This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority of the prior Japanese Patent Applications No. 2009-210022 filed on Sep. 11, 2009, and No. 2010-061787 filed on Mar. 18, 2010, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The embodiments discussed herein are related to an electronic device including a semiconductor device and a circuit board, a method of manufacturing the electronic device, and electronic equipment including the electronic device.
One possible form of connection between a semiconductor device and a circuit board is flip-chip connection. Conventionally, solder bumps have been widely used for the flip-chip connection. In this case, the solder bumps are melted in a state arranged between electrodes of a semiconductor device and those of a circuit board, and then are solidified, for electrically connecting the semiconductor device and the circuit board by soldering. Further, there has been proposed a method of evaluating the connection reliability of such solder connection portions by a heat cycle test and a bending test.
As a method of connecting the semiconductor device and the circuit board, there have been known a method for connecting them using gold (Au) bumps and solder, a method for extending solder joints in a direction separating the semiconductor device and the circuit board from each other, etc.
Further, there have also conventionally been known a technique for connecting between different members using a solder joint material having a solder material impregnated in a surface or pores of a foam metal material, and the like.
Japanese Patent No. 3868766
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-111776
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2004-298962
“High Acceleration Test of Lead-free Solder” 23rd Spring Lecture Meeting of Japan Institute of Electronics Packaging, March, 2009, 11C-08
In the connection between the semiconductor device and the circuit board using bumps, there is a case that stress is generated in the connection portions between the semiconductor device and the circuit board due to thermal expansion and contraction of the semiconductor device and the circuit board connected to each other, and the repetition of generation of stress causes metal fatigue, which sometimes results in breakage of the connection portions. Further, when the semiconductor device and the circuit board are connected using bumps, as the semiconductor device and the circuit board each have a smaller inter-electrode pitch, there is a higher possibility that adjacent ones of the bumps are merged, thereby causing a short circuit (bridge).
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided an electronic device including a circuit board having a first electrode formed on a main surface thereof, a semiconductor device disposed toward the main surface of the circuit board, the semiconductor device having a second electrode formed on a surface thereof opposed to the main surface, and a connection member including a hollow cylindrical member and a conductive member disposed within the hollow cylindrical member, and electrically connecting between the first electrode and the second electrode.
The object and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the claims.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.
Embodiments of the present invention will be explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.
The circuit board 2 has a plurality of electrodes 2a formed on a main surface thereof. Although not illustrated here, the electrodes 2a are electrically connected to a conductive trace pattern (e.g. traces and vias) provided on the circuit board 2.
The semiconductor device 3 is disposed over the circuit board 2, and has a plurality of electrodes 3a provided on a surface opposed to the surface of the circuit board 2 on which the electrodes 2a are formed. Although not illustrated here, each electrode 3a is electrically connected to a circuit element (a transistor, a resistance, a capacitor, or the like) provided on the semiconductor device 3.
A semiconductor package including e.g. a semiconductor chip can be used for the semiconductor device 3. As the semiconductor package, it is possible to use a semiconductor package made by electrically connecting (mounting) a semiconductor chip to a circuit board, such as an interposer, by flip-chip connection, wire bonding or the like, and sealing the semiconductor chip and the circuit board with a sealing resin into a package.
The semiconductor device 3 can be applied not only to the semiconductor package formed as described above but also to a semiconductor chip. More specifically, an interposer and a semiconductor chip, for example, are used for the circuit board 2 appearing in
The electrodes 2a of the above-described circuit board 2 and the electrodes 3a of the above-described semiconductor device 3 are formed in advance at respective locations corresponding to each other. The electrodes 2a of the circuit board 2 and the electrodes 3a of the semiconductor device 3 are electrically connected to each other using the connection members 4.
Referring to
For the hollow cylindrical member 4a of the connection member 4, it is possible to use e.g. thin wires 4aa formed into a mesh-like shape, as illustrated in
For the hollow cylindrical member 4a, it is possible to use a metal containing one or not less than two of copper (Cu), a Cu alloy, nickel (Ni), an iron-nickel (Fe—Ni) alloy, palladium (Pd), a Pd alloy, platinum (Pt), and a Pt alloy. Further, e.g. an aromatic polyamide resin as well can be used for the hollow cylindrical member 4a.
To select a material of the hollow cylindrical member 4a, a material of the conductive member 4b disposed within the hollow cylindrical member 4a is taken into account.
More specifically, as described hereinafter, when mounting the semiconductor device 3 on the circuit board 2, the conductive member 4b disposed within the hollow cylindrical member 4a is melted by being heated and is then solidified, whereby the circuit board 2 and the semiconductor device 3 are connected to each other. As the material of the hollow cylindrical member 4a, it is desirable to use a heat-resistant material which is difficult to be melted or deteriorated when the conductive member 4b is heated to be melted, as described above.
