This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-044587, filed on Mar. 12, 2019, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor package, a semiconductor device, and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device.
JP2011-165931A discloses a high-frequency circuit module. This module includes first and second printed boards. High-frequency components are mounted on the first printed board. In a part of the second printed board facing a mounting region of the high-frequency components, an embedment wall surface for a plurality of conductor vias and a groove of which the circumference is surrounded by a conductor layer that is an outer layer or an inner layer are provided. Outer layer patterns of the first and second printed boards facing each other are electrically connected to each other through soldering. The high-frequency components are accommodated inside a groove space of the second printed board.
JP H10-163353A discloses a package for a microwave device. This package includes a base metal serving as a grounding electrode, and three ceramic layers provided thereon. In a ceramic layer (lowermost layer), a ground conductive pattern for a microstrip line is provided. In a ceramic layer (intermediate layer), a line conductive pattern electrically connecting an external circuit and a semiconductor chip to each other is provided. In a ceramic layer (uppermost layer), a ground conductive pattern connected to the base metal is provided. In the vicinity of a region in which a lead terminal is formed, the ground conductive pattern of the ceramic layer (lowermost layer) is not exposed from a lamination end portion.
The present disclosure provides a semiconductor package comprising a metal base, a side wall, and at least one metal lead. The metal base has a main surface configured to mount at least one semiconductor element thereon. The side wall has a frame shape and is disposed on the main surface of the metal base. The side wall includes a first side wall portion made of a resin, and a second side wall portion made of a resin. The second side wall portion is placed on the first side wall portion and is joined to the first side wall portion with an adhesive. The metal lead is partially sandwiched between the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion. A first end of the metal lead is exposed inside of the side wall, and a second end of the metal lead is located outside of the side wall. The second end is opposite to the first end.
The present disclosure provides a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device comprises the above semiconductor package, and at least one semiconductor element disposed on the main surface of the metal base inside the side wall.
The present disclosure provides a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a metal base having a main surface to mount a semiconductor element thereon, and a side wall joined to the main surface of the metal base and surrounding the semiconductor element. The method comprises: (a) forming a lead frame assembly in which a first side wall portion made of a resin constituting a part of the side wall adjacent to the main surface and a second side wall portion made of a resin constituting a remaining part of the side wall opposite to the main surface are joined to each other in a state of having a metal lead frame sandwiched therebetween; (b) applying a sintering metal paste to a disposition region of the lead frame assembly on the main surface of the base and disposing the lead frame assembly on the sintering metal paste; and (c) sintering the sintering metal paste between the metal base and the lead frame assembly to join the base and the lead frame assembly to each other.
The foregoing and other purposes, aspects and advantages will be better understood from the following detailed description of embodiments of the disclosure with reference to the drawings, in which:
A package for air-tightly sealing a semiconductor element is used in semiconductor devices for high frequencies. The package includes a base having a metal main surface, a side wall of a dielectric substance having a bottom surface joined to the main surface of the base, and a metal lead joined to an upper surface of the side wall opposite to the bottom surface. For electrical connection between an external circuit of the semiconductor device and the semiconductor element, the metal lead extends from the upper surface of the side wall to a side of the package.
In such packages in the related art, a ceramic is often used as a material of a side wall. A ceramic side wall has higher reliability than other materials such as a resin and can firmly support a lead. However, it is difficult to mold a ceramic compared to other materials such as a resin. In contrast, when a resin is used as a material of the side wall, there is an advantage that molding can be performed easily and a manufacturing step can be simplified. On the other hand, in respect of strength, a resin is inferior to a ceramic. When a resin side wall has a shape similar to a ceramic side wall, such a resin side wall may not be able to support a lead firmly. Thus, a resin side wall is limited to a case or the like of using a flexible board (FPC) which requires no support strength, in place of a metal lead.
According to the present disclosure, a metal lead of a semiconductor package can be firmly supported using a resin side wall.
Embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. A semiconductor package according to one embodiment comprises a metal base, a side wall, and at least one metal lead. The metal base has a main surface configured to mount at least one semiconductor element thereon. The side wall has a frame shape and is disposed on the main surface of the metal base. The side wall includes a first side wall portion made of a resin, and a second side wall portion made of a resin. The second side wall portion is placed on the first side wall portion and is joined to the first side wall portion with an adhesive. The metal lead is partially sandwiched between the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion. A first end of the metal lead is exposed inside of the side wall, and a second end of the metal lead is located outside of the side wall. The second end is opposite to the first end.
