Method and apparatus for compensating for misalignment during manufacture of component carriers

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for compensating for misalignment during the manufacture of a laminated component carrier, the method comprising: detecting an image of a region of interest (100) of a component carrier structure (102) during the manufacture of a component carrier based on the component carrier structure (102); identifying a structural feature (104) in the image of the region of interest (100) that shows a misalignment relative to a target design; and at least partially compensating for the misalignment of the identified structural feature (104) by modifying the target design of at least one related structural feature (106) to be subsequently manufactured, wherein the at least one related structural feature (106) is related to the structural feature (104) that shows the misalignment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a method for compensating for misalignments during the production of a laminate-type component carrier, a device for compensating for misalignments during the production of a laminate-type component carrier, a computer-readable medium, and a program element. Background Art

[0002] In the context of the increasing product functionality of component carriers equipped with one or more electronic components and the progressive miniaturization of these electronic components and the increasing number of electronic components to be mounted on component carriers, such as printed circuit boards, increasingly powerful array-like components or packages with a plurality of electronic components are used, which have a plurality of contacts or connections, wherein the spacing between these contacts is increasingly smaller. During operation, the removal of heat generated by such electronic components and the component carrier itself is becoming an increasingly serious problem. At the same time, the component carrier should have mechanical strength and electrical reliability in order to be able to operate even under harsh conditions.

[0003] Furthermore, during manufacturing, the correct alignment of the individual constituent parts of the component carrier is an issue. For example, when assembling a component in a cavity of a component carrier structure, before connecting the component to one or more connection pads, correct alignment accuracy is important. Incorrect connections due to excessive misalignment may lead to functional failure of the component carrier. Summary of the invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is to enable the production of laminated component carriers having structural features of the component carrier with high spatial precision.

[0005] In order to achieve the above objects, a method for compensating for misalignments during the production of a laminate-type component carrier, a device for compensating for misalignments during the production of a laminate-type component carrier, a computer-readable medium, and a program element are provided according to the independent claims.

[0006] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a method for compensating for misalignment during the manufacture of a laminated component carrier is provided, wherein the method comprises: detecting an image of a region of interest of a component carrier structure during the manufacture of the component carrier based on the component carrier structure, identifying structural features in the image of the region of interest that show misalignment relative to a target design, and at least partially compensating for the identified misalignment of the structural features by modifying the target design of at least one related structural feature to be subsequently manufactured, wherein the at least one related structural feature is related to the structural feature showing the misalignment.

[0007] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a device for compensating for misalignment during the manufacture of a laminated component carrier is provided, wherein the device includes: an image detection unit, the image detection unit is configured to detect an image of a region of interest of a component carrier structure during the manufacture of the component carrier based on the component carrier structure; an identification unit, the identification unit is configured to identify structural features in the image of the region of interest that show misalignment relative to a predetermined target design; and a compensation unit, the compensation unit is configured to at least partially compensate for the identified misalignment of the structural features by modifying the target design of at least one related structural feature to be subsequently manufactured, wherein the at least one related structural feature is related to the structural feature showing the misalignment.

[0008] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a program element (e.g., a software routine, source code or executable code) is provided, which is suitable for controlling or implementing a method having the above-mentioned features when executed by a processor (such as a microprocessor, or a CPU, or a GPU, or an artificial intelligence system, or any other computing system).

[0009] According to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a computer readable medium (e.g. a CD, DVD, USB stick, floppy disk or hard disk), the computer readable medium storing a computer program, which when executed by a processor (e.g. a microprocessor or CPU) is modified to control or implement the method having the above features. The exemplary embodiment also covers software having the described functionality stored in the cloud.

[0010] The data processing that can be performed according to embodiments of the present invention can be realized by a computer program, ie by software, or by using one or more special electronic optimized circuits, ie in hardware or in a hybrid form, ie by means of software components and hardware components.

[0011] In the context of the present application, the term "component carrier" may particularly denote any supporting structure that is capable of accommodating one or more components on and / or in the supporting structure for providing mechanical support and / or electrical connection. In other words, the component carrier may be configured as a mechanical and / or electronic carrier for the components. In particular, the component carrier may be one of a printed circuit board, an organic interposer and an IC (integrated circuit) substrate. The component carrier may also be a hybrid board combining different component carriers of the above-mentioned types of component carriers. The term component carrier may also cover molded panels and high-density redistribution structures.

[0012] In the context of the present application, the term "component carrier structure" may particularly denote a component carrier (such as a printed circuit board or an IC substrate) itself or a larger body (such as a panel or array) of multiple component carriers or preforms thereof (for example, semi-finished products obtained during the manufacture of component carriers individually or in a batch process).

[0013] In the context of the present application, the term "region of interest" may particularly denote a spatial region of a component carrier structure, particularly a surface region of a component carrier structure, where the structural features currently being processed are located, and which may show misalignment that should be compensated. In particular, the region of interest may be the same as the region scanned by the image detection unit of the device, or the region of interest may be scanned during the detection of an image by the method. In an embodiment, the region of interest is a dedicated portion or sub-portion of the entire component carrier structure or the entire component carrier (e.g., a region that is more sensitive than other regions, a region of high bonding density, a portion that is more prone to misalignment than other portions, etc.). However, in another embodiment, the region of interest may also be defined as covering the entire component carrier structure (e.g., the entire panel). Therefore, the region of interest may be only a sub-portion of the component carrier structure, or may be the entire component carrier structure. Therefore, local misalignment may be brought about and misalignment may be compensated in the entire range (e.g., compensation may be extended to the entire card, the entire array, or even the entire panel).

[0014] In the context of the present application, the term "structural feature" may particularly denote any physical property or characteristic of the component carrier structure currently being processed. For example, such a physical property or characteristic may be a material section of the component carrier structure and / or a recess of the component carrier structure. In particular, such a structural feature may be an electrically conductive structure, such as a plated structure, a portion of a patterned copper foil, a copper-filled laser via, etc. In an embodiment, the structural feature may also be an electrically insulating structure. The structural feature may also be a component to be surface-mounted on the component carrier structure and / or embedded in the component carrier structure. According to an exemplary embodiment, a misalignment of one or more structural features of the component carrier structure may be compensated.

[0015] In the context of the present application, the term "related structural feature" may particularly denote another structural feature of a component carrier structure, which is structurally and / or functionally related to a preceding (particularly misaligned) structural feature. In particular, a virtual structural feature and a related virtual structural feature may be virtually related to a target design, according to which a component carrier of the component carrier structure is to be manufactured. In addition, a physical structural feature and a related physical structural feature may be physically related (particularly physically connected to each other) in an actually manufactured component carrier of the component carrier structure. For example, a structural feature and a related structural feature should be electrically connected in an already manufactured component carrier. For example, a structural feature may be an embedded electronic component, and a related structural feature may be a pad, which should be electrically connected to the embedded electronic component to electrically contact the embedded electronic component. In a further embodiment, the structural feature may be a prefabricated component carrier element.

[0016] In the context of the present application, the term "target design" may particularly denote a specification or layout or a set of design rules defining the characteristics of structural features of a component carrier to be manufactured based on the component carrier structure. For example, the characteristics may include one, more or all of the shape, size, position, orientation and angle characteristics of the structural features constituting the component carrier. In particular, the target design for manufacturing a component carrier may include all data indicating the layout of the component carrier to be manufactured. For example, the target design may be implemented as a data set or a software element.

