The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C 119(a) to Korean Application No. 10-2021-0157051, filed on Nov. 15, 2021, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The present disclosure generally relates to a semiconductor chip including an align mark protection pattern and a semiconductor package including the semiconductor chip including the align mark protection pattern.
A semiconductor package manufacturing process may include a process of separating a wafer on which a semiconductor integration process has been completed in a semiconductor chip unit, a process of mounting the semiconductor chip on a package substrate and electrically connecting the semiconductor chip and the package substrate, a process of molding the semiconductor chip on the package substrate, and a process of forming a solder connection structure on a connection pad disposed on a surface of the package substrate.
Meanwhile, among the semiconductor package manufacturing processes, the process of mounting the semiconductor chip separated from the wafer on the package substrate may include a process of inspecting the degree of alignment between the semiconductor chip and a predetermined position in order to seat the semiconductor chip at the predetermined position on the package substrate. For example, the inspection process may be performed by determining the degree of alignment between alignment marks disposed on the semiconductor chip and alignment marks disposed on the package substrate. Thus, during the inspection process, the alignment marks on the semiconductor chip need to remain uncontaminated so that their images can be sufficiently identified by an inspection device.
A semiconductor chip according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a chip body, a redistribution layer pattern disposed on a surface of the chip body, an alignment mark pattern disposed to be spaced apart from the redistribution layer pattern on the surface of the chip body, a first insulating pattern disposed to contact a side surface of the redistribution layer pattern and a side surface of the alignment mark pattern on the surface of the chip body, a second insulating pattern disposed on the redistribution layer pattern to protect the redistribution layer pattern, and an alignment mark protection pattern disposed on the alignment mark pattern.
A semiconductor chip according to another embodiment of the present disclosure may include a chip body, a redistribution layer pattern and an alignment mark pattern that are disposed to be spaced apart from each other on a surface of the chip body, an insulating pattern disposed on the redistribution layer pattern, and an alignment mark protection pattern disposed on the alignment mark pattern. The alignment mark protection pattern may include a metal material. The alignment mark protection pattern may offset a height difference between the alignment mark pattern and the insulating pattern.
A semiconductor package according to another embodiment of the present disclosure may include a package substrate, and a semiconductor chip mounted over the package substrate and including an alignment mark pattern for alignment over the package substrate. The semiconductor chip may include a chip body, a redistribution layer pattern disposed on a surface of the chip body, an alignment mark pattern disposed to be spaced apart from the redistribution layer pattern on the surface of the chip body, a first insulating pattern disposed to contact a side surface of the redistribution layer pattern and a side surface of the alignment mark pattern on the surface of the chip body, a second insulating pattern disposed on the redistribution layer pattern to protect the redistribution layer pattern, and an alignment mark protection pattern disposed on the alignment mark pattern and offsetting a height difference between the second insulating pattern and the alignment mark pattern.
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, in order to clearly express the components of each device, the sizes of the components, such as width and thickness of the components, are enlarged. The terms used herein may correspond to words selected in consideration of their functions in the embodiments, and the meanings of the terms may be construed to be different according to the ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments belong. If expressly defined in detail, the terms may be construed according to the definitions. Unless otherwise defined, the terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments belong.
In addition, expression of a singular form of a word should be understood to include the plural forms of the word unless clearly used otherwise in the context. It will be understood that the terms “comprise”, “include”, or “have” are intended to specify the presence of a feature, a number, a step, an operation, a component, an element, a part, or combinations thereof, but not used to preclude the presence or possibility of addition one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, elements, parts, or combinations thereof. It will be understood that when an element, body, pattern, or layer is referred to as being “on,” “connected to” or “coupled to” another element, body, pattern, or layer, it can be directly on, connected or coupled to the other element, body, pattern, or layer or intervening elements, body, pattern, or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly connected to” or “directly coupled to” another element, body, pattern, or layer, there are no intervening elements, body, pattern, or layers present.
The semiconductor package may include electronic devices such as a semiconductor chip, and the semiconductor chip may include a semiconductor substrate on which an electronic circuit is integrated, which is cut and processed in the form of a chip. A semiconductor chip may mean a memory chip in which a memory integrated circuit such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), NAND flash memory (NAND FLASH), NOR flash memory (NOR FLASH), magnetoresistive random-access memory (MRAM), resistive random-access memory (ReRAM), ferroelectric random-access memory (FeRAM) or phase-change random-access memory (PcRAM) is integrated, or a logic chip in which a logic circuit is integrated on a semiconductor substrate, or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chip. Meanwhile, the semiconductor chip may be referred to as a semiconductor die.
The semiconductor package may include a printed circuit board (PCB) on which the semiconductor chip is mounted. The printed circuit board (PCB) may include at least one layer or more of an integrated circuit pattern, and may be referred to as a package substrate in the present specification. For communication between the package substrate and the semiconductor chip, a connection method such as wire bonding may be applied.
The semiconductor package may be applied to various electronic information processing devices, for example, information communication devices such as portable terminals, bio or health care related electronic devices, and human wearable electronic devices.
Same reference numerals refer to same devices throughout the specification. Even though a reference numeral might not be mentioned or described with reference to a drawing, the reference numeral may be mentioned or described with reference to another drawing. In addition, even though a reference numeral might not be shown in a drawing, it may be shown in another drawing.
