Component carrier and board

Abstract

A component carrier (104) and a board member (100) are provided. The component carrier comprises a stack (120) comprising at least one electrically insulating layer structure (122) and / or at least one electrically conductive layer structure (124), a component (106) embedded in the stack (120), and at least one stress relief opening (132) formed in each of the at least one electrically conductive layer structure (124) arranged in the stack (120) on one side of the component (106) such that a portion (136) of the stack (120) extending from an outer main surface (130) of the component carrier (104) to a main surface (134) of the component (106) and comprising the at least one stress relief opening (132) is free of electrically conductive material.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to component carriers and plates. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing functionality of component carriers equipped with one or more electronic components, the miniaturization of these components, and the growing number of components to be mounted on component carriers such as printed circuit boards, increasingly robust array-like components or packages with multiple components and numerous contacts or connectors with increasingly smaller spacing between them have been adopted. Removing the heat generated by these components and the component carrier itself during operation has become an increasingly serious problem. At the same time, the component carrier must be mechanically robust and electrically reliable to operate even under harsh conditions.

[0003] Furthermore, the efficient embedding of components in component carriers is also a problem. In particular, component carriers with embedded components exhibit a tendency to warp.

[0004] It may be necessary to embed the component in the component carrier, but the warpage is low. Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a component carrier is provided, comprising: a stack body including at least one electrically insulating layer structure (particularly multiple electrically insulating layer structures) and / or at least one conductive layer structure (particularly multiple conductive layer structures); a component embedded in the stack body; and at least one stress-relief opening formed on one side of the component in each of the at least one conductive layer structure in the stack body, such that the stack body extends on said side from the outer main surface of the component carrier (particularly perpendicular to the main surface of the stack body) to the main surface of the component and the portion including the at least one stress-relief opening is free of conductive material.

[0006] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a method for manufacturing a component carrier is provided, wherein the method includes: forming a stack comprising at least one electrically insulating layer structure (particularly multiple electrically insulating layer structures) and / or at least one conductive layer structure (particularly multiple conductive layer structures); embedding a component in the stack; and at least one stress-relief opening formed on one side of the component in each of the at least one conductive layer structure disposed in the stack, such that a portion of the stack extending from the outer main surface of the component carrier (particularly perpendicular to the main surface of the stack) to the main surface of the component on said side—the portion including the at least one stress-relief opening—is free of conductive material.

[0007] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a plate is provided, comprising an array of multiple plate segments, each plate segment including a component carrier having the above-described features.

[0008] In the context of this application, the term "component carrier" may specifically refer to any support structure on which and / or in which one or more components can be housed to provide mechanical support and / or electrical connection. In other words, a component carrier can be configured as a mechanical and / or electronic carrier for a component. In particular, a component carrier may be one of a printed circuit board, an organic insert, and an IC (integrated circuit) substrate. A component carrier may also be a hybrid board combining different component carriers of the types described above.

[0009] In the context of this application, the term "stress-relieving opening" may specifically refer to a recess or through-hole formed in a conductive layer structure at a specifically selected location on the component carrier where significant stresses that may cause warping of the component carrier may occur. The stress-relieving opening may be a pore and / or may be at least partially filled with a dielectric material, but should not contain a conductive material. Such warping tendency can be effectively prevented by forming a stress-relieving opening of suitable size and / or shape at an appropriate location on the conductive layer above the component carrier.

[0010] In the context of this application, the term "plate" may specifically refer to a plate-like structure that can be processed in a batch process for the manufacture of component carriers. After processing, such a plate can be individualized into multiple component carriers. For example, a plate may have a size of 12 inches x 18 inches.

[0011] According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a component carrier is provided, including stress-reducing openings that reduce stress acting on the component carrier during manufacturing and / or use. To form one or more stress-reducing openings above and / or below the embedded component, each metal layer can be interrupted at least on one side of the component (particularly on the non-connected side of the component), for example, each metal layer can be correspondingly recessed. Component carriers with embedded components are conventionally particularly prone to warping. However, it has been surprisingly found that this warping tendency can be suppressed by vertically forming one or more non-metallic stress-reducing windows above and / or below the embedded component.

[0012] Therefore, exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide an embedded design concept that actively reduces stress on packages or component carriers and realizes the concept of embedded component carriers (especially printed circuit boards, PCBs) that are otherwise impractical due to reliability or warpage issues. A key advantage of exemplary embodiments of the present invention is that it enables a wide range of embedded component applications.

[0013] Other exemplary embodiments of the component carrier, method, and plate will be described below.

[0014] In one embodiment, the aforementioned portion is made solely of an electrically insulating material, particularly solely of an electrically insulating material with at least one electrically insulating layer structure. Therefore, the at least one stress-relieving opening or window may be free of metallic materials such as copper. Surprisingly, it has been found that providing a metal-free window that extends uninterruptedly from the outer surface of the component carrier to the upper or lower main surface of the component carrier can effectively reduce the mechanical load applied to the component carrier in which the component is embedded. The corresponding portion of the stack may be correspondingly made of a dielectric material (particularly including resins, such as epoxy resin, optionally including reinforcements, particularly such as reinforced glass fiber). In particular, this portion may be copper-free. Correspondingly, the one or more stress-relieving openings may be holes extending through one or more conductive layer structures (such as copper foil).

