The present invention relates to semiconductor technology, and, in particular, to a semiconductor package structure that includes a heat sink.
In addition to providing a semiconductor die with protection from environmental contaminants, a semiconductor package structure can also provide an electrical connection between the semiconductor die packaged inside it and a substrate such as a printed circuit board (PCB).
Although existing semiconductor package structures generally meet requirements, they have not been satisfactory in all respects. For example, if the heat generated during the operation of a semiconductor die is not adequately removed, the increased temperatures may cause damage to the semiconductor components, and may cause thermal stress and warpage of the semiconductor package structure. However, some of the semiconductor components are not formed of materials with good thermal conductivity, which results in a low heat dissipation efficiency. Therefore, further improvements in semiconductor package structures are required.
Semiconductor package structures are provided. An exemplary embodiment of a semiconductor package structure includes a package substrate and a semiconductor die. The package substrate includes a core structure, a heat sink, and a redistribution layer. The heat sink is embedded in the core structure. The redistribution layer includes a thermal via disposed over the heat sink. The semiconductor die is disposed over the package substrate and is thermally coupled to the heat sink through the thermal via.
Another embodiment of a semiconductor package structure includes a first redistribution layer, a heat sink, a second redistribution layer, and a first semiconductor die. The heat sink is disposed over the first redistribution layer. The second redistribution layer is disposed over the heat sink and includes a thermal via. The first semiconductor die is disposed over the second redistribution layer and is thermally coupled to the heat sink through the first thermal via.
The present invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The following description is made for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention and should not be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the invention is best determined by reference to the appended claims.
The present disclosure will be described with respect to particular embodiments and with reference to certain drawings, but the disclosure is not limited thereto and is only limited by the claims. The drawings described are only schematic and are non-limiting. In the drawings, the size of some of the elements may be exaggerated for illustrative purposes and not drawn to scale. The dimensions and the relative dimensions do not correspond to actual dimensions in the practice of the disclosure.
Additional elements may be added on the basis of the embodiments described below. For example, the description of “a first element on/over a second element” may include embodiments in which the first element is in direct contact with the second element, and may also include embodiments in which additional elements are disposed between the first element and the second element such that the first element and the second element are not in direct contact.
Furthermore, the description of “a first element extending through a second element” may include embodiments in which the first element is disposed in the second element and extends from a side of the second element to an opposite side of the second element, wherein a surface of the first element may be substantially leveled with a surface of the second element, or a surface of the first element may be outside a surface of the second element.
The spatially relative descriptors of the first element and the second element may change as the structure is operated or used in different orientations. In addition, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various embodiments. This repetition is for simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments discussed.
A semiconductor package structure including a heat sink is described in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The heat sink is adopted to replace semiconductor components which are not formed of good thermal conductivity materials, including a core structure of a package substrate, a molding material, or the like. As a result, the heat dissipation efficiency can be improved.
As illustrated in
Then, a plurality of openings 104 are formed in the core structure 102, in accordance with some embodiments. The openings 104 may be formed through the core structure 102 by laser drilling or any suitable methods. Afterwards, a plurality of through vias 106 may be formed by plating at least sidewalls of the openings 104 with metal, such as copper, silver, gold, the like, an alloy thereof, or a combination thereof.
Then, as illustrated in
Afterwards, as illustrated in
Then, as shown in
As shown in
Similarly, one or more active and passive devices (not shown) may also be disposed in the core structure 102 for the structural and functional requirements of the design. For example, the active and passive devices may include transistors, capacitors, resistors, the like, or a combination thereof.
Then, dielectric layers 112 are formed on opposite surfaces of the core structure 102 and fill in the space remaining in the cavity 103, in accordance with some embodiments. The dielectric layers 112 may extend between the core structure 102 and the heat sink 110 to space them apart. The dielectric layers 112 may be a build-up film, and may be formed of polymer or any suitable material.
Afterwards, as shown in
Afterwards, a plurality of thermal vias 116 are formed in contact with the heat sink 110, in accordance with some embodiments. Then, a plurality of thermal pads 118 may be formed over the thermal vias 116. The thermal vias 116 and the thermal pads 118 may be formed during the formation of the routing layers 114 by plating or any suitable methods. The thermal vias 116 and the thermal pads 118 may be formed of metal, including copper, silver, gold, the like, an alloy thereof, or a combination thereof. The dielectric layers 112, the routing layers 114, the thermal vias 116, and the thermal pads 118 may be referred to as a redistribution layer. The thermal vias 116 and the thermal pads 118 may be thermally coupled to the heat sink 110. The thermal vias 116 and the thermal pads 118 may be connected to ground without electrical signals passing through.
