Patent Application
20250014955
This utility patent application claims the benefit of the filing date of the Chinese Patent Application No. 202310829943.4 filed Jul. 7, 2023, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Embodiments of the disclosure relate to a component carrier and a manufacturing method.
Accordingly, the present disclosure may relate to the technical field of component carriers, such as printed circuit boards or IC substrates.
In the context of growing product functionalities of component carriers equipped with one or more electronic components and increasing miniaturization of such electronic components as well as a rising number of electronic components to be mounted on the component carriers such as printed circuit boards, increasingly more powerful array-like components or packages having several electronic components are being employed, which have a plurality of contacts or connections, with ever smaller spacing between these contacts. Removal of heat generated by such electronic components and the component carrier itself during operation becomes an increasing issue. Also, an efficient protection against electromagnetic interference (EMI) is becoming an increasing issue. At the same time, component carriers shall be mechanically robust and electrically and magnetically reliable so as to be operable even under harsh conditions.
In particular, manufacturing reliable (electrical) interconnections (such as vias) in a component carrier may be a challenge. Conventionally, through-holes extending through a dielectric layer are formed by drilling, e.g., mechanical or laser drilling. Afterwards, the through-holes are filled by electrically conductive material, normally copper, using a plating process. While in some applications the entire through-holes are filled, in other applications only sidewalls of the through holes are covered with electrically conductive material (plated through-holes).
However, the conventional approaches may have some drawbacks. In order to perform the plating process, a seed layer has to be applied normally to the through-hole sidewalls. Thereby, high aspect ratios (long and thin interconnections) may be difficult to produce. In particular, voids/dimples may be produced by the plating process. Plating can require long process times and there may be a risk of over-plating. Additionally, special applications such as glass substrates may be a further challenge, since they may break during a conventional manufacture process.
There may be a need to provide a component carrier with reliable electrical interconnections, in particular with a high aspect ratio, in an efficient manner.
A component carrier and a manufacturing method are described.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is described a component carrier, comprising a stack having at least one electrically conductive layer structure and at least one electrically insulating layer structure, wherein the stack comprises: i) a support layer structure (e.g., a glass support layer structure or glass core) comprising at least one through-hole (e.g., a laser via); ii) a metal paste filling material (e.g., comprising metal particles and a bonding/paste material) in the through-hole (thereby filling the through-hole, in particular completely filling); and iii) a metal pad (e.g., a metal paste pad, a plating pad, metal paste, or a plating mixed pad) provided on and extending from an exterior main surface (oriented perpendicular to the stacking direction Z, i.e., along X, and/or Y directions) of the support layer structure. Hereby, the metal paste filling material in the through hole and the metal pad comprise at least partially the same material (for example metal particles and/or metal such as copper).
According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, there is described a method of manufacturing a component carrier (e.g., as described above), wherein the method comprises: i) providing a stack with at least one electrically conductive layer structure, at least one electrically insulating layer structure, and a support layer structure; ii) forming a through-hole in the support layer structure; iii) filling the through-hole with a metal paste filling material, in particular comprising metal particles and a bonding material (to be sintered); and iv) forming a metal pad on and extending from an exterior main surface of the support layer structure. Hereby, the metal paste filling material in the through hole and the metal pad comprise at least partially the same material (for example metal particles and/or copper).
According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, there is described a component carrier (in particular comprising a stack with at least one electrically conductive layer structure, at least one electrically insulating layer structure), which comprises: i) a support layer structure having a through-hole with slanted sidewalls over its entire extension or straight sidewalls; and ii) a metal paste filling in the through-hole being in direct physical contact with sidewalls of the support layer structure delimiting the through-hole.
According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, there is described a method of manufacturing a component carrier (in particular comprising a stack with at least one electrically conductive layer structure, at least one electrically insulating layer structure), wherein the method comprises: i) providing a support layer structure having a through-hole with slanted or straight sidewalls along its entire extension; and ii) filling the through-hole with a metal paste filling so that the metal paste filling is in direct physical contact with sidewalls of the support layer structure delimiting the through-hole.
