Finite element analysis of arbitrarily complex electronic devices

The capability and the range of functions of electronic devices have strongly developed over the last decade, while their size has significantly decreased. At the same time highlevel product reliability has become a vital requirement. However, for the backbone of the electronic devices, the printed circuit boards (PCBs) miniaturization often entails negative mechanical effects, such as local stress concentrations. Therefore, in order to meet the given performance standards, there is a strong demand for a tool as a basis for an optimized PCB design. This paper reveals a new framework for a lifetime estimation of these boards using Finite Element Analysis (FEA). The developed methodology can automatically generate FEA-models of arbitrarily complex build-ups from their design data. The methods were applied on exemplary printed circuit boards (PCBs) and the simulation results were verified using analytical models.