Metal connector in semiconductor device package

Abstract

To lower the stress buildup during a mechanical or thermo-mechanical load, thus increasing reliability of a C-clip connector during operation of a semiconductor package.SOLUTION: A connector 120 includes: a middle portion having a curved concave shape in a front view with respect to a given surface, and composed of a center region 122A and two end regions, shown as end regions 122B, 122C; a first contacting portion 124 integrally connected to the middle portion 122 on a first side; and a second contacting portion 126 integrally connected to the middle portion on a second side, where the first contacting portion and the second contacting portion define a curved convex surface in the front view. with respect to the given surface. In some implementations, the connector 120 includes a slot assembly formed of slots 130A and 130B and one or more indents 132A, 132B that define a meander path. This structure imparts a greater elastic flexibility, such as under a mechanical load.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2C

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD Embodiments relate to the field of semiconductor devices, and more particularly to packages for supplying power to semiconductor chips. [Background technology]

[0002] A semiconductor device package (or simply "semiconductor package"), such as a power module or discrete package, may include components such as semiconductor chips, substrates, and connectors, which may include wires, clips, and other connectors. In particular, a power semiconductor package may include power chips, such as thyristors, field effect transistors (FETs), insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), and auxiliary chips including diodes. The primary purpose of the clips is to electrically connect these chips to each other or to the substrate. Such substrates may generally be formed as a sandwich structure having an inner insulating substrate, such as alumina or aluminum nitride, and layers of copper or aluminum on opposing major surfaces of the inner insulating substrate.

[0003] Metal clips offer advantages over wire bonds when used as electrical connectors in that a single metal clip can exhibit a significantly larger current carrying cross section as opposed to a wire, and wire bonding to attach a wire to a semiconductor chip or substrate can be more complex and less reliable than attaching a metal clip to a substrate or semiconductor chip.

[0004] Known clips have been developed that have a pair of flat sections used for bonding to a chip or substrate surface. The flat sections of such clips are separated from each other by a curved middle section. The overall structure of such clips may appear C-shaped in front view, and such connectors may be referred to as "C-clips." This design may reduce stress buildup during mechanical or thermomechanical loading, resulting in increased reliability of the C-clip connector during operation of the semiconductor package.

[0005] In consideration of the above, the present embodiment is provided. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In one embodiment, a connector for a semiconductor device package is provided. The connector may include an intermediate portion having a curved concave shape relative to a given surface in a front view. The connector may include a first contact portion integrally connected to the intermediate portion on a first side. The connector may further include a second contact portion integrally connected to the intermediate portion on a second side, the first contact portion and the second contact portion defining a curved convex surface relative to the given surface in the front view.

[0007] In another embodiment, a semiconductor device package is provided. The semiconductor device package may include a housing and a plurality of components, including at least one semiconductor chip, disposed within the housing. The semiconductor device package may also include a connector, the connector coupled to a pair of the plurality of components. The connector may include an intermediate portion having a curved concave shape relative to a given surface in a front view. The connector may also include a first contact portion integrally connected to the intermediate portion on a first side and secured to a first component of the pair of components, and a second contact portion integrally connected to the intermediate portion on a second side and secured to a second component of the pair of components. Thus, the first contact portion and the second contact portion may define a curved convex surface relative to the given surface in a front view, and the connector provides an electrical connection between the pair of components. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1A] 1 illustrates a diagram of a connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 1B] 1 illustrates a diagram of a connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 1C] 1 illustrates a diagram of a connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 1D] 1 illustrates a diagram of a connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0009] [Figure 2A] 1 shows a view of a further connector according to another embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 2B] 1 shows a view of a further connector according to another embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 2C] 1 shows a view of a further connector according to another embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 2D] 1 shows a view of a further connector according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0010] [Figure 3A] 1 shows a view of a connector according to an additional embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 3B] 1 shows a view of a connector according to an additional embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 3C] 1 shows a view of a connector according to an additional embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 3D] 1 shows a view of a connector according to an additional embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0011] [Figure 4A] 1 shows a view of a connector according to a still further embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 4B] 1 shows a view of a connector according to a still further embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 4C] 1 shows a view of a connector according to a still further embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 4D] 1 shows a view of a connector according to a still further embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0012] [Figure 5A] 1 shows a view of a connector according to a further embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 5B] 1 shows a view of a connector according to a further embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 5C] 1 shows a view of a connector according to a further embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 5D] 1 shows a view of a connector according to a further embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0013] [Figure 6] 1 illustrates a side view of a semiconductor device package arranged in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0014] [Figure 7A] FIG. 6 illustrates one warpage configuration of a semiconductor device package;