In the present context, the term “support layer structure” may in particular refer to a layer structure, configured to be arranged in the layer stack of a component carrier, and which comprises at least one through hole. The through hole may be formed by drilling and preferably extends through the support layer structure, in particular in a thickness direction (Z) perpendicular to the directions (X, Y) of main extension of the support layer structure. In an example, the support layer structure is configured as a core layer structure. In a further example, the support layer structure comprises a fully stable material, i.e., no partially cured resin. In an embodiment, the support layer structure is configured as a glass layer structure, in particular a glass core. In a further example, the support layer structure comprises a non-resin material. The support layer structure may comprise at least one electrically conductive layer and/or at least one electrically insulating layer.
In the present context, the term “metal paste filling material” may in particular refer to a material that comprises a metal paste and is configured to (at least partially, in particular fully) fill a through hole of a support layer structure. When being filled into said through hole, the metal paste filling material may comprise metal particles and a bonding material such as copper nano particles with resin or copper and silver nano particles with resin or copper and silver nano particles with other conductive material like carbon nanotubes. In this state, the metal paste may be at least partially viscous. After being filled into said through-hole, the metal paste filling material may be made subject to a sintering process, thereby stabilizing/fusing the material and removing/decreasing the viscosity. Besides the through-hole, the metal paste filling material may also be arranged on top of the support layer structure, in particular during the manufacturing process. Such a metal paste filling material layer may be partially removed, so that metal paste filling material pads remain that are provided on (and directly connected to) the metal paste filling material arranged within the through-hole.
In the present context, the term “metal pad” may in particular refer to a pad-like structure that comprises or consists of metal and is arranged on top of a metal paste filling material, either as a metal paste filling material arranged in a through hole or as a metal paste filling material pad or partially arranged below the layer of metal paste filling material. In an example, the metal pad comprises a metal paste material that is comparable or similar to the metal paste filling material. For example, the metal pad material may comprise metal particles and eventually a bonding material. In this example, a metal paste filling material pad may be seen as a metal pad. In another example, the metal pad comprises (only) metal such as copper. In this example, the metal pad may be formed by a plating process (plating pad).
In the context of the present document, the term “component carrier” may particularly denote any support structure which is capable of accommodating one or more components thereon and/or therein for providing mechanical support and/or electrical connectivity and/or thermal conductivity. In other words, a component carrier may be configured as a mechanical and/or electronic and/or thermal carrier for components. In particular, a component carrier may be one of a printed circuit board, an organic interposer, a metal core substrate, an inorganic substrate and an IC (integrated circuit) substrate. A component carrier may also be a hybrid board combining different ones of the above-mentioned types of component carriers.
In the present context, the term “component carrier” may refer to a final component carrier product as well as to a component carrier preform (i.e., a component carrier in production, in other words a semi-finished product). In an example, a component carrier preform may be a panel that comprises a plurality of semi-finished component carriers that are manufactured together. At a final stage, the panel may be separated into the plurality of final component carrier products. A component carrier comprises at least one electrically conductive structure and at least one electrically insulating structure. The component carrier can function as an electrical and/or mechanical and/or thermal platform in an IC package, when the components are mounted on the component carrier or embedded in the component carrier.
According to an exemplary embodiment, the present disclosure may be based on the idea that a component carrier with reliable electrical interconnections, in particular comprising a high aspect ratio, can be provided in an efficient manner, when through holes in a support layer structure are filled with a metal paste filling material, which material is then covered by a metal pad that comprises at least partially the same material as the metal paste filling material.
Conventionally, through-holes are filled using a plating process, requiring a seed layer at first, thereby making it eventually a challenge to form high aspect ratio vias.
It has been found by the inventors that the provision of a seed layer may be omitted, while still efficiently filling the through-hole, when a metal paste filling material is used. The metal paste may efficiently fill up the through-hole without the need for a seed layer and may be solidified later using a sintering process. The metal pad (e.g., for an electrical contact) may be formed in the same process, comprising also metal paste filling material. In another embodiment, the metal pad may be additionally formed directly on the metal paste filling material, e.g., using a plating process. Yet, the integrity and overall quality may be kept constant, since the metal paste filling material and the metal pad comprise at least partially of the same material, e.g., copper.