[0015] In another embodiment, the portion is a hollow cavity. Therefore, one or more through holes can also be formed from the outer main surface of the component carrier to the hollow cavity embedded in the component (e.g., by mechanical drilling, milling, or laser cutting) through the metal layer between the outer surface and the component.

[0016] In one embodiment, a plurality of stress-relief openings are formed in each of a plurality of conductive layer structures arranged in a stacked structure on the side of the component, such that the portion of the stack extending from the outer main surface of the component carrier to the main surface of the component includes the plurality of stress-relief openings and contains no conductive material. Therefore, even complex electrical coupling tasks can be accomplished using multiple conductive layer structures—each traversed by a corresponding stress-relief opening in the stress-relief opening.

[0017] In one embodiment, the plurality of stress-relief openings are aligned with each other or may be flush with each other. Descriptively, when the component carrier is viewed from its upper main surface, the edges defining the plurality of stress-relief openings may appear as identical annular lines. In other words, connecting the edges defining the plurality of stress-relief openings can form a circumferential array of vertically extending straight lines. Stress can be significantly reduced using the described design.

[0018] As an alternative to aligning stress-relief openings, stress-relief openings may also overlap in a viewing direction perpendicular to the main surface of the component carrier, and / or one stress-relief opening may appear as part of another stress-relief opening (i.e., may be located within another stress-relief opening).

[0019] In one embodiment, the portion is a cylindrical structure extending through the corresponding conductive layer structure, particularly a circular structure. When the plurality of aligned stress-relief openings are circular through-holes, the portion including these circular through-holes is cylindrical in shape.

[0020] In one embodiment, the portion is defined by a dielectric material of the stack, vertically defined by the main surfaces of the component and component carrier, and laterally defined by one or more edges or edge portions of stress-relief openings, and a corresponding extension into the interior of the component carrier. The latter's edges or edge portions may correspond to a circumferential closed loop, which is visible when viewed from the outside of the component carrier towards the embedded component along a viewing direction perpendicular to the main surfaces of the component carrier and the component (and assuming the electrical insulation layer structure is transparent).

[0021] In one embodiment, the component carrier includes at least one additional stress-relief opening formed on the opposite side of the component in each of at least one conductive layer structure in the stack, such that the stack extends on the opposite side from another opposite outer main surface of the component carrier to the opposite main surface of the component, and the portion including the at least one additional stress-relief opening is free of conductive material. Therefore, both opposite main surfaces of the embedded component can be provided with corresponding stress-relief openings, thereby effectively achieving efficient stress suppression on both opposite main surfaces of the component embedded in the component carrier.

[0022] In one embodiment, a component (e.g., a semiconductor chip) includes at least one solder pad on one or both of the component's two opposite main surfaces. This at least one solder pad may be formed on the other opposite main surface of the component, away from the at least one stress-relief opening, and particularly only on that other opposite main surface. Thus, the solder pad side of the component can be used for electrical contact purposes, while the opposite non-solder pad side can be used for stress relief.

[0023] In one embodiment, no additional stress-relief openings are formed on the side of the component where at least one solder pad is formed. Therefore, this does not affect the flexibility required by the circuit designer to make any desired electrical connections on the solder pad side of the component.

[0024] However, alternatively, one or more additional stress-relief openings may also be formed on the pad side of the component, for example, extending between adjacent pads. Furthermore, pads may be formed on two opposite main surfaces of the component, and one or more stress-relief openings may also be formed between one or both of these main surfaces and the outer main surface of the component carrier.

[0025] In one embodiment, the at least one stress-relief opening is entirely defined circumferentially by the material of the corresponding conductive layer structure, particularly a via, and more particularly a circular via. Alternatively, the at least one conductive layer structure may be a continuous layer having a single via forming a designated stress-relief opening among the at least one stress-relief opening. In other words, the stress-relief opening can be formed as a ring-shaped closed structure. Thus, for example, a continuous metal foil can be provided with one or more internal vias forming the stress-relief opening.

[0026] In one embodiment, the ratio between the area of ​​a corresponding stress-relief opening (particularly each stress-relief opening) and the area of ​​the main surface of the component is at least 10%, particularly at least 20%. It has been found that significant stress relief can be achieved when at least 10% of the corresponding main surface of the component is connected to a portion extending to the outer main surface of the component carrier and including the one or more stress-relief openings. When this local area is at least 20%, even excellent stress-relief performance can be obtained. Preferably, this ratio can be less than 90%. Therefore, the area of ​​a single stress-relief opening in the stress-relief opening can be smaller than the area of ​​the main surface of the component.

[0027] In one embodiment, the at least one stress-relief opening is configured to reduce the stresses applied to the component carrier that cause warping. The material, location, and / or shape of the stress-relief opening and the corresponding portion of the stack are design parameters in this context.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment, the component carrier includes at least one stress-reducing structure arranged in the stack and at least partially in the central plane of the component. Correspondingly, the plate may include at least one stress-reducing structure arranged at least partially in the connecting line of at least two components in the connecting component. In the context of this application, the term "stress-reducing structure" may specifically refer to a physical structure integrated in a plate or component carrier (on which the component carrier may be manufactured) at a specific selected location where significant stresses that cause a warping tendency in the component carrier may occur. Such a warping tendency can be effectively prevented by integrating a stress-reducing structure of appropriate material and / or shape at a suitable location in the component carrier or plate. According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a plate and a component carrier manufactured on the plate are provided, which include a stress-reducing structure that reduces the stress acting on the component carrier during manufacturing and / or during use. Conventionally, component carriers in which components are embedded are particularly prone to such warping. However, it has been surprisingly found that integrating stress-reducing structures at the virtual (particularly horizontal) connecting lines of different components of different component carriers connecting the plate can suppress such a warping tendency.