[0017] In the context of the present application, the term "misalignment" may particularly denote a spatial difference between a target characteristic of a structural feature (e.g. a geometric characteristic according to a predefined theoretical or target design) and an actual characteristic (e.g. an actual or true geometric characteristic for the processed component carrier structure).

[0018] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a system is provided for compensating for spatial misalignment (e.g., positional offset) of structural features (e.g., embedded components) generated during the manufacture of a laminated (e.g., having a multilayer stack connected by applying heat and / or pressure) component carrier (e.g., a printed circuit board) by processing a component carrier structure (e.g., a panel). Ideally, such a component carrier is manufactured to conform to a predefined target design, for example to meet user-defined specifications. However, in practice, it may happen that the structural features deviate from the ideal target characteristics according to the target design, for example showing spatial misalignment. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, such misalignment can be detected, for example, by optically inspecting a corresponding region of interest of the component carrier structure (wherein the region of interest can, for example, correspond to a portion of a detected image). After identifying and determining the corresponding misalignment by comparing the actual spatial characteristics of the structural features with the target characteristics according to the target design, for subsequent processing, the target design can be changed, corrected or modified according to this misalignment instead of correcting the position of the misaligned structural features to meet the initial target design. By taking this measure, the target design of one or more additional structural features associated with the misaligned structural feature can be changed to compensate for the misalignment without negatively affecting the already manufactured component carrier. Descriptively, the misaligned structural feature can be redefined to be manufactured to meet the modified target design, which can be achieved by modifying the target design with respect to one or more related features accordingly. Such an embodiment can allow component carriers to be accurately manufactured without the need for difficult and time-consuming physical correction of already formed structural features (for example, by removing and reassembling the misaligned structural features). In contrast, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention retains the misaligned structural features as is and changes the target characteristics of one or more related features to be subsequently formed based on the modification of the target design.

[0019] From the description, the exemplary embodiment converts the alignment operation into a separate compensation process at the data processing level, rather than a cumbersome physical correction of the already manufactured features. In other words, with respect to the manufacture of structural features, the manufacturing process can be started or continued by a modified (particularly the most suitable) assembly design for one or more structural features related to the already formed misaligned structural features, while correcting previous processing errors. Advantageously, this method does not require consideration of design constraints, which allows the component carrier designer to react flexibly to any detected misalignment. Therefore, a method can be provided that meets demanding precision requirements even in the manufacture of component carriers, for example for embedded and fan-out applications.

[0020] In the following, further exemplary embodiments of the method, the device, the computer-readable medium and the program element will be described.

[0021] For example, the component carrier structure may be a laminate of a plurality of superposed electrically insulating layer structures and electrically conductive layer structures, which is formed in particular by applying mechanical pressure and / or thermal energy.

[0022] In an embodiment, the method includes manufacturing at least one relevant structural feature based on the modified target design. Thus, rather than physically correcting the misaligned structural feature, the relevant structural feature to be manufactured later is redefined with the updated target design to partially or fully compensate for the misalignment of the detected misaligned feature. This provides fast and reliable compensation without tedious post-processing.

[0023] In an embodiment, the method includes fabricating at least one correlated structural feature in the region of interest. Thus, both the misaligned structural feature and the correlated feature may be partially or fully located within the scanned region of interest. Thus, the compensation process may focus on the direct spatial environment of the misaligned feature, where the correlation between the structural characteristics of the misaligned feature and the structural characteristics of the correlated feature is typically most apparent.

[0024] In an embodiment, the misalignment of at least one structural feature comprises one or more of the following: a positional shift of the structural feature relative to a target position according to an initial target design, a rotational misalignment of the structural feature relative to a target orientation in the initial target design, and a tilt of the misaligned structural feature relative to an angular characteristic as defined in the initial target design. Thus, different kinds of spatial relationships between the spatial target characteristic and the actual spatial characteristic of the misaligned feature may be considered for alignment or compensation.

[0025] In an embodiment, the method includes: identifying misaligned structural features in a currently processed layer structure of a component carrier structure, and compensating the misalignment at least partially by realizing the formation of relevant structural features in a subsequently processed layer structure of the component carrier structure (particularly the next higher layer structure relative to the currently processed layer structure). In the context of the present application, the term "layer structure" can particularly represent a continuous layer, a patterned layer, or a plurality of non-continuous islands in the same plane. The layer structure can be electrically insulating and / or electrically conductive. For example, in the case of a layer stack currently being processed (for example, an electronic component is currently embedded in a cavity of a layer structure), compensation of a target design can be determined for subsequent higher layers (where, for example, a plated via should be formed for contacting previously embedded components). Therefore, the misalignment of a structural feature located in or on a layer structure can be compensated by redefining or redefining the target design in a subsequently processed layer structure. In other words, the undesired misalignment of misaligned structural features can be converted into a favorable corresponding misalignment of relevant structural features in a subsequently processed layer structure.

[0026] In an embodiment, the method comprises iteratively repeating the identification and at least partial compensation of at least one further layer structure processed after processing the subsequently processed layer structure. In other words, the updating of the target design to conform to the misalignment of the currently manufactured layer structure can be performed multiple times during the formation of the further layer structure on the stack of the component carrier structure. This combines fast processing with high precision even for complex stacks. Preferably, the identification of the misalignment of the structural features and the corresponding updating of the target design can be performed after each layer of the multilayer component carrier is formed and before the formation of further structural features related to the misaligned structural features.

[0027] In an embodiment, the method includes compensating by modifying a target design only in a region of interest of the component carrier structure and not in other regions. By limiting the redetermination or updating of the target design for misalignment compensation to the region of interest where structural features with misalignment are also located by scanning, the computational burden in terms of misalignment compensation can be kept very small. This allows for real-time compensation to be performed, thus not delaying the manufacturing process.

[0028] In another embodiment, the method includes compensating by modifying the target design in an extended area of ​​the component carrier structure on the space, which extends beyond the area of ​​interest. For example, the extended area can be a quarter panel. Therefore, in the alternative advantageous embodiment, the redetermination of the target design can be extended beyond the spatial limits of the area of ​​interest in which the misaligned structural features are located, so as to also take into account and compensate for the effects of the misalignment detected on one or more surface areas of the component carrier structure located in the environment of the area of ​​interest. For example, an incorrectly positioned embedded component may not only affect the position of the pads and / or plated through holes of the higher-level structure in contact with the embedded component, but may also affect the spatial characteristics of the electrically conductive traces connected to the pads and / or plated through holes, for example, for transmitting electrical signals and / or heat to the embedded component and / or for moving electrical signals and / or heat away from the embedded component. Therefore, the redetermination of the target design can be extended beyond the limits of the area of ​​interest to reach one or more other areas of the component carrier structure affected by the misalignment and its compensation.

[0029] In an embodiment, the method comprises identifying a misalignment based on the result of comparing an initial target design of the misaligned structural feature with an actual design of the structural feature in the region of interest. This comparison between the actual spatial characteristics of the misaligned structural feature (as detected by the image detection unit) and the target spatial characteristics of the virtual structural feature of the component carrier to be manufactured (as defined by the target design) can be implemented with low computing effort and therefore very accurately (in particular since it may not be necessary to scan and analyze the entire structural feature (e.g. component feature), but only a limited analysis - such as rotation and offset of the structural feature - may be sufficient as a basis for determining the compensation). The redefinition of the target design is therefore highly accurate and the manufacturing process can be implemented quickly and accurately.

