Layered microelectronic contact and method for fabricating same

Abstract

A microelectronic spring contact for making electrical contact between a device and a mating substrate and method of making the same are disclosed. The spring contact has a compliant pad adhered to a substrate of the device and spaced apart from a terminal of the device. The compliant pad has a base adhered to the substrate, and side surfaces extending away from the substrate and tapering to a smaller end area distal from the substrate. A trace extends from the terminal of the device over the compliant pad to its end area. At least a portion of the compliant pad end area is covered by the trace, and a portion of the trace that is over the compliant pad is supported by the compliant pad. A horizontal microelectronic spring contact and method of making the same are also disclosed. The horizontal spring contact has a rigid trace attached at a first end to a terminal of a substrate. The trace is free from attachment at its second end, and extends from the terminal in a direction substantially parallel to a surface of the substrate to the second end. At least a distal portion of the trace extending to the second end is spaced apart from the surface of the substrate. The spaced-apart distal portion is flexible in a plane parallel to the substrate.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to microelectronic contacts for use with semiconductor devices and the like. [0003] 2. Description of Related Art [0004] The demand for ever-smaller and more sophisticated electronic components has driven a need for smaller and more complex integrated circuits (ICs). The ever-smaller ICs and high lead counts, in turn, require more sophisticated electrical connection schemes, both in packaging for permanent or semi-permanent attachment, and for readily demountable applications such as testing and burn-in. [0005] For example, many modern IC packages have smaller footprints, higher lead counts and better electrical and thermal performance than IC packages commonly used only a few years ago. One such compact IC package is the ball grid array (BGA) package. A BGA package is typically a rectangular package with terminals, normally in the form of an array of solder balls, protruding from the b...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0021] In an embodiment of the invention, the device substrate, including the protrusions, may be coated with a thin metallic seed layer, such as a titanium-tungsten layer, applied by any suitable process such as sputtering. One or more uniform conformal layers of a sacrificial material, such as an electrophoretic resist material, is then applied over the device substrate. The sacrificial layer is then patterned as desired to expose the seed layer in a pattern of traces extending from the terminals of the device substrate to respective tops of the compliant pads. The trace pattern may be made wider over the compliant pads for greater stiffness and strength of the resulting contact structures.

[0024] The support of the compliant material may enable use of a thinner plated layer for the spring contacts than would otherwise be required to provide adequate contact forces. The thinner plated layer, in turn, may save substantial processing time during the plating step. Also, the foregoing method avoids any need for contouring or molding of a sacrificial layer, any need for separate forming steps for providing a sharp contact tip, and any need for a separate step to provide redistribution traces.

[0026] In another alternative embodiment, the traces are configured for a flip-chip application that requires no elastomer pad or underfill. The traces are shaped to be resilient in a direction parallel to the device substrate. For convenience, such traces are referred to herein as “horizontal springs,” and it should be apparent that “horizontal” is not limiting except in the sense of describing resiliency in the direction parallel to the device substrate. The horizontal resiliency compensates for thermal mismatch between the device substrate and the PCB or other member to which it is mounted, and thereby eliminates the requirement for underfill and for elastomer members. Optionally, the traces may also be made resilient in a direction perpendicular to the device substrate, like the spring contacts described in the references cited above.

Problems solved by technology

Once melted and re-hardened, the solder ball connections cannot readily be re-used, if at all.

Presently, however, the cost of fabricating fine-pitch spring contacts has limited their range of applicability to less cost-sensitive applications.

Much of the fabrication cost is associated with manufacturing equipment and process time.

One key disadvantage is the requirement for a polymer underfill beneath a die.

The presence of the underfill often makes it infeasible to rework the component.

This design lacks an elastomer layer for decoupling the die from the PCB and, therefore, may not eliminate the need for underfill.

The elastomeric materials tend to absorb moisture, and if excessive moisture is absorbed, rapid outgassing of this moisture at reflow temperatures may cause the formation of voids in the elastomer layer, or bursting of the package.

For example, moisture may be released from polymer materials in the elastomer and become trapped within the die attachment adhesive.

Voids may then be formed when this trapped moisture expands during board assembly heating operations, typically causing cracking and package failure.

Formation of such voids may be particularly problematic during reflow attachment to a PCB.

Another difficulty with chip-scale package designs is the process for integrating the elastomer member, which is typically done by picking and placing elastomer pads onto individual sites, or by screen printing and subsequently curing a fluid polymer.

In either case, it may be difficult to meet the tight tolerances and package flatness required for a CSP application.

This level of flatness may be difficult to achieve using prior art processes for depositing the elastomeric materials.

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