In one embodiment, the adhesive may include a thermosetting resin. The adhesive may include a thermosetting epoxy resin. The first side wall portion and the second side wall portion may include epoxy resins.
In one embodiment, at least one of the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion may be provided with at least one pair of holes each passing through the wall portion in a thickness direction thereof. The metal lead may include at least one pair of projections each extending along the thickness direction and being inserted into the pair of holes, respectively. The thickness direction is a direction facing an upper surface of the side wall and the main surface of the metal base to each other.
In one embodiment, at least one of the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion may be provided with a recess depressed along a thickness direction of the side wall portion. The sandwiched part of the metal lead may be placed within the recess. In this embodiment, the first side wall portion may be provided with the recess depressed toward the main surface of the metal base. In this embodiment, the first end of the metal lead may be placed within the recess to being exposed inside of the side wall.
In one embodiment, the second side wall portion may be provided with a depressed portion depressed along a direction from an inner surface of the side wall toward an outer surface of the side wall. The first end of the metal lead may be exposed from the depressed portion.
In one embodiment, the first side wall portion may be joined to the metal base with a joining material including a sintering metal paste.
A semiconductor device according to one embodiment comprises the semiconductor package according to any one of the above embodiments, and at least one semiconductor element disposed on the main surface of the metal base inside the side wall.
In one embodiment, the semiconductor element may be joined to the metal base through a joining material including a sintering metal paste. The semiconductor element may include a semiconductor die being a transistor including a source via, a gate electrode, and a drain electrode.
In one embodiment, the semiconductor device may further comprises a lid disposed on an upper surface, which is opposite to the main surface of the metal base, of the side wall. The lid may completely covers an opening of the side wall to air-tightly seal the semiconductor package.
In one embodiment, the at least one metal lead may include an input lead located at a first part of the side wall and an output lead located at a second part of the side wall opposite to the first part. The input lead may be connected to the semiconductor element and the semiconductor element may be connected to the output lead.
As one embodiment, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device including a metal base having a main surface to mount a semiconductor element thereon, and a side wall joined to the main surface of the metal base and surrounding the semiconductor element, comprises (a) forming a lead frame assembly in which a first side wall portion made of a resin constituting a part of the side wall adjacent to the main surface and a second side wall portion made of a resin constituting a remaining part of the side wall opposite to the main surface are joined to each other in a state of having a metal lead frame sandwiched therebetween; (b) applying a sintering metal paste to a disposition region of the lead frame assembly on the main surface of the base and disposing the lead frame assembly on the sintering metal paste; and (c) sintering the sintering metal paste between the metal base and the lead frame assembly to join the base and the lead frame assembly to each other.
In one embodiment of the manufacturing method, the forming of the lead frame assembly may further include: (a1) bending a projection formed in the lead frame in a thickness direction of the lead frame, and (a2) sandwiching the lead frame between the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion while the projection is inserted into a hole formed in the first side wall portion or the second side wall portion.
In one embodiment of the manufacturing method, at least one of the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion may include a recess configured to receive the lead frame on a surface facing the lead frame.
In one embodiment, in the forming of the lead frame assembly, the first side wall portion, the lead frame, and the second side wall portion may be joined to each other using a thermosetting resin.
In one embodiment, in the applying of the sintering metal paste, the sintering metal paste may be further applied to a disposition region of the semiconductor element on the main surface of the metal base, and the semiconductor element may be disposed on the sintering metal paste. In the sintering of the sintering metal paste, the sintering metal paste between the metal base and the semiconductor element may be sintered such that the metal base and the semiconductor element are joined to each other.
Specific examples of a package for a semiconductor device, a semiconductor device, and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to these examples. The present invention is indicated by the claims, and it is intended to include all changes within meanings and a range equivalent to the claims. In the following description, the same reference signs are applied to the same elements in description of the drawings, and overlapping description will be omitted.
