MEMS Pressure Sensor Drift Due to Hygroscopic Swelling
Application ID: 21021
Modern integrated circuits are available as plastic encapsulated microcircuits (PEM). These devices are molded out of polymeric materials and epoxy resins in order to protect the internal semiconductors. Unfortunately, polymeric mold compounds absorb moisture when exposed to a humid environment, thus swelling and causing undesired strains, which can be as high as thermal strains.
This application studies the moisture diffusion across the mold compound that protects a MEMS pressure sensor. The hygroscopic swelling induced by the moisture diffusion induces a drift in the measured characteristics of the sensor.
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