9553009 Liu This award is made to an outstanding young individual who has demonstrated great potential to advance both research and education in engineering. The specific area of research encompasses the design and fabrication of semiconductor devices. The goal is to advance the reliability of electronic devices, which are an assembly of components. The size range of the components can vary from microscopic submicron scale to macroscopic printed circuit board scale. Inspite of this large variation in physical dimensions, the research will attempt to seek unifying fundamental failure mechanisms such as void generation, delamination, cracking, creep and so on which could arise out of stresses induced by moisture migration, thermal excursion and mechanical vibration. The research will attempt to study fundamental materials behavior using submicron fatigue tester and monitoring flaw generation via nondestructive evaluation. These physical properties are to be combined into the finite element modeling to arrive at a predictive reliability code. The resultant computer software, combined with graphics could enable optimization iteration without a trial and error fabrication. If successfully demonstrated, this research has the potential to offer a very robust integrated circuit design tool. The educational plan is to take the multidisciplinary elements of the research into the class room combining mechanical, chemical and electrical engineering with elements of materials science, corrosion chemistry, and design for manufacture. In addition, taking advantage of the very close liaison established with several industrial partners, the education plan takes students to the real world industrial environment and at the same time brings industrial researchers into the class room. Successful completion of the research and education plans brings together not only the research and education elements but also theory and practice. As a result, the microelectronics industry may benefit with reliab le electronic devices. In addition, a new cadre of educated workforce could result who can traverse between science and practice with equal ease. This has the potential to advance the U. S. leadership in education and research in the important microelectronics sector.