[0030] In an embodiment, the misaligned structural features are components to be embedded, and the related structural features are connection pads or vertical through-connections for electrically connecting the embedded components. Thus, even in the case of spatial errors in embedding the components into the cavities of the layer stack of the component carrier structure, such artifacts can be compensated by correspondingly modifying the target positions of the subsequently formed electrically conductive contact structures for electrically connecting to the embedded components.

[0031] In an embodiment, the misaligned structural feature is a plated through hole and the related structural feature is an electrically conductive trace or pad. When a pad or pad is to be formed for connecting a previously formed vertical through connection, the detection of the imprecise or misaligned vertical through connection can be used as information to allow the target position of the pad or pad to be recalculated. Thus, the pad or pad can be formed to have a smaller area while still ensuring a correct connection to the misaligned vertical through connection.

[0032] In an embodiment, the misaligned structural feature is a high-density integrated portion, while the related structural feature is a connected electrically conductive layer structure. In the context of the present application, the term "high-density integrated" (HDI) portion of the stack may particularly denote such an area of ​​the stack in which the number of electrically conductive features per volume is higher than the number of electrically conductive features per volume in another portion of the stack (in which case the other portion may be denoted as a "low-density integrated" portion). When the misalignment in such an HDI region of the stack is determined by its tiny electrically conductive substructures, even a small misalignment may have a significant impact on the functionality of the manufactured component carrier. Therefore, on the basis of the redefined target design, it may be very advantageous to take such misalignment into account for the subsequent formation of electrically conductive contact structures for contacting the high-density integrated region. In particular, this may be combined with previous, simultaneous and / or subsequent alignment marks based on an alignment process. However, it should be mentioned that other exemplary embodiments may also be applied to component carriers and component carrier structures having the same diameter, i.e., copper plating uniformity, everywhere.

[0033] In an embodiment, the method comprises compensating for misalignments during processing of the component carrier structure by at least one of imaging of the component carrier structure, in particular photoimaging, solder mask processing, screen printing, via formation (e.g. physically, mechanically or chemically), and mechanical processing, in particular the mechanical processing is performed by drilling and / or the mechanical processing is performed during assembly. However, in terms of the manufacture of the component carrier, other manufacturing processes may be included in the manufacturing and misalignment compensation, since the mentioned and other manufacturing processes may be defined based on parameters of a target design, which parameters can be dynamically adapted to the detected misalignments.

[0034] In an embodiment, the method further comprises aligning a structural feature of the component carrier structure based on one or alignment marks of the component carrier structure. In the context of the present application, the term "alignment mark" may particularly denote a structural or physical feature of the component carrier structure, which may be detected in a surface area or in an interior of a component carrier structure (in particular a preform of a component carrier, such as a printed circuit board), optically inspected, inspected by X-ray or computed tomography (CT), or visually visible on a surface. With respect to processing the component carrier structure, in particular by processing the component carrier structure with a processing machine capable of using alignment marks for spatial orientation, alignment marks (in particular overall and / or local alignment marks) may be used as a basis for alignment. For example, such an alignment mark may be a non-functional through hole, or a blind hole, or a pad on and / or in the component carrier structure, which through hole, or a blind hole, or a pad may be optically inspected to determine the position and / or orientation of the component carrier structure, such as a preform of a component carrier (e.g. a panel). For example, a plurality of such holes and pads may be provided in the edge region of a rectangular component carrier structure such as a panel as alignment marks. Alignment marks may be provided on one main surface or two opposing main surfaces and / or inside the component carrier structure. For example, alignment marks may be chiseled marks, corners (e.g., corners of a rectangular electronic device) and laser targets. Moreover, registration molds (glass, TSV, etc.) may also be used as alignment marks. Highly advantageously, the concept of alignment using alignment marks may be synergistically combined with an update of the target design in response to a detected misalignment of a structural feature. This may further improve the accuracy of the manufactured component carrier.

[0035] In an embodiment, the method includes aligning a component carrier structure for forming a structural feature and / or for forming an associated structural feature. Thus, in order to form a structural feature (e.g. for embedding a component in a cavity), one or more alignment marks of the component carrier structure can be detected by an optical detector, for example the same optical detector that is also used as an image detection unit for detecting misalignment of the structural feature. Based on the information derived from the detection of one or more alignment marks, the misalignment of the structural feature can be made relatively small. In combination with subsequent modifications to the target design after determining the misalignment of the structural feature, the overall accuracy of the manufacturing process can be further improved. Additionally or alternatively, the subsequent formation of the associated structural feature can be implemented using knowledge of at least one alignment mark of the component carrier structure.

[0036] In an embodiment, the method redefines the misaligned structural features to conform to the target alignment according to the modified design. Therefore, the misaligned structural features can be redefined in the modified design to be structural features that are completely consistent with the corresponding specifications in the changed target design.

[0037] In an embodiment, the misalignment compensation method is implemented at the panel level using the panel as a component carrier structure before separating the panel into individual component carriers. For example, the size of such a panel can be at least 12 inches by 18 inches, or at least 18 inches by 24 inches, or from 510 by 515 mm. 2 Up to 600×600mm 2 . Component carriers can thus be manufactured in batches and thus efficiently. Misalignments can thus also be identified and compensated for quickly on a panel level and thus on an industrial scale by updating the target design. Alternatively, the method can also be implemented on an array level.

[0038] In an embodiment, identifying a structural feature showing a misalignment comprises determining an offset and rotation of the structural feature in the cavity of the component carrier structure relative to the target design. Such an offset may, for example, be a displacement of the center of the misaligned structural feature (e.g., a component to be embedded) compared to a target position of the center according to the target design. The mentioned rotation may, for example, be an angular misalignment of the structural feature (e.g., a component to be embedded) compared to a target orientation of the structural feature according to the target design (e.g., an edge of the structural feature is parallel to an edge of a rectangular cavity).

[0039] In an embodiment, at least partially compensating the identified misalignment includes modifying the target design to at least partially compensate for the offset and the rotation.Thus, correcting only two design parameters (ie, offset and rotation) may be sufficient to compensate for at least most of the misalignment.

[0040] In an embodiment, the method comprises laminating at least one further layer structure to the component carrier structure after the compensation.Thus, the identification and correction of misalignments can be carried out during the lamination phase, ie during stacking.

[0041] In an embodiment, the method includes at least partially compensating for the identified misalignment of the structural feature by modifying a target design of at least one related structural feature by at least one of a compensating position shift, a compensating rotation, and a compensating tilt. Thus, the modification of the target design with respect to the related feature may be a shift, a rotation, and / or a tilt, or the modification of the target design with respect to the related feature may include a shift, a rotation, and / or a tilt.

[0042] In an embodiment, the method comprises aligning and processing the component carrier structure according to the obtained design compensation. In particular, processing the component carrier structure may comprise subjecting the component carrier structure to at least one of the following: imaging (in particular photo-imaging), solder mask processing, screen printing, and via formation (in particular by drilling and / or during assembly). These and other processes require precise alignment of the component carrier structure to be processed.

[0043] In an embodiment, the component carrier structure is selected from a panel for manufacturing component carriers, an array of a plurality of component carriers or preforms thereof, and a component carrier for carrying at least one component. In a preferred embodiment, a PCB panel can be processed with the described alignment or misalignment compensation concept.