[0029] In a highly preferred embodiment, the component carrier and / or plate are provided with a combination of at least one stress-reducing opening and at least one stress-reducing structure as described herein. Therefore, stress in the horizontal plane and on the vertical axis perpendicular to it can be effectively reduced.

[0030] In one embodiment, the at least one stress-reducing structure is configured to reduce the stresses applied to the component carrier that cause warping. The material, location, and / or shape of the stress-reducing structure are design parameters in this context.

[0031] In one embodiment, at least a portion of the at least one stress-relief structure is shaped as a sheet extending perpendicular to the main surface of the component carrier. For example, sheet-like cavities or slots can be formed within the stack. Such recesses can then be filled with a conductive material such as metal, particularly copper. This filling process can be accomplished, for example, by electroplating.

[0032] In one embodiment, at least a portion of the at least one stress-relief structure includes a plurality of parallel pillars extending perpendicular to the main surface of the component carrier. For example, a via can be formed by laser drilling or mechanical drilling, and the via can then be filled with a conductive material such as a metal, particularly copper.

[0033] In one embodiment, at least a portion of the at least one stress-relief structure comprises or is made of copper. Any other suitable metallic material may also be used. In another embodiment, the stress-relief structure may also be constructed of a plastic material or a material with plastic deformation properties.

[0034] In one embodiment, at least a portion of the at least one stress-reducing structure may have plastic stress behavior. Alternatively, at least a portion of the at least one stress-reducing structure may serve as a low-modulus elastic stress buffer.

[0035] In one embodiment, the coordinates of the center of gravity of the at least one stress-relief structure in a direction perpendicular to the main surface of the component support correspond to the coordinates of the center of gravity of the component in the same direction. In other words, the height level of the center of gravity of the stress-relief structure can be the same as the height level of the center of gravity of the component, and both can lie on the aforementioned connecting line. It has been found that stress propagation mainly occurs along the horizontal direction of the plate or component support at the aforementioned height level and can be suppressed by the described geometric conditions.

[0036] In the embodiment of the sheet metal, at least a portion of the at least one stress-reducing structure is arranged in the transition region between the component carriers of the sheet metal. When positioned in the transition region between sheet metal segments or component carriers, unused surface areas of the sheet metal can be used to mitigate warping. Simultaneously, the component carriers can be made very compact because, in the described embodiment, the component carrier itself does not need to include a stress-reducing structure.

[0037] In the plate embodiment, a portion of the stress-reducing structure is at least partially arranged in an additional connecting line that connects at least two components and extends perpendicularly to the connecting line. Therefore, stress-reducing functionality can be achieved in two mutually perpendicular directions within a plane defined by the plate (more precisely, by its two opposing main surfaces). The stress-reducing structure can be arranged in two orthogonal directions, thereby further improving the stress-reducing effect in the component carrier and the plate.

[0038] Components can be selected from the group consisting of: non-conductive inlays, conductive inlays (such as metallic inlays, preferably including copper or aluminum), heat transfer units (e.g., heat pipes), light guiding elements (e.g., optical waveguides or light guide connectors), electronic components, or combinations thereof. For example, components can be active electronic components, passive electronic components, electronic chips, storage devices (e.g., DRAM or other data storage), filters, integrated circuits, signal processing components, power management components, optoelectronic interface elements, voltage converters (e.g., DC / DC converters or AC / DC converters), cryptographic components, transmitters and / or receivers, electromechanical transducers, sensors, actuators, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), microprocessors, capacitors, resistors, inductors, batteries, switches, cameras, antennas, logic chips, light guides, and energy harvesting units. However, other components can be embedded in the component carrier. For example, magnetic elements can be used as components. Such magnetic elements can be permanent magnet elements (such as ferromagnetic elements, antiferromagnetic elements, or ferrite-based magnetic elements, such as ferrite substrates) or paramagnetic elements. However, the component can also be another component carrier, such as a plate-in-plate structure. One or more components can be surface-mounted on the component carrier and / or embedded in the component carrier. Furthermore, components other than those mentioned above can also be used as components.

[0039] In one embodiment, the plate or component carrier comprises a stack of at least one electrically insulating layer structure and at least one conductive layer structure. For example, the plate or component carrier may be a laminate of the aforementioned electrically insulating and conductive layers, particularly formed by applying mechanical pressure, with the formation process supported by heat if necessary. The stack can provide a plate-like component carrier capable of providing a large mounting surface for other components while remaining very thin and compact. The term "layer structure" can specifically refer to a continuous layer, a patterned layer, or multiple discontinuous islands within a common plane.

[0040] In one embodiment, the component carrier is shaped as a plate. This contributes to a compact design, although the component carrier provides a large substrate for mounting components thereon. Furthermore, bare wafers, particularly as examples of embedded electronic components, benefit from their small thickness and can be easily embedded into thin plates such as printed circuit boards.

