Demystifying the Use of IC Plastic packages for Space Applications

Over the past decade, the demand for space applications, especially low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, has increased due to reduced satellite launch costs and emerging markets. This trend requires plastic over traditional ceramic packaging due to its lower size, weight, and cost. Although epoxy mold compounds (EMCs) in plastic packages encapsulate effectively, their reliability under high radiation environments remains a concern. This paper addresses key reliability aspects of plastic encapsulation in space, such as mass loss, surface/ bulk degradation, macro-/microscopic damage, and shielding efficiency. Here, we: (i) irradiated industry-grade epoxy mold compounds (EMCs) under 8 MeV, 100 nA/cm<sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup>proton flux, (ii) calculated the effective stopping power and displacement damage in the EMCs due to high energy protons using SRIM tools, (iii) characterized the damage in the EMC through SEM and profilometer analysis, and (iv) suggested a method to qualify EMCs based on satellite mission profile calculated using ESA's SPENVIS tools. Our findings aim to enhance confidence and understanding in using commercial plastic packages for harsh space environments.