[0044] In an embodiment, the method includes manufacturing at least one relevant structural feature based on a modified target design by laser direct imaging (LDI). Therefore, the method can be implemented using an apparatus that may include a laser direct imaging device. LDI can use a component carrier structure with a photosensitive surface, which is located under a controllable laser. A control unit scans the component carrier structure into a raster image. Matching the raster image with a predetermined metal pattern corresponding to the modified target design of the component carrier structure allows operating the laser to directly produce an image corresponding to at least one relevant structural feature to be produced on the component carrier structure. Advantageously, highly accurate relevant structural features can be formed by LDI. In addition, LDI is very suitable for quickly generating relevant structural features based on the modified target design.

[0045] In an embodiment, the component carrier structure and / or its component carrier of the present manufacture comprises a stack of at least one electrically insulating layer structure and at least one electrically conductive layer structure. For example, the component carrier can be a laminate of the mentioned electrically insulating layer structure and the electrically conductive layer structure, which laminate is formed in particular by applying mechanical pressure and / or thermal energy. The mentioned stack can provide a plate-like component carrier that can provide a large mounting surface for other components and is still very thin and compact in the vertical direction. The stack can be a laminated stack, i.e. formed by connecting the layer structures of the stack by applying heat and / or pressure.

[0046] In an embodiment, the component carrier structure and / or its component carrier of the present invention is formed as a plate. This facilitates a compact design, wherein the component carrier still provides a large base for mounting components on the component carrier. In addition, in particular, a bare wafer as an example of an embedded electronic component can be conveniently embedded in a thin plate such as a printed circuit board due to its small thickness.

[0047] In an embodiment, the component carrier structure and / or the component carrier thereof manufactured at present is configured as one of a printed circuit board, a substrate (particularly an IC substrate), and an interposer.

[0048] In the context of the present application, the term "printed circuit board" (PCB) may particularly denote a plate-like component carrier formed by laminating a plurality of electrically conductive layer structures with a plurality of electrically insulating layer structures, for example by applying pressure and / or by attacking thermal energy. As a preferred material for PCB technology, the electrically conductive layer structure is made of copper, while the electrically insulating layer structure may include resin and / or glass fiber, so-called prepreg or FR4 material. By forming a through hole through the laminate, for example by laser drilling or mechanical drilling, and by filling the through hole with an electrically conductive material (particularly copper) to form a via as a through-hole connection, the electrically conductive layer structures can be connected to each other in a desired manner. In addition to one or more components that can be embedded in the printed circuit board, the printed circuit board is generally constructed to accommodate one or more components on one surface or two opposite surfaces of the plate-like printed circuit board. The one or more components may be connected to the corresponding main surface by welding. The dielectric part of the PCB may include a resin with reinforcing fibers (such as glass fibers).

[0049] In the context of the present application, the term "substrate" may particularly refer to a small component carrier. Relative to a PCB, a substrate may be a relatively small component carrier on which one or more components may be mounted, and the component carrier may be used as a connection medium between one or more chips and another PCB. For example, a substrate may have approximately the same size as a component (particularly an electronic component) to be mounted on the substrate (for example, in the case of a chip size package (CSP)). More specifically, a substrate may be understood as a component carrier for a carrier for an electrical connector or an electrical network and a component carrier for a connector that is comparable to a printed circuit board (PCB) but has a relatively high density of lateral and / or vertical arrangements. The lateral connectors are, for example, conductive channels, and the vertical connectors may be, for example, drill holes. These lateral and / or vertical connectors are arranged in the substrate and may be used to provide electrical, thermal and / or mechanical connections between a contained component or an uncontained component (such as a bare wafer) - particularly an IC chip - and a printed circuit board or an intermediate printed circuit board. Therefore, the term "substrate" also includes an "IC substrate". The dielectric portion of the substrate may include a resin with reinforcing particles, such as reinforcing spheres, particularly glass spheres.

[0050] The substrate or interposer may include or be composed of at least one layer of glass, silicon, silicon (Si), or a photoimageable or dry-etchable organic material such as an epoxy-based laminated material (e.g., an epoxy-based laminated film), or a polymer compound such as polyimide, polybenzoxazole, or benzocyclobutene.

[0051] In an embodiment, the at least one electrically insulating layer structure comprises at least one of the following: a resin (such as a reinforced resin or a non-reinforced resin, for example an epoxy resin or a bismaleimide-triazine resin), a cyanate ester, a polyphenylene derivative, a glass (particularly glass fiber, multilayer glass, a glass-like material), a prepreg material (such as FR-4 or FR-5), a polyimide, a polyamide, a liquid crystal polymer (LCP), an epoxy-based laminated film, polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon), a ceramic, and a metal oxide. Reinforced structures such as meshes, fibers, or spheres made of, for example, glass (multilayer glass) may also be used. Although prepregs, particularly FR4, are generally preferred for rigid PCBs, other materials, particularly epoxy-based laminated films or photoimageable dielectric materials may also be used. For high-frequency applications, high-frequency materials such as polytetrafluoroethylene, liquid crystal polymers and / or cyanate resins, low-temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC) or other low DK materials, extremely low DK materials, or ultra-low DK materials may be implemented as an electrically insulating layer structure in a component carrier.

[0052] In an embodiment, the at least one electrically conductive layer structure comprises at least one of the following: copper, aluminum, nickel, silver, gold, palladium and tungsten. Although copper is generally preferred, other materials or other types of coatings thereof are also possible, in particular the electrically conductive layer structure is coated with a superconducting material such as graphene.

[0053] At least one component that can be optionally surface mounted on the stack and / or embedded in the stack can be selected from a non-conductive inlay, a conductive inlay (e.g. a metal inlay, preferably comprising copper or aluminum), a heat transfer unit (e.g. a heat pipe), a light guiding element (e.g. an optical waveguide or optical conductor connector), an optical element (e.g. a lens), an electronic component or a combination thereof. For example, the component can be an active electronic component, a passive electronic component, an electronic chip, a storage device (e.g. a DRAM or other data storage), a filter, an integrated circuit, a signal processing component, a power management component, an optoelectronic interface element, a voltage converter (e.g. a DC / DC converter or an AC / DC converter), a cryptographic component, a transmitter and / or a receiver, an electromechanical converter, a sensor, an actuator, a microelectromechanical system (MEMS), a microprocessor, a capacitor, a resistor, an inductor, a battery, a switch, a camera, an antenna, a logic chip and an energy harvesting unit. However, other components can also be embedded in the component carrier. For example, a magnetic element can be used as a component. Such a magnetic element may be a permanent magnetic element (such as a ferromagnetic element, an antiferromagnetic element, a multiferroic element or a ferrimagnetic element, for example a ferrite core) or may be a paramagnetic element. However, the component may also be, for example, a substrate, an intermediate layer or another component carrier in a plate-in-plate configuration. The component may be surface mounted on the component carrier and / or may be embedded inside the component carrier. In addition, other components may also be used as components, in particular those that generate and emit electromagnetic radiation and / or are sensitive to electromagnetic radiation propagated from the environment.

[0054] In an embodiment, the component carrier structure and / or the component carrier of the component carrier structure currently manufactured is a laminated component carrier. In such an embodiment, the component carrier (structure) is a composite of multilayer structures stacked and connected together by applying pressing force and / or heat.

[0055] After the internal layer structure of the component carrier has been treated, one or both main surfaces of the treated layer structure can be covered symmetrically or asymmetrically (in particular by lamination) with one or more further electrically insulating layer structures and / or electrically conductive layer structures. In other words, the stacking can be continued until the desired number of layers is obtained.

