Temperature Dependence of the Mechanical Properties of GaAs Wafers

GaAs is known to have superior electronic properties and greater photovoltaic conversion efficiency compared to elemental semiconductors such as silicon and germaniumn. Mechanical properties of GaAs at different temperatures are now necessary to incorporate into the design models for the GaAs die attach and substrate architecture for microelectronic packages. These properties are also required to aid in defining reliability and screening specifications. This paper presents the experiment results on various material properties of GaAs wafer over the temperature range of − 75°C to 200°C. Material properties determined from testing include the modulus of elasticity, the modulus of rupture, the critical value of stress intensity factor, and the coefficient of thermal expansion. The importance of fracture assessment in semiconductor devices is also discussed.