Further, as the material of the hollow cylindrical member 4a, it is desirable to use such a material that the conductive member 4b melted by heating can wet, so as to suppress connection failure between the circuit board 2 and semiconductor device 3. Alternatively, as the material of the hollow cylindrical member 4a, it is desirable to use a material subjected to surface treatment so as to be wetted by the molten conductive member 4b.
Although in the example illustrated in
For the conductive member 4b disposed within the hollow cylindrical member 4a configured as above, there is used a material which has a predetermined conductivity, wets the hollow cylindrical member 4a, and further has a melting point lower than the heat-resistant temperature of the hollow cylindrical member 4a. In other words, a material which the conductive member 4b wets and is resistant to heat which is not lower in temperature than the melting point of the conductive member 4b is used for the hollow cylindrical member 4a.
A metal, for example, can be used for the conductive member 4b. Examples of the metal for the conductive member 4b include solder. Tin-lead (Sn—Pb) solder, for example, can be preferably used as the solder for the conductive member 4b. In addition, as the solder for the conductive member 4b, tin-silver-copper (Sn—Ag—Cu) solder, tin-bismuth (Sn—Bi) solder, and the like can be used.
The conductive member 4b is formed at least on one of the surface(s) (both of the outer and inner surfaces or one of the outer and inner surfaces) of the hollow cylindrical member 4a and the inside (the inner space (hollow part)) of the hollow cylindrical member 4a. When the conductive member 4b is formed inside the hollow cylindrical member 4a, it does not matter even if there remains an empty space within the hollow cylindrical member 4a.
The connection member 4 including the hollow cylindrical member 4a and the conductive member 4b, constructed as above, has e.g. a planar size (diameter) S comparable to that of the electrodes 2a and 3a, and a height T set based on the distance to be secured between the circuit board 2 and the semiconductor device 3 after mounting.
The connection member 4 constructed as above is disposed between each electrode 2a of the circuit board 2 and an associated one of the electrodes 3a of the semiconductor device 3, and the conductive member 4b of the connection member 4 is melted and then solidified, whereby one end of the connection member 4 is connected to the electrode 2a and the other end thereof is connected to the associated electrode 3a. This makes it possible to obtain the electronic device 1, illustrated in
When mounting the semiconductor device 3 on the circuit board 2, it is possible to connect in advance the connection members 4 to the respective electrodes 3a of the semiconductor device 3, place the semiconductor device 3 having the connection members 4 connected thereto over the circuit board 2, and then melt and solidify the conductive members 4b.
Further, it is possible to form a conductive connection layer (made of a metal, such as solder, solder paste, a conductive resin, or the like) in advance on at least one of each electrode 2a and each electrode 3a, and then connect the connection members 4 to the electrodes 2a and 3a via the connection layer.
By connecting the circuit board 2 and the semiconductor device 3 of the electronic device 1 via the connection members 4 described as above, it is possible to increase the service life of connection portions between the circuit board 2 and the semiconductor device 3. Further, by using the above-described connection members 4, it is possible to effectively suppress occurrence of bridges between adjacent ones of the connection portions. Hereinafter, more detailed descriptions will be given of these points.
To this end, first, for comparison, a description will be given of an electronic device which has the semiconductor device 3 mounted on the circuit board 2 using solder bumps in place of the above-described connection members 4.
In the example illustrated in
When mounting the semiconductor device 3 on the circuit board 2, solder pastes 111 are selectively formed on the respective electrodes 2a of the circuit board 2, and the semiconductor device 3 is disposed over the circuit board 2, as illustrated in
In an electronic device 100 using the solder bumps 110 as described above, some of the connection portions 120 are sometimes broken due to heat generated by the semiconductor device 3 after the semiconductor device 3 is mounted on the circuit board 2.
Part of heat generated by the semiconductor device 3 during operation of the electronic device 100 is released to the outside, and part thereof conducts inside the electronic device 100 (the semiconductor device 3, the circuit board 2, and the connection portions 120 between them).
At this time, as illustrated in
In the case of the connection portions 120 illustrated in
In the example illustrated in
In contrast, in the electronic device 1 using the connection members 4 illustrated in
Further, since the connection members 4 do not have the convex drum shape after the semiconductor device 3 is mounted on the circuit board 2, it is possible to effectively suppress occurrence of bridges. This makes it possible to cope with the above-mentioned reduction in pitch between the electrodes 2a and between the electrodes 3a.
Hereafter, the electronic device using the above-described connection members will be described in more detail. Now, the description will be given by taking, as an example, a case in which a semiconductor package as a semiconductor device is mounted on the circuit board, using the connection members.
First, a description will be given of a first embodiment.