[0056] After the formation of the stack of electrically insulating layer structures and electrically conductive layer structures has been completed, a surface treatment of the resulting layer structure or component carrier may be performed.

[0057] In particular, in terms of surface treatment, an electrically insulating layer, such as a solder resist or BU (build-up) material, may be applied to one or both of the main surfaces of the stack or component carrier. For example, the solder resist may be formed over the entire main surface and the solder resist layer may then be patterned to expose one or more electrically conductive surface portions that will be used to electrically connect the component carrier to the electronic peripheral. Surface portions of the component carrier that remain covered by the solder resist, in particular those containing copper, may be effectively protected from oxidation or corrosion.

[0058] As far as surface treatment is concerned, a surface finishing portion can also be selectively applied to the exposed electrically conductive surface portion of the component carrier. Such a surface finishing portion can be an electrically conductive covering material on the exposed electrically conductive layer structure (such as a pad, an electrically conductive trace, etc., in particular including or consisting of copper) on the surface of the component carrier. If such an exposed electrically conductive layer structure is not protected, the exposed electrically conductive component carrier material (in particular copper) may oxidize, thereby making the reliability of the component carrier low. The surface finishing portion can then be formed as a joint between, for example, a surface-mounted component and a component carrier. The surface finishing portion has the function of protecting the exposed electrically conductive layer structure (in particular a copper circuit) and realizing a bonding process with one or more components, for example by welding. Examples of suitable materials for the surface finishing portion are organic solderability preservatives (OSP), chemical nickel immersion gold (ENIG), gold (in particular hard gold), chemical tin, nickel gold, nickel palladium, etc.

[0059] The aspects defined above and further aspects of the invention are apparent from the examples of embodiment to be described hereinafter and are explained with reference to these examples of embodiment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0060] Figure 1 An apparatus for compensating for misalignments during the manufacture of a component carrier according to an example embodiment of the invention is shown at a first stage of a manufacturing process.

[0061] Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 A device that is in the second stage of the manufacturing process.

[0062] Figures 3 to 6 Different views of a component carrier structure are shown during implementation of a method for producing a component carrier, including compensating for misalignments, according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

[0063] Figures 7 to 9 A process flow of a method for compensating for misalignment of structural features formed during the manufacture of a component carrier according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0064] Fig.10 A cross-sectional view of a component carrier structure having misaligned structural features is shown, wherein the misalignment can be compensated for by changing the target design for forming the associated features thereon in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0065] Fig.11 A cross-sectional view of another component carrier structure having misaligned structural features is shown, wherein the misalignment can be compensated for by changing the target design for forming the associated features thereon in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0066] The illustrations in the drawings are schematic. In different drawings, similar or identical elements are provided with the same reference signs.

[0067] Before describing the exemplary embodiments in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, some basic considerations upon which the exemplary embodiments of the present invention were developed will be outlined.

[0068] When creating structural features of a component carrier of a component carrier structure during a manufacturing process, it may happen that the spatial characteristics of such structural features are spatially misaligned relative to target characteristics defined in a target design. Such a target design may, for example, be a set of parameters, such as a data file, defining the specifications that the component carrier to be manufactured should meet. An example of such a misalignment is that a component is embedded in an incorrect position, which is present in a cavity of a layered stack of the component carrier structure. As a result of such an artifact, a vertical connection for electrical contact with the embedded component may subsequently be formed at an incorrect position. This may have an undesirable adverse effect on the function of the manufactured component carrier.

[0069] In order to at least partially overcome this and / or other disadvantages, an exemplary embodiment scans a surface area of ​​a component carrier structure, i.e., a region of interest, which includes key structural features as candidates for misalignment. For example, such a scan can be an optical scan, an X-ray scan, a computed tomography (CT), an ultrasound scan, etc. For example, scanning of structural features that may be misaligned may be limited to a region of interest, for example, an area of ​​a component carrier structure that includes the following: including structural features that may be misaligned and electrical paths to the structural features. The actual misalignment of the structural features can then be determined as a deviation between the spatial target characteristics of the target design and the real or actual spatial characteristics of the structural features formed on the component carrier structure. The focus of determining the misalignment can advantageously be focused on the rotation and offset of the misaligned structural features (e.g., components) determined based on unique processing data from the scan. In order to avoid edge and / or boundary distortion, the method can, for example, use an optimization algorithm to comprehensively adjust the image (especially at the array level, card level, or panel level) taking into account local offsets and / or rotations of individual components that are partially related to the overall range. The exemplary embodiment does not correct the position of the structural features that are incorrectly arranged or misaligned in space and / or rotation, but maintains the misaligned features on the component carrier structure without modification, but in comparison, the exemplary embodiment recalculates the target design for another part of the manufacturing process so that the misaligned structural features are redefined to achieve correct positioning according to the modified target design. In order to avoid functional problems of the currently manufactured component carrier, the modified target design can partially or completely compensate for the misalignment of the detected structural features by changing the target design of one or more other structural features, which are related to the misaligned structural features and will be manufactured subsequently. From the description, such subsequently manufactured structural features related to the misaligned structural features can also be intentionally misaligned (for example, by applying corresponding spatial and / or rotational offsets) so that the mutual spatial relationship between the misaligned features and one or more related features manufactured subsequently matches. For example, when the above-mentioned embedded components are misaligned, by applying corresponding rotations and / or shifts, the vertical connection for contacting the misaligned embedded components is misaligned in a corresponding manner. Taking into account the previous misalignment, future processing of the component carrier structure can be readjusted. In other words, the misalignment is not corrected by physically rearranging the misaligned structural features in the correct position and / or correct orientation on the component carrier structure. Instead, future processing of one or more (still virtual) structural features that are related to the misaligned structural features (in particular electrically connected thereto) can be changed or modified to conform to the recognized misaligned structural features.The rest of the component carrier design, i.e. the further structural features that are not related to the misaligned structural feature, can remain unchanged. This can keep the computational effort of redefining the target design small. Thus, exemplary embodiments can perform a local correction that is limited to the context of the misaligned structural feature and involves rotations and / or offsets, thereby, for example, preventing problems at the edges of the designed component carrier. Especially at said edges, overall modifications to the design may have undesirable effects on one or more structural features arranged at said edges. Therefore, in one embodiment, the target redesign can be limited to a region of interest around the misaligned structural feature.

[0070] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a registration process and a corresponding alignment station for manufacturing component carriers (especially for embedding or packaging) can be provided. Embedding / packaging may involve critical designs with small annular rings that require high alignment accuracy. This problem has traditionally been solved in a limited way because alignment has traditionally been viewed as a "method" rather than a "process." However, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, alignment for component carrier manufacturing (especially for embedding / packaging) is developed as an independent process that corrects at least part of the previous process errors and prepares an appropriate (especially the best) assembly design for the next processing stage.

[0071] The compensation or alignment process according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention can be implemented as a stand-alone station in a manufacturing device after assembly and pressing, which can be a major process involving placement errors and dimensional variations. Once the final position of the packaged component (e.g., semiconductor chip) is fixed in the cavity of the component carrier structure, a scanner (e.g., a vision system) can detect the position of the misalignment based on the optical mark. A data file including the corresponding offset and / or rotation of the misaligned structural features can then be generated. The target design (e.g., CAM design) can be updated accordingly, for example, using personalized software.