The base 3 is a plate-shaped member having a flat metal main surface 3a. For example, the base 3 is formed of copper, an alloy of copper and molybdenum, or an alloy of copper and tungsten; or a lamination material formed of a copper plate, a molybdenum plate, a tungsten plate, an alloy plate of copper and molybdenum, or an alloy plate of copper and tungsten. In the examples illustrated in the diagrams, the base 3 has a structure in which an alloy plate 32 of copper and molybdenum is sandwiched between two copper plates 31 and 33. A front surface of a base material of the base 3 is subjected to plating of nickel chrome (nichrome, NiCr)-gold, nickel (Ni)-gold, nickel-palladium-gold, -silver, or -nickel, or nickel-palladium. Gold, silver, and palladium are plating materials, and NiCr, Ni, and the like are seed materials. Adhesion can be enhanced in a case of including a plating material and a seed material compared to a case of including only a plating material. For example, the thickness of the base 3 is within a range of 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm. For example, the planar shape of the base 3 is a rectangular shape having a direction D2 along the main surface 3a as a longitudinal direction.
The side wall 10 is a substantially rectangular frame shaped-member. As illustrated in
The side wall 10 is constituted of a first side wall portion 15 and a second side wall portion 16. The first side wall portion 15 is made of a resin and constitutes a part of the side wall 10 adjacent to the main surface 3a. The second side wall portion 16 is made of a resin and constitutes the remaining part of the side wall 10 opposite to the main surface 3a. Resins constituting the first side wall portion 15 and the second side wall portion 16 are paper epoxy, glass epoxy, or the like generally used in printed circuit boards (PCBs), for example. The glass epoxy is a substance obtained by dipping glass fiber cloth in an epoxy resin and performing thermosetting treatment and may be called as flame retardant type 4 (FR 4). The thickness of the first side wall portion 15 is within a range of 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm and is 1.6 mm, as an example. The thickness of the second side wall portion 16 is within a range of 0.2 mm to 2.0 mm and is 0.7 mm, as an example.
The first side wall portion 15 is provided on the main surface 3a, and the second side wall portion 16 is provided on the first side wall portion 15. In other words, the first side wall portion 15 is positioned between the main surface 3a and the second side wall portion 16. The first side wall portion 15 and the second side wall portion 16 are joined to each other with an adhesive 41 interposed therebetween. The adhesive 41 is a thermosetting resin and is a thermosetting epoxy resin, as an example.
The side wall 10 has a flat bottom surface 10a facing the main surface 3a of the base 3, and an upper surface 10b opposite to the bottom surface 10a. The bottom surface 10a is a surface of the first side wall portion 15 opposite to a surface facing the second side wall portion 16, and the upper surface 10b is a surface of the second side wall portion 16 opposite to a surface facing the first side wall portion 15. A metal film 45 is formed on the entire surface of the bottom surface 10a. The metal film 45 is s a metal film firmly fixed to the first side wall portion 15. The metal film 45 may be a film obtained by performing plating of Au or Ni on a Cu film. The bottom surface 10a is joined to the main surface 3a of the base 3 with the metal film 45 and a joining material 47 interposed therebetween. The joining material 47 is a sintering metal paste. For example, the sintering metal paste is a silver paste including a solvent and a silver filler having remarkably smaller particle sizes than particle sizes of a silver filler contained in a silver paste known in the related art. Joining using the sintering silver paste becomes metallic and sintered bonding between particles, including a phenomenon in which a fine silver filler is activated and sintering is performed at a relatively low temperature, thereby having excellent strength and long-term reliability.
The input leads 5 and the output leads 6 are metal plate-shaped members protruding outward from the side wall 10 and are thin metal plates of copper, a copper alloy, or an iron alloy, as an example. One end portions of the input leads 5 in the direction D1 are sandwiched between the part 15a of the first side wall portion 15 and the part 16a of the second side wall portion 16. Specifically, at least one of the first side wall portion 15 and the second side wall portion 16 (first side wall portion 15 in the illustrated example) has recesses 151 (refer to
One end portions of the output leads 6 in the direction D1 are sandwiched between the part 15b of the first side wall portion 15 and the part 16b of the second side wall portion 16. Specifically, at least one of the first side wall portion 15 and the second side wall portion 16 (first side wall portion 15 in the illustrated example) has recesses 152 (refer to
The part 16a of the second side wall portion 16 has depressed portions 161 formed on an inner surface 16a1. The depressed portions 161 are depressed from the inner surface 16a1 toward an outer surface 16a2 and extend from a surface of the part 16a facing the input leads 5 to a surface (upper surface 10b) opposite thereto. The depressed portions 161 are provided at positions overlapping the input leads 5 when viewed in the thickness direction of the second side wall portion 16, and upper surfaces of one end portions 51 of the input leads 5 are exposed in these depressed portions 161 inside the package 1A (refer to
Minute holes 163 penetrating the part 16a are formed in the vicinity of both ends of the depressed portion 161 in the extending direction (direction D2) of the part 16a. Projections (which will be described below) formed in the end portions of the input leads 5 are inserted into the holes 163. Similarly, minute holes 164 penetrating the part 16b are formed in the vicinity of both ends of the depressed portions 162 in the extending direction (direction D2) of the part 16b. Projections (which will be described below) formed in the end portions of the output leads 6 are inserted into the holes 164.