[0041] In one embodiment, the component carrier is configured as one of the groups consisting of a printed circuit board and a substrate (particularly an IC substrate).

[0042] In the context of this application, the term "printed circuit board" (PCB) may specifically refer to a component carrier (which may be plate-shaped (e.g., planar), three-dimensionally curved (e.g., when manufactured using 3D printing), or may have any other shape) formed by laminating several conductive layer structures with several electrically insulating layer structures together, for example by applying pressure during lamination, such as with the expectation of a simultaneous supply of heat. Regarding preferred materials for PCB technology, the conductive layer structures are made of copper, while the electrically insulating layer structures may include resin and / or glass fiber, so-called prepreg or FR4 material. The individual conductive layer structures can be connected to each other in a desired manner by forming through-holes through the laminate—e.g., by laser drilling or mechanical drilling—and by filling the through-holes with a conductive material (particularly copper), thereby forming vias as through-hole connections. In addition to one or more components that may be embedded in the printed circuit board, the printed circuit board is generally configured to house one or more components on one or two opposite surfaces of the plate-shaped printed circuit board. Components may be soldered to the respective main surfaces. The dielectric portion of the PCB may include resin with reinforcing fibers (such as glass fiber).

[0043] In the context of this application, the term "substrate" may specifically refer to a small component carrier having a substantially the same size as the component (particularly electronic component) to be mounted thereon. More specifically, a substrate can be understood as a carrier for electrical connections or networks and a component carrier equivalent to a printed circuit board (PCB), although with a much higher connection density in the lateral and / or vertical arrangement. Lateral connections are, for example, conductive paths, while vertical connections can be, for example, drilled holes. These lateral and / or vertical connections are arranged within the substrate and can be used to provide electrical and / or mechanical connections for housing or not housing components (such as bare wafers), particularly IC chips, to printed circuit boards or intermediate printed circuit boards. Therefore, the term "substrate" also includes "IC substrate." The dielectric portion of the substrate may include resin with reinforcing spheres (such as glass spheres).

[0044] In one embodiment, the dielectric material of the at least one electrically insulating layer structure comprises at least one from the group consisting of: resins (such as reinforced or unreinforced resins, e.g., epoxy resins or bismaleimide triazine resins, more specifically FR-4 or FR-5), cyanate esters, polyphenylene derivatives, glass (particularly glass fiber, multilayer glass, glassy materials), prepregs, polyimides, polyamides, liquid crystal polymers (LCPs), epoxy-based laminated films, polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon), ceramics, and metal oxides. Reinforcing materials, such as meshes, fibers, or spheres, such as reinforcing materials made of glass (multilayer glass), may also be used. While prepregs or FR4 are generally preferred, other materials may also be used. For high-frequency applications, high-frequency materials such as polytetrafluoroethylene, liquid crystal polymers, and / or cyanate ester resins may be incorporated into the component carrier as the electrically insulating layer structure.

[0045] In one embodiment, the conductive material of the at least one conductive layer structure comprises at least one material from the group consisting of copper, aluminum, nickel, silver, gold, palladium, and tungsten. While copper is generally preferred, other materials or their coating forms are also possible, particularly coatings with superconducting materials such as graphene.

[0046] In one embodiment, the component carrier is a laminated body. In this embodiment, the semi-finished product or component carrier is a multi-layered composite structure that is stacked and connected together by applying compressive force—and preferably heat as well.

[0047] The above and other aspects of the invention will be understood from the embodiments described below, and these aspects will be explained with reference to the embodiments of these embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0048] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a component carrier with stress-relief openings according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0049] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a component carrier with double-sided stress-relief openings according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0050] Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of an array of plates including component carriers according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown, wherein stress-relief openings and stress-relief structures are provided.

[0051] Figure 4 A plan view of a plate comprising an array of component carriers according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0052] Figures 5 to 8 Different exemplary embodiments of the present invention are shown. Figure 4 The diagram shows a plan view of a single plate segment of the stress-relief structure. Detailed Implementation

[0053] The illustrations in the accompanying drawings are schematic. Similar or identical elements in different drawings are given the same reference numerals.

[0054] Referring to the accompanying drawings, before describing the exemplary embodiments in more detail, some basic considerations will be summarized, based on which the exemplary embodiments of the present invention are developed.

[0055] According to one embodiment, a component carrier (such as a PCB, printed circuit board) with embedded components and high reliability and low mechanical stress is provided.

[0056] Mechanical stress within embedded PCB packages can often cause serious problems such as warping, especially for components with ceramic or silicon surfaces.

[0057] In particular, very effective stress relief can be achieved through proper design of at least a portion of adjacent layers of the component area, especially the component region of the PCB, of the component carrier. Based on the inventors' research, the reliability of the package can be significantly improved by ensuring copper relief design in each layer (especially each metal layer) of the embedded component area. Based on these studies, excellent results are obtained when the copper of this conductive layer structure is spatially cut out of at least 20% of the component area in each layer by implementing one or more stress-relief openings. However, significant improvement can already be achieved when the aforementioned area percentage provided by the stress-relief openings is at least 10%.