[0072] The gist of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to perform a two-stage alignment for the manufacture of component carriers, in particular for improved applications (e.g., embedding and / or packaging). A corresponding alignment process or station for implementing the alignment process can be configured, for example, in the case of an embedded component (or embedded PCB, printed circuit board), which can be estimated as an offset and rotation in the cavity of the layer stack of the component carrier. Advantageously, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention can first correct the position of a misaligned structural feature (e.g., an embedded component (especially a frame, card, or array) in a cavity) independently of how the structural feature is distorted in the component carrier structure (e.g., how a card, array, or frame is distorted in a panel). In fact, the alignment of the component carrier structure can be performed in the second stage using, for example, local or global alignment. For example, a component image can be scanned, but only the main offset and rotation caused by the previous process are calculated, and the main offset and rotation are updated in the target design. In particular, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention can seek to compensate for errors caused by lithographic feature formation and / or assembly and embedding processes. Misalignment of features may also be due to copper wire processes and / or surface unevenness.

[0073] In particular, exemplary embodiments of the present invention may perform a process for compensating for errors caused by lithographic feature formation, assembly, and embedding processes. In this case, laser direct imaging (LDI) may be performed very advantageously. This may allow alignment to be obtained in an advanced and flexible manner. Exemplary embodiments may apply adaptive imaging for alignment.

[0074] In another embodiment, the component carrier is also printed on the film and glass plate when the design is updated through the processing station. In this case, the use of LDI may not be required or mandatory.

[0075] More specifically, exemplary embodiments of the present invention may introduce a two-stage alignment procedure when having an embedded component (or PCB) that is estimated to be offset and rotated within a cavity that accommodates the component. The key point of the exemplary embodiment is to first correct the position of the component within a cavity formed in an area of ​​interest (e.g., a frame, card, or array) independently of how the area of ​​interest is deformed within a component carrier structure (e.g., a plate). In one embodiment, the alignment of the component carrier structure may be accomplished in a second stage, for example using local alignment or global alignment. In particular, preferred embodiments of the present invention may calculate the offset and rotation of one or more structural features (e.g., a component in a cavity) compared to an original target design caused by a previous process. The target design may then be updated as compensation for one or more other subsequently processed structural features that may be functionally related to the aforementioned one or more structural features.

[0076] Figure 1 An apparatus 120 for compensating for misalignment during manufacturing of a component carrier according to an example embodiment of the invention is shown at a first stage during a manufacturing process. Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 Device 120 is at a second stage during the manufacturing process.

[0077] The device 120 is configured to compensate for misalignments that may occur during the manufacture of a component carrier such as a printed circuit board (PCB). During manufacture, the component carrier to be manufactured may form part of an integral structure such as a panel, which may be represented as a component carrier structure 102. Such a component carrier structure 102 during manufacture is Figure 1 and Figure 2 Reference numeral 140 corresponds to a corresponding region of the component carrier structure 102 which can form a component carrier after the manufacturing process has been completed and after the component carrier structure 102 has been separated into a plurality of individual component carriers at the separation lines 183 .

[0078] The component carrier structure 102 can be implemented as a plate-like laminated stack of layer structures 142. As schematically shown by detail 144, the laminated stack of layer structures 142 can be composed of an electrically conductive layer structure 146 and an electrically insulating layer structure 148. For example, the electrically conductive layer structure 146 can include a patterned copper foil, one or more vertical through-connections (e.g., copper-filled laser conduction parts), etc. The electrically insulating layer structure 148 can include a resin (such as an epoxy resin), optionally including reinforcing particles (e.g., glass fibers or glass spheres) in the resin. For example, the electrically insulating layer structure 148 can be made of prepreg or FR4. The layer structure 142 can be connected by lamination, i.e., applying pressure and / or heat.

[0079] The apparatus 120 includes an image detection unit 122, which is configured to detect an image of a region of interest 100 (ROI) of the component carrier structure 102 during the manufacture of the component carrier based on the component carrier structure 102. For example, the image detection unit 122 can be an optical image detection unit, such as one or more cameras. The image detection unit 122 can capture image data and can send the image data of the region of interest 100 to the processor 134 for data processing. The various components of the processor 134 - which will be described in more detail below - can exchange data with a memory device 150 such as a mass storage unit (e.g., a hard drive). The database can be stored on the memory device 150.

[0080] The processor 134 of the device 120 includes an identification unit 124, which is configured to identify a specific structural feature 104 in the image of the region of interest 100, which structural feature 104 shows a misalignment relative to a predetermined target design stored in the memory device 150. More specifically, the misalignment can be identified based on a comparison result of a target design of the misaligned structural feature 104 with an actual design of the structural feature 104 in the region of interest 100. For example, the target design can be a data set stored in the memory device 150 and can represent specifications of structural parameters based on which the component carrier should be manufactured, etc. The target design also includes information indicating spatial characteristics of the structural feature 104. When the structural feature 104 is misaligned, the actual physical spatial characteristics of the structural feature 104 are different from the target characteristics defined for the structural feature 104 in the target design. One or more parameters indicating the deviation of the actual spatial position of the structural feature 104 compared to its expected spatial position according to the target design can be used to quantify the misalignment in the identification unit 124 by determining the one or more parameters. For example, the misalignment can be determined based on the spatial offset and rotation of the structural feature 104.

[0081] The compensation unit 126 of the processor 134 may be communicatively coupled to the identification unit 124 and may be configured to partially or completely compensate for the identified misalignment of the structural feature 104 by modifying a target design of one or more other related structural features 106 of the processed component-carrier structure 102 to be subsequently manufactured. The at least one related structural feature 106 is functionally related to the structural feature 104 showing the misalignment. The compensation unit 126 may modify and update the target design in the storage unit 150 for the purpose of compensating for the misalignment.

[0082] The process control unit 128 of the processor 134 can then control or execute the next process of the manufacturing process to create one or related structural features 106 based on the modified target design (the modified target design may be different from the initial target design). Preferably, the process control unit 128 can be configured to control the formation of at least one related structural feature 106 based on the modified target design by laser direct imaging (LDI). LDI can be represented as a technique of conductor image exposure, in which the layout of the component carrier structure 102 is not imaged on the component carrier structure 102 as an image of a film template on a photosensitive film, but the formation of the structure of at least one related structural feature 106 to be produced is controlled by a laser (e.g., a digital laser or multiple lasers) and sequentially burned into the photosensitive film. For example, this can be achieved by one or more laser diodes, the concentrated light of the laser diodes being deflected by a digitally controlled lens or a special optical system. The capacity of such a machine depends on the number of laser diodes and reflector systems used. The characteristic of the laser is a fixed, defined wavelength range of light, for example a wavelength range of 410nm.

[0083] For example, structural feature 104 is a portion of a patterned copper foil. Related structural feature 106 may be a plated surface portion of a laminated stack. Figure 2 As shown, the structural feature 106 is produced in the same region of interest 100 in which the misaligned structural feature 104 is also located and has been scanned by the image sensing unit 122 .