According to an embodiment, a ratio (thickness/width) between a thickness (along vertical direction Z) of the support layer structure and a minimum width (along directions X, Y) of the through-hole is at least 5, in particular at least 6, more in particular at least 7, more in particular at least 8, more in particular at least 9. In a further example, the ratio is in the range of 5 to 10. In another example, the ratio is 10 or less. This may provide the advantage that an interconnection (in particular a via) through the support layer structure with a high aspect ratio, i.e., a long and thin shape, can be efficiently provided. In the case of an interconnection (through-hole) with straight sidewalls, the width would be constant along the entire length (along direction Z). Yet, in the case of slanted (tapering) sidewalls, the width of the interconnection may vary along the thickness direction. In the present case, the minimum width may be chosen for calculating the aspect ratio. For example, in case of an hourglass shape of the through-hole (see, e.g.,
According to a further embodiment, the support layer structure is configured as a support plate. This may provide the advantage of a certain robustness. For example, the support layer structure may serve as a core layer structure to stabilize a component carrier layer stack. In another example, the support layer structure may be used as a mounting plate for a (electronic) component to be mounted on and/or embedded in the component carrier layer stack.
According to a further embodiment, the support layer structure comprises or consists of one of the following: glass, ceramic, a semiconductor, silicon carbide, or carbon, i.e., graphene (in other words a non-resin material). By having a glass layer structure, it may be possible to implement an electrically insulating material layer having a good mechanical stability, with excellent electrically insulating and barrier properties in respect to, in particular chemical, species. A ceramic layer structure may be made subject to high processing temperatures, while a semiconductor may provide specific electric properties.
In the context of the present document, the term “glass layer structure” may in particular refer to a layer structure that comprises glass material. In this context, the term “glass” may in particular refer to a non-crystalline and amorphous solid. In an example, the glass comprises silicate (silicate glass), in particular silicon dioxide (SiO2). In a further example, the glass comprises borosilicate (borosilicate glass) or aluminosilicate (aluminosilicate glass). In a further example, the glass comprises at least one silane and/or siloxane compound. In yet another example, the glass may comprise functional groups, e.g., hydrophilic and/or hydrophobic functional groups, in particular at the main surfaces. Since the glass layer is a (continuous or discontinuous) layer, it comprises two main surfaces opposite to each other.
According to a further embodiment, the thickness of the support layer structure is at least 500 μm, in particular in a range from 500 μm to 2000 μm. This may provide the advantage that a robust (due to a certain thickness) support structure is obtained that enables long (yet thin) interconnections. This may provide a solution for big form factor products and application for high-density electronics and high-performance computing.
According to a further embodiment, the metal paste filling material is in direct physical contact with sidewalls of the support layer structure delimiting the through-hole, in particular without a further structure (in particular a seed layer and/or a plating layer) in between. Thereby, the provision of a seed layer (generally necessary with via plating) can be omitted, and the manufacture process may be more efficient and flexible.
According to a further embodiment, the metal paste filling material does not (directly physically) contact with sidewalls of the support layer structure (through hole). There might be a metal layer (like electroless deposition layer or sputtering layer as seed layer) formed on the sidewall of the through hole (before that, it should have a treatment on the surface of glass to improve adhesion), which might increase the electrical conductivity of through connection between the glass layer support structure and the other layers for the whole component carrier after filling the through hole with metal paste.
According to a further embodiment, a seed layer is arranged between at least part of the through-hole sidewall and the metal paste filling material (see
According to a further embodiment, the metal pad is a plating pad (provided by a plating process) or the component carrier further comprises a plating pad (provided by a plating process) on top of the metal pad. As described above, the metal pad can be in one example an additional structure, e.g., provided by plating (and comprising at least partially the same material as the metal paste filling material, e.g., copper). As further described above, the metal pad may be formed by the same material as the metal paste filling material, e.g., as a metal paste filling material pad. It can be preferable that the metal pad is formed by copper and the paste has an efficient electrical conductivity and there is robust adhesion between the (glass) support layer and the metal layer.
According to a further embodiment, the through-hole has slanted sidewalls along its entire extension. This structural feature may reflect a manufacturing process of laser drilling and/or etching.
According to a further embodiment, the through-hole has (essentially) straight sidewalls along its entire extension. This structural feature may reflect a manufacturing process of mechanical drilling.
According to a further embodiment, the through-hole has an hourglass shape. This structural feature may reflect a manufacturing process of forming a first through-hole portion from the top and a second through-hole portion from the bottom, which then meet within the support layer structure, in particular in the center/middle. The tapering of the through-hole portion may reflect a manufacturing step of laser drilling (or etching).
According to a further embodiment, the through-hole has a continuously tapering shape or a continuously straight shape.