[0015] [Figure 7B] 7 illustrates another warpage configuration of the semiconductor device package of FIG. 6;

[0016] [Figure 8A] 1 illustrates one bow configuration of an exemplary connector of this embodiment; and

[0017] [Figure 8B] 8B illustrates an alternative bow configuration for the connector of FIG. 8A. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] The present embodiments will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments are shown. These embodiments should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the embodiments to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

[0019] In the following description and / or claims, the terms "on," "overlying," "disposed on," and "over" may be used in the following description and claims. "On," "overlying," "disposed on," and "over" may be used to indicate that two or more elements are in direct physical contact with each other. The terms "on," "overlying," "disposed on," and "over" may also mean that two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other. For example, "over" may mean that one element is on top of another element but is not in contact with each other, and there may be one or more other elements between the two elements. Additionally, the term "and / or" may mean "and," may mean "or," may mean "exclusive-or," may mean "one," may mean "some, but not all," may mean "neither," and / or may mean "both," although the scope of claimed subject matter is not limited in this respect.

[0020] As disclosed in the description that follows, in various embodiments, novel connectors and semiconductor device packages are provided.

[0021] 1A-1D, various views of connectors according to embodiments of the present disclosure are shown. In the following Figures 1A-5D, each figure with an "A" suffix indicates a front view of the associated connector; each figure with a "B" suffix indicates a side view of the associated connector; each figure with a "C" suffix indicates a top view of the associated connector; and each figure with a "D" suffix indicates a perspective isometric view of the associated connector.

[0022] In FIG. 1A , connector 100 is shown in a front view as described. Connector 100, and other connectors disclosed in subsequent embodiments, may be formed from a highly conductive metal, such as copper, a copper alloy, or other conductive metallic material suitable for use as an electrical connector between components of a semiconductor device package, such as a semiconductor chip and a substrate. In various embodiments, connector 100 may be formed from a single or monolithic piece of sheet metal that is shaped and cut to form the final structure, as shown. Generally, in a front view, as shown in FIG. 1A , connector 100 and other connectors that will follow may define a curved shape, as shown, which may be referred to as an omega-like shape, where “omega-like” generally refers to the shape of the capital Greek letter omega. The omega-like shape of the connector of this embodiment may be characterized by three distinct portions, each defining three different curvatures. As shown, connector 100 includes an intermediate portion 102 having a curved shape in a front view, and a first contact portion 104 integrally connected to intermediate portion 102 on a first side, designated L. Connector 100 further includes a second contact portion 106 integrally connected to intermediate portion 102 on a second side, designated R. Note that, according to some embodiments, first contact portion 104 and second contact portion 106 may define curved surfaces in a front view, as shown in FIG. 1A . In the embodiment of FIG. 1A , the curved surfaces of contact portions (104, 106) are opposite to the curved surface of intermediate portion 102 in that if the curvature of intermediate portion 102 is considered to be a concave curve (e.g., with respect to surface S), then the curved surfaces of first contact portion 104 and second contact portion 106 may be considered to be convex curves.

[0023] 1B-1D, first contact portion 104 and second contact portion 106 may include a plurality of fingers extending from intermediate portion 102. The plurality of fingers are shown as fingers 108, such that each of fingers 108 may define a curved shape in a front view, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1D. The structural advantages provided by connector 100 are discussed in more detail with respect to FIGS. 6 and 7A-7B, which follow. However, in brief, the structure of connector 100 provides improved thermomechanical stability under device operation in a semiconductor device package, as well as less inherent strain within the connector after assembly in the package.

[0024] 1C , in this embodiment and other embodiments that follow, fingers 108 or similar fingers may be arranged with a relatively short length (length along the Y-axis of the figure), denoted as l, compared to the overall length L of connector 100. For example, in some non-limiting embodiments, the overall length L may be on the order of 1 cm, e.g., 0.5 cm, 1 cm, or 2 cm. This arrangement results in connector 100 being attached to an external component solely by fingers 108, thereby limiting the length of the interface between the external component and connector 100 to length l. For example, in some non-limiting embodiments, length l may be on the order of 1 mm. Limiting the interface to a shorter length, as defined by l, reduces the overall thermal mismatch strain generated between connector 100 and the external component during temperature changes. Additionally, the fingers 108 collectively present a cross-sectional area sufficient to carry a relatively high current across connector 100.

