1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic package structure and method for making the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a three-dimensional stack electronic package structure and method for making the same by using a flexible substrate.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, demands for high-speed and large-capacity electronic products have significantly increased, and correspondingly, fabrication difficulties have increased too. Taking the memory among the electronic products as an example, the fabrication process has gradually become increasingly difficult as it developed from the early 4M, 16M and 64M to the contemporary 128M DDR or 256M DDR. Correspondingly, the chip yield of a single-die memory chip having large capacity is decreased. Hence, the large capacity memory can be achieved by improving the package fashion. For example, a 256M memory can be obtained by packaging two 128M chips in a three-dimensional stack manner. Not only can the complexity of the wafer fabricating process be significantly reduced but also the fabrication cost can be greatly reduced by the three-dimensional stack package.
In a common prior art, a single chip is packaged basically in accordance with a single-chip micro ball grid array as shown in
In the multichip package, there are mainly plane/side-by-side juxtaposed multichip packages and stacked multichip packages. The plane/side-by-side juxtaposed multichip package using two or more than two juxtaposed chips is exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,352,632, entitled “Multichip packaged semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same”, which disclosed a connection of metal lead patterns between chips supported by a flexible resin tape to be sealed into a resin package. The tape adheres to the meal leads projecting from the package for being used in the known surface mount technology. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 5,373,188, entitled “Packaged semiconductor device including multiple semiconductor chips and cross-over lead”, disclosed chips of different types connected to bonding pads of a chip of a lead frame, in which input/output terminals are wire bonded to inner leads of the lead frame. Furthermore, the leads are used above or below a semiconductor chip for connection to electrodes that are unable to be reached by cross-over leads. Finally, this assembly is encapsulated in a plastic package, resulting in a large-sized final product. The aforesaid two patents use the resin package to encapsulate multiple chips. Thus, it is difficult to rework a single damaged chip in the multichip package by replacement with an effective chip, and the entire multichip package has to be discarded. Hence, such packaging styles significantly increase fabrication cost.
In the multichip stack package, U.S. Pat. No. 4,862,322, entitled “Double electronic device structure having beam leads solderlessly bonded between contact locations on each device and projecting outwardly from therebetween”, disclosed a structure composed of two chips facing each other in which input/output terminals are connected by means of beam leads. Even so, the costs of the material, fabrication and control as associated with this beam lead technology are high, which prevents the package structure from being applicable to mass production. R.O.C. Pat. Pub. No. 506,101, entitled “Stackable flex circuit chip package and method of making the same”, disclosed a stackable integrated circuit chip package. This invention consists of a flex circuit, and also, multiple chips are packaged. Although this invention uses a three-dimensional stackable package capable of greatly reducing the entire volume of the package, such an electronic package structure adopts a conductive plastic body to package multiple chip sets. Hence, rework cannot be performed for a single damaged chip under the premise of cost control. R.O.C. Pat. Application No. 200303607, entitled “Stack-type chip semiconductor device”, disclosed a three-dimensional stack-type package having electric signals of chips stacked in a three-dimensional manner delivered to a carrier base by a wire bond, the stack chips being stuck together with glue interposed therebetween. Since input/output terminals of the chips on a semiconductor according to the prior ROC patent application do not locate around the chips, it is difficult to achieve a connection by the wire bond.
In the aforesaid electronic package assembly, differences in temperature distribution and coefficient of thermal expansion will cause thermal stresses to be mismatched in the interface area between different materials, and will even possibly cause damage to components as a result of electrode pad breakage or malfunction of a single die as a result of other reasons during the packaging process. As such, the entire package assembly is discarded. This kind of damage relates generally to fatigue rupture which is the primary cause resulting in a damaged electronic package component. It is therefore an important subject for the electronic package to come up with a way of how to extend the life of usage for an electronic component or how to replace a single die in a stack.
In view of the fact that the three-dimensional stack packaging technology will be used for the electronic-structure module of the electronic logic components and the electronic memory components to reduce the costs, minimize the package size and ensure capability of reworking the electronic package, the present invention provides an electronic package structure using a flexible substrate so as to greatly reduce fabrication cost of the stack electronic package and maintain the reliability after long term usage.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide an improved three-dimensional multichip stack electronic package structure to mitigate and/or obviate the aforementioned problems.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a three-dimensional multichip stack electronic package structure which uses a flexible substrate for the package. Because the flexible substrate has a smaller elastic coefficient and a smaller thickness than the known organic substrate, the dynamic strength of the flexible substrate is less than that of the organic substrate. Because the strength of the flexible substrate is less than that of the chip, the known adverse effect caused by difference in coefficient of thermal expansion that is mismatched will not generate shearing stresses against the electronic package device under a temperature load. Accordingly, the reliability of the electronic structure after long term usage is improved.
Another object of the present invention is provide a three-dimensional multichip stack electronic packaging method by using a flexible substrate so as to achieve this end, satisfy the market demand from the advanced electronic industry, significantly reduce complexity of wafer fabricating process and greatly reduce product cost. Because the electronic component is mounted on the flexible substrate which is then folded for being assembled to the main substrate, a single damaged chip in the multichip package can be reworked by replacing the flexible substrate with one having an effective electronic component with better performance in transmitting electric signals to be assembled into the multichip package. Hence, this package type will significantly reduce the fabrication cost.
