Electronic component and manufacturing method thereof
By using silicon oxide and silicon oxynitride materials to replace the traditional PI insulating layer in electronic components, the problems of high cost, poor thermal stability and insufficient adhesion are solved, achieving high uniformity, stability and high temperature resistance insulation effect, which is suitable for printed circuit boards and semiconductor chips.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202511455100.8
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-10-13
- Publication Date
- 2026-01-09
AI Technical Summary
Existing PI insulating layers suffer from high cost, poor thermal stability, poor uniformity, limited resolution, and insufficient adhesion in electronic components, making it difficult to meet the high-frequency requirements of 5G/6G.
Silicon oxide and silicon oxynitride materials are used to replace the traditional PI insulating layer. A silicon oxide layer is formed on the surface of the device substrate by PECVD process, and nitrogen atoms are doped at high temperature to form a nitrogen-rich silicon oxynitride layer. The thickness and pattern of the insulating layer are optimized by combining CMP and photolithography processes.
It achieves high uniformity, good stability, high temperature resistance, and corrosion resistance of the insulation layer, reduces production costs, simplifies the process, and is suitable for mass production.
Smart Images
Figure CN121311071A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application belongs to the field of electronic components and relates to an electronic component and its manufacturing method. Background Technology
[0002] PI (polyimide) dry film is commonly used as an insulating layer in semiconductors and electronic components such as electronic circuits.
[0003] For example, PI dry film for PCB products is mainly composed of polyimide (PI) resin, photosensitizers, crosslinking agents, coupling agents, and other related additives. PI dry film has many disadvantages: The cost is relatively high; Poor thermal stability: Under high temperature conditions, the dry film may deform or decompose, resulting in a decrease in insulation. It may be corroded in acid etching or electroplating solutions, leading to insulation layer failure or contamination of process bath solutions. Poor uniformity: The lamination process may cause uneven thickness in the edge areas, affecting the accuracy and impedance control of high-density interconnect lines; Resolution limitations: Due to the light scattering effect, dry films are prone to edge jaggedness or development residue in fine circuit processing, such as <20 micrometers, making it difficult to meet the high-frequency requirements of 5G / 6G.
[0004] Metal layers on PI may suffer from problems such as incomplete corrosion and poor adhesion, especially on different substrates where weak adhesion may lead to delamination. Summary of the Invention
[0005] The purpose of this application is to overcome the defects of existing PI insulation layers and propose an electronic component with a new insulation layer material.
[0006] To achieve the above objectives, in a first aspect, this application provides an electronic component, including a device substrate and an insulating layer covering the surface of the device substrate, the insulating layer including a silicon oxide layer grown on the surface of the device substrate and a nitrogen-rich silicon oxynitride layer formed on the surface of the silicon oxide layer.
[0007] In one possible implementation, the thickness of the silicon oxide layer is 500-700 nm, and the thickness of the silicon oxynitride layer is 800-1200 nm.
[0008] In one possible implementation, the electronic component is a PCB board or a semiconductor chip, and the device substrate is a resin substrate or a ceramic capacitor substrate.
[0009] Secondly, this application provides a method for manufacturing the aforementioned electronic component, including an insulating layer generation step: first, a layer of silicon oxide is grown on the surface of a device substrate, and then a nitrogen-containing gas is introduced at a high temperature for annealing treatment, so that nitrogen atoms are incorporated into the silicon oxide layer to form a nitrogen-rich silicon oxynitride layer. In one possible implementation, during the insulating layer formation step, the annealing temperature ranges from 300 to 330°C, the nitrogen-containing gas includes NH3 and nitrogen, wherein the flow rate of NH3 is 80-100 sccm, the flow rate of nitrogen is 1000-1200 sccm, the vacuum value is maintained at 30-40 mbar during annealing, the annealing time is 40 min, and the final thickness of the silicon oxynitride layer is 1 μm ± 0.2 μm.