According to a further embodiment, the component carrier further comprises a further metal pad on an opposing main surface of the support layer structure and on an opposing end of the metal paste filling material. This may provide the advantage that the interconnection serves as an efficient via through-connection that can be electrically contacted at the top and bottom. Further, a symmetric structure for the product can be provided, wherein the symmetric structure may suppress warpage.
According to a further embodiment, the further metal pad is a plating pad or a metal pad formed by the metal paste or a metal pad is formed with the combination of a plating pad and metal paste. The component carrier can further comprise a further plating pad on top of the further metal pad (see above).
According to a further embodiment, the metal paste filling material comprises metal particles. Metal particles may be highly suitable since they offer an efficient electric conductivity and/or can be solidified and/or bonded together in a sintering process. The metal paste filling material may further comprise a bonding material to thereby form a paste/ink (a material with a certain viscosity) from the metal particles. The metal paste filling material may comprise, e.g., copper nano/micro particles. In an example, the particles may comprise further materials, e.g., polymers, small ligands, a metal shell (e.g., of Ag, Ni, Sn), an oxide (e.g., copper oxide) shell, a carbon shell, etc.
According to a further embodiment, the metal paste filling material comprises nano metal particles (NMP). This may provide the advantage that an established and well-suited material can be directly applied, and the manufacturing process could be less complex with higher efficiency and better compatibility for via with different sizes and eco-friendliness. Additionally, the handling of the (glass) support layer structure may be easier with less risk of breakage. In a further example, the metal particles comprise micro metal particles or a mixture of nano metal particles and micro metal particles.
The nano metal particle and micro metal particles can have sphere-like, crystal-like or other shapes could be also applicable. It may be important that the metal particles have a contact area as large as possible to provide less resistance and an efficient electrical conductivity after bonding with each other by sintering.
According to a further embodiment, at least some of the metal particles are bound to each other. Thereby, the stability may be increased. Some particles may bond together initially, or the bonding may be promoted by a bonding material. Further, a sintering process can cause the bonding of particles.
Generally, metal particles may be coated with some metal material such as Sn, Cu, Ag, Au. After treatment with high temperatures, the coating material will melt with different particles bonded together or moved together, surrounded by the melted coating material.
According to a further embodiment, the metal paste filling material comprises or consists of sintered particles. This may provide the advantage that the paste can be hardened/solidified in an efficient and established manner and can contact/bond with each other very tightly to provide a good electrical conductivity for the connection of component carrier.
According to a further embodiment, at least some metal particles have a different material than the material of the metal pad. For example, the metal particles have a material that provides specific desired properties for the electrical conductivity and mechanical stability. Even in this case, both the paste and the metal pad can comprise similar material(s), e.g., copper.
According to a further embodiment, the metal paste filling material is a porous material. This structural feature may directly reflect a manufacture process using sintering (e.g., of nano metal particles).
According to a further embodiment, the at least one through-hole comprises a (total) volume, wherein at least 50%, in particular at least 60%, of the (total) volume is occupied by the at least some metal particles. This may bring the advantage of ensuring reliable electric conduction.
According to a further embodiment, the at least some metal particles are in direct contact with the support layer structure and the metal pad. This may bring the advantage of having a reliable integration of the metal paste filling material within the component carrier.
According to a further embodiment, the component carrier is configured as an inlay for a further component carrier layer stack. This may provide the advantage that the described component can be applied in a highly design-flexible manner. For example, the component carrier may be manufactured in a separate process (compared to the further component carrier) and then assembled to the further component carrier, e.g., mounted on and/or embedded in the component carrier. According to a further embodiment, there is provided the further component carrier, comprising a layer stack and the component carrier inlay.
According to a further embodiment, a portion of the metal paste filling material extends into the metal pad (see
According to a further embodiment, a portion of the material of the metal pad extends into the metal paste filling material, in particular internally with respect to the exterior main surface of the support layer structure (see
According to a further embodiment, the portion of the metal paste filling material extending into the metal pad or the portion of the metal pad extending into the metal paste filling material comprises a round shape along the stack thickness direction (Z), in particular a dome-like shape (concave/convex) (see
According to a further embodiment, the portion of the metal paste filling material extending into the metal pad or the portion of the metal pad extending into the metal paste filling material at least partially fills a void (dimple, recess) caused by an external roughness of the corresponding metal pad or metal paste filling material. In this example, the defect may be caused by a treatment process (in particular grinding) of removing material from the support layer structure main surface, thereby eventually causing a roughening.