[0058] Based on long-term research, the exemplary embodiments of the present invention have found a way to further reduce stress by preparing an embedded PCB design concept. This solution provides an architecture that significantly improves the reliability of a package or a component carrier with less effort. More specifically, the reduction of horizontally accumulated stress can be achieved through a plastic stress barrier or a stress relief structure. In particular, it may be advantageous to implement a barrier layer, which may be made of plastic or metal and may partially or completely eliminate accumulated stress at the center of the package or the component carrier. The stress relief structure may be made of a plastically deformable material. By adopting such measures, the warping behavior of embedded PCBs or, more generally, the warping behavior of component carriers with embedded components can be reduced or avoided. Very advantageously, the reliability and warping performance can be significantly improved, so that the application range of embedded components can be significantly broadened. This can basically be achieved without extra effort.

[0059] The inventors have conducted reliability tests, which show that the improvement is particularly achieved in the following aspects: when there is no stress relief design, a failure occurs after 3 reflow cycles. When there is a stress relief design, the product is still qualified even after 15 reflow cycles. The results have been verified through 10 batches and the results are reproducible.

[0060] Figure 1 It shows a cross-sectional view of a component carrier 104 having a copper-free stress relief opening 132 in a conductive layer structure 124 vertically above an embedded component 106 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0061] The illustrated component carrier 104 is configured as a laminated plate-shaped printed circuit board (PCB). The component carrier 104 includes a laminated stack 120, and the laminated stack includes a plurality of electrically insulating layer structures 122, which may include resin (such as epoxy resin) and optionally reinforcing particles (such as glass fibers). Furthermore, the stack 120 includes a plurality of conductive layer structures 124, which may be continuous copper foils, patterned copper foils, and / or copper-filled vias (such as laser vias and / or mechanically drilled vias). The layer structures 122 and 124 may be connected to each other by lamination, that is, by applying heat and / or pressure.

[0062] One or more components 106 may be embedded in the stack 120. For example, Figure 1 the component 106 shown in may be a semiconductor chip, such as a processor or a memory.

[0063] As can be seen from Figure 1As can be seen, in this case, three stress-relief openings 132, acting as through holes, are formed in each conductive layer structure of the conductive layer structure 124 arranged on the upper side of the component 106 within the stack 120. As a result, a portion 136 of the stack 120 is formed or defined. Figure 1 The portion 136 (shown as a dashed line in the diagram) extends from the outer upper main surface 130 of component carrier 104 to the upper main surface 134 of component 106 and includes a stress-relief opening 132. The portion 136 is laterally defined by a virtual vertical sidewall 183, which is defined by the narrowest lateral boundary of the stress-relief opening 132. The upper end of the portion 136 is defined by the upper main surface 130 of component carrier 104. The lower end of the portion 136 is defined by the upper main surface 134 of component 106. The lateral boundaries of the portion 136 correspond to the vertical line or sidewall 183 associated with the portion of the fully uninterrupted dielectric stack above component 106. In the illustrated embodiment, each of the conductive layer structures 124 above the upper main surface 134 of component 106 is a continuous layer having only a single via, the single via forming a designated stress-relief opening in the stress-relief opening 132. The entire portion 136 does not contain the conductive material of the conductive layer structure 124, and in the illustrated embodiment, it is composed only of the electrically insulating material of the electrically insulating layer structure 122 of the stack 120. Alternatively, portion 136 may be or may include a hollow cavity (not shown). The two outermost of the three stress-relief openings 133 are vertically aligned with each other, i.e., they have sidewalls that are vertically flush with each other. The lowermost stress-relief opening 133 is wider.

[0064] Similarly, Figure 1 As shown, component 106 includes solder pads 138, which are only on the lower main surface 134 of component 106, facing away from the stress-relief openings 132 in the upper portion of the stack 120. No additional stress-relief openings are formed on the bottom or lower side of component 106 where the solder pads 138 are formed. Therefore, the portion of the stack 120 corresponding to the side of component 106 with solder pads 138 can be referred to as the connection side. Correspondingly, the portion of the stack 120 above the solder pad-free main surface 134 of component 106 can be referred to as the non-connection side and opens upwards via the stress-relief openings 132.

[0065] From the floor plan shown Figure 1As can be seen from detail 171, the stress-relief opening 132 can be completely defined circumferentially by the material of the corresponding conductive layer structure 124 to form a through-hole, which is a circular through-hole in the illustrated embodiment. Still referring to detail 171, the ratio between the area A1 of the stress-relief opening 132 and the area A2 of the rectangular upper main surface 134 of the component 106 is preferably at least 10%, more preferably at least 20%. In other words, it is preferred to excavate at least 10% of the area of ​​each layer of the component. Advantageously, such a sufficiently large stress-relief opening 132 can effectively reduce the stresses applied to the component carrier 104 that cause warping.

[0066] Using reference Figure 1 The described copper-reduced opening architecture allows for the embedding of component 106 into component support 104 with reduced stress. More precisely, it reduces stress in the xy-plane. The xy-plane can be defined as a plane corresponding to the main surfaces 130, 134 and can be oriented with respect to... Figure 1 The paper surface is vertical, and also includes according to Figure 1 The horizontal axis. Figure 1 The xy-plane stress is schematically represented by reference numeral 177 in the attached figure. Furthermore, Figure 1 The area A2 of the component is also indicated by reference numeral 179, while the area A1 of the stress-relief opening corresponds to... Figure 1 Reference numeral 181 in the attached figure.