[0025] 2A-2D show various views of a further connector according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, similar to the embodiment of FIGS. 1A-1D, connector 120 defines an omega-like shape when viewed from the front. As with the previous embodiment, connector 120 has an intermediate portion 122, a first contact portion 124, and a second contact portion 126. These contact portions are also comprised of multiple fingers, shown as fingers 128. The difference in this embodiment is that intermediate portion 122 includes a slot assembly 130 that extends between a first side (L) and a second side (R) and divides intermediate portion 122 into multiple intermediate regions along the length of the connector. In this particular embodiment, slot assembly 130 is formed from two slots, shown as slot 130A and slot 130B, and intermediate portion 122 is divided into an intermediate region comprised of a central region 122A and two end regions, shown as end regions 122B and 122C. These intermediate regions are sequentially positioned along the length of connector 120 from the front (F) to the back (B) and collectively form intermediate portion 122. Slots 130A and 130B provide a mechanism that allows connector 120 to more easily elastically deform under mechanical load.

[0026] In this embodiment, central region 122A further includes a first indent 132A disposed on first side L and a second indent 132B disposed on second side R. With respect to the illustrated Cartesian coordinate system, slot assembly 130 and first and second indents 132A, 132B provide stress-absorbing properties to connector 120, reducing mechanical and thermomechanical stresses in the X, Y, and Z directions. In particular, slot assembly 130 and indents 132A, 132B together serve to define a serpentine path, designated as P1, which structure allows for greater elastic deformation, for example, under mechanical load.

[0027] 3A-3D show various views of a connector according to an additional embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, similar to the embodiment of FIGS. 1A-1D and 2A-2D, connector 140 defines an omega-like shape when viewed from the front. As with the previous embodiment, connector 140 has an intermediate portion 142, a first contact portion 144, and a second contact portion 146. These contact portions are also comprised of multiple fingers, shown as fingers 148. The difference in this embodiment is that intermediate portion 142 includes a slot assembly 150 extending between a first side (L) and a second side (R), where slot assembly 150 is a single slot that divides intermediate portion 142 into end regions 142A and 142B. These regions are sequentially positioned along the length of connector 140 from front (F) to back (B) to collectively form intermediate portion 142.

[0028] In this embodiment, end region 142A and end region 142B each include a pair of indents. End region 142A includes side indent 152A disposed on first side L and side indent 152B disposed on second side R. End region 142B includes side indent 152C disposed on first side L and side indent 152D disposed on second side R. With respect to the illustrated Cartesian coordinate system, slot assembly 150 and indents 152A-152D provide stress relief properties to connector 140, reducing mechanical and thermomechanical stresses in the X, Y, and Z directions. In particular, slot assembly 150 and indents 152A-152D serve to define a serpentine path, designated P2, which allows for greater elastic deformation, for example, under mechanical load.

[0029] 4A-4D show various views of a connector according to yet a further embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, similar to the embodiments of FIGS. 1A-1D, 2A-2D, and 3A-3D, connector 160 defines an omega-like shape when viewed from the front. As with the previous embodiment, connector 160 has an intermediate portion 162, a first contact portion 164, and a second contact portion 166. These contact portions are also comprised of a plurality of fingers, shown as fingers 168. In this embodiment, intermediate portion 162 includes a slot assembly 170 extending between a first side (L) and a second side (R). Like the embodiment of FIG. 2A, slot assembly 170 is formed from two slots, shown as slots 170A and 170B, and intermediate portion 162 is divided into a central region 162A and two end regions, shown as end regions 162B and 162C. These intermediate regions are sequentially positioned along the length of the connector 160 from the front (F) to the back (B) to collectively form the intermediate portion 162.

[0030] 2A , in this embodiment, central region 162A has a relatively narrow width, end regions 162B, 162C have a relatively wide width, and first slot 170A is aligned with a first pair of fingers located on first contact portion 164 and second contact portion 166, respectively, and second slot 170B is aligned with a second pair of fingers located on first contact portion 164 and second contact portion 166.

[0031] Additionally, central region 162A, terminal region 162B, and terminal region 162C each include a pair of indents. Terminal region 162B includes indent 172A disposed on first side L and indent 172B disposed on second side R. Central region 162A includes indent 172C disposed on first side L and indent 172D disposed on second side R. Terminal region 162C includes indent 172E disposed on first side L and indent 172F disposed on second side R. With respect to the illustrated Cartesian coordinate system, slot assembly 170 and indents 172A-172F provide stress relief properties to connector 160, reducing mechanical and thermomechanical stresses in the X, Y, and Z directions.