[0084] Therefore, in Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the figure, reference numeral 104 indicates the actual position of the unaligned structural feature 104 of the layer structure 130. Reference numeral 104' indicates the target position of the structural feature 104 defined in the initial target design (before the target design is modified or updated), that is, the position where the structural feature 104 should be located in the aligned state. Figure 1 After the structure shown and after the operation of the image detection unit 122, the recognition unit 124 and the compensation unit 126 as described above, the target design is modified or updated. In addition, Figure 2Reference numeral 106 in the figure indicates a modified target position at which the relevant structural feature 106 is formed on the layer structure 132 (formed above the layer structure 130) when the manufacturing process is performed based on the modified or updated target design. Reference numeral 106' indicates the initial target position of the structural feature 106 according to the initial target design, i.e. before the modification or updating. As shown, the compensation process does not correct the position of the structural feature 104 on the component carrier structure 102, but rather keeps the erroneously formed structural feature 104 in its misaligned position. In contrast, the compensation process compensates for the misalignment by changing the target position of the structural feature 106, which is functionally related to the structural feature 104 in the already manufactured component carrier. This correlation is caused, for example, by the electrical connection of the structural feature 104 to the relevant structural feature 106 via the electrically conductive connecting element 107, see Figure 2 . In order to maintain the functional integrity of the manufactured component carrier, the target position of the relevant structural feature 106 is modified so that: in the modified target design, the relevant structural feature 106 is misaligned in a manner corresponding to the structural feature 104, so as to be correctly connected to the structural feature 104 via the electrically conductive connecting element 107. In other words, the misaligned structural feature 104 is not repaired to be aligned, but on the contrary, in the modified design rules or target design, the target position of the relevant structural feature 106 is adjusted so that the misalignment of the structural feature 104 is taken into account to ensure that the manufactured component carrier functions. Therefore, according to the modified target design (but not in accordance with the initial target design), the described compensation process redefines the misaligned structural feature 104 to meet the target alignment.

[0085] In the illustrated embodiment, the misalignment is an offset in position, i.e., a horizontal shift between the actual position of the structural feature 104 and the target position of the structural feature 104 according to the initial target design. However, in addition or alternatively, the compensation of the misalignment may also compensate for a rotational misalignment relative to the target orientation and / or a tilt of the misaligned structural feature 104 relative to an angular target characteristic.

[0086] from Figure 1 It can be seen that the identification of the misaligned structural features 104 occurs in the currently processed layer structure 130 of the component carrier structure 102. Figure 2 It can be seen that compensation for misalignment can be accomplished by implementing the formation of the relevant structural features 106 in the subsequently processed layer structure 132. In the embodiment shown, the layer structure 132 is a higher layer structure relative to the currently processed layer structure 130 of the component carrier structure 102. Therefore, the processing of the later formed layer structure 132 is performed to compensate for the misalignment of the previously processed layer structure 130.

[0087] Advantageously, embodiments of the present invention may modify the target design only within the region of interest 100 of the component carrier structure 102 and not in other regions 108. This keeps the computational burden of updating the target design reasonably small. Furthermore, this may prevent problems with the modified design in the etched region 158 of the component carrier structure 102, where an offset or shift in the position of the relevant features 106 may result in the relevant features 106 being formed, for example, at excessively lateral positions on the component carrier structure 102 for compensation purposes.

[0088] In an alternative embodiment, not only the region of interest 100 (see Figure 1 ) within the target design, and the extension region 110 (see Figure 2 ) in the target design. This can compensate for the modification effect of the target design to also perform misalignment compensation in the connected area of ​​the region of interest 100.

[0089] Although not shown, the described processing sequence of identification and compensation can be repeated multiple times iteratively. For example, a corresponding update of the target design can be repeatedly performed after each formation of the corresponding further layer structure, ie during the stacking of the layer stack.

[0090] If you can Figure 1 and Figure 2 As can be seen, preferably, the misalignment compensation method is performed on the panel level using the panel as a component carrier structure 102 before the panel is divided into individual component carriers. Thus, the misalignment compensation can be done efficiently at a batch level. More specifically, the misalignment compensation can be performed repeatedly during the build-up, i.e. for each added layer structure. Thus, the method comprises laminating a further layer structure 142 to the component carrier structure 102 after the compensation process in relation to the previously laminated layer structure 142.

[0091] Figures 3 to 6 Different views of a component carrier structure 102 are shown during implementation of a method for compensating for misalignment according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the method being implemented during the manufacture of a component carrier. In this embodiment, the misaligned structural features 104 are components to be embedded in the laminated layer stack of the component carrier structure 102, while the associated structural features 106 (not shown in this embodiment) are connection pads for electrically contacting the embedded components.

[0092] Reference Figure 3 , a component carrier structure 102 is shown having an alignment mark 112 and a plurality of cavities 162 , in which a plurality of electronic components (such as semiconductor chips) are embedded as structural features 104 . Figure 3 A first overall alignment process is shown. In the embodiment shown, the component is aligned relative to the component carrier structure 102 based on the alignment marks 112 of the component carrier structure 102. More precisely, the alignment marks 112 are formed in the corners of the component carrier structure 102 and are adjacent to the corners of the rectangular cavity 162. Thus, the alignment marks 112 can be detected and used to align the component carrier structure 102 relative to the electronic component to form a structural feature 104 in the form of a component embedded in the cavity 162.

[0093] Reference Figure 4 The image detection unit 122 is used to Figure 4 A scanning camera is shown performing a multi-area scan on the surface of the component carrier structure 102. Image correlation, ie correlation of component-type structural features 104 with alignment marks 112 and cavities 162, can be determined.

[0094] Reference Figure 5 , shows the superposition of scanned images. Figure 5 As shown, component-type structural feature 104 is misaligned relative to the center of cavity 162 as may be defined in the target design. This misalignment may be Figure 5 The diagram is obtained.

[0095] Reference Figure 6 , visually illustrates the initial target design, where the component-type structural feature 104 is arranged in the central portion of the cavity 162. In order to compensate Figure 5 The misalignment shown, determines that the target design of the manufacturing process can be modified for the subsequent formation of the vertical through-connection portion defining the component-type structural feature 104 for electrical contact embedding, so that the misalignment is accurately compensated. More specifically, the vertical through-connection portion is formed for the structural feature 104 related to the structural feature 106 (in Figure 6 ). In order to correctly connect the misaligned components, the vertical through-connection is formed at a different position compared to the initial target design, wherein the modified position is defined in the updated or modified target design.

[0096] Figures 3 to 6 An improved alignment concept was introduced that even allows correction of alignment errors from previous processes. The concept is based on the AOI (Automated Optical Inspection) alignment concept:

[0097] In a first process, scanning and image correlation can be performed after pressing and strip removal. Thus, the panel or package can be scanned and the generated image can be compared to the initial software-based CAM (computer-aided manufacturing) design. For example, only the offset and rotation of the misaligned feature 104 compared to its predetermined spatial target characteristics can be considered (e.g., no scaling).

[0098] In the second process, a design update is performed. If the scan shows a shift or rotation of a component (e.g., a chip or package), the new position can be advantageously taken into account. The component can be moved and / or rotated according to the measurement results. The corresponding process is as follows Figures 3 to 6 shown.

[0099] In the third process, a subsequent processing of the component carrier structure 102 is performed. For the subsequent processing, a new or updated target design can be used, in particular an exposure film and a laser program can be generated. Thus, the misalignment errors of the previous process can be deleted, and the new process can define a new baseline to start.

[0100] Figures 7 to 9 A process flow of a method for compensating for misalignment during manufacturing of a component carrier according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0101] Reference Figure 7 , shows a plan view of a component carrier structure 102 with alignment marks 112. Also, a target center 185 for the component-type structural features 104 to be assembled is shown.

[0102] Reference Figure 8 , you can Figure 7 A cavity 162 is cut into the component carrier structure 102 .

[0103] Reference Fig. 9 , the component-type structural feature 104 can be assembled in the cavity 162. However, as shown by reference numeral 166, the structural feature 104 may be misaligned. The misalignment is the offset between the above-mentioned target center 185 and the actual center 187 of the structural feature 104. In addition to the spatial offset type of misalignment, the structural feature 104 is also misaligned in rotation.

