A Test Platform for the Thermal, Electrical, and Mechanical Characterization of Packages

摘要

As packages become more complex with increasing power and thermal demands, a test platform that combines many aspects of package characterization simplifies the prototyping of new packages. The test platform is embodied in a chip called the Package Killer Chip (PKC). PKC is a 188 mm2 chip with a maximum power dissipation of 355 W from a 1.8 V power supply. PKC has 3944 unit cells, each with individually programmable heaters to dissipate power, and circuits to measure the local temperature and power supply voltages with a 180 μm resolution. Dynamic loads can be generated by cycling through four power profiles stored on-chip at up to 1 GHz. Power supply transients due to dynamic loads can be measured and visualized using on-chip samplers. Chip orientation relative to a package or adjacent chip in a multi-chip module (MCM) can be measured using on-chip alignment sensors. A three-chip prototype proximity communication MCM containing two PKC dice and a bridge chip was used to evaluate PKC as a test platform.