The present invention relates generally to a system and method for integrated circuits, and more particularly to a system and method for improving reliability of integrated circuit packages.
A wafer-level chip scale package (WCSP) enables the electrical and mechanical connection of several integrated circuit dies into a system on a chip (SOC) without the use of a die carrier or package. The integrated circuit dies in a WCSP may be directly connected to one another or to a printed wiring board or ceramic or silicon substrate with electrical connections on the integrated circuit dies being made through conductive balls or bumps formed on the integrated circuit die surface. Individual integrated circuit dies may be connected using flip chip connection techniques to enable further reductions in an overall size of the WCSP. Therefore, a WCSP may be physically smaller in volume than an alternately packaged SOC with a similar number of integrated circuit dies since the alternately packaged SOC may make use of die carriers and/or not make use of flip chip connection techniques.
In a typical WCSP, a build-up material may be used to create a package structure to help ensure that good electrical and mechanical connections within the package structure, between the various integrated circuit dies are made and maintained. In addition to physically binding the integrated circuit dies together, the build-up material may also be used as a dielectric and as a means of providing a layer for the conductive connections (usually solder balls or bumps). Examples of a build-up material may be polyimide, including linear polyimides and aromatic polyimides, and benzocyclobutene (BCB). The build-up material made from a polyimide, BCB, and so forth, may enable a degree of flexibility that may help to prevent the breaking of electrical and mechanical bonds due to differences in thermal expansion of the variety of materials used in the WCSP as well as the circuit board, module or substrate to which the WCSP is connected.
Although the use of a build-up material may provide a degree of flexibility that may help to prevent the breakage of electrical and mechanical bonds, as the size of the integrated circuits and/or the number of ball or bump connections used in a WCSP increases, the operating temperature range expands, and a frequency of the temperature cycle increases. As a result, the differences in the expansion of the different materials in the WCSP may exceed the ability of the build-up material to absorb the resulting stresses on the balls/bumps, and cracks may appear in the build-up material, consequently, some of the electrical and mechanical bonds may break.
These and other problems are generally solved or circumvented, and technical advantages are generally achieved, by embodiments of a system and a method for improving reliability of integrated circuit packages.
In accordance with an embodiment, an integrated circuit package is provided. The integrated circuit package includes a die and a first dielectric layer. The die includes a bump, an underbump metallization layer formed between the bump and the die with a portion of the underbump metallization layer under the bump having a first radius, and a redistribution layer formed between the underbump metallization layer and the die, the redistribution layer having a pad positioned under the underbump metallization layer, the pad having a second radius, and the pad making contact with the underbump metallization layer, wherein the second radius is smaller than or equal to the first radius. The first dielectric layer disposed between the die and the redistribution layer.
In accordance with another embodiment, an integrated circuit package is provided. The integrated circuit package includes a first die, a second die, and a plurality of solder balls. The first die includes a first plurality of bumps and a second plurality of bumps, an underbump metallization layer formed between the first plurality of bumps and the second plurality of bumps and the first die, and a redistribution layer, formed between the underbump metallization layer and the first die. A portion of the underbump metallization layer under each bump has a radius. The redistribution layer has a pad positioned under each portion of the underbump metallization layer formed under each bump, each pad having a radius, and each pad making electrical contact with the portion of the underbump metallization layer, wherein each pad has a radius that is larger than or equal to a radius of portion of the underbump metallization layer.
In accordance with another embodiment, a method of manufacturing an integrated circuit is provided. The method includes forming a first insulating layer over a first integrated circuit die, the first insulating layer having a first open portion, exposing a portion of the first integrated circuit die, forming a redistribution layer over the first insulating layer, the redistribution layer having a pad electrically coupled to the portion of the first integrated circuit die and a signal trace coupled to the pad, and forming a second insulating layer over the redistribution layer, the second insulating layer having a second open portion, exposing the pad. The method also includes forming a metallization layer over the second insulating layer, the metallization layer having a contact forming an electrical connection with the pad, and forming a bump over the contact of the metallization layer. The method further includes attaching a second integrated circuit die, wherein a portion of the second integrated circuit die makes electrical contact with the bump.
An advantage of an embodiment is that board level reliability of a WCSP may be increased without requiring the use of alternate or thicker materials. Furthermore, current manufacturing processes may not need to be altered, thereby increased board level reliability may be achieved with very little or no impact on the WCSP or to its assembly to a printed wiring board, module or substrate.
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the embodiments that follow may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the embodiments will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiments disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures or processes for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
For a more complete understanding of the embodiments, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
a is a diagram of a side view of a portion of a WCSP;
b is a diagram of a side view of a portion of a WCSP mounted on a printed wire board;
a is a diagram of a top view of the WCSP;
b is a diagram of a pad in a redistribution layer showing mechanical stress;
a and 3b are diagrams of side and top views of a portion of a WCSP;
a and 4b are diagrams of side and top views of a portion of a WCSP;
a and 7b are diagrams of WCSPs;
a and 10b are diagrams of data plots of peeling stress for different WCSP configurations.
The making and using of the embodiments are discussed in detail below. It should be appreciated, however, that the present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts that can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention, and do not limit the scope of the invention.
The embodiments will be described in a specific context, namely a wafer-level chip scale package containing a number of integrated circuit dies. The invention may also be applied, however, to other packaged systems on a chip where there may be concern for board level reliability due to differences in thermal expansion potentially leading to breakage of electrical and mechanical connections.