Each of one end portions of the input leads 5 and the output leads 6 is joined to the first side wall portion 15 with an adhesive 42 interposed therebetween. The adhesive 42 is a thermosetting resin and is a thermosetting epoxy resin, as an example. Each of one end portions of the input leads 5 and the output leads 6 is joined to the second side wall portion 16 with the adhesive 41 for joining the first side wall portion 15 and the second side wall portion 16 to each other interposed therebetween.
The input matching circuits 106, the semiconductor dies 107, the output matching circuits 108, and the output capacitors 109 are provided in this order from the part 11 of the side wall 10. For example, the semiconductor dies 107 are transistors including a substrate such as Si, SiC, GaN, GaAs, or diamond, and a rear surface of the substrate is subjected to metal plating. As an example, the semiconductor dies 107 are GaN-HEMT. For example, the input matching circuits 106 and the output matching circuits 108 are parallel flat plate-type capacitors in which electrodes are provided on each of upper surfaces and lower surfaces of ceramic substrates.
The input matching circuits 106, the semiconductor dies 107, and the output matching circuits 108 have a rear surface subjected to metal plating (for example, gold plating) and are fixed to the main surface 3a of the base 3 with the joining material 47, similar to the sintering metal paste, interposed therebetween. The input matching circuits 106 are mounted on the input side of the semiconductor dies 107, and the output matching circuits 108 are mounted on the output side of the semiconductor dies 107. Respective sets of the input leads 5 and the input matching circuits 106, the input matching circuits 106 and the semiconductor dies 107, the semiconductor dies 107 and the output matching circuits 108, the output matching circuits 108 and the output capacitors 109, and the output capacitors 109 and the output leads 6 are electrically connected to each other using a plurality of bonding wires (not illustrated).
The gate electrodes 107e are provided opposite to the drain electrodes 107h with the active region 107g sandwiched therebetween. The active region 107g includes drain and source fingers. The source fingers and the source electrodes 107d on the rear surface are electrically connected to each other through the source vias 107f penetrating the semiconductor dies 107. The maximum value for a current which can flow from the drain fingers to the source fingers is proportional to a gate width. Therefore, in a transistor having a large output, many drain/source fingers are provided in parallel in order to increase the gate width. Accordingly, the semiconductor die 107 has a planar shape extending in a slender manner along the long side 107b.
The output matching circuits 108 adjust mismatching of the impedances between the semiconductor dies 107 and the output leads 6 and output high-frequency signals appearing in the output leads 6 with the maximum efficiency. One ends of the output matching circuits 108 are electrically connected to the drain electrodes 107h of the semiconductor dies 107 via bonding wires (refer to
First, a lead frame assembly is formed by bonding the first side wall portion 15 and the second side wall portion 16 to each other in a state of having a metal lead frame sandwiched therebetween. As illustrated in
(a) portion of
Subsequently, as illustrated in
Subsequently, the adhesives 41 and 42 are cured. Heat treatment is performed in two stages. Specifically, heat treatment of temporary curing is performed at a first temperature, and heat treatment of main curing is subsequently performed at a second temperature which is higher than the first temperature. For example, the first temperature is 110° C., and the second temperature is 160° C. For example, a heat treatment time at the first temperature is 30 minutes, and a heat treatment time at the second temperature is 60 minutes. The heat treatment is performed in two stages in order to ensure the reliability of curing and the strength after curing. Through this step, the first side wall portion 15, the lead frame 7, and the second side wall portion 16 are joined to each other. In place of the above heat treatment in two stages, heat treatment based on consecutive temperature profiles may be performed.