[0010] In one possible implementation, in the insulating layer generation step, the silicon oxide is deposited by PECVD process under the following reaction parameters: SiH4 flow rate: 600-800 sccm, N2O flow rate: 250-300 sccm, N2 flow rate: 1800-2000 sccm, RF power: 200W, deposition time: 30 min, deposition temperature: 300-330℃, the refractive index of the deposited silicon oxide is between 1.45 and 1.52, and the deposition thickness is 500-700 nm.
[0011] In one possible implementation, the following steps are included prior to the insulating layer generation step: S10) Coat the surface of the device substrate with photoresist, and photolithographically and develop the desired pattern at the via locations of the device substrate; S11) The developing area is etched by plasma, and the etching depth is α; S12) Remove the photoresist; Furthermore, following the insulation layer generation step, the following steps are also included: S14) A layer of photoresist is applied to the surface of the insulating layer; S15) Perform CMP process to thin the printed circuit board to obtain an insulating layer that only covers the required pattern, where the thinning thickness is β, and β < α is required. After thinning, remove the photoresist.
[0012] In one possible implementation, 1500nm≤α≤2000nm, 1200nm≤β≤1300nm.
[0013] In one possible implementation, the following steps are included prior to the insulating layer generation step: S20) Using the LIFT-OFF process, patterns are created at the via locations on the device substrate; S21), deposited aluminum metal layer; S22) The metal Al-PAD was obtained by ultrasonic peeling in acetone solution; Furthermore, following the insulation layer generation step, the following steps are also included: S24) Use TMAH solution to etch Al to finally obtain an insulating layer covering the desired pattern.
[0014] In one possible implementation, the step following the insulating layer formation step further includes the following step, wherein the sum of the thicknesses of the silicon oxide layer and the silicon oxynitride layer is α, where 1500nm ≤ α ≤ 2000nm: S31) Use photolithography to create a pattern of the via locations on the device substrate; S32) Use plasma to etch the developed area to a depth of α, so that the device substrate corresponding to the via location is exposed. S33) Remove the photoresist to obtain an insulating layer covering the desired area.
[0015] Silicon oxide, especially silicon dioxide, is a common insulating material. It is low in cost and widely used in gate dielectric layers and interlayer dielectrics of integrated circuits. It has good insulation, thermal stability and chemical stability.
[0016] Silicon oxynitride is an important amorphous inorganic material, usually represented by the chemical formula SiO. x Ni, or SiON, is a single-phase solid solution formed through chemical bonding. Its properties can be continuously varied over a wide range by precisely controlling the oxygen / nitrogen ratio, thus enabling "material design." It has the following advantages: 1. Adjustable dielectric constant: The dielectric constant of silicon oxynitride can be adjusted by the oxygen-nitrogen ratio, which can optimize signal integrity; 2. It has good insulation properties. As a dielectric layer, its high resistivity can effectively isolate the internal and external metal conductor layers of the device substrate, preventing current leakage and short circuits. 3. It has a strong diffusion blocking ability; silicon oxynitride can effectively block the diffusion of impurity ions, such as water molecules. 4. It has excellent mechanical properties; silicon oxynitride typically has high hardness and moderate internal stress. 5. High thermal stability: Silicon oxynitride can withstand the high temperatures during subsequent processing and use. Its coefficient of thermal expansion is well matched with that of the ceramic substrate, which can reduce the risk of stress cracking or interlayer separation caused by thermal mismatch. In traditional PCB manufacturing, the cost of polyimide, which can meet the high thermal stability requirements, is higher than that of silicon oxynitride. Therefore, this application can reduce costs. 6. It has strong process compatibility and can be deposited at lower temperatures using conventional methods. It has a high degree of integration with the MLC process flow. Compared with traditional polyimide, which requires thin film deposition and photolithography processes, it reduces manufacturing costs and complexity and is easier to implement.