Afterwards, as illustrated in
Then, a plurality of solder connectors 122 may be formed in the openings and in contact with the thermal pads 118 and the conductive pads of the routing layers 114. The solder connectors 122 may include solder balls or other conductive connectors. The solder connectors 122 may be placed in a grid array of rows and columns by a printing process or any suitable methods. A package substrate 101 is formed.
Afterwards, as shown in
It should be noted that one semiconductor die 126 is for illustrative purposes only, and two or more semiconductor dies may be disposed over the package substrate 101. In addition, one or more passive components (such as resistors, capacitors, or inductors) may also be disposed over the package substrate 101.
A plurality of conductive connectors 124 may be formed below the semiconductor die 126 to connect the solder connectors 122. The conductive connectors 124 may include microbumps, controlled collapse chip connection (C4) bumps, conductive pillars, the like, or a combination thereof. The conductive connectors 124 may be formed of metal, such as tungsten, titanium, tantalum, ruthenium, cobalt, copper, aluminum, platinum, tin, silver, gold, the like, an alloy thereof, or a combination thereof.
A plurality of conductive terminals 128 may be disposed on the surface of the package substrate 101 opposite to the semiconductor die 126. A semiconductor package structure 100 is formed. The conductive terminals 128 may include microbumps, controlled collapse chip connection (C4) bumps, solder balls, ball grid array (BGA) balls, the like, or a combination thereof. The conductive terminals 128 may be formed of metal, such as tungsten, titanium, tantalum, ruthenium, cobalt, copper, aluminum, platinum, tin, silver, gold, the like, an alloy thereof, or a combination thereof.
As a result, as indicated by the arrows 130, the heat from the semiconductor die 126 can be transferred to the heat sink 110 through the thermal pads 118 and the thermal vias 116, and can be further transferred to the conductive terminals 128. Since the heat sink 110 is formed of a higher thermal conductivity material than the core structure 102, system thermal budget of the package substrate 101 can be increased. In addition, a quick thermal dissipation path can be provided.
As illustrated in
The thickness D3 of the heat sink 202 may be substantially equal to the sum of the thickness D1 of the core structure 102 and the thickness of at least one of the routing layers 114. The top surface of the heat sink 202 may be substantially aligned with an upper layer of the routing layers 114, which helps the subsequent process of forming the redistribution layer.
As shown in
The thermal vias 116 in contact with the heat sink 302 may extend into the core structure 102. In some embodiments, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
In some embodiments, the area of the heat sink 110a is less than the area of the hot spot 130, so that the heat dissipation efficiency can be improved while more routing layers (such as the routing layers 114 in
As illustrated in
The first redistribution layer 506 may include routing layers 506M disposed in dielectric layers 506D. The dielectric layers 506D may be formed of polymer, including polyimide (PI), polybenzoxazole (PBO), benzocyclobutene (BCB), epoxy, the like, or a combination thereof. Alternatively, the dielectric layers 506D may be formed of silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, the like, or a combination thereof. The dielectric layers 506D may be formed by spin coating, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), or another suitable deposition. Then, the dielectric layers 506D may be patterned.
Then, the routing layers 506M may be formed in the dielectric layers 506D by plating, CVD, physical vapor deposition (PVD), or another suitable deposition. The routing layers 506M may include horizontal interconnects, such as conductive layers or conductive pads, and vertical interconnects, such as conductive vias. The conductive vias may electrically couple different levels of the conductive layers and the conductive pads. The routing layers 506M may be formed of metal, including tungsten, titanium, tantalum, ruthenium, cobalt, copper, aluminum, platinum, tin, silver, gold, the like, an alloy thereof, or a combination thereof.
The first redistribution layer 506 may include a plurality of thermal vias 508. The thermal vias 508 may be formed during the formation of the routing layers 506M. The thermal vias 508 may be formed of a material same as or similar to the routing layers 506M, such as metal. The thermal vias 508 may be connected to ground without electrical signals passing through.