With reference now to
The dielectric layer 125 may be formed from multiple individual layers of the material used to create the dielectric layer 125. For example, as shown in
Also shown in
b displays a simplified side view of a WCSP 100 mounted on a printed wire board 150. The WCSP 100 includes a first integrated circuit die 155 and a second integrated circuit die 160. The second integrated circuit die 160 may be electrically connected to the first integrated circuit die 155 via bumps 105. The bumps 105 may also enable the electrical connection of the integrated circuit die 155 as well as other integrated circuits (directly or indirectly) to the printed wire board 150 via bond wires 165.
a illustrates a top view of the substrate 110 of the WCSP 100. Shown are portions of the underbump metallization layer 115 corresponding to bumps 105. The differences in the expansion and contraction of the materials in the WCSP 100 may lead to mechanical stress that is not constant over the surface of the substrate 110. The mechanical stress may be lowest at about the center of an integrated circuit die (shown at cross 205) and may increase as distance from the middle of the integrated circuit die increases. Maximum mechanical stress may be realized at bumps furthest away from the middle of the integrated circuit die, such as bump 115. This is shown in
Furthermore, the mechanical stress may differ within a pad of the redistribution layer 120.
a and 3b illustrate side and top views of a portion of a WCSP 300. The diagram shown in
Since the radius 315 of the pad 225 is significantly larger than the radius 320 of the underbump metallization layer 115, there may be a substantial portion of the dielectric layer 125 between the redistribution layer 120 and the underbump metallization layer 115. Since the portion of the dielectric layer 125 between the redistribution layer 120 and the underbump metallization layer 115 may be relatively thin (shown as line 305), it may not be mechanically strong. A relatively simple technique that may be used to increase the mechanical strength of the portion of the dielectric layer 125 between the redistribution layer 120 and the underbump metallization layer 115 may be to increase the thickness. However, this may increase the overall thickness of the WCSP 300. Other limiting factors affecting the thickness of the dielectric layer 125 may include excess substrate bowing and/or a reduction in dimensional resolution of the redistribution layer 120.
Another technique that may be used to increase thickness of the portion of the dielectric layer 125 between the redistribution layer 120 and the underbump metallization layer 115 may be to reduce the size of the pad 225.
Unlike the WCSP 300, the size of the pad 225 in the WCSP 400 may have been reduced so that the radius of pad 225 is less than the radius of the underbump metallization layer 115. The reduction in the radius of the pad 225 may increase the effective thickness of the dielectric layer 125 between the substrate 110 and the underbump metallization layer 115 (line 405). The increased thickness of the dielectric layer 125 may increase the mechanical strength of the dielectric layer 125, making it more resistant to cracks induced by mechanical stress.
a and 7b illustrate side views of alternate embodiments of WCSPs. The diagram shown in
After the redistribution layer has been formed, a second insulating layer may be formed (block 815). The second insulating layer may be used to prevent electrical short circuits in the redistribution layer and may have openings to permit electrical connectivity where desired. The second insulating layer may be created using techniques similar to those used in the forming of the first insulating layer (block 805). Then, a metallization layer may be formed over the second insulating layer (block 820). The metallization layer may be formed in a manner similar to the formation of the redistribution layer (block 810). The metallization layer may enable the formation of bumps (block 825) that may be used to attach additional integrated circuit dies or solder balls to permit electrical connectivity with circuitry external to the WCSP. The bumps may be created by depositing solder over portions of the metallization layer. The WCSP may then be attached to a printed wire board, module or other substrate (block 830).
The second integrated circuit die may be attached to the printed wire board, module, or substrate using flip chip or surface mounting techniques (block 835). In other applications, a second integrated circuit die may be attached to the WCSP where the second integrated circuit die may be flipped so that a surface of the second integrated circuit die containing integrated circuitry is facing a surface of the first integrated circuit die containing integrated circuitry. Alternatively, the second integrated circuit die may be mounted so that the surface of the second integrated circuit die containing integrated circuitry is facing away from the surface of the first integrated circuit die containing integrated circuitry and bond wires may be used to make electrical connections. The fabrication of the WCSP may then continue with operations such as encapsulating the backside of the WCSP to provide a measure of protection for the WCSP, testing the WCSP, and so forth.
Several techniques may be utilized to help reduce the formation of stress cracks. It may be possible to increase material strength at high stress points (block 905). For example, an alternate material may be used in place of polyimide or BCB in the dielectric layer 125. However, if polyimide or BCB must be used, it may be possible to increase material strength by increasing the thickness of the dielectric layer 125 at the high stress points. One way to increase the thickness is to decrease the redistribution layer pad diameter so that the diameter is smaller than the diameter of the underbump metallization layer, as shown in
In addition to increasing material strength at high stress points to help reduce the formation of stress cracks that may lead to electrical connection failure, it may be possible to further increase board level reliability by creating electrical connections at low (or relatively low) stress points (block 910). For example, due to typical arrangement of a WCSP, shortest path signal trace routing normally places electrical connections between a signal trace and a bump at high stress points, as shown in
The combination of increasing material strength and utilizing a non-shortest path signal trace routing technique may help to increase board level reliability.
b illustrates a data plot 1050 of redistribution layer 120 peeling stress for several different arrangements the dielectric layer 125/redistribution layer 120 of a WCSP. A fifth trace 1055 illustrates redistribution layer 120 peeling stress for an arrangement of the dielectric layer 125/redistribution layer 120 as shown in
Although the embodiments and their advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed, that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present invention. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 11948924 | Nov 2007 | US |
Child | 13099055 | US |