According to a further embodiment, the metal pad is made of (exactly) the same material as the metal paste filling material, in particular wherein the metal pad forms a metal paste filling material pad on top, in particular in direct contact, of the metal paste filling material (see the portion J of
According to a further embodiment, the method further comprises sintering the metal paste filling material after filling the metal paste filling in the through-hole. Accordingly, the metal paste filling material may be turned into a reliable via interconnection using established and straightforward processes.
In the context of the present document, the term “sintering” may in particular refer to a process of compacting a material and forming a solid mass of said material by pressure and/or heat, in particular without melting the material to the point of liquefaction. For example, the sintering may cause metal particles to fuse together and thereby form a solidified metal piece. In one example, the sintering may cause small pores between the particles (e.g., when using nano particles), while in another example, the sintering may cause only point contacts between the particles (e.g., using micro particles). A combination of nano particles and micro particles may cause a nano-welding between the micro particles (in particular having essentially no pores). The sintering process may be realized using an oven (i.e., heating, e.g., to 200° C. or more). In another example, the sintering may be performed by laser sintering.
According to a further embodiment, the method further comprises sintering or plating the metal pad, in particular after sintering the metal paste filling material. As described above, the metal pad may be provided by metal paste filling material (and in the same process) or may be provided in a further process, e.g., by plating.
According to a further embodiment, the method further comprises forming, in particular plating, a plating pad on top of the metal pad. In particular when the metal pad is formed of metal paste filling material, an additional pad may be formed by a plating process (see, e.g.,
According to a further embodiment, filling the through-hole with the metal paste filling material is done by a roll coating machine. An example of such a machine is described with respect to
In an embodiment, the component carrier is configured as one of the group consisting of a printed circuit board, a substrate (in particular an IC substrate), and an interposer.
In an embodiment, the component carrier is shaped as a plate. This contributes to the compact design, wherein the component carrier nevertheless provides a large basis for mounting components thereon. Furthermore, in particular a naked die as example for an embedded electronic component, can be conveniently embedded, thanks to its small thickness, into a thin plate such as a printed circuit board.
In an embodiment, the component carrier stack comprises at least one electrically insulating layer structure and at least one electrically conductive layer structure. For example, the component carrier may be a laminate of the mentioned electrically insulating layer structure(s) and electrically conductive layer structure(s), in particular formed by applying mechanical pressure and/or thermal energy. The mentioned stack may provide a plate-shaped component carrier capable of providing a large mounting surface for further components and being nevertheless very thin and compact.
In the context of the present application, the term “printed circuit board” (PCB) may particularly denote a plate-shaped component carrier which is formed by laminating several electrically conductive layer structures with several electrically insulating layer structures, for instance by applying pressure and/or by the supply of thermal energy. As preferred materials for PCB technology, the electrically conductive layer structures are made of copper, whereas the electrically insulating layer structures may comprise resin and/or glass fibers, so-called prepreg or FR4 material. The various electrically conductive layer structures may be connected to one another in a desired way by forming holes through the laminate, for instance by laser drilling or mechanical drilling, and by partially or fully filling them with electrically conductive material (in particular copper), thereby forming vias or any other through-hole connections. The filled hole either connects the whole stack, (through-hole connections extending through several layers or the entire stack), or the filled hole connects at least two electrically conductive layers, called via. Similarly, optical interconnections can be formed through individual layers of the stack in order to receive an electro-optical circuit board (EOCB). Apart from one or more components which may be embedded in a printed circuit board, a printed circuit board is usually configured for accommodating one or more components on one or both opposing surfaces of the plate-shaped printed circuit board. They may be connected to the respective main surface by soldering. A dielectric part of a PCB may be composed of resin with reinforcing fibers (such as glass fibers).
In the context of the present application, the term “substrate” may particularly denote a small component carrier. A substrate may be a, in relation to a PCB, comparably small component carrier onto which one or more components may be mounted and that may act as a connection medium between one or more chip(s) and a further PCB. For instance, a substrate may have substantially the same size as a component (in particular an electronic component) to be mounted thereon (for instance in case of a Chip Scale Package (CSP)). In another embodiment, the substrate may be substantially larger than the assigned component (for instance in a flip chip ball grid array, FCBGA, configuration). More specifically, a substrate can be understood as a carrier for electrical connections or electrical networks as well as component carrier comparable to a printed circuit board (PCB), however with a considerably higher density of laterally and/or vertically arranged connections. Lateral connections are for example conductive paths, whereas vertical connections may be for example drill holes. These lateral and/or vertical connections are arranged within the substrate and can be used to provide electrical, thermal and/or mechanical connections of housed components or unhoused components (such as bare dies), particularly of IC chips, with a printed circuit board or intermediate printed circuit board. Thus, the term “substrate” also includes “IC substrates”. A dielectric part of a substrate may be composed of resin with reinforcing particles (such as reinforcing spheres, in particular glass spheres).