[0017] The electronic components in this application use silicon oxide and silicon oxynitride materials to replace the traditional PI layer, so that silicon oxide and silicon oxynitride are combined to form a new insulating structure, which can overcome the defects of traditional PI materials. Combining the characteristics of silicon oxide and silicon oxynitride, it has the advantages of high insulation layer uniformity, good stability, high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, and high stability during product use. It also has the advantages of lower production cost, simple process flow, and the ability to achieve mass production. Attached Figure Description
[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the manufacturing process of the printed circuit board in Embodiment 1 of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the manufacturing process of the printed circuit board in Embodiment 2 of this application; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the manufacturing process of the printed circuit board in Embodiment 3 of this application.
[0019] The components are: 1. Device substrate; 2. Insulating layer; 3. Photoresist; 4. Through-hole location; 5. Aluminum layer. Detailed Implementation
[0020] To illustrate the technical content, structural features, achieved objectives, and effects of the invention in detail, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. In the following description, for illustrative purposes, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a detailed description of various exemplary embodiments or implementations of the invention. However, various exemplary embodiments may also be implemented without these specific details or in one or more equivalent arrangements. Furthermore, the various exemplary embodiments may differ, but are not necessarily exclusive. For example, the specific shape, construction, and characteristics of the exemplary embodiments may be used or implemented in another exemplary embodiment without departing from the inventive concept.
[0021] In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.
[0022] This application discloses an electronic component, including a device substrate and an insulating layer covering the surface of the device substrate. The insulating layer comprises a silicon oxide layer grown on the surface of the device substrate and a nitrogen-rich silicon oxynitride layer formed on the surface of the silicon oxide layer. This insulating layer uses a silicon oxide layer and a silicon oxynitride layer instead of the PI insulating layer commonly found on electronic components.
[0023] The aforementioned insulating layer can be applied to printed circuit boards (PCBs) or semiconductor chips. The electronic components in this application can be PCBs or semiconductor chips. In one embodiment of this application, the electronic component is a PCB, and the device substrate is a resin substrate or a ceramic capacitor substrate. The resin substrate refers to the traditional FR-4 board (glass fiber reinforced epoxy resin), or it can be a PTFE board (polytetrafluoroethylene-glass fiber / ceramic fiber) or a PPE / PPO board (polyphenylene ether-glass fiber), etc. The ceramic capacitor substrate is an MLC multilayer ceramic capacitor substrate or a single-layer ceramic substrate. An MLC multilayer ceramic capacitor substrate is a miniaturized capacitor made by alternating stacking and co-firing ceramic as the dielectric and electrode layers, suitable for micron and millimeter-level processes.
[0024] This application uses silicon oxide and silicon oxynitride layers to replace the PI insulating layer commonly found on electronic components to manufacture electronic components, without changing the manufacturing process and structure of the device substrate. Taking a PCB board as an example, the device substrate has already completed the inner layer wiring process. It is only necessary to form an insulating layer on the device substrate, and then drill holes and use metal wires to form interconnections between layers to complete the PCB manufacturing. The insulating layer covers the area on the PCB except for the reserved through holes and metal wires.
[0025] In some embodiments, the thickness of the silicon oxide layer is 500-700 nm, and the thickness of the silicon oxynitride layer is 800-1200 nm. The total thickness of the insulating layer is generally controlled within the range of 1300-1900 nm. Preferably, the thickness of the silicon oxide layer is 600 nm, and the thickness of the silicon oxynitride layer is 1000 nm.
[0026] The insulating layer is formed by first growing a layer of silicon oxide on the device substrate, and then annealing it at high temperature using a nitrogen-containing gas to incorporate nitrogen atoms into the SiO2 layer, forming a nitrogen-rich silicon oxynitride layer.
[0027] The aforementioned silicon oxide and silicon oxynitride can be generated by PECVD (plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition) process, and can also be formed in LPCVD process.
[0028] In one embodiment of this application, the silicon oxide is deposited by PECVD process under the following reaction parameters: SiH4 flow rate: 600-800 sccm, N2O flow rate: 250-300 sccm, N2 flow rate: 1800-2000 sccm, RF power: 200W, deposition time: 30 min, deposition temperature: 300-330℃, the refractive index of the deposited silicon oxide is between 1.45 and 1.52, and the deposition thickness is 500-700 nm.