Afterwards, as illustrated in
A heat sink 514 is disposed over the first redistribution layer 506 and thermally coupled to the thermal vias 508, in accordance with some embodiments. The heat sink 514 may be formed of metal, such as tungsten, titanium, tantalum, ruthenium, cobalt, copper, aluminum, platinum, tin, silver, gold, the like, an alloy thereof, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the heat sink 514 is a preformed metal block and then is attached onto the first redistribution layer 506 through an adhesion layer, including thermal interface material (TIM), Tin (Sn), or any suitable material. In some other embodiments, the heat sink 514 is formed by plating, CVD, PVD, or another suitable deposition, and is formed during the formation of the conductive pillars 512.
Then, a bridge structure 516 is formed over the first redistribution layer 506, in accordance with some embodiments. The bridge structure 516 may be a bridge die and may include a silicon body and a redistribution layer (not illustrated) formed on the silicon body. The redistribution layer may include a connecting structure in one or more dielectric layers to electrically couple two semiconductor dies to each other.
The bridge structure 516 may include an interconnecting structure, such as a plurality of through vias 518. The interconnecting structure in the bridge structure 516 may have other configurations. The through vias 518 may be formed of formed of metal, including tungsten, titanium, tantalum, ruthenium, cobalt, copper, aluminum, platinum, tin, silver, gold, the like, an alloy thereof, or a combination thereof.
A plurality of conductive pads 520 may be formed on the frontside surface of the bridge structure 516 and may be electrically coupled to the through vias 518. The conductive pads 520 may be formed of metal, such as tungsten, titanium, tantalum, ruthenium, cobalt, copper, aluminum, platinum, tin, silver, gold, the like, an alloy thereof, or a combination thereof.
A passivation layer 522 is formed on the frontside surface of the bridge structure 516, in accordance with some embodiments. The passivation layer 522 may cover edge portions of the conductive pads 520 and may partially expose the conductive pads 520. In some embodiments, the passivation layer 522 may include a polymer layer, which may be formed of polyimide (PI), polybenzoxazole (PBO), benzocyclobutene (BCB), epoxy, the like, or a combination thereof. Alternatively, the passivation layer 522 may include a dielectric layer, which may be formed of silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, the like, or a combination thereof.
The bridge structure 516 may be electrically coupled to the routing layers 506M through the conductive pads 520, a plurality of conductive connectors 524, and a plurality of solder connectors 526. The solder connectors 526 may include solder balls. The conductive connectors 524 may include microbumps, controlled collapse chip connection (C4) bumps, solder balls, ball grid array (BGA) balls, the like, or a combination thereof. The conductive connectors 524 may be formed of metal, including tungsten, titanium, tantalum, ruthenium, cobalt, copper, aluminum, platinum, tin, silver, gold, the like, an alloy thereof, or a combination thereof. The conductive connectors 524 may be partially surrounded by the passivation layer 522.
An underfill material 528 may be formed between the bridge structure 516 and the first redistribution layer 506, in accordance with some embodiments. The underfill material 528 may surround each of the conductive connectors 524 and the solder connectors 526 to provide structural support. The underfill material 528 may be formed of polymer, including epoxy, polyimide, polybenzoxazole (PBO), the like, or a combination thereof. The underfill material 528 may be dispensed with capillary force, and then may be cured through any suitable curing process.
Then, as illustrated in
Afterwards, a planarization process is performed on the molding material 530 until the top surfaces of the conductive pillars 512, the heat sink 514, and the through vias 518 are exposed, in accordance with some embodiments. The planarization process may include a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process, a mechanical grinding process, the like, or a combination thereof. The top surfaces of the conductive pillars 512, the top surface of the heat sink 514, the top surface of the bridge structure 516, and the top surfaces of the through vias 518 may be substantially coplanar.
As shown in
Then, a second redistribution layer 532 is formed over the bridge structure 516, in accordance with some embodiments. The second redistribution layer 532 may include a routing layers 532M disposed in dielectric layers 532D. The dielectric layers 532D and the routing layers 532M may be similar to the dielectric layers 506D and the routing layers 506M, respectively, and will not be described in detail. The routing layers 532M may be electrically coupled to the routing layers 506M through the conductive pillars 512 and the through vias 518.
The second redistribution layer 532 may include a plurality of thermal vias 534 and thermal pads 536. The thermal vias 534 and thermal pads 536 may be formed during the formation of the routing layers 532M. The thermal vias 534 and thermal pads 536 may be formed of a material same as or similar to the routing layers 532M, such as metal. The thermal vias 534 and thermal pads 536 may be connected to ground without electrical signals passing through.