The substrate or interposer may comprise or consist of at least a layer of glass, silicon (Si) and/or a photoimageable or dry-etchable organic material like epoxy-based build-up material (such as epoxy-based build-up film) or polymer compounds (which may or may not include photo-and/or thermosensitive molecules) like polyimide or polybenzoxazole.
In an embodiment, the at least one electrically insulating layer structure comprises at least one of the group consisting of a resin or a polymer, such as epoxy resin, cyanate ester resin, benzocyclobutene resin, bismaleimide-triazine resin, polyphenylene derivate (e.g., based on polyphenylenether, PPE), polyimide (PI), polyamide (PA), liquid crystal polymer (LCP), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and/or a combination thereof. Reinforcing structures such as webs, fibers, spheres, or other kinds of filler particles, for example made of glass (multilayer glass) in order to form a composite, could be used as well. A semi-cured resin in combination with a reinforcing agent, e.g., fibers impregnated with the above-mentioned resins is called prepreg. These prepregs are often named after their properties, e.g., FR4 or FR5, which describe their flame-retardant properties. Although prepreg particularly FR4 are usually preferred for rigid PCBs, other materials, in particular epoxy-based build-up materials (such as build-up films) or photoimageable dielectric materials, may be used as well. For high-frequency applications, high-frequency materials such as polytetrafluoroethylene, liquid crystal polymer and/or cyanate ester resins, may be preferred. Besides these polymers, low temperature cofired ceramics (LTCC) or other low, very low or ultra-low Dk materials may be applied in the component carrier as electrically insulating structures.
In an embodiment, the at least one electrically conductive layer structure comprises at least one of the group consisting of copper, aluminum, nickel, silver, gold, palladium, tungsten, magnesium, carbon, (in particular doped) silicon, titanium, and platinum. Although copper is usually preferred, other materials or coated versions thereof are possible as well, in particular materials coated with supra-conductive material or conductive polymers, such as graphene or poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), respectively.
At least one further component may be embedded in and/or surface mounted on the stack. The component and/or the at least one further component can be selected from a group consisting of an electrically non-conductive inlay, an electrically conductive inlay (such as a metal inlay, preferably comprising copper or aluminum), a heat transfer unit (for example a heat pipe), a light guiding element (for example an optical waveguide or a light conductor connection), an electronic component, or combinations thereof. An inlay can be for instance a metal block, with or without an insulating material coating (IMS-inlay), which could be either embedded or surface mounted for the purpose of facilitating heat dissipation. Suitable materials are defined according to their thermal conductivity, which should be at least 2 W/mK. Such materials are often based, but not limited to metals, metal-oxides and/or ceramics as for instance copper, aluminum oxide (Al2O3) or aluminum nitride (AIN). In order to increase the heat exchange capacity, other geometries with increased surface area are frequently used as well. Furthermore, a component can be an active electronic component (having at least one p-n-junction implemented), a passive electronic component such as a resistor, an inductance, or capacitor, an electronic chip, a storage device (for instance a DRAM or another data memory), a filter, an integrated circuit (such as field-programmable gate array (FPGA), programmable array logic (PAL), generic array logic (GAL) and complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs)), a signal processing component, a power management component (such as a field-effect transistor (FET), metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET), complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS), junction field-effect transistor (JFET), or insulated-gate field-effect transistor (IGFET), all based on semiconductor materials such as silicon carbide (SiC), gallium arsenide (GaAs), gallium nitride (GaN), gallium oxide (Ga2O3), indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs), indium phosphide (InP) and/or any other suitable inorganic compound), an optoelectronic interface element, a light emitting diode, a photocoupler, a voltage converter (for example a DC/DC converter or an AC/DC converter), a cryptographic component, a transmitter and/or receiver, an electromechanical transducer, a sensor, an actuator, a microelectromechanical system (MEMS), a microprocessor, a capacitor, a resistor, an inductance, a battery, a switch, a camera, an antenna, a logic chip, and an energy harvesting unit. However, other components may be embedded in the component carrier. For example, a magnetic element can be used as a component. Such a magnetic element may be a permanent magnetic element (such as a ferromagnetic element, an antiferromagnetic element, a multiferroic element or a ferrimagnetic element, for instance a ferrite core) or may be a paramagnetic element. However, the component may also be an IC substrate, an interposer, or a further component carrier, for example in a board-in-board configuration. The component may be surface mounted on the component carrier and/or may be embedded in an interior thereof. Moreover, other components, in particular those which generate and emit electromagnetic radiation and/or are sensitive with regard to electromagnetic radiation propagating from an environment, may be used as component.