In this embodiment, a circuit board illustrated in
As the circuit board, there is used a circuit board 20 which has a flat square surface and has a predetermined number of electrodes 21 of a predetermined size arranged at a predetermined pitch on the surface, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The interposer 32 includes an insulating layer 32a, and a conductive trace pattern 32b including traces formed in the insulating layer 32a and vias that connect between different traces. The electrodes 31 of the semiconductor package 30 are electrically connected to the semiconductor chip 33 via the conductive trace pattern 32b. The electrodes 31 and the conductive trace pattern 32b are formed using Cu, for example.
In the present embodiment, the semiconductor chip 33 connected to the interposer 32 is sealed with a sealing resin 34.
In the following, the illustration of the internal construction of the circuit board 20 except for the electrodes 21, and the illustration of the internal construction of the semiconductor package 30 except for the electrodes 31 are omitted, for convenience sake.
Next, a description will be given of a process step of forming connection members connecting between the circuit board 20 and the semiconductor package 30, constructed as described above.
First, a sheet-like net 41 is prepared which is made of a mesh of thin wires 41a, illustrated in
In the present embodiment, as the net 41, it is possible to use a 200 mesh copper net made of thin wires 41a having a diameter of 0.05 mm. Further, the core rod 42 may have a diameter of 0.5 mm. When the net 41 and the core rod 42, thus configured, are used, the
After the hollow cylindrical net 41 is formed as described above, solder 43 as a conductive member is disposed within the net 41, as illustrated in
To dispose the solder 43 within the net 41, an Sn—Pb (Sn 63%, Pb 37%) string solder 43 containing turpentine is heated to approximately 250° C. to 300° C. while being brought into contact with the hollow cylindrical net 41. The solder 43 can be melted using e.g. a solder iron or a hot plate set to a predetermined temperature. The molten solder 43 is wet-spread on the surface of the net 41 e.g. by capillary action, and as illustrated in
Furthermore, it is possible to dispose the solder 43 inside the net 41 by dipping the hollow cylindrical net 41 in a tank containing the molten solder 43.
Further, the hollow cylindrical net 41 having the solder 43 disposed therein can be formed by winding the sheet-like net 41 around the string solder (solder 43), or by further heating and melting the string solder of the hollow cylindrical net 41 thus formed.
After the solder 43 is disposed within the hollow cylindrical net 41, the net 41 is cut, as illustrated in
Next, a description will be given of a process step of connecting the connection members 40 to the semiconductor package 30 according to the first embodiment.
First, a rosin-based flux (not illustrated) is applied to the surfaces of the electrodes 31 of the semiconductor package 30.
Then, as illustrated in
Then, as illustrated in
Finally, by removing the mask 51, it is possible to obtain the semiconductor package 30 which has the connection members 40 connected to the associated electrodes 31, respectively, as illustrated in
The connection members 40 can be arranged on the electrodes 31 not only by the above-described method of using the mask 51 but also by a method of using a manufacturing apparatus, such as a solder ball mounting apparatus, and causing the manufacturing apparatus to operate to automatically arrange the connection members 40, in place of solder balls, on the electrodes 31.
Next, a description will be given of a process step of mounting the semiconductor package 30 on the circuit board 20, according to the first embodiment.
After the connection members 40 are connected to the semiconductor package 30 as described above, first, as illustrated in
Then, in a state where the foremost end of each connection members 40 is brought into abutment with an associated electrode 21, the solder 43 of each connection member 40 is melted by heating in a nitrogen atmosphere using a reflow furnace set such that the temperature around the connection members 40 becomes equal to 220° C. at the highest. This makes it possible to obtain an electronic device 10A, illustrated in
In the electronic device 10A constructed as above, the semiconductor package 30 and the circuit board 20 are connected to each other by the connection members 40 each having the solder 43 disposed within the hollow cylindrical net 41. Since the connection members 40 are configured as above, even during operation of the electronic device 10A, it is possible to prevent stress caused by the difference between the degrees of thermal expansion of the semiconductor package 30 and the circuit board 20 from concentrating on portions of the connection members 40 close to the electrodes 21 and 31. As a result, it is possible to increase the service life of the connection portions of the electronic device 10A that connect between the semiconductor package 30 and the circuit board 20.
Further, by using the connection members 40 configured as above, it is possible to maintain the cylindrical shape of the connection portions that connect between the semiconductor package 30 and the circuit board 20, and hence it is possible to effectively suppress occurrence of bridges between adjacent ones of the connection portions.
Although in the above description, Cu is used as the material of the net 41 of each connection member 40, by way of example, the material of the net 41 is not limited to this. For example, a metal having a solder wettability to the solder 43, e.g. a metal comprising one or a combination of two or more of Cu, a Cu alloy, Ni, an Fe—Ni alloy, Pd, a Pd alloy, Pt, and a Pt alloy can be used as the material of the net 41.