[0032] 5A-5D show various views of a connector according to a further embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, similar to the embodiments of FIGS. 1A-1D, 2A-2D, 3A-3D, and 4A-4D, connector 180 defines an omega-like shape when viewed from the front. As with the previous embodiment, connector 180 has an intermediate portion 182, a first contact portion 184, and a second contact portion 186. These contact portions are also comprised of a plurality of fingers, shown as fingers 188. In this embodiment, intermediate portion 182 includes a slot assembly 190 extending between a first side (L) and a second side (R). Like the embodiment of FIG. 4A, slot assembly 190 is formed from two slots, shown as slots 190A and 190B, and intermediate portion 182 is divided into a central region 182A and two end regions, shown as end regions 182B and 182C. These intermediate regions are sequentially positioned along the length of the connector 180 from the front (F) to the back (B) to collectively form the intermediate portion 182.

[0033] 4B , in this embodiment, slots 190A, 190B are relatively wider than the corresponding slots in Fig. 4B . Similar to the embodiment of Fig. 4B , first slot 190A is aligned with a first pair of fingers located on first contact portion 184 and second contact portion 186, respectively, and second slot 190B is aligned with a second pair of fingers on first contact portion 184 and second contact portion 186.

[0034] Additionally, central region 182A, end region 182B, and end region 182C each include a pair of indents. End region 182B includes indent 192A disposed on first side L and indent 192B disposed on second side R. Central region 182A includes indent 192C disposed on first side L and indent 192D disposed on second side R. End region 182C includes indent 192E disposed on first side L and indent 192F disposed on second side R. Note that indents 192A and 192B are not centered relative to end region 182B, and indents 192E and 192F are not centered relative to end region 182C. With respect to the Cartesian coordinate system shown, the slot assembly 190 and indents 192A-192F provide stress relief properties to the connector 180 to reduce mechanical and thermomechanical stresses in the X, Y, and Z directions.

[0035] FIG. 6 illustrates a side view of a semiconductor device package 200 arranged in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The semiconductor device package 200 may include multiple components, including a housing 218 and at least one semiconductor chip, shown as chip 206, disposed within the housing 218. In the illustrated example, a base plate 202 is provided, with a substrate 204 disposed thereon. The substrate 204 may be, for example, a direct bonded copper (DCB) substrate, which has a ceramic body with metal layers disposed on its top and bottom surfaces, as known in the art. Note that the semiconductor device package 200 may include multiple substrates, but only one substrate is shown for clarity. Similarly, FIG. 6 illustrates only one semiconductor chip, shown as chip 206, disposed on the top surface of the substrate 204. Also shown are multiple connectors 210, generally having a connector structure as disclosed herein. As illustrated, the connectors 210 may be coupled to the chip 206 through contact layers 207, such as copper tabs. Two of the connectors 210 are shown in a front view and two of the connectors 210 are shown in a side view. One side of the connectors 210 may be fixed to a chip, such as chip 206, and the other side is fixed to another component, such as substrate 204. In the example shown, for the connectors 210 shown in a front view, a first contact portion 214 is fixed to the substrate 204 and a second contact portion 216 is fixed to the contact layer 207.

[0036] Note that because the top surface of the chip 206 is disposed above the top surface of the substrate 204 along the Z direction, the connector 210 may rotate about the Y axis relative to the XZ plane. Because the first contact portion 214 and the second contact portion 216 have curved surfaces in side view, the connector 210 may be more easily secured to the substrate 204 and contact layer 207 without causing undue stress within the connector 210, the chip 206, the substrate 204, and the bonding material (not separately shown) used to secure the connector to the substrate 204 and the chip 206. Also, under operation, the connector 210 or similar connectors configured according to the above-described embodiments may better accommodate mechanical and thermomechanical stresses that may be generated during use of the semiconductor device package. To illustrate this point, FIG. 7A shows the semiconductor device package of FIG. 6 in one warpage configuration, and FIG. 7B shows the semiconductor device package of FIG. 6 in another warpage configuration.

[0037] In the diagrams of Figures 7A and 7B, a side view of connector 210 shows how various slots and indents can function to accommodate stresses in the X, Y, and Z directions by providing space for areas of connector 210 to deform, so that these movements may reduce stresses that would otherwise be present at the interface between connector 210, chip 206, and substrate 204.

[0038] FIG. 8A shows a close-up view of an exemplary connector of this embodiment, designated connector 220, in one bow configuration, and FIG. 8B shows the connector of FIG. 8A in another bow configuration. Slots 224A-224C, resulting in regions 222A-222D, and indent 226 allow regions 222A-222D to displace relative to one another under bow conditions of the chip / substrate / baseplate (S / B) system underlying connector 220. In this manner, stress may be relieved, for example, at interface I, where electrical connection to the chip or substrate may be made. Note that the bow shown in FIGS. 7A-8B may be exaggerated for illustrative purposes, meaning that the radius of curvature of the substrate or baseplate may be much larger than shown, resulting in a given chip / substrate / baseplate being planar at the length scale of the connector than shown in the figures.

