Package Modeling

	Package Modeling

The electrical performance of semiconductor packages is critical to high bandwidth system design. With semiconductor device frequencies, pin-count, density and cost ALL increasing, the accurate measurement and modeling of the package can be a powerful tool to help designers understand and improve the performance of their devices and systems.

Package Types Characterized by GigaTest

	SOT		TSOP
	CSP		LGA
	MLF		PGA
	BCC		BGA
	QFP		Flip-Chip

GigaTest has been performing package measurements and modeling for years, and our characterization methodology has been used and proven on many different kinds of packages from low-pin count RF SOT packages to standard wire-bonded BT BGAs, and state-of-the-art ceramic flip-chip packages.

We start with very accurate S-parameter measurements, obtained by calibrating and probing with microwave bandwidth probes and a vector network analyzer. These measurements are accurate up to 50 GHz, and can be used to verify simulations, or validate the customer's own measurements. Or we can use the measured data to extract an accurate model of the packages lines, suitable for simulating it's perfomance.

This extraction process is performed in a frequency-domain simulation tool that can accept the measured S-parameters and has optimization capability for "matching" the simulated performance of an equivalent model with this measured data.

This is usually a SPICE model made up of RLC components, or can be a "distributed transmission line" model that accurately accounts for frequency-dependent effects like dielectric loss and skin-effect. The end result is a package model that can be integrated with the device to accurately predict the performance of a packaged component.

BGA Package

GTL BGA Test Fixture

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