In an embodiment, the component carrier is a laminate-type component carrier. In such an embodiment, the component carrier is a compound of multiple layer structures which are stacked and connected together by applying a pressing force and/or heat.
After processing interior layer structures of the component carrier, it is possible to cover (in particular by lamination) one or both opposing main surfaces of the processed layer structures symmetrically or asymmetrically with one or more further electrically insulating layer structures and/or electrically conductive layer structures. In other words, a build-up may be continued until a desired number of layers is obtained.
After having completed formation of a stack of electrically insulating layer structures and electrically conductive layer structures, it is possible to proceed with a surface treatment of the obtained layers structures or component carrier.
In particular, an electrically insulating solder resist may be applied to one or both opposing main surfaces of the layer stack or component carrier in terms of surface treatment. For instance, it is possible to form such a solder resist on an entire main surface and to subsequently pattern the layer of solder resist so as to expose one or more electrically conductive surface portions which shall be used for electrically coupling the component carrier to an electronic periphery. The surface portions of the component carrier remaining covered with solder resist may be efficiently protected against oxidation or corrosion, in particular surface portions containing copper.
It is also possible to apply a surface finish selectively to exposed electrically conductive surface portions of the component carrier in terms of surface treatment. Such a surface finish may be an electrically conductive cover material on exposed electrically conductive layer structures (such as pads, conductive tracks, etc., in particular comprising or consisting of copper) on a surface of a component carrier. If such exposed electrically conductive layer structures are left unprotected, then the exposed electrically conductive component carrier material (in particular copper) might oxidize, making the component carrier less reliable. A surface finish may then be formed for instance as an interface between a surface mounted component and the component carrier. The surface finish has the function to protect the exposed electrically conductive layer structures (in particular copper circuitry) and enable a joining process with one or more components, for instance by soldering. Examples for appropriate materials for a surface finish are Organic Solderability Preservative (OSP), Electroless Nickel Immersion Gold (ENIG), Electroless Nickel Immersion Palladium Immersion Gold (ENIPIG), Electroless Nickel Electroless Palladium Immersion Gold (ENEPIG), gold (in particular hard gold), chemical tin (chemical and electroplated), nickel-gold, nickel-palladium, etc. Also nickel-free materials for a surface finish may be used, in particular for high-speed applications. Examples are ISIG (Immersion Silver Immersion Gold), and EPAG (Electroless Palladium Autocatalytic Gold).
The aspects defined above, and further aspects of the present disclosure are apparent from the examples of embodiment to be described hereinafter and are explained with reference to these examples of embodiment.
The illustrations in the drawings are schematically presented. In different drawings, similar or identical elements are provided with the same reference signs.
Portions A to C of
In other words, the metal paste filling material is connecting with sidewalls 112 through another thin metal layer formed by electroless deposition or sputtering (the thin metal layer is directly connecting with the sidewall and the thin metal layer is directly connecting with the metal paste filling material). With such a method, the electrical conductivity of the component carrier or the support layer structure (it could be a glass core) will be improved.
It can be seen that a ratio between a thickness t of the support layer structure 110 and a minimum width w of the through-hole 115 is at least 5, i.e., there is a high aspect ratio. In a specific example, the thickness t of the support layer structure 110 is at least 500 μm, in particular in a range from 500 μm to 2000 μm.
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In
In
The roll coating machine 150 comprises two rubber rollers 151 that rotate respectively and thereby transport the component carrier preform 101 in the process direction P. Squeegees 152 are used to provide metal paste filling material 120 to the rubber rollers 151, respectively, which transfer the metal paste filling material 120 to the component carrier preform 101 and press it into the through holes 115 thereof.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 202310829943.4 | Jul 2023 | CN | national |