[0039] In summary, the present embodiments provide a novel connector structure configuration that facilitates easier assembly of the connector structure and stronger resistance to stress, resulting in a more reliable semiconductor device package. Note that while the embodiments disclosed above show a connector with four fingers on one side, in various embodiments the connector length L may be longer or shorter and may have fewer or more fingers / slots / indents.

[0040] Although the present embodiments have been disclosed with reference to particular embodiments, numerous modifications, alterations, and variations can be made to the described embodiments without departing from the sphere and scope of the present disclosure, as defined by the appended claims. Accordingly, the present embodiments should not be limited to the described embodiments, but rather may have full scope defined by the language of the following claims and equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. 1. A connector for a semiconductor device package, comprising: an intermediate portion having a curved concave shape in front view relative to a given surface; a first contact portion integrally connected to the intermediate portion on a first side; and a second contact portion integrally connected to the intermediate portion on a second side; Equipped with the first contact portion and the second contact portion define a curved convex surface in the front view relative to the given surface; connector.

2. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the connector defines an omega-like shape in the front view.

3. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the first contact portion and the second contact portion have a plurality of fingers extending from the intermediate portion.

4. 2. The connector of claim 1, wherein the intermediate portion extends between the first side and the second side and has a slot assembly dividing the intermediate portion into a plurality of intermediate regions positioned relative to one another along the length of the connector.

5. The connector of claim 4 , wherein the slot assembly includes two slots and the intermediate portion is divided into a central region and two end regions.

6. The connector of claim 5 , wherein the intermediate region further includes a first indent disposed on the first side and a second indent disposed on the second side.

7. The connector of claim 4 , wherein the slot assembly includes a single slot and the intermediate portion is divided into a first end region and a second end region.

8. 8. The connector of claim 7, wherein the first end region includes a first side indent disposed on the first side and a second side indent disposed on the second side, and the second end region includes a third side indent disposed on the first side and a fourth side indent disposed on the second side.

9. 6. The connector of claim 5, wherein a first slot is aligned with a first pair of fingers of the first contact portion and the second contact portion, respectively, and a second slot is aligned with a second pair of fingers of the first contact portion and the second contact portion.

10. housing; a plurality of components, including at least one semiconductor chip, disposed within the housing; and a connector, wherein the connector is coupled to a pair of components of the plurality of components, the connector comprising: an intermediate portion having a curved concave shape in front view relative to a given surface; a first contact portion integrally connected to the intermediate portion on a first side and fixed to a first component of the pair of components; and a second contact portion integrally connected to the intermediate portion on a second side and fixed to a second component of the pair of components; having Equipped with the first contact portion and the second contact portion define a curved convex surface in the front view relative to the given surface, and the connector provides an electrical connection between the pair of components. Semiconductor device package.

11. The semiconductor device package of claim 10 , wherein the connector defines an omega-like shape in the front view.

12. The semiconductor device package of claim 10 , wherein the first contact portion and the second contact portion have a plurality of fingers extending from the intermediate portion.

13. 11. The semiconductor device package of claim 10, wherein the intermediate portion includes a slot assembly extending between the first side and the second side and dividing the intermediate portion into a plurality of intermediate regions along the length of the connector.

14. The semiconductor device package of claim 13 , wherein the slot assembly includes two slots, and the intermediate portion is divided into a central region and two end regions.

15. The semiconductor device package of claim 14 , wherein the intermediate region further comprises a first indent disposed on the first side and a second indent disposed on the second side.

16. The semiconductor device package of claim 13 , wherein the slot assembly includes a single slot and the intermediate portion is divided into a first end region and a second end region.

17. 17. The semiconductor device package of claim 16, wherein the first end region includes a first side indent disposed on the first side and a second side indent disposed on the second side, and the second end region includes a third side indent disposed on the first side and a fourth side indent disposed on the second side.

18. 15. The semiconductor device package of claim 14, wherein a first slot is aligned with a first pair of fingers of the first contact portion and the second contact portion, respectively, and a second slot is aligned with a second pair of fingers of the first contact portion and the second contact portion.

19. 11. The semiconductor device package of claim 10, wherein the plurality of components further comprises a contact layer disposed over the at least one semiconductor chip, the first contact portion of the connector being positioned against the contact layer.

20. 20. The semiconductor device package of claim 19, wherein the plurality of components further comprises a substrate, the semiconductor chip is disposed on the substrate, and the second contact portion is disposed in contact with the substrate.

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