Microelectronics Packaging – Precision, Hermeticity & Long-Term Reliability
The Science of Protecting Electronics in Harsh Environments
In modern defense, aerospace, and industrial systems, every microelectronic component must withstand heat, vibration, moisture, and mechanical stress — without losing performance.
This challenge gave rise to the field of Microelectronics Packaging — the engineering discipline that bridges the delicate internal circuitry with the harsh external world.
A package is more than a protective shell. It provides mechanical support, environmental sealing, electrical interconnection, and thermal management, ensuring the long-term reliability of sensitive RF, microwave, and sensor electronics.
💡 What Is Microelectronics Packaging?
Microelectronics packaging refers to the design and manufacture of enclosures that encapsulate semiconductor devices, sensors, and hybrid circuits.
The goal is to maintain electrical integrity and hermetic protection while enabling signal transmission and heat dissipation.
Key challenges include:
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Matching thermal expansion between materials (to prevent cracking and stress)
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Shielding against RF interference and corrosion
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Maintaining vacuum-tight hermeticity over decades of operation
⚙️ Common Package Types and Materials
Depending on the application and reliability class, microelectronic packages are built from several key material families:
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Metal & Kovar Packages – Iron–Nickel–Cobalt alloys with thermal expansion coefficients matched to glass and ceramics. Ideal for hermetic sealing.
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Ceramic Packages (Alumina, AlN) – Excellent dielectric and thermal properties for high-frequency and high-power circuits.
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Glass-to-Metal Seals – Feed-throughs that allow electrical connection through a sealed wall while maintaining vacuum-tight integrity.
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Hybrid Hermetic Modules – Multi-chip assemblies combining multiple dies, passives, and substrates in a single sealed enclosure.
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Plastic / Epoxy Packages – Low-cost, non-hermetic options for commercial or consumer electronics.
Each category offers a trade-off between cost, performance, and environmental resistance — and choosing the right one is critical for mission success.
🧱 The Role of Hermetic Sealing
Hermetic sealing isolates the electronic core from humidity, oxygen, and contaminants.
Even a single molecule of moisture can cause corrosion, leakage, or electrical drift in precision sensors and RF modules.
To prevent this, manufacturers use controlled metal-to-glass and metal-to-ceramic sealing processes.
These ensure gas-tight integrity that meets military standards such as MIL-STD-883 and MIL-PRF-38534, guaranteeing long-term reliability for defense and aerospace electronics.
🧩 Case Study: Machined Kovar Packages for RF & Microwave Applications
Manufactured by Century Seals – Represented in Israel by Amironic Ltd.
In the high-frequency domain, mechanical stability and thermal compatibility are critical to performance.
Hermetic metal packages made from Kovar are ideal for these environments, maintaining alignment and seal integrity even under thermal cycling and vibration.
Century Seals, represented in Israel by Amironic Ltd., manufactures a comprehensive line of machined Kovar packages and hermetic components for RF, microwave, and sensor systems.
Their capabilities combine precision machining, metal-to-glass sealing, and advanced plating technologies, ensuring both mechanical and electrical integrity.
⚙️ Machined Kovar Packages
Century Seals produces precision-machined Kovar enclosures designed for high-frequency and high-reliability circuits.
Available pin configurations include:
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Ground pins
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Nail-head leads
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Straight leads
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Custom-formed leads
Plating options:
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High-purity gold
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Electrolytic nickel
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Electroless nickel
The CTE-matched Kovar structure provides long-term hermeticity and excellent thermal stability across extreme environments — making these packages suitable for military, aerospace, and rugged industrial systems.
🔌 Single-Pin / Feed-Through Terminals
Century Seals manufactures a wide variety of single-pin feed-throughs, including 50-ohm RF and DC terminals.
SMP connectors and fully customized geometries are also available.
Materials include Kovar, CRS, Stainless Steel, and Alloy 52, with plating options in Gold, Tin/Lead, or Nickel.
These terminals ensure reliable signal and power transfer through hermetic barriers, maintaining low resistance and excellent insulation.
🌡️ Hermetic Sensor & TO-Style Packages
For sensor applications, Century Seals offers a range of TO-series headers and housings, including:
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TO-8, TO-5, and TO-46 standard packages
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Diameters between 0.500–0.600 inches
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Multiple pin and ground configurations
These TO packages are ideal for pressure, temperature, and acceleration sensors that demand high insulation resistance and absolute hermeticity.
🧱 Custom Hermetic Packages & Relay Headers
In addition to standard designs, Century Seals develops custom hermetic packages, relay bases, and sight glasses tailored to exact customer requirements.
Precision machining and metal finishing ensure optimal integration between delicate electronic assemblies and robust hermetic housings.
✨ Plating & Metal Finishing Services
Century Seals provides in-house plating and surface finishing for electronic and microelectronic manufacturers:
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High-purity gold and nickel plating
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Tin/lead finishes for legacy military systems
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Controlled thickness and adhesion testing
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Corrosion-resistant coatings for harsh environments
🚀 Conclusion
Microelectronics packaging is the silent enabler behind every high-reliability system — where precision materials, thermal balance, and hermetic sealing converge to protect the heart of the circuit.
Machined Kovar packages from Century Seals, represented in Israel by Amironic Ltd., embody this philosophy: combining mechanical precision, thermal stability, and environmental protection in one compact design.
These solutions are trusted in the most demanding RF, microwave, and sensor applications worldwide.
📩 Amironic Ltd. – Exclusive representative of Century Seals in Israel