Referring to
Referring to
The scribe lane area SL may be disposed along the circumference of the semiconductor chip 1 in the edge region E1 of the semiconductor chip 1 of
Referring to
First to third conductive patterns 122, 124, and 126 may be disposed on the base insulating layer 110. The first conductive pattern 122 may be a redistribution layer pattern 122. That is, the redistribution layer pattern 122 may correspond to a portion of a wiring that electrically connects the integrated circuit pattern layer inside the chip body 101 to various types of connection structures disposed on the base insulating layer 110. The second conductive pattern 124 may be an alignment mark pattern 124. As described above, the alignment mark pattern 124 may be an alignment pattern formed for alignment between the semiconductor chip 1 and the package substrate (not shown). The alignment mark pattern 124 may be spaced apart from the redistribution layer pattern 122 to be electrically insulated from the redistribution layer pattern 122. The third conductive pattern 126 may be a connection pad 126. The connection pad 126 may be a connection structure disposed for electrical connection of the semiconductor chip 1 and the package substrate. For example, the connection pad 126 of the semiconductor chip 1 may be electrically connected to a connection pad of the package substrate by a wire bonding method. The connection pad 126 may be electrically connected to the redistribution layer pattern 122. The connection pad 126 may be electrically connected to the integrated circuit pattern layer inside the chip body 101 through the redistribution layer pattern 122.
Each of the redistribution layer pattern 122, the alignment mark pattern 124, and the connection pad 126 may include a metal material. For example, each of the redistribution layer pattern 122, the alignment mark pattern 124, and the connection pad 126 may be a metal plating pattern. In an embodiment, the redistribution layer pattern 122, the alignment mark pattern 124, and the connection pad 126 may be formed of the same material. In an embodiment, the redistribution layer pattern 122, the alignment mark pattern 124, and the connection pad 126 may have substantially the same thickness. Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
An alignment mark protection pattern 140 may be disposed on the alignment mark pattern 124. The alignment mark protection pattern 140 may be disposed to cover a surface of the alignment mark pattern 124. The alignment mark protection pattern 140 may be disposed to contact the alignment mark pattern 124. In an embodiment, the alignment mark protection pattern 140 and the alignment mark pattern 124 may be disposed to overlap with each other over the base insulating layer 110. Accordingly, the shape of the alignment mark protection pattern 140 may be substantially the same as the shape of the alignment mark pattern 124.
The alignment mark protection pattern 140 may be formed of a material having superior light reflection characteristics compared to the first and second insulating patterns 130 and 150. In an embodiment, the alignment mark protection pattern 140 may include a metal material.
In an embodiment, the alignment mark protection pattern 140 may include a metal plating layer. The metal plating layer may include, for example, copper (Cu), tin (Sn), gold (Au), or a combination of two or more thereof. The metal plating layer may be, for example, a solder material. The alignment mark protection pattern 140 may be formed by forming a photosensitive thin film including a hole exposing the alignment mark pattern 124 and forming a metal plating layer inside the hole using a plating method including electrolytic plating, electroless plating, or a combination of two or more thereof. In an embodiment in which the electroplating method is applied, a plating seed layer for electroplating may be previously formed inside the hole before performing the electroplating. In some other embodiments, the alignment mark protection pattern 140 may be formed by a printing method such as a stencil printing method. In this case, the alignment mark protection pattern 140 may include a solder material.
The alignment mark protection pattern 140 may function to offset the height difference TD between the alignment mark pattern 124 and the second insulating pattern 150. For example, the upper surface of the alignment mark protection pattern 140 may be positioned at substantially the same level as the upper surface of the second insulating pattern 150. Accordingly, the alignment mark protection pattern 140 disposed on the alignment mark pattern 124 may remove the height difference TD. For example, in an embodiment, the alignment mark protection pattern 140 offsets a height difference TD between an upper surface of the alignment mark pattern 124 and an upper surface of the second insulating pattern 150 as, for example, illustrated in
In addition, in an embodiment, the alignment mark protection pattern 140 may serve to protect the alignment mark pattern 124 during the semiconductor package processes. In an embodiment, during the semiconductor package processes described later with reference to
Referring to
As described above, using
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
While grinding the wafer 1001, the front side S1 of the wafer 1001 may maintain a bonding state with the surface protection tape 210. However, as described above with reference to
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the alignment mark protection pattern 140 may be disposed on the alignment mark pattern 124, and the alignment mark protection pattern 140 may contact the surface protection tape 210. That is, the alignment mark protection pattern 140 may prevent or mitigate the empty spaces V from being generated between the surface protection tape 210 and the alignment mark pattern 124. In other words, in an embodiment, the alignment mark protection pattern 140 may serve to offset the height difference TD between the second insulating pattern 150 and the alignment mark pattern 124.
Meanwhile, when the alignment mark protection pattern 140 does not exist, the process by-products 1010 introduced into the empty spaces V may settle on the surface of the alignment mark pattern 124. Accordingly, the surface of the alignment mark pattern 124 may be contaminated by the process by-products 1010. If the alignment mark pattern 124 is contaminated, a recognition error may occur when reading an image for the alignment mark pattern 124. As a result, as will be described later with reference to
As described above, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the alignment mark protection pattern 140 of the semiconductor chip may serve to protect the alignment mark pattern 124 from the process by-products 1010 during the grinding process with respect to the wafer 1001.
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
By the above-described method, the semiconductor package according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be manufactured. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a height difference between an alignment mark pattern and an insulating pattern adjacent to each other on a semiconductor chip may be offset by using an alignment mark protection pattern. In addition, in an embodiment, because the alignment mark protection pattern is disposed to cover the alignment mark pattern, it is possible to prevent or mitigate the alignment mark pattern from being contaminated while the semiconductor chip is separated from a wafer. Accordingly, in an embodiment, the reliability of a package process for mounting the semiconductor chip at a predetermined position on a package substrate using the alignment mark pattern may be improved.
Embodiments of the present disclosure have been disclosed for illustrative purposes. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure and the accompanying claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
10-2021-0157051 | Nov 2021 | KR | national |