[0104] To compensate Fig. 9 In the embodiment of the present invention, an updated CAM (computer-aided manufacturing) target design can be created by offsetting and rotating each structural feature 104 according to the scanned value. Subsequent processing of the component carrier structure (e.g., drilling and exposing to form an electrically conductive connection element as an associated structural feature 106 for contacting the component-type structural feature 104) can then be formed according to the updated target design.

[0105] like Fig. 9As shown in , identifying a structural feature 104 that exhibits a misalignment includes determining an offset (see reference numeral 166) and a rotation (comparing an edge of the structural feature 104 to an edge of the cavity 162) of the component carrier structure 102 relative to a target design. More specifically, compensating for the identified misalignment includes modifying the target design to partially or fully compensate for the offset and the rotation.

[0106] Fig.10 A cross-sectional view of a component carrier structure 102 having misaligned structural features 104 is shown according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The misalignment can be compensated by changing the target design for forming the associated features 106 thereon. Fig.10 , the misaligned structural features 104 are high density integrated parts of the laminated layer stack. The related structural features 106 are connected electrically conductive layer structures.

[0107] Fig.11 A cross-sectional view of another component carrier structure 102 is shown with misaligned structural features 104. The misalignment can be compensated by changing the target design for forming the associated features 106 above. Fig.11 In the embodiment of FIG. 1 , the misaligned structural feature 104 is a plated through hole, such as a copper-filled laser via. The assigned related structural feature 106 is an electrically conductive pad connected to an electrically conductive horizontal trace 160 .

[0108] It should be noted that the term "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. Furthermore, elements described in association with different embodiments may be combined.

[0109] It should also be noted that reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

[0110] The implementation of the invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments shown in the drawings and described above. On the contrary, multiple modifications using the solutions shown and according to the principle of the invention are possible, even in the case of fundamentally different embodiments.

Claims

1. A method for compensating for misalignments during the manufacture of a laminated component carrier, wherein: The method comprises: During the manufacture of a component carrier based on the component carrier structure (102), an image of a region of interest (100) of the component carrier structure (102) is detected, wherein the region of interest (100) is only a sub-portion of the component carrier structure (102); identifying structural features (104) in the image of the region of interest (100) that show misalignment relative to a target design; identifying the misalignment based on a result of comparing a target design of the misaligned structural features (104) in the region of interest (100) with an actual design of the structural features (104); and The identified misalignment of the structural feature (104) is at least partially compensated by modifying a target design of at least one related structural feature (106) to be subsequently manufactured, wherein at least one of the related structural features (106) is related to the structural feature (104) that exhibits the misalignment, wherein the component carrier structure (102) is one of a printed circuit board, an organic interposer, and an integrated circuit substrate.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The method includes fabricating at least one of the associated structural features based on the modified target design (106).

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The method comprises producing at least one of the associated structural features (106) in the region of interest (100).

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The misalignment includes at least one of: a positional shift relative to a target position, a rotational misalignment relative to a target orientation, and a tilt of the misaligned structural feature (104) relative to a target angular characteristic.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The method comprises: identifying misaligned structural features (104) in a currently processed layer structure (130) of the component carrier structure (102) of the laminated type; and The misalignment is at least partially compensated by realizing the formation of the associated structural features (106) in a subsequently processed layer structure (132) of the component carrier structure (102).

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein: The method comprises at least partially compensating for the misalignment by realizing the formation of the relevant structural features (106) in a next higher layer structure of the component carrier structure (102) relative to a layer structure (103) currently being processed.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein: The method comprises, after processing the subsequently processed layer structure (132), iteratively repeating the identification and the at least partial compensation for at least one further processed layer structure.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The method includes compensating by modifying the target design only within the region of interest (100) of the component carrier structure (102) and not in other regions (108).

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The method includes compensating by modifying the target design in a protruding region (110) of the component carrier structure (102) that extends beyond the region of interest (100).

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein: The projecting area (110) is a quarter panel of the panel-type component carrier (102).

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The method includes aligning the component carrier structure (102) based on one or more alignment marks (112) of the component carrier structure (102).

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein: The method comprises aligning the component carrier structure (102) as a result of forming the structural feature (104) and / or as a result of forming the associated structural feature (106).

13. The method of claim 1, comprising at least one of the following features: The misaligned structural features (104) are components to be embedded in the component carrier structure (102), and the associated structural features (106) are connection pads for connecting the components; The structural features (104) that are not aligned are plated through-holes and the structural features (106) that are associated are electrically conductive traces and / or pads; The misaligned structural feature (104) is a high-density integrated portion, and the associated structural feature (106) is an electrically conductive layer structure connected to the high-density integrated portion; in, The method includes at least partially compensating for the misalignment during processing of the component carrier structure (102) by at least one of imaging, solder resist processing, screen printing, and mechanical processing of the component carrier structure (102); wherein the component carrier structure (102) is selected from: a plate for manufacturing a component carrier, an array of a plurality of component carriers or a plurality of preforms of component carriers, and a component carrier for carrying at least one component; wherein the method redefines the misaligned structural features (104) to be aligned with the target according to the modified target design; wherein the method includes fabricating at least one of the related structural features by laser direct imaging based on the modified target design (106); wherein the method is carried out at the level of the plate or the array using the plate or the array as a component carrier structure (102) before dividing the plate or the array into individual component carriers; wherein identifying the structural feature (104) that exhibits the misalignment comprises: determining an offset and a rotation of the structural feature (104) relative to the target design in a cavity (162) of the component carrier structure (102); Therein, the method comprises: laminating at least one further layer structure (142) to the component carrier structure (102) after the compensation; The method includes at least partially compensating for the identified misalignment of the structural feature (104) by modifying the target design of at least one of the associated structural features (106) by at least one of a compensating position shift, a compensating rotation, and a compensating tilt.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein: The imaging is optical imaging, the mechanical processing is performed by drilling and / or the mechanical processing is performed during assembly.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein: At least partially compensating for the identified misalignment includes modifying the target design to at least partially compensate for the offset and the rotation.

16. A device (120) for compensating for misalignment during the manufacture of a laminated component carrier, wherein: The device comprises: an image detection unit (122) configured to detect an image of a region of interest (100) of a component carrier structure (102) during the manufacture of a component carrier based on the component carrier structure (102), wherein the region of interest (100) is only a sub-portion of the component carrier structure (102); an identification unit (124) configured to identify a structural feature (104) in the image of the region of interest (100) that shows a misalignment relative to a predetermined target design, wherein the misalignment is identified based on a result of comparing the target design of the misaligned structural feature (104) in the region of interest (100) with an actual design of the structural feature (104); and a compensation unit (126) configured to at least partially compensate for the identified misalignment of the structural feature (104) by modifying a target design of at least one related structural feature (106) to be subsequently manufactured, wherein at least one of the related structural features (106) is related to the structural feature (104) showing the misalignment, The component carrier structure (102) is one of a printed circuit board, an organic interposer and an integrated circuit substrate.

17. A computer readable medium having stored therein a computer program for compensating for misalignment during the manufacture of a laminated component carrier, the computer program being adapted to implement or control the method according to claim 1 when executed by one or more processors (134).

18. A program element for compensating for misalignments during the manufacture of a laminate-type component carrier, the program element being adapted to implement or control the method according to claim 1 when executed by one or more processors (134).

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