To attain the aforesaid objects, a three-dimensional multichip stack electronic package structure according to the present invention comprises a main substrate having at least a connection unit; a flexible substrate including at least a second face, a third face, at least a conductive wire for transmitting electric signals and at least a pin terminal, wherein the pin terminal corresponds to the connection unit connected to and mounted on the main substrate and the conductive wire for transmitting electric signals is mounted on the second face; and an electronic component having at least a contact pad connected to the second face of the flexible substrate, wherein the conductive wire for transmitting electric signals of the flexible substrate has an end electrically connected to the pin terminal, the contact pad of the electronic component is electrically connected to the conductive wire for transmitting electric signals to deliver electric signals of the electronic component to the pin terminal, and the third face of the flexible substrate adheres to the face of an electronic component of another flexible substrate, the face of the main substrate or the second face of another flexible substrate.
To attain the afore said objects, a three-dimensional multichip stack electronic packaging method according to the present invention comprises the steps of: (a) providing a main substrate having at least a connection unit; (b) providing a flexible substrate including at least a second face, a third face, at least a conductive wire for transmitting electric signals and at least a pin terminal wherein the pin terminal corresponds to the connection unit connected to and mounted on the main substrate, the conductive wire for transmitting electric signals is mounted on the second face and the conductive wire for transmitting electric signals has an end electrically connected to the pin terminal; (c) providing an electronic component having at least a contact pad connected to the second face of the flexible substrate; (d) inserting the pin terminal of the flexible substrate into the connection unit of the main substrate; and (e) adhering the third face of the flexible substrate to the faces of electronic components of another flexible substrate, the face of the main substrate or the second face of another flexible substrate.
An electronic package structure provided by the present invention comprises a main substrate having at least a connection unit disposed on the main substrate or at least a connector. Preferably, the connection unit is constructed by a single or plural pin holes. The connection unit disposed on the main substrate forms a pattern which is preferably in the shape of two parallel lines, two non-parallel lines, a triangle, a polygon, an ellipse or a combination thereof. In addition, the quantity of the flexible substrate can be either single or plural, the flexible substrate having a single or plural pin terminals disposed thereon. The geometric shape and the quantity of the pin terminals correspond to those of the connection unit disposed on the main substrate. Preferably, the pin terminal is disposed on one or more than one sides of the flexible substrate, the face of the flexible substrate or a combination thereof. Moreover, the flexible substrate may include a single or plural pin holes for connection to another flexible substrate.
A single or plural electronic components may comprise an active component and a passive component. The electronic components on the flexible substrates respectively may be identical or different, being attached to the flexible substrate by adhesion. Also, the flexible substrate has a single or plural conductive wires for delivering electric signals of the electric component to the pin terminal. Correspondingly, the quantity of the pin terminals on the respective flexible substrates may be identical or different, depending on the quantity of the electronic components carried by the flexible substrate. Preferably, the electronic component adheres to the flexible substrate by alloy reflow bonding, gluing, pressing or a combination thereof.
Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
a and 1b are schematic views of a conventional electronic package structure.
a through 2e are side views of a structure of a flexible substrate according to the present invention.
a through 4c are top views of disposition of pin holes or connectors on a main substrate according to the present invention.
a through 5d schematically shows flexible substrates respectively assembled to a main substrate having pin holes disposed in the shape of a quadrangle, in sequence, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Three preferred embodiments of this invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings for illustrating the present invention.
a through 2e are side views of a structure of a flexible substrate according to the present invention. In
a through 4c are disposing patterns of those pin holes or connectors on a main substrate according to the present invention. As shown in
In assembly, the pin terminals of the flexible substrate are inserted into the pin holes of the main substrate. Then, the flexible substrate is folded so that the electronic components are assembled in a three-dimensional multichip stack manner. The flexible substrate being assembled to the main substrate can be folded a number of times, either odd or even times, without limitation, depending on the pattern formed by the pin holes or connectors disposed on the main substrate. Hence, the size of the flexible substrate is not subject to the area circumscribed by the pin holes or connectors. In some cases, the flexible substrate is not even folded, but is directly adhered to another flexible substrate.
In this embodiment, an electronic package structure stacked in one-way direction is disclosed.
a,
5
b,
5
c and 5d schematically show flexible substrates respectively assembled to a main substrate having a plurality of pin holes disposed in the shape of a quadrangle, in sequence, according to this embodiment. A main substrate 400 has a plurality of pin holes 405, 406, 407 and 408 on the upper face thereof.
In addition, a single damaged chip in the multichip package can be reworked by replacing the flexible substrate with one having an effective electronic component with better performance in transmitting electric signals to be assembled into the multichip package. The flexible substrates are fastened with respect to each other by adhesion. Unlike the adhesion used for protecting conducting wires for transmitting electric signals of the electronic component in the conventional package, the adhesion of the present invention is used only for fastening. Hence, the melting point of the adhesion according to the present invention is conveniently low. Also, the pin terminals of the present invention are easy to be inserted into or removed from the connection unit. If a single damaged electronic component is found after the packaging process is completed, only the flexible substrate having that damaged electronic component is removed by warming up the entire electronic package structure.
In this embodiment, one of the flexible substrates has a plurality of pin holes for being assembled to a main substrate as shown in
As shown in
Consequently, in this embodiment, the multichip electronic package structure is stacked three-dimensionally, instead of one-dimensionally, to greatly increase the density of the electronic components per unit area.
The present invention intends to cover various modifications and similar arrangements obvious to a person skilled in this art. The scope of the claims, therefore, should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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093109070 | Apr 2004 | TW | national |