Plastic QFN Packaging for Space Applications

Sencio has been involved in an EU-funding H2020 project called PAMPA that was finalized last year. The goal of the project was to develop a plastic QFN-packaging solution for RF-components for Space application (Satellites). Today hermetic sealed ceramic and metal can packages are the main assembly technologies applied for space. Besides Sencio the consortium consisted of the following companies; Thales Alenia Space (F), UMS (F), Ikor Technology Centre (ES), IMEC (B).The application of plastic packages has besides cost also an advantage with respect to weight. The main restraint to apply plastic packaging for space was reliability, this was the challenge we took. The outline of the article will be: - the background of the project with basic requirements, - the design of the components and challenges encountered, - the final results.