Further, although in the above description, the connection members 40 are formed in a flow illustrated in
Further, although in the above description, the connection members 40 are formed using the net 41, by way of example, this is not limitative, but it is possible to replace the net 41 by a hollow cylindrical member formed by rolling a plate member and dispose the solder 43 within the hollow cylindrical member to thereby form connection members. In this case, one end and the other end of the rolled plate are not necessarily required to be in contact with each other, but they may be separate from each other.
Further, although in the above description, the connection members 40 are directly connected to the electrodes 21 of the circuit board 20, by way of example, this is not limitative, but the connection members 40 can be connected to the electrodes 21 by bringing the connection members 40 into abutment with associated ones of the electrodes 21 after forming a conductive connection layer e.g. of solder paste on each electrode 21 by screen printing or a like method.
Next, a second embodiment will be described.
First of all, a description will be given of a process step of forming connection members according to the second embodiment.
Referring to
Then, as illustrated in
Positions of the narrow portions 41b are set based on the distance to be secured between the circuit board 20 and the semiconductor package 30 after the semiconductor package 30 is mounted on the circuit board (the height of each connection portion connecting between the circuit board 20 and the semiconductor package 30). For example, each narrow portion 41b is formed such that the distance between bulging portions 41c on the opposite sides thereof (e.g. the distance between two adjacent most bulging points of the net 41) becomes equal to a distance (e.g. 1 mm) corresponding to the distance to be secured between the circuit board 20 and the semiconductor package 30 after the semiconductor package 30 is mounted on the circuit board 20.
After forming the hollow cylindrical net 41 having the narrow portions 41b formed as above, as illustrated in
It should be noted that after winding the sheet-like net 41 around the string solder (solder 43) to form a hollow cylindrical shape, or further heating the string solder to melt the same and then solidifying the molten solder, the solder and the net 41 can be deformed using the dies 60 to form the narrow portions 41b.
After the solder 43 is disposed within the hollow cylindrical net 41 including the narrow portions 41b, the net 41 having the solder 43 disposed therein is cut through at each bulging portion 41c, as illustrated in
To form such connection members 40a, there may be employed a method in which after forming a long hollow cylindrical net 41 having the narrow portions 41b formed thereon, the hollow cylindrical net 41 is cut off to a predetermined length, and then the solder 43 is disposed within each resultant individual net 41.
Next, a description will be given of a process step of connecting the connection members 40a to the semiconductor package 30 according to the second embodiment.
First, fluxes (not illustrated) are formed on the surfaces of the respective electrodes 31 of the semiconductor package 30. Then, as illustrated in
Then, using the mask 51, the connection members 40a are rolled into the respective openings 51a thereof, and are arranged, as illustrated in
Finally, by removing the mask 51, it is possible to obtain the semiconductor package 30 which has the connection members 40a connected to the electrodes 31, respectively, as illustrated in
Next, a description will be given of a process step of mounting the semiconductor package 30 on the circuit board 20 according to the second embodiment.
After the connection members 40a are connected to the semiconductor package 30 as described above, first, as illustrated in
Then, the foremost end of each connection member 40a is brought into abutment with an associated one of the electrodes 21, and is heated in a nitrogen atmosphere using a reflow furnace set to a predetermined temperature. As a result, an electronic device 10B, illustrated in
In the electronic device 10B constructed as described above, the semiconductor package 30 and the circuit board 20 are connected to each other by the respective concave drum shaped connection members 40a each having the narrow portion 41b formed at a central portion thereof. Therefore, even during operation of the electronic device 10B, it is possible to prevent stress caused by the difference between the respective degrees of thermal expansion of the semiconductor package 30 and the circuit board 20 from concentrating on the portions of the connection members 40a close to the electrodes 21 and 31. The stress is liable to occur at the narrow portion 41b where the composition of the solder 43 is relatively stable. As a result, it is possible to increase the service life of the connection portions between the semiconductor package 30 and the circuit board 20.
Further, by using the above-described connection members 40a, the connection portions connecting the semiconductor package 30 and the circuit board 20 can each maintain its cylindrical shape with a narrow central portion. This makes it possible to effectively suppress occurrence of bridges between adjacent ones of the connection portions.
Next, a third embodiment will be described.
First, a description will be given of connection members according to the third embodiment.
In this embodiment, as the hollow cylindrical member for a connection member 70, there is used a hollow cylindrical (tube-like) coil 71 (hollow cylindrical member) formed by a spiral of a thin wire 71a.
For the thin wire 71a of the coil 71, it is possible to use a metal wire having a diameter of 0.05 mm, for example. For the thin spiral wire 71a, it is possible to use a metal wire having wettability to the solder 43, e.g. a metal wire formed using one or a combination of two or more of Cu, a Cu alloy, Ni, an Fe—Ni alloy, Pd, a Pd alloy, Pt, and a Pt alloy. A coil having a diameter of 0.8 mm to 1 mm and a height of 1 mm can be used as the above-described coil 71.
