This work contains ultimately a collection of techniques to assess the impact of TSVs in silicon-based technologies. The goal of the work is to present a comprehensive analysis of the mechanical behavior of TSVs in different scenarios by means of simulations. In order to fulfill the objective, new simulation schemes, material and mechanical models were developed. They constitute a substantial part of the work and are described in detail in the sections to follow.
This dissertation is divided into seven chapters, including this introductory chapter. Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 provide the general background for the approach taken for the simulation of mechanical problems in TSVs. In Chapter 2, the classical mechanics theory is explained with a focus on microelectronics applications. In the chapter to follow, the mathematical fundamentals of the simulation techniques used are discussed. Chapter 4, Chapter 5, and Chapter 6 present the developed novel approaches and form the bulk of this thesis. The flow of the document starts with the analysis of TSVs on a macro scale and move toward a micro scale analysis. Chapter 4 considers the TSV as a big structure on a silicon wafer and discusses the mechanical impact in its neighborhood. Chapter 5 deals with the local stress in the TSV, which is created by small features, processing, and handling. Chapter 6 closes the work describing an estimation for residual stress in the metal layers of the TSVs. Finally, Chapter 7 summarizes the thesis with the main achievements and presents an outlook for further steps.