A method of applying a sinterable film to a substrate during a
surface mount technology (SMT) process includes providing a substrate; providing a preform including a support film, the support film having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the support film having a sinterable film of
metal particles (e.g., Ag,
Ag alloy, Au, Au
alloy, Cu, Cu
alloy, Rd, Rd
alloy, Ni, Ni alloy, Al, Al alloy, Ag coated Cu, Cu coated Ag) deposited on the first surface but not on the second surface; providing a pick and place
machine with a placement head; picking up the preform via the second surface using the placement head of the pick and place
machine; placing the preform in contact with the substrate using the pick and place
machine, the contact being via the sinterable film; attaching the sinterable film to the substrate; and separating the support film from the sinterable film. The placement head may include a vacuum
nozzle, and picking up the preform through the support film includes applying a vacuum to the second surface using the vacuum
nozzle. Separating the support film from the sinterable film may be performed by moving the placement head of the pick and place machine away from the support film while maintaining the vacuum. The support film may be discarded from the pick and place machine by removing the vacuum. The support film may be used to manufacture additional preforms. The preform may be placed in contact with a cavity or recess in a substrate. The preform may be picked up from a holding carrier, preferably in the form of a waffle pack, carrier tape, or spool tape and reel
station, using the placement head of the pick and place machine. The support film may include a
polymer or
polymer support film. The substrate may be selected from a direct bond
copper (
DBC) substrate, an active
metal braze (AMB) substrate, a
semiconductor surface in the form of a gate pad, a source pad, a drain pad, a collector pad, a
silicon wafer substrate, a
heat spreader, a
metal connector, and a
piezoelectric substrate. The preform may be square, rectangular, circular, and any polygonal shape that fits the approximate dimensions of the substrate.The metal particles have a longest dimension of 1-1000 nm, preferably 2-500 nm, more preferably 5-100 nm, even more preferably 10-60 nm. The metal particles may be capped with a capping agent, preferably selected from one or more of fatty acids, fatty amines and starches. The sinterable membrane may comprise non-metallic particles, which may be selected from one or more of carbon,
silicon carbide, aluminum
nitride,
boron nitride and
silicon dioxide, in coated or uncoated form. The metal particles may comprise
silver particles and the sinterable membrane may be substantially free of
copper, aluminum, glass, carbon and
graphite particles. The sinterable membrane may be free of a silver foil layer. The sinterable membrane may comprise a binder, preferably having a
softening point of 50-170°C, more preferably 70-120°C. The binder may comprise a resin and / or
rosin, preferably hydrogenated
rosin. The sinterable membrane may comprise a
solvent, preferably selected from one or more of
terpineol,
butyl carbitol and isopropanol. The attachment of the sinterable film to the substrate is carried out at a temperature of 130-170°C and / or a pressure of 2-5 MPa and / or a time of 100-2000 ms, preferably 100-800 ms. A stack of sinterable films may be formed on a substrate by applying a first sinterable film to the substrate using the method described above and sequentially stacking one or more further sinterable films on the first sinterable film, each of the one or more further sinterable films being stacked by a similar method. The first sinterable film may be formed from the same material as the one or more further sinterable films or from a material having different mechanical and / or thermal properties than at least one of the one or more further sinterable films, and two further sinterable films may be stacked on the first sinterable film to form a stack having an inner sinterable film and two outer sinterable films, the inner sinterable film being formed from a material having different mechanical and / or thermal properties than the material forming the two outer sinterable films.The additive particles may be included between the first sinterable film and the further sinterable film and / or between the further sinterable films, the additive particles may include particles having a higher
thermal conductivity than the first sinterable film and the material of the one or more further sinterable films, including, for example,
diamond, and / or the additive particles include particles having a different Young's modulus than the material of the first sinterable film and the one or more further sinterable films. The die can be attached to the substrate by a method comprising applying a sinterable film to the substrate or forming a stack of sinterable films on the substrate using the above method, contacting the die with the sinterable film or stack of sinterable films, and
sintering the sinterable film or stack of sinterable films to attach the die to the substrate. The width of the sinterable film may be smaller than the width of the die and the width of the substrate, and the die may be provided with an edge
passivation and may contact the sinterable film such that the sinterable film does not contact the edge
passivation. A method of attaching a clip, bond pad, or upper bridge structure to a die includes providing a die attached to a substrate, applying a sinterable film to the die, contacting the sinterable film with the clip, bond pad, or upper bridge structure, and
sintering the sinterable film to attach the clip, bond pad, or upper bridge structure to the die, wherein applying the sinterable film to the die includes providing a preform including a support film having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the support film having a sinterable film of metal particles deposited on the first surface. The method includes providing a preform having a support film on a die, the support film having a sinterable film of metal particles laminated thereon, the support film having a sinterable film of metal particles laminated thereon, providing a pick and place machine with a placement head, picking up the preform via the second surface using the placement head of the pick and place machine, placing the preform in contact with the die using the pick and place machine, the contact being via the second surface, attaching the sinterable film to the die, and separating the sinterable film from the sinterable film, the sinterable film may comprise a stack of sinterable films. The bond pad may comprise a buffer layer between the sensitive top metal of the