The connection member 70 is obtained by disposing solder 73 as a conductive member within the coil 71 illustrated in
In the third embodiment, the semiconductor package 30 and the circuit board 20 are connected to each other using the connection members 70 thus obtained.
First, the connection members 70 are connected to the electrodes 31 of the semiconductor package 30, respectively. Connection of the connection members 70 to the electrodes 31 can be performed in the same manner as described above in the first embodiment (
After the connection members 70 are connected to the semiconductor package 30 as described above, as illustrated in
Then, the foremost end of each connection member 70 is brought into abutment with an associated one of the electrodes 21, and is heated in a nitrogen atmosphere using a reflow furnace set to a predetermined temperature. As a result, an electronic device 10C, illustrated in
In the thus-obtained electronic device 10C, the connection portions connecting the semiconductor package and the circuit board 20 can each maintain its cylindrical shape, so that it is possible to increase the service life of the connection portions and effectively suppress occurrence of bridges between adjacent ones of the connection portions.
Next, a fourth embodiment will be described.
First, a description will be given of connection members according to the fourth embodiment.
In this embodiment, as the hollow cylindrical member for a connection member 70a, a coil 71 is used which is formed by a spiral of a thin wire 71a and has a narrow portion 71b in a central portion thereof, as illustrated in
In the fourth embodiment, the semiconductor package 30 and the circuit board 20 are connected to each other using the connection members 70a obtained as above.
First, the connection members 70a described above are connected to the respective electrodes 31 of the semiconductor package 30, similarly to the above-described connection members 70 according to the third embodiment. The semiconductor package 30 having the connection members 70a connected thereto is positioned such that it is opposed to the circuit board 20 by performing alignment, as illustrated in
Then, the foremost end of each connection member 70a is brought into abutment with an associated one of the electrodes 21 (which may have e.g. solder paste (not illustrated) applied thereto), and is heated at a predetermined temperature. As a result, an electronic device 10D, illustrated in
In the thus-obtained electronic device 10D as well, the connection portions connecting the semiconductor package 30 and the circuit board 20 can each also maintain its cylindrical shape with a narrow central portion. This makes it possible to increase the service life of the connection portions and effectively suppress occurrence of bridges between adjacent ones of the connection portions.
Next, a fifth embodiment will be described.
First, a description will be given of a process step of forming connection members according to the fifth embodiment.
In the fifth embodiment, a hollow cylindrical (tube-like) resin net 81 (hollow cylindrical member) formed by a mesh of resin-made thin wires (fibers), illustrated in
A solder 83 (string solder) is inserted into the hollow cylindrical resin net 81, illustrated in
After disposing the solder 83 within the net 81, the net 81 containing the solder 83 is cut off to a length (e.g. 1 mm) based on the distance to be secured between the circuit board 20 and the semiconductor package 30 after the semiconductor package 30 is mounted on the circuit board 20 (the height of each connection portion connecting between the circuit board 20 and the semiconductor package 30). This makes it possible to obtain a plurality of connection members 80 having a predetermined height.
Although in the illustrated example, the hollow cylindrical net 81 formed by a mesh of resin-made thin wires is used by way of example, this is not limitative, but a resin-made thin wire formed into a shape of a coil (a hollow cylindrical shape, a shape with a narrow central portion, or the like) can also be used as the hollowing cylindrical member.
Further, although in the illustrated example, the connection members 80 are formed using the resin-made net 81, by way of example, it is also possible to replace the net 81 e.g. by a resin molded article having a hollow cylindrical shape, or a flexible resin sheet rolled into a hollow cylindrical shape, as the cylindrical member. Further, one end and the other end of the rolled sheet are not necessarily required to be in contact with each other, but they may be separate from each other.
In the fifth embodiment, the semiconductor package 30 and the circuit board 20 are connected to each other using the above-described connection members 80, respectively.
First, the connection members 80 are connected to the electrodes 31 of the semiconductor package 30, respectively. Connection of the connection members 80 to the electrodes 31 can be performed in the same manner as described above in the first embodiment (
Then, the semiconductor package 30 having the connection members 80 connected thereto is positioned such that it is opposed to the circuit board 20 by performing alignment, as illustrated in
In the thus obtained electronic device 10E as well, the connection portions between the semiconductor package 30 and the circuit board 20 can each also maintain its cylindrical shape, whereby it is possible to increase the service life of the connection portions and effectively suppress occurrence of bridges between adjacent ones of the connection portions.
Next, a sixth embodiment will be described.
First, a description will be given of a process step of forming connection members according to the sixth embodiment.
