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System Thermal Analysis of RF SiP Module in Smartphone

*Cheng-Yu Tsai, HE Chen, Ian Hu, Dao-Long Chen, David Tarng and CP Hung

Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) Inc.

26, Chin 3rd Rd., Nantze Export Processing Zone, Kaohsiung, Taiwan 811, R.O.C.
*Email: Alan_Tsai@aseglobal.com

ABSTRACT
The structure of System-in-Package (SiP) in package series has
been widely used for many years. A substrate-based platform
combines more and more synchronous applied components such as
antenna device, RF filter, PA, LNA, RF switch, CMOS, application
processor and passives. Its application includes camera module, 5G
RF FEM, WiFi module. The main strategies and advantages of SiP
are small form factor, flexible design, low cost and time to market.
However, the small form factor and high density components will
bring more thermal issues.
In this work, numerical simulation and experiments in real
conditions are applied to compare and evaluate the thermal
performance of the system device with SiP module. Compact and
detailed models of SiP module will be put into a systemic
smartphone and compare their difference. Also, all the passive
components, main components, metal frame, gap pad, air and so on
will be set into both the simulated model and thermal test. As for
heat dissipation, which is directly relative to the thermal performance
will also be calculated and considered. The test and simulation
results show the main components which SoC and RF modules
included, deviation will be lower than 2%.
For thermal design, temperature of main components should be
first considered. Heat pipe, high thermal pad and some external units,
which can dissipate heat, can all be suggested to put into the system
as systemic thermal solutions. However, the system thermal solution
will induce thermal interaction between SoC and RF module.
Thermal co-design for both system and package will be executed for
optimizing the thermal performance of all the critical components in
a smartphone.
INTRODUCTION
number used in the mobile device and cell phone. So, they were
focus on the performance of SiP module with 2.4G and 5G. There
were more and more function setting in a very small structure, it also
means the SiP module need more power on driving the device than
before. The more power dissipation accompanies the concern of
thermal performance will become poor.[3] To build up a system
simulation model with a SiP module included. A detail 3D IC SiP
structure includes lots of TSVs, solder balls, bumps and traces is very
hard to simulate because it is too complicate to mesh and also too
time consuming to calculate. Therefore, we strongly suggest
introducing an accurate equivalent model to simplify the SiP detail
model. By using an equivalent model, we can rapidly and efficiently
obtain a large quantity of simulation data to verify a concept, to
analyze a structure and to modify a thermal design.[4]
TEST VEHICLE AND ANALYSIS METHODOLOGY
To find out the thermal performance of the smartphone, we
conduct the thermal experiment in different modes to simulate the
situation of users using devices in daily life. We used iPhone to run
modes like online game, offline game, website viewing, online video,
game download and playing non-streaming video. The test set-up is
illustrated in Figure 1. Put the test device on the foam as background
material, ambient temperature fixed on 25 C, used IR camera to
figure out where the hotspot is and handheld meter to measure
temperature of each monitor points. As the Figure 2 shows, we set
the thermocouples on the case of the packages which are mainly used
in different mode to monitor the case temperature. After opening the
back side shell, the position 1 is the main chip, the position 2 is the
LTE modem and the position 3, 4 and 5 are all the power amplifier
modules. On the opposite side, the position 6 is the RF module, the
position 7 is the multi-mode LTE transceiver, the position 8 is the RF
transceiver, the position 9 and 10 are both the diversity receive
modules and the position 11 is the other function module.

The devices with SiP module are become more and more
common. SiP module can be seen in antenna device, RF filter, PA,
LNA, RF switch, CMOS and application processor. Its application
includes camera module, 5G RF FEM, WiFi module which now are
all can be used in smartphone. The main strategies and advantages of
SiP are small form factor, flexible design, low cost and time to
market. Also, compared with discrete packages, SiP can provide
better solutions for power saving, EMI reduction, max frequency up-
grade in spite of its higher cost, low test yield, poor quality assurance,
and more complicated manufacturing process.[1] However, thermal
management is a major issue in high-density electronic packages like
such stacked SiP. More and more attention should be paid to thermal
design of packages due to the shrinking size of electronics while the
power used is not decreasing.[2] To discuss the WiFi function of the
SiP package. One of the function tests of the SiP module is the WiFi FIGURE 1. EXPERIMENT SET UP OVERVIEW
switch between the 2.4G and 5G. The WiFi SiP module is large

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IEEE XPLORE CATALOG NUMBER: CFP2059B-ART　ISBN: 978-1-7281-9851-4　Online ISSN: 2150-5942

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heat was transferred from SoC and SiP to the other components,
metal frame and monitor glass. Compare to the measurement results,
the simulation validation is shown in Figure 7. After all the
conditions were set closely to measurement environment, it shows
the temperature deviation between the simulation and measurement
within 12%, the main components which SoC and RF modules
included, deviation will be lower than 2%. On the other hand, we
tried to put detail and simplified model into the phone model to
compare the deviation between them. For the simplified model, we
can use ߮௃் (junction-to-top thermal characterization parameter from
JEDEC ߠ௃஺ test condition)[5], as the following equation and Figure 8
showed, to calculate the junction temperature in the SiP with case
temperature and power dissipation. The definition is:

ܶ௃ െ ்ܶ
߮௃் ൌ  ǡ
ܲு

where ܶ௃ is junction temperature, the maximum temperature of the

heat source. ்ܶ is the temperature of package top case attached on
the external surface in JEDEC ߠ௃஺ test condition. ܲு is the power of
the heat generated from the IC. As for the detailed SiP model in the
1 Main Controller + DDR4
2 LTE Modem
system model, the junction temperature will be located on the die
3 Power Amplifier Module1
with higher power density. Compared to these two conditions, the
4 Power Amplifier Module2 calculated ܶ௃ and the simulated ܶ௃ in detail model, the deviation will
5 Power Amplifier Module3 also be within 2%.
6 Wi-Fi/Bluetooth Module
7 Multimode LTE Transceiver
8 RF Transceiver
9 Diversity Receive Module1
10 Diversity Receive Module2
11 Other module

FIGURE 2. THERMOCOUPLES ON DIFFERENT MAIN COMPONENTS

As for the simulation setting, the structure of the smartphone is

constructed by the measured dimension. It contains the battery, main
components with mother board, monitor glass, metal frame and also
the gap pads. Each of the main components was monitored on its
outer surface. To calculate the power dissipation of these
components, we used the data sheet on the website and also used
total power loss of each mode to evaluate the partial power to close
to real using conditions. We put model on a foam material and set
ambient equal to 25 C. FIGURE 3. TEMPERATURE CONTOUR CHANGE WHICH WERE OBSERVED
BY IR CAMERA

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

As the Figure 3 shows, we observed through the IR camera that
the heat transfer from the right side of the temperature contour to the
left side. It shows that the most of the heat are mainly transferred
from these components and they will be the first priority to solve the
thermal issue. The test results of the smartphone that used in
different modes are summarized in the Figure 4. We can find that the
highest temperature appears on the SoC with the DDR4 and the
second high temperature is located on the SiP module. Because the
online game needs WiFi, high monitor resolution and also the
synchronization processing functions, the power and temperature
will keep on a high position than other mode.

The simulation temperature contour in different coordinate is

illustrated on Figure 5. The highest temperature is located on the
main controller either. In the first, before the gap pad was put into the
model, the temperature was concentrated in the main controller and
RF module. However, after the gad pads were put, as shown in
Figure 6, the temperature distribution become homogeneous and the FIGURE 4. TEST RESULTS IN DIFFERENT OPERATION MODES

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IEEE XPLORE CATALOG NUMBER: CFP2059B-ART　ISBN: 978-1-7281-9851-4　Online ISSN: 2150-5942

IEEE USB CATALOG NUMBER: CFP2059B-USB　ISBN: 978-1-7281-9850-7
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CONCLUSION
Finally, after the test results above showed, we can know the
importance of the thermal solution and its necessary. Except for gad
pad, heat pipe, high thermal pad and some external units, which can
dissipate heat, can all be suggested to put into the system as systemic
thermal solutions if the cost is allowed. Use simplified package
model for smartphone thermal simulation and then calculate junction
temperature by ߮௃் is accurate enough. There is no need to use
detail package model for smartphone system thermal simulation.
FIGURE 5. SIMULATION TEMPERATURE CONTOUR WITHOUT THE GAP
PADS SHOWED IN DIFFERENT COORDINATE REFERENCE
[1] Yunhyeok Im, Heunghyu Kwon, Senyun Kim, Tongsuk Kim,
Taeje Cho and Seyong Oh Methodology for Accurate Junction
Temperature Estimation of SiP (System in Package) 20th
IEEE SEMI-THERM Symposium 2004.

[2] Jani Miettinen, Matti Mantysalo, Kimmo Kaija, and Eero 0.

Ristolainen System Design Issues for 3D System-in-Package
(SiP) Electronic Components and Technology ConR. Vence
2004.

[3] Bo-Syun Chen, Tang-Yuan Chen, Jin-Feng Yang, Chin-Li-

Kao, Yu-Chang Chen, Chan-Lin Yeh and Meng-Kai Shih
FIGURE 6. SIMULATION TEMPERATURE CONTOUR WITH THE GAP Thermal Characterization for Dual Side SiP Module
PADS SHOWED IN DIFFERENT COORDINATE Technology 19th Electronics Packaging Technology
Conference 2017.

[4] Heng-Chieh Chien, John H. Lau, Yu-Lin Chao, Ming-Ji Dai,

Ra-Min Tain Thermal Evaluation and Analyses of 3D IC
Integration SiP with TSVs for Network System Applications
28th IEEE 2012.

[5] JESD51-2A Integrated Circuits Thermal Test Method

Environmental Conditions-Natural Convection (Still Air) 1995.

FIGURE 7. SIMULATION TEMPERATURE RESULTS COMPARE TO THE

MEASUREMENT DATA

FIGURE 8. SIP TEMPERATURE CONTOUR IN JEDEC ߠ௃஺ CONDITION

167


IEEE XPLORE CATALOG NUMBER: CFP2059B-ART　ISBN: 978-1-7281-9851-4　Online ISSN: 2150-5942

IEEE USB CATALOG NUMBER: CFP2059B-USB　ISBN: 978-1-7281-9850-7
978-1-7281-9851-4/19/$31.00 ©2020 IEEE
Authorized licensed use limited to: BOURNEMOUTH UNIVERSITY. Downloaded on June 22,2021 at 03:15:47 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.