Then, as illustrated in
It should be noted that two semiconductor dies 538 and 540 are for illustrative purposes only, more than two semiconductor dies and/or one or more passive components (such as resistors, capacitors, or inductors) may be disposed over the second redistribution layer 532.
A plurality of conductive pads 542 may be formed on the frontside of the semiconductor dies 538 and 540. A passivation layer 544 may be formed on the frontside of the semiconductor dies 538 and 540. The passivation layer 544 may cover edge portions of the conductive pads 542 and partially expose the conductive pads 542. The conductive pads 542 and the passivation layer 544 may be similar to the conductive pads 520 and the passivation layer 522, respectively, and will not be described in detail.
The semiconductor dies 538 and 540 may be electrically coupled to the routing layers 532M through a plurality of conductive connectors 546. The conductive connectors 546 may include microbumps, controlled collapse chip connection (C4) bumps, solder balls, ball grid array (BGA) balls, the like, or a combination thereof. The conductive connectors 546 may be formed of metal. The conductive connectors 546 may be partially surrounded by the passivation layer 544.
The semiconductor dies 538 and 540 may be arranged on opposite sides of the bridge structure 516. The semiconductor dies 538 and 540 may each partially overlap the bridge structure 516 and may be electrically coupled to each other through the conductive pads 542, the conductive connectors 546, the routing layers 532M, and the bridge structure 516.
An underfill material 550 is formed between the semiconductor dies 538, 540 and the second redistribution layer 532, in accordance with some embodiments. The underfill material 550 may surround each of the conductive connectors 546 to provide structural support. In some embodiments, the underfill material 550 includes a non-conductive film. One underfill material 550 may be disposed below the semiconductor dies 538, 540 as illustrated. Alternatively, two separate underfill materials 550 may be disposed below each of the semiconductor dies 538, 540.
Then, as illustrated in
Then, a planarization process may be performed on the molding material 552 until the top surfaces of the semiconductor dies 538 and 540 are exposed. The planarization process may include a CMP process, a mechanical grinding process, the like, or a combination thereof.
Afterwards, the carrier substrate 502 and the glue layer 504 may be removed by a de-bonding process. In some embodiments, the de-bonding is performed by projecting UV lights on the glue layer 504 or heating the glue layer 504, which causes the glue layer 504 to be decomposed, and hence the carrier substrate 502 is detached from the first redistribution layer 506.
Then, a plurality of conductive terminals 554 are formed below the first redistribution layer 506 and electrically coupled to the routing layers 506M, in accordance with some embodiments. The conductive terminals 554 may include microbumps, controlled collapse chip connection (C4) bumps, solder balls, ball grid array (BGA) balls, the like, or a combination thereof. The conductive terminals 554 may be formed of metal, such as tungsten, titanium, tantalum, ruthenium, cobalt, copper, aluminum, platinum, tin, silver, gold, the like, an alloy thereof, or a combination thereof. A semiconductor package structure 500 is formed.
The semiconductor die 538 may be arranged to vertically overlap the heat sink 514. In particular, the hot spot of the semiconductor die 538 may be arranged to vertically overlap the heat sink 514 to increase heat dissipation efficiency. The heat from the semiconductor die 538 can be transferred to the heat sink 514 through the thermal pads 536 and the thermal vias 534 and 508, and can be further transferred to the conductive terminals 554. Since the heat sink 514 is formed of a higher thermal conductivity material than the molding material 530, system thermal budget of the semiconductor package structure 500 can be increased. In addition, a quick thermal dissipation path can be provided.
Although one heat sink 514 is illustrated in
As illustrated in
The heat sink 602 may be thermally coupled to the thermal vias 508 and 534 and thermal pads 536, so that the heat from the semiconductor die 538 can be transferred to the heat sink 602 through the thermal pads 536 and the thermal vias 508 and 534, and can be further transferred to the conductive terminals 554. The heat sink 602 may be formed by plating, CVD, PVD, or another suitable deposition, and may be formed during the formation of the conductive pillars 512.
In summary, the semiconductor package structure according to the present disclosure includes a heat sink to replace semiconductor components which are not formed of good thermal conductivity materials, so that the heat dissipation efficiency can be improved. Therefore, more system thermal budget and a quick thermal dissipation path can be provided.
While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/585,988 filed on Sep. 28, 2023, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63585988 | Sep 2023 | US |