In the sixth embodiment, first, a resin-made sheet 91a, illustrated in
Then, a sheet 91a provided with a surface-treated layer 91b, i.e. a surface-treated sheet 91 is prepared by forming the surface-treated layer 91b having wettability to solder 93, referred to hereinafter, on a surface of the sheet 91a, as illustrated in
Next, the surface-treated sheet 91 is wound around a core rod 92, as illustrated in
After forming the surface-treated sheet 91 having the hollow cylindrical shape, the solder 93 as a conductive member is disposed therein, as illustrated in
The surface-treated sheet 91, after having the solder 93 disposed therein, is cut off to a length (e.g. 1 mm) based on the distance to be secured between the circuit board 20 and the semiconductor package 30 after the semiconductor package 30 is mounted on the circuit board 20 (the height of each connection portion connecting between the circuit board 20 and the semiconductor package 30), as illustrated in
In the sixth embodiment, the semiconductor package 30 and the circuit board 20 are connected to each other using the thus obtained connection members 90.
First, the connection members 90 are connected to the electrodes 31 of the semiconductor package 30, respectively. Connection of the connection members 90 to the electrodes 31 can be performed in the same manner as described above in the first embodiment (
Then, the semiconductor package 30 having the connection members 90 connected thereto is positioned such that it is opposed to the circuit board 20 by performing alignment, as illustrated in
In the thus-obtained electronic device 10F as well, the connection portions between the semiconductor package 30 and the circuit board 20 can each also maintain its cylindrical shape, so that it is possible to increase the service life of the connection portions and effectively suppress occurrence of bridges between adjacent ones of the connection portions.
Although the above descriptions have been given of the electronic devices 10A to 10F, the electronic devices 10A to 10F each can be further provided with a cooling structure (a heat sink).
The electronic device 10G illustrated in
By providing such a cooling structure 201, heat generated in the semiconductor package 30 (not necessarily all the generated heat) is transferred to the cooling structure 201, and is efficiently released therefrom. As a result, it is possible to effectively suppress an excessive rise in temperature of the semiconductor package 30 and deformation (expansion, contraction, or warpage) of the circuit board 20 and the semiconductor package 30, thereby making it possible for the electronic device 10G to stably operate for a long time period.
Further,
The electronic device 10H as illustrated in
The cooling structure 202 is provided with through holes 202b through which a plurality of fixing screws 203 extend, respectively. Further, in the illustrated example, the circuit board 20 as well is provided with through holes 20b through which the fixing screws 203 extend, respectively. Each fixing screw 203 is inserted through the through holes 202b and 20b, and is screwed into a screw-receiving plate 204 on a side of the circuit board 20 opposite from the semiconductor package 30. The electronic device 10H is thus configured such that the cooling structure 202 is firmly fixed using the fixing screws 203.
By using the electronic device 10H as well, it is possible to effectively suppress an excessive rise in temperature of the semiconductor package 30 and deformation (expansion, contraction, or warpage) of the circuit board 20 and the semiconductor package 30, thereby making it possible to cause the electronic device 10H to stably operate for a long time period.
Although in the illustrated examples, the semiconductor package 30 is connected to the circuit board 20 using the connection members 40 described above in the first embodiment, by way of example, this is not limitative, but it is possible to dispose the cooling structure 201 or 202 in the electronic devices in which the semiconductor package 30 is connected to the circuit board 20 using the connection members 40a, 70, 70a, 80 and 90 described in the second to sixth embodiments, similarly to the electronic devices illustrated in
Further, the above-described electronic devices 10A to 10F, and electronic devices (electronic devices 10G, 10H, etc.) having the cooling structure 201 or 202 provided thereon are applicable to various electronic equipment (electronic devices).
The electronic devices 10B to 10H can be applied to the electronic equipment 400 in place of the electronic device 10A illustrated in
Further, in place of the semiconductor package 30 described above, semiconductor packages constructed as illustrated in
A semiconductor package 500A illustrated in
On the other hand, a semiconductor package 500B illustrated in
For the above-described electronic devices 10A to 10H, it is possible to use not only the semiconductor package 500A illustrated in
Further, a semiconductor package 510A illustrated in
On the other hand, a semiconductor package 510B illustrated in
For the above-described electronic devices 10A to 10H, it is also possible to use the semiconductor package 510A in
Further, semiconductor packages 520A and 520B illustrated in
For the above-described electronic devices 10A to 10H, it is also possible to use the semiconductor package 520A in
In the above, the descriptions have been given of the connection between the semiconductor package 30 and the circuit board 20 using the connection members 40, 40a, 70, 70a, 80, and 90, and the connection between the semiconductor chip 503 and the interposer 502 using the connection members 600. Next, a description will be given of an example of a method of evaluating reliability of the connections, and an example of the results of evaluation of the connection reliability by the method.
As the method of evaluating reliability of the connections, there is used a heat cycle test performed by repeatedly raising and lowering the temperature of a mounting structure in which a semiconductor device, such as a semiconductor package or a semiconductor chip, is flip-chip connected to a substrate, such as a circuit board or an interposer, within a predetermined temperature range. Further, there is also used a method of evaluating the connection reliability of the mounting structure by a bending test which repeatedly generates mechanical stress on the mounting structure. Here, a description will be given of the evaluation of the connection reliability by the bending test.