[0029] The process parameters for nitrogen atom doping of silicon oxide are as follows: annealing temperature 300℃, introduction of NH3 and nitrogen gas, NH3 flow rate of 120 sccm, nitrogen gas flow rate of 1000 sccm, vacuum value of 30 mbar, process time of 40 min, and the final thickness of the silicon oxynitride layer is 1 μm, with an overall uniformity of ≤5%.
[0030] Figure 1-3 Three embodiments of printed circuit boards manufactured using different methods are shown. Example
[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, the method for manufacturing a printed circuit board includes the following steps: S10) The required pattern is photolithographically and developed at the through-hole position 4 of the connection point between the upper and lower layers of the device substrate 1. The device substrate 1 is a single-layer ceramic.
[0032] S11) Using an inductively coupled plasma etching device, the developed area is etched to a depth of αnm, where 1500nm≤α≤2000nm.
[0033] S12) Remove the photoresist after etching is complete.
[0034] S13) An insulating layer is formed on the surface of the device substrate 1. The steps for forming the insulating layer include: first growing a layer of silicon oxide on the surface of the device substrate 1, and then annealing it by introducing nitrogen-containing gas at high temperature, so that nitrogen atoms are incorporated into the silicon oxide layer to form a surface-rich silicon oxynitride layer.
[0035] The silicon oxide is deposited by PECVD process under the following reaction parameters: SiH4 flow rate: 800 sccm, N2O flow rate: 300 sccm, N2 flow rate: 2000 sccm, RF power: 200W, deposition time: 30 min, deposition temperature: 300℃, the refractive index of the deposited silicon oxide is between 1.45 and 1.52, the deposition thickness is 600 nm, and the overall uniformity is ≤5%.
[0036] The process parameters for nitrogen atom doping of silicon oxide are as follows: annealing temperature 300℃, introduction of NH3 and nitrogen gas, NH3 flow rate of 120 sccm, nitrogen gas flow rate of 1000 sccm, vacuum value of 30 mbar, process time of 40 min, and the final thickness of the silicon oxynitride layer is 1 μm, with an overall uniformity of ≤5%.
[0037] S14) A layer of photoresist 3 is coated on the surface of the silicon oxynitride layer; S15) Perform CMP process to thin the printed circuit board. The thickness reduction β is required to be β<α, 1200nm≤β≤1300nm.
[0038] After the above process, holes are drilled at four through-hole locations to connect the upper and lower layers, ultimately forming a complete printed circuit board. Example
[0039] like Figure 2 As shown, the method for manufacturing a printed circuit board includes the following steps: S20) Using the photolithography lift-off process, patterns are made at the positions of the upper and lower through holes 4 on the device substrate 1, and the rest are covered with photoresist 3. S21), deposited aluminum metal layer 5; S22) The aluminum bonding pad Al-PAD was obtained by ultrasonic peeling in acetone solution. S23) Silicon oxide is grown in plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and then annealed under high temperature conditions by introducing nitrogen-containing gas, so that a nitrogen-rich silicon oxynitride layer is formed on the surface of the silicon oxide. The silicon oxide is deposited by PECVD process under the following reaction parameters: SiH4 flow rate: 600-800 sccm, N2O flow rate: 250-300 sccm, N2 flow rate: 1800-2000 sccm, RF power: 200W, deposition time: 30min, deposition temperature: 300-330℃, the refractive index of the deposited silicon oxide is between 1.45 and 1.52, and the deposition thickness is 500-700nm.
[0040] The process parameters for nitrogen atom doping of silicon oxide are as follows: annealing temperature 300℃, introduction of NH3 and nitrogen gas, NH3 flow rate of 120 sccm, nitrogen gas flow rate of 1000 sccm, vacuum value of 30 mbar, process time of 40 min, and the final thickness of the silicon oxynitride layer is 1 μm, with an overall uniformity of ≤5%.
