam seal. Metal Package choices range from standard DIL, TO, FP, QFP to highly custom-design package for Hi-Temp, Hi-Pressure and High Shock and Vibration environment for Hi-Rel, Mil/Space and “Down Hole” applications.
Metal Packages
Ceramic Package - In High Temperature Co-fired Ceramic (HTCC) technology, ceramic is batch processed in green tape form. Layers are built by sequential operations of hole punching, metal filling and screening, cutting, stacking and laminating. The entire assembly is co-fired or sintered at temperatures as high as 1600°C. Electrode-Nickel/Gold plating finish with a brazed-on KOVAR ring is Vectrons preferred configuration. Vectron is capable of assembling Microcircuits with standard LCC, CQFP, Side-Brazed type and custom-design ceramic packages.
