Thermal Modeling and Characterization Across Advanced Semiconductor Technologies

Accurate simulation of temperature distributions is crucial to achieve a reliable design in self-heating dominant advanced integrated circuits. RF long-term aging and large-signal reliability in 22FDX and 12RF power amplifiers for automotive applications is showcased here. Special effort is required to characterize the junction temperature Tj using thermal models and advanced thermal imaging techniques. Tj assessment directly impacts Mean Time to Failure estimates. Setup considerations needed in simulations to accurately assess the thermal profile in advanced RF nodes will be reviewed.