[0041] S24) The aluminum layer was etched using a tetramethylammonium salt (TMAH) solution, and finally a printed circuit board was obtained with an insulating layer 2 covering all locations except for the four through holes. Example
[0042] like Figure 3 As shown, the method for manufacturing a printed circuit board includes the following steps: S31) Silicon oxide is deposited on the surface of device substrate 1, and then nitrogen-containing gas is introduced at high temperature for annealing treatment, so that nitrogen atoms are incorporated into the silicon oxide layer to form a surface nitrogen-rich silicon oxynitride layer. The thickness of silicon oxide is 500-700nm, and the thickness of silicon oxynitride layer α=800-1200nm. The silicon oxide is deposited by PECVD process under the following reaction parameters: SiH4 flow rate: 600-800 sccm, N2O flow rate: 250-300 sccm, N2 flow rate: 1800-2000 sccm, RF power: 200W, deposition time: 30min, deposition temperature: 300-330℃, the refractive index of the deposited silicon oxide is between 1.45 and 1.52, and the deposition thickness is 500-700nm.
[0043] The process parameters for nitrogen atom doping of silicon oxide are as follows: annealing temperature 300℃, introduction of NH3 and nitrogen gas, NH3 flow rate 120 sccm, nitrogen gas flow rate 1000 sccm, vacuum value 30 mbar, process time 40 min, and the final thickness of the silicon oxynitride layer is 1±0.2 μm.
[0044] S32) Use photolithography to create the distribution pattern of the via positions 4 in the upper and lower layers of the device substrate; S33) The developed area is etched using an inductively coupled plasma etching device, with an etching depth of α; S34) Remove the photoresist 3 to obtain the required regional insulating layer 2, that is, the area except for the via position 4 is covered by the insulating layer 2.
[0045] Using the printed circuit board prepared in Example 1 above, with silicon oxide bonded to silicon oxynitride as the dielectric layer, after MLC is completed, continuity and insulation tests are performed. Test points are randomly selected, and the results are shown in Table 1.
[0046] Compared with traditional printed circuit boards using polyimide as the insulating layer, the printed circuit board prepared in Example 1 has the advantages of adjustable dielectric constant, good insulation, diffusion blocking ability, and high mechanical properties and thermal stability. The comparison results are shown in Table 2.
[0047] The dielectric constant test described above is performed using the parallel-plate capacitor method: the material sample is made into a plate shape and placed between two parallel metal electrodes to form a capacitor with the material as the dielectric. The dielectric constant is calculated by measuring the capacitance (C) of this capacitor and comparing it with the capacitance (C0) of a vacuum (or air) under the same structure: εr = C / C0.
[0048] The above-mentioned thermal stability test involves placing material samples in a high-temperature oven (or furnace tube) and continuously and accurately measuring the change in sample mass with temperature or time during temperature changes (heating, constant temperature, or cooling) from 300 to 550°C to observe whether the sample is damaged or broken.
[0049] Dielectric strength test: An alternating current voltage (or other waveform voltage, such as DC) is applied to the electrodes on both sides of the insulating material sample in a continuously increasing (boost method) or segmented (step method) manner until the sample undergoes electrical breakdown. The voltage value at the moment of breakdown is recorded, and then the dielectric strength is calculated based on the sample thickness. Since there are conventional standard test methods for both the boost test and the step test, they will not be elaborated here.
[0050] One significant advantage of silicon oxynitride composite films is their scalability in thickness. As integrated circuit chips become smaller and smaller, the internal dielectric layers also need to be thinner. Traditional polyimides are prone to performance degradation in ultra-thin states, while silicon oxynitride composite films offer stable properties and can be made even thinner.
[0051] The above experimental results show that under high temperature and high electric field strength, the insulation performance of traditional polyimide deteriorates, and its conductivity may surge. Silicon oxynitride, on the other hand, exhibits stronger dielectric strength and thermal stability. Printed circuit board materials using a specially designed silicon oxynitride composite film produced through a new material process can achieve a breakdown electric field strength of 661.87 MV / m (approximately 6.6 MV / cm) at 200℃, demonstrating the potential of silicon oxynitride to solve high-temperature insulation problems.