First, a description will be given of an example of the mounting structure (sample) used in the bending test.
Here, the circuit board 710 having a planar size of 110 mm square, and the semiconductor package 720 having a planar size of 40 mm square are used, by way of example. The circuit board 710 and the semiconductor package 720 have electrodes 711 and 721 arranged at positions corresponding to each other on opposed surfaces thereof, respectively. The electrodes 711 and 721 each have a diameter of 0.76 mm, for example, and 520 of both of them are arranged on the respective opposed surfaces of the circuit board 710 and the semiconductor package 720 at a pitch of 1.27 mm. Out of the large number of electrodes 711 and 721 opposed to each other, only electrodes 711 and 721 arranged at four corners of the circuit board 710 and the semiconductor package 720 are connected by connection members 730, respectively.
Two leads 712, and terminals 713 arranged at respective ends of the two leads 712, are electrically connected to an associated one of the electrodes 711 arranged at the respective four corners of the circuit board 710. On the other hand, two leads 722 arranged on a surface of the semiconductor package 720, opposite from the electrodes 721, and terminals 723 arranged at respective ends of the two leads 722 are electrically connected to an associated one of the electrodes 721 arranged at the respective four corners of the semiconductor package 720 via a via 724 and an electrode 725.
The connection members 730 connecting between the electrodes 711 at the four corners of the circuit board 710 and the electrodes 721 at the four corners of the semiconductor package 720 can be formed, for example, by winding a 200 mesh copper net having a diameter of 0.05 mm around a metal wire having a diameter of 0.3 mm, then pulling out the metal wire to obtain a hollow cylindrical net, and disposing solder within the hollow cylindrical net. It is possible to use e.g. Sn—Pb solder as the solder. Further, the disposition of the solder within the hollow cylindrical net can be performed in the same manner as described above in the first embodiment. When such a metal wire or a net is used, a member obtained after the disposition of the solder has a diameter of approximately 0.6 mm to 0.7 mm. By cutting off the thus obtained member to a length e.g. of 2 mm, separate connection members 730 are formed, and by using the connection members 730, the sample 700 having the semiconductor package 720 mounted on the circuit board 710 is formed.
When mounting the semiconductor package 720 on the circuit board 710, first, the connection members 730 are connected to the electrodes 721 at the four corners of the semiconductor package 720, respectively. This connection of the connection members 730 can be performed e.g. as follows:
Fluxes are formed on the surfaces of the respective electrodes 721 of the semiconductor package 720, and a mask having openings formed at the respective positions of the electrodes 721 at the four corners of the semiconductor package 720 is disposed on the semiconductor package 720 after aligning the openings with associated ones of the electrodes 721 at the four corners. As the mask, it is possible to use e.g. a metal mask made of Kovar, having a thickness of 1 mm to 2 mm. Then, the connection members 730 are rolled into the openings of the mask to dispose them on the respective electrodes 721 at the four corners of the semiconductor package 720, in an erected state (oriented in a direction in which the hollow cylindrical net is erected). From this state, the connection members 730 are heated to a temperature at which the solder is melted, whereby the molten solder and the electrodes 721 are connected to each other. Finally, the mask used for rolling the connection members 730 is removed, whereby it is possible to obtain the semiconductor package 720 in which the connection members 730 are connected to the associated electrodes 721 at the four corners of the semiconductor package 720, respectively.
On the other hand, as for the circuit board 710, a mask, e.g. a metal mask having a thickness of 0.15 mm, which has openings formed at the respective positions of the electrodes 711 at the four corners of the circuit board 710, is disposed on the circuit board 710 after aligning the openings with associated ones of the electrodes 712 at the four corners. Then, a solder paste 714 is printed on the electrodes 711 at the four corners, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
The bending test is performed on the sample 700 thus obtained to thereby evaluate the connection reliability of connection portions between the circuit board 710 and the semiconductor package 720. Here, for comparison, the bending test is performed on a sample (comparative sample) in which the electrodes 711 at the four corners of the circuit board 710 and the associated electrodes 721 at the four corners of the semiconductor package 720 are connected to each other by solder bumps formed by solder balls, respectively, for evaluation of the connection reliability of the comparative sample.
As illustrated in
The support stand 801 includes a pair of support sections 801a which are arranged such that they can support unidirectionally opposite edges 710a of the circuit board 710 having the semiconductor package 720 mounted thereon, and fixing sections 801b for fixing the opposite edges 710a of the circuit board 710 to the support sections 801a. The circuit board 710 having the semiconductor package 720 mounted thereon is placed on the support sections 801a of the support stand 801 with the semiconductor package 720 facing toward the support stand 801, and is fixed to the support sections 801a by the fixing sections 801b.
