The polymeric package is filled with a gel, designed to damp excessive vibration and shocks, hence protecting the silicon subsystems and metallic wire-bondings from fracture. This feature made the sample particularly tough to brake during the vibration test campaign run in MEMS-REAL. A property also found in the present study, even with the devices having been through a first step of thermal testing.
 

Equipment 

The experimental part has been done at CSEM in Neuchâtel, in the Advanced Manufacturing and Components Reliability group. The focus has been given to environmental testing (namely thermal cycling and humidity ingress combined), vibrations testing and mechanical shocks.
The environmental chamber ESPEC SH-662 permits to cycles between -60°C to +180°C at maximum ramp-up rates of 2.5°C/min and ramp-down 1.7°C/min . Humidity can be controlled over the range 15°C to 85°C for 85%RH. Outside of these bounds the humidity cannot be controlled.