Subsequently, the lead frame 7 is cut along the cut lines A2 illustrated in
Subsequently, as illustrated in
Subsequently, as illustrated in
Subsequently, as illustrated in
Subsequently, as illustrated in
Effects of the present embodiment described above will be described. As described above, in packages for a semiconductor device in the related art, a ceramic is often used as a material of a side wall. A ceramic side wall has higher reliability than other materials such as a resin and can firmly support a lead. However, there is a problem that it is difficult to mold a ceramic compared to other materials such as a resin. In contrast, when a resin is used as a material of the side wall, there is an advantage that molding can be performed easily and a manufacturing step can be simplified. On the other hand, in respect of strength, a resin is inferior to a ceramic. When a resin side wall has a shape similar to a ceramic side wall, such a resin side wall may not be able to support a lead firmly.
In order to solve this problem, the manufacturing method according to the present embodiment includes a step of forming the lead frame assembly 8 (
As in the present embodiment, the step of forming the lead frame assembly 8 may further include a step of bending the projections 71 and 72 formed in the lead frame 7 in the thickness direction of the lead frame 7, and a step of sandwiching the lead frame 7 between the first side wall portion 15 and the second side wall portion 16 while the projections 71 and 72 are respectively inserted into the holes 163 and 164 formed in the second side wall portion 16. Accordingly, positioning of the second side wall portion 16 with respect to the lead frame 7 can be performed easily and accurately, and bonding strength between the lead frame 7 and the second side wall portion 16 can be enhanced, so that the reliability can be improved. In the present embodiment, the holes 163 and 164 for inserting the projections 71 and 72 are formed in the second side wall portion 16. However, similar holes may also be formed in the first side wall portion 15.
As in the present embodiment, the first side wall portion 15 may have the recesses 151 for receiving the input leads 5 of the lead frame 7 and the recesses 152 for receiving the output leads 6 on a surface facing the lead frame 7. According to such a constitution, the lead frame 7 having a certain degree of thickness can be sandwiched between the first side wall portion 15 and the second side wall portion 16. In addition, positioning of the lead frame 7 and the first side wall portion 15 can be performed easily and accurately. In the present embodiment, the recesses 151 and 152 are formed in the first side wall portion 15. However, similar recessed portions may also be formed in the second side wall portion 16. Alternatively, recessed portions may be formed in both the first side wall portion 15 and the second side wall portion 16. As an example, holes for inserting the projections 71 and 72 of the lead frame 7 are formed in one side wall portion, and recessed portions for receiving the lead frame 7 are formed in the other side wall portion. In this case, positioning of the first side wall portion 15, the lead frame 7, and the second side wall portion 16 can be performed easily and accurately.
As in the present embodiment, in the step of forming the lead frame assembly 8, the first side wall portion 15, the lead frame 7, and the second side wall portion 16 may be bonded to each other using the adhesives 41 and 42 (thermosetting resins). When the sintering metal paste 46 between the lead frame assembly 8 and the base 3 is sintered, the adhesives 41 and 42 are exposed to a high temperature. When the adhesives 41 and 42 are thermosetting resins, softening of the adhesives 41 and 42 due to a high temperature can be curbed, and bonding strength can be maintained.
As in the present embodiment, in the step of applying the sintering metal paste 46 (
Subsequently, as illustrated in
Subsequently, as illustrated in
Subsequently, as illustrated in
A semiconductor package, a semiconductor device, and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to the present invention are not limited to the embodiments described above, and various other modifications can be performed. For example, in the foregoing embodiment and each of the modification examples, the side wall 10 defines a single internal space. However, a side wall may define a plurality (for example, two) of internal spaces. When a side wall defines two internal spaces, it is preferable to further provide a side wall portion connecting a central portion of the part 11 in the direction D2 and a central portion of the part 12 in the same direction to each other, for example. In the foregoing embodiment, an example of the semiconductor dies 107 which are transistors serving as semiconductor elements has been described. However, the semiconductor device according to the present invention is not limited thereto, and it may include various semiconductor elements.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2019-044587 | Mar 2019 | JP | national |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 16814576 | Mar 2020 | US |
Child | 17552231 | US |