[0052] For printed circuit boards and semiconductor chips, long-term temperature operation is crucial. Silicon oxynitride composite films, by inhibiting crystallization, can effectively avoid electrochemical performance degradation caused by increased thickness, resulting in higher reliability and stability, and improving the long-term reliability of electronic components.
[0053] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from its spirit and scope. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims, specification, and their equivalents.
Claims
1. An electronic component, characterized in that, The device includes a device substrate and an insulating layer covering the surface of the device substrate. The insulating layer includes a silicon oxide layer grown on the surface of the device substrate and a nitrogen-rich silicon oxynitride layer formed on the surface of the silicon oxide layer.
2. The electronic component according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness of the silicon oxide layer is 500-700 nm, and the thickness of the silicon oxynitride layer is 800-1200 nm.
3. The electronic component according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electronic components are PCB boards or semiconductor chips, and the device substrate is a resin substrate or a ceramic capacitor substrate.
4. The electronic component according to claim 3, characterized in that, The ceramic capacitor substrate is an MLC multilayer ceramic capacitor substrate.
5. The method for manufacturing the electronic component as described in any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The process includes the following steps: first, a layer of silicon oxide is grown on the surface of the device substrate, and then nitrogen-containing gas is introduced at high temperature for annealing, so that nitrogen atoms are incorporated into the silicon oxide layer to form a nitrogen-rich silicon oxynitride layer.
6. The manufacturing method according to claim 5, characterized in that: In the insulating layer formation step, the annealing temperature ranges from 300 to 330°C, the nitrogen-containing gas includes NH3 and nitrogen, wherein the flow rate of NH3 is 80-100 sccm, the flow rate of nitrogen is 1000-1200 sccm, the vacuum value is maintained at 30-40 mbar during annealing, the annealing time is 40 min, and the final thickness of the silicon oxynitride layer is 1 μm ± 0.2 μm.
7. The manufacturing method according to claim 5, characterized in that: In the insulating layer generation step, the silicon oxide is deposited by PECVD process under the following reaction parameters: SiH4 flow rate: 600-800 sccm, N2O flow rate: 250-300 sccm, N2 flow rate: 1800-2000 sccm, RF power: 200W, deposition time: 30min, deposition temperature: 300-330℃, the refractive index of the deposited silicon oxide is between 1.45 and 1.52, and the deposition thickness is 500-700nm.
8. The manufacturing method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The following steps are included before the insulation layer formation step: S10) Coat the surface of the device substrate with photoresist, and photolithographically and develop the desired pattern at the via locations of the device substrate; S11) The developing area is etched by plasma, and the etching depth is α; S12) Remove the photoresist; Furthermore, following the insulation layer generation step, the following steps are also included: S14) A layer of photoresist is applied to the surface of the insulating layer; S15) Perform CMP process to thin the printed circuit board to obtain an insulating layer that only covers the required pattern. The thinning thickness is β, and β < α is required. After thinning, remove the photoresist. 1500nm ≤ α ≤ 2000nm, 1200nm ≤ β ≤ 1300nm.
9. The manufacturing method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The following steps are included before the insulation layer formation step: S20) Using the LIFT-OFF process, patterns are created at the via locations on the device substrate; S21), deposited aluminum metal layer; S22) The metal Al-PAD was obtained by ultrasonic peeling in acetone solution; Furthermore, following the insulation layer generation step, the following steps are also included: S24) Use TMAH solution to etch Al to finally obtain an insulating layer covering the desired pattern.
10. The manufacturing method according to claim 5, characterized in that, Following the insulating layer formation step, the method further includes the following step, wherein the sum of the thicknesses of the silicon oxide layer and the silicon oxynitride layer is α, where 1500nm ≤ α ≤ 2000nm: S31) Use photolithography to create a pattern of the via locations on the device substrate; S32) Use plasma to etch the developed area to a depth of α, so that the device substrate corresponding to the via location is exposed. S33) Remove the photoresist to obtain an insulating layer covering the desired area.