[0067] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a component carrier 104 having a stress-relief opening 132 according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0068] Advantageously, Figure 2 The component carrier 104 also includes additional stress-relief openings 133, which are formed in each conductive layer structure of the conductive layer structure 124 arranged below the lower main surface 134 of the component 106 in the stack 120. Thus, an additional portion 137 of the stack 120 extending from the lower main surface 130 of the component carrier 104 to the lower main surface 134 of the component 106 is formed. Figure 2 (The dashed line in the image) This additional portion includes, but does not contain, an additional stress-relief opening 133. Again, portion 137 is defined as a completely uninterrupted dielectric vertical window between component 106 and the outer main surface 130, and is defined by the lateral narrowest limit of stress-relief opening 132.

[0069] Even more preferably, Figure 2The component carrier 104 may optionally include an additional stress-reducing structure 108, which is arranged in the stack 120 and at least partially within the central plane 112 of the component 106. In particular, by combining the stress-reducing opening 132 and the stress-reducing structure 108, highly advantageous properties in terms of stress reduction can be obtained. Referring below... Figures 3 to 8 Describe the construction and function of the stress-relief structure 108.

[0070] Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of a plate 100 including an array of component carriers 104 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, both stress-reducing openings 132 and stress-reducing structures 108 are provided to effectively suppress stress and prevent warping. The plate 100 can be used for mass production of the component carriers 104. After the manufacturing process is completed, the plate 100 can be divided into individual cards or component carriers 104 by segmentation (e.g., by cutting or etching) along a dividing line 163. The component carriers 104 can be laminated flatbed printed circuit boards (PCBs).

[0071] Panel 100 includes a matrix array of multiple panel segments 102 arranged in rows and columns (see comparison). Figure 4 Each board segment 102 corresponds to a component carrier 104 or a preform of the component carrier 104 (i.e., a semi-finished structure in the form of a portion of the board 100, which can have the function of the component carrier 104 after the manufacturing process is completed). A corresponding component in a plurality of components 106 (particularly semiconductor chips, such as bare wafers) is embedded in each of the board segment 102 or the corresponding component carrier 104. The pads 138 of the components 106 are connected to the exterior of the corresponding component carrier 104 via vertical through-connectors 165, such as copper-plated vias. Such component carriers 100 with embedded components 106 are particularly prone to warping due to high mechanical stress.

[0072] Two corresponding stress-relief structures of a plurality of stress-relief structures 108—for example, made of copper—are arranged between two correspondingly juxtaposed component carriers 104. The stress-relief structure 108 is located in and passes through the virtual connecting line 110 of the component 106 connecting the component carriers 104. Furthermore, the stress-relief structure 108 is partially arranged within and thus passes through the central plane 112 of the component 106. Figure 3The stress-relief structure 108 extends vertically, that is, perpendicular to the main surface 130 of the plate-like member 100. More specifically, the coordinates of the center of gravity of the stress-relief structure 108 in the vertical direction perpendicular to the horizontal main surface 130 of the member 100 are the same or approximately the same as the coordinates of the center of gravity of the component 106 in the vertical direction perpendicular to the horizontal main surface 130 of the member 100. Descriptively speaking, when the aforementioned geometry is achieved, stress in the horizontal direction may be particularly influential at the center of gravity of the embedded component 106, and stress propagation and stress-induced artificial phenomena such as warping can be prevented. Due to this arrangement, the stress-relief structure 108 can reduce the stress applied to the plate segment 102 that causes warping. Preferably, the lateral distance d between the sidewall of the component 106 and the adjacent stress-relief structure 108 can be less than 10 mm.

[0073] Each of the component carriers 104 includes a stack 120 comprising an electrically insulating layer structure 122 (such as prepreg or FR4) and a conductive layer structure 124 (e.g., made of copper), see detail 161. Designated components 106 of the respective component carriers 104 are embedded in the stack 120. Some of the stress-reducing structures 108 are arranged in the stack 120 and partially within the central plane 112 of the component 106. Thus, due to features with elastic stress characteristics, reduced stress embedding can be achieved. For example, copper-plated structures, such as vias, slots, or cavities, can be formed in the stack 120 to act as plastic stress buffers or stress-reducing structures 108 to break the cumulative stress chain of the production format, i.e., the sheet 100.

[0074] Figure 4 A plan view of a plate 100 including an array of component carriers 104 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown. For clarity, Figure 4 The stress relief opening 132 and the corresponding conductive layer structure 124 are omitted. Figure 4 It is shown that part of the stress-reducing structure 108 is arranged in the plate segment 102, while another part of the stress-reducing structure 108 is arranged in the transition region 114 between the plate segments 102.

[0075] Plastic stress-reducing buffers or stress-reducing structures 108 can be introduced to break stress chains in the horizontal plane of the embedded substrate or component 106. Stress can be reduced when at least one plastic feature is implemented between continuous chains of the embedded component 106 in at least one direction, preferably in two perpendicular directions. The plastic feature can be, for example, a copper-plated via or channel, or it can be made from other materials exhibiting plastic stress behavior.

[0076] Figures 5 to 8 The following illustrations show stress-relief structures 108 according to different exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Figure 4 A plan view of each plate segment 102 of plate 100.

