Simple finite element technique to model stresses in the fabrication of multilayered structures for electronic components

This paper presents a general modeling technique to follow the step-by-step evolution of the stress field as a function of the manufacturing process to fabricate electronic components. This technique relies on the finite element method combined with a modeling strategy that uses artificial nodes to simulate material interfaces. It can be applied to both linear and nonlinear cases. The main advantage of this approach is that it allows one to keep track of all topological and geometric changes during the manufacturing process, as well as the residual stresses introduced at each stage. Thus, by obtaining the stress history, the designer can easily identify the peak stress values at different locations. Its implementation is very straightforward since it is compatible with current finite element technology and most commercial codes. The usefulness of this approach is illustrated with an example concerning an encapsulated copper line.