As illustrated in
In the bending test using the bending device 800, first, the position of the pushers 802 holding the circuit board 710 fixed to the support stand 801 before the start of the bending test is set as a reference position. From the reference position, the pushers 802 are pushed toward the support stand 801 by a predetermined amount (
When the above-described bending test by the pushers 802 is performed, stress is generated in the connection portions between the circuit board 710 and the semiconductor package 720, and eventually, the connection portions are broken by metal fatigue. The stress generated at the connection portions connecting the circuit board 710 and the semiconductor package 720 is liable to increase in the connection portions at the four corners, implemented using the connection members 730 or the solder bumps. Here, as to only the connection portions at the four corners, where such large stress is liable to occur, the liability (or difficulty) of occurrence of breakage, i.e. the connection reliability is evaluated using the sample 700 using the connection members 730 and the comparative example using the solder bumps.
During the bending test, breakage of the connection portions between the circuit board 710 and the semiconductor package 720 can be detected by causing electric current to flow through each of the connection portions at the four corners and monitoring a change in voltage (electric resistance) caused by the electric current. The detection of the breakage of each connection portion can be performed by a four-terminal method, using the leads 712 and 722, the terminals 713 and 723, the via 724 and the electrode 725, formed in advance on the circuit board 710 and the semiconductor package 720.
For example, in the case of the sample 700, illustrated in
Electric current caused to flow through each connection portion between the circuit board 710 and the semiconductor package 720, and electric resistance determined from voltage measured at the connection portion are monitored, whereby breakage of the connection portion is detected based on the value of the electric resistance. For example, a time point (the number of cycles of vertical motion of the pushers 802) when the electric resistance of a connection portion increases by 1% with respect to an initial monitoring value (initial value) of the electric resistance is judged to be a time point when the breakage of the connection portions is detected.
Such detection of breakage is performed on each of the respective connection portions at the four corners of the circuit board 710 and the semiconductor package 720, during the bending test, illustrated in
The bending test was performed on the connection portions between the circuit board 710 and the semiconductor package 720 under the above-described conditions, using the comparative sample in which the solder bumps are used and the sample 700 in which the connection members 730 are used. As a result, in the comparative sample in which the solder bumps are used, breakage of a connection portion thereof occurred at the time of a 142-nd cycle. On the other hand, in the sample 700 in which the connection members 730 are used, breakage of a connection portion thereof occurred at the time of a 926-th cycle. When the connection members 730 are used for the connection portions between the circuit board 710 and the semiconductor package 720, the fatigue life of the connection portions becomes not less than 6.5 times longer than when the solder bumps are used for the connection portions. Therefore, by using the connection members 730, it is possible to enhance the connection reliability of the connection portions between the circuit board 710 and the semiconductor package 720.
According to the above-mentioned bending test, the connection reliability of the connection portions connecting between the circuit board 710 and the semiconductor package 720 can be evaluated more appropriately in a shorter time period than by the heat cycle test.
The conditions for the bending test are not limited to the above-described example. For example, the conditions (amplitude and frequency) of the motion of the pushers 802 can be set as appropriate depending on the materials of the circuit board 710, the semiconductor package 720, and the connection members 730.
Further, in the above-described example, a criterion for determining the breakage of a connection portion between the circuit board 710 and the semiconductor package 720 is set to a time point when the electric resistance of the connection portion increases by 1% from the initial value thereof. Such a criterion for determining the breakage of a connection portion can be set as appropriate based on the materials of the circuit board 710, the semiconductor package 720, and the connection members 730, or the degree of required connection reliability.
Further, in the above-described example, the case is taken as an example, where the bending test is performed by connecting only the electrodes 711 and 721 at the four corners of the circuit board 710 and the semiconductor package 720 using the connection members 730 or the solder bumps. Instead of this, it is also possible to carry out the bending test by connecting between all the electrodes 711 of the circuit board 710 and all the electrodes 721 of the semiconductor package 720 using the connection members 730 or the like. In this case, the circuit board 710 and the semiconductor package 720 are more firmly connected to each other, so that although it takes a longer time to detect breakage of any of the connection portions, it is possible to evaluate the connection reliability of the connection portions based on an actual form of products or under conditions closer to the actual form of the products.
The evaluation of the connection reliability by the above-mentioned bending test can similarly be applied to the evaluation of the connection reliability of the connection portions between the semiconductor chip and the interposer.
According to the disclosed electronic device, it is possible to suppress breakage of the connection portions between the circuit board and the semiconductor device, and occurrence of bridges between adjacent ones of the connection portions.
All examples and conditional language recited herein are intended for pedagogical purposes to aid the reader in understanding the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventor to furthering the art, and are to be construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions, nor does the organization of such examples in the specification relate to a showing of the superiority and inferiority of the invention. Although the embodiment(s) of the present invention has(have) been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations could be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2009-210022 | Sep 2009 | JP | national |
2010-061787 | Mar 2010 | JP | national |