[0077] Reference Figure 5 The stress-reducing structure 108 is shaped as a sheet 116 extending perpendicular to the component 106. A portion of the stress-reducing structure 108 extends along the connecting line 110, while another portion extends along another connecting line 111. This enhances the stress-reducing capability of the individualized component carrier 104 and the plate 100 as a whole. Therefore, the plating baths in the core layer, laminate, and / or outer layer within the card region can be configured as the stress-reducing structure 108.

[0078] Reference Figure 6 The stress-relief structure 108 includes a plurality of parallel pillars 118 extending vertically through the plate 100. Therefore, electroplated holes in the core layer, laminate, and / or outer layer within the card region can be configured as the stress-relief structure 108. Figure 6 The stress-reducing structure 108 extends only along a single connecting line 110.

[0079] Reference Figure 7 , in accordance with Figure 5 The stress-reducing structure 108 is formed in a similar manner; however, this time the stress-reducing structure is located outside the component carrier 104 and within the transition region 114 between adjacent component carriers 104. The electroplating tank in the core / layer / outer layer outside the card area can be configured as the stress-reducing structure 108.

[0080] Reference Figure 8 According to Figure 6 The stress-reducing structure 108 is formed in a similar manner; however, this time the stress-reducing structure is located outside the component support 104 and within the transition region 114 between adjacent component supports 104. Furthermore, according to... Figure 8 The stress-relief structure 108 functions in two dimensions, rather than in one dimension as per 6. Electroplated holes in the core layer, laminate, and / or outer layer outside the card area can be configured as the stress-relief structure 108.

[0081] It should be noted that the term "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and "a" or "an" does not exclude the plural. Additionally, elements associated with different implementations can be combined.

[0082] It should also be noted that the reference numerals in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

[0083] The implementation of this invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings and described above. Instead, various variations using the schemes and principles shown according to the invention are possible, even in fundamentally different implementations.

Claims

1. A component carrier (104), wherein, The component carrier (104) includes: The stack (120) includes at least one electrically insulating layer structure (122) and a plurality of conductive layer structures (124). Component (106), which is embedded in the stack (120); A stress-relief opening (132) is formed in each of the conductive layer structures (124) arranged in the stack (120) on one side of the component (106), such that a portion (136) of the stack (120) extending on that side from the outer main surface of the component carrier (104) to the main surface (134) of the component (106) and defined by the stress-relief openings (132) of the plurality of conductive layer structures (124) is free of conductive material, wherein the stress-relief openings (132) are filled with dielectric material; and At least one stress-relief structure (108) is arranged in the stack (120), wherein at least a portion of the at least one stress-relief structure (108) arranged in the stack (120) has plastic stress behavior.

2. The component carrier (104) according to claim 1, wherein, The portion (136) is made of only electrical insulating material.

3. The component carrier (104) according to claim 1, wherein, The portion (136) is composed solely of the electrical insulating material of the at least one electrical insulating layer structure (122).

4. The component carrier (104) according to claim 1, wherein, The portion (136) is a hollow cavity.

5. The component carrier (104) according to claim 1, wherein, At least two of the plurality of stress-relief openings (132) are aligned with each other.

6. The component carrier (104) according to claim 1, wherein, All of the stress-relief openings in the plurality of stress-relief openings (132) are aligned with each other.

7. The component carrier (104) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The portion (136) is a columnar structure with vertical sidewalls (183).

8. The component carrier (104) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The portion (136) is a cylindrical structure with vertical sidewalls (183).

9. The component carrier (104) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The component carrier (104) includes at least one additional stress-relief opening (133) formed on the opposite side of the component (106) in each of the conductive layer structures (124) in the stack (120), such that the stack (120) extends on the opposite side from another outer main surface of the component carrier (104) to another main surface of the component (106) and the additional portion (137) including the at least one additional stress-relief opening (133) is free of conductive material.

10. The component carrier (104) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The component (106) includes at least one solder pad (138) on another main surface of the component (106) opposite to at least one of the stress-relief openings (132).

11. The component carrier (104) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The component (106) includes at least one solder pad (138) on another main surface of the component (106) opposite to at least one of the stress-relief openings (132).

12. The component carrier (104) according to claim 10, wherein, No stress relief opening is formed on the side of the component (106) on which the at least one solder pad (138) is formed.

13. The component carrier (104) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, At least one of the stress-relief openings (132) is completely defined in the circumferential direction by the material of the corresponding conductive layer structure (124).

14. The component carrier (104) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, At least one of the stress-relief openings (132) is a through-hole extending through the corresponding conductive layer structure (124).

15. The component carrier (104) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, At least one of the stress-relief openings (132) is a circular through-hole extending through the corresponding conductive layer structure (124).

16. The component carrier (104) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, At least one of the conductive layer structures (124) is a continuous layer having a single through-hole, the single through-hole forming a designated stress-relief opening in at least one of the stress-relief openings (132).

17. The component carrier (104) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The ratio between the area of ​​a corresponding stress-relief opening in the stress-relief opening (132) and the area of ​​the main surface of the component (106) is at least 10%.

18. The component carrier (104) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The ratio between the area of ​​a corresponding stress-relief opening in the stress-relief opening (132) and the area of ​​the main surface of the component (106) is at least 20%.

19. The component carrier (104) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The ratio between the area of ​​each individual stress-relief opening in the stress-relief opening (132) and the area of ​​the main surface of the component (106) is at least 10%.

20. The component carrier (104) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The ratio between the area of ​​each individual stress-relief opening in the stress-relief opening (132) and the area of ​​the main surface of the component (106) is at least 20%.

21. The component carrier (104) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, At least one of the stress-relief openings (132) is configured to reduce the stress that causes warping when applied to the component carrier (104).

22. The component carrier (104) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The at least one stress-relief structure (108) arranged in the stack (120) is at least partially within the central plane (112) of the component (106).

23. The component carrier (104) according to claim 22, wherein, The at least one stress-reducing structure (108) is configured to reduce the stress that causes warping when applied to the component carrier (104).

24. The component carrier (104) according to claim 22, wherein, At least a portion of the at least one stress-relief structure (108) is shaped as a sheet (116) extending perpendicular to the outer main surface of the component carrier (104), and / or, at least a portion of the at least one stress-relief structure (108) includes a plurality of parallel columns (118) extending perpendicular to the outer main surface of the component carrier (104).

25. The component carrier (104) according to claim 22, wherein, The coordinates of the center of gravity of the at least one stress-relief structure (108) in a direction perpendicular to the outer main surface of the component carrier (104) correspond to the coordinates of the center of gravity of the component (106) in a direction perpendicular to the outer main surface of the component carrier (104).

26. The component carrier (104) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The component carrier (104) includes at least one of the following features: At least one of the conductive layer structures (124) comprises at least one of the following: copper, aluminum, nickel, silver, gold, palladium and tungsten. The at least one electrically insulating layer structure (122) comprises at least one of the group consisting of: resin, glass, and ceramic; The component (106) is selected from the group consisting of: heat transfer unit, energy harvesting unit, storage device, filter, power management component, optoelectronic interface element, voltage converter, transmitter and / or receiver, electromechanical transducer, actuator, microprocessor, capacitor, resistor, inductor, switch, camera, and light guide element. The component carrier (104) is formed into a plate; The component carrier (104) is configured as a printed circuit board or substrate.

27. The component carrier (104) according to any one of claims 1 to 6. in, At least one of the conductive layer structures (124) comprises at least one of the following: copper, aluminum, nickel, silver, gold, palladium and tungsten, coated with a superconducting material.

28. The component carrier (104) according to claim 27. in, The superconducting material is graphene.

29. The component carrier (104) according to any one of claims 1 to 6. in, The at least one electrically insulating layer structure (122) comprises epoxy resin or bismaleimide-triazine resin.

30. The component carrier (104) according to any one of claims 1 to 6. in, The at least one electrical insulating layer structure (122) includes FR-4 or FR-5.

31. The component carrier (104) according to any one of claims 1 to 6. in, The at least one electrically insulating layer structure (122) includes at least one of cyanate ester, polyphenylene derivative, polyimide, polyamide and polytetrafluoroethylene.

32. The component carrier (104) according to any one of claims 1 to 6. in, The at least one electrical insulating layer structure (122) includes a prepreg material or an epoxy-based laminated film.

33. The component carrier (104) according to any one of claims 1 to 6. in, The at least one electrically insulating layer structure (122) comprises a liquid crystal polymer or a metal oxide.

34. The component carrier (104) according to any one of claims 1 to 6. in, The component (106) is an electronic component.

35. The component carrier (104) according to any one of claims 1 to 6. in, The component (106) is a non-conductive and / or conductive inlay.

36. The component carrier (104) according to any one of claims 1 to 6. in, The component (106) is an active electronic component or a passive electronic component.

37. The component carrier (104) according to any one of claims 1 to 6. in, The component (106) is an electronic chip.

38. The component carrier (104) according to any one of claims 1 to 6. in, The component (106) is an integrated circuit.

39. The component carrier (104) according to any one of claims 1 to 6. in, The component (106) is a signal processing component.

40. The component carrier (104) according to any one of claims 1 to 6. in, The component (106) is a cryptographic component.

41. The component carrier (104) according to any one of claims 1 to 6. in, The component (106) is a microelectromechanical system.

42. The component carrier (104) according to any one of claims 1 to 6. in, The component (106) is an accumulator, an antenna, or a logic chip.

43. The component carrier (104) according to any one of claims 1 to 6. in, The component (106) is a magnetic element.

44. The component carrier (104) according to any one of claims 1 to 6. in, The component (106) is a carrier of another component.

45. A sheet metal component (100), wherein, The plate (100) comprises an array of a plurality of plate segments (102), each of the plate segments comprising a component carrier (104) according to any one of claims 1 to 44.

46. ​​The plate (100) according to claim 45, wherein, The at least one stress-relief structure (108) is at least partially arranged in the connecting line (110) connecting at least two components in the component (106).

47. The plate (100) according to claim 46, wherein, At least a portion of the at least one stress-relief structure (108) is arranged in the transition region (114) between the component carriers (104).

48. The plate (100) according to claim 46 or 47, wherein, A portion of the at least one stress-relief structure (108) is at least partially arranged in an additional connecting line (111) that connects at least two of the components (106) and extends perpendicular to the connecting line (110).

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