Degradation mode of integration technologies
Component fatigue in power electronics

The periodic compression and extension stresses to which the thin metallization layer is subjected during thermal cycling lead to its deformation and the "reconstruction" of the aluminum grains that make it up. This is because silicon is a material with a low coefficient of thermal expansion and high resistance to deformation, compared with aluminum, which has a relatively low yield point. As a result, when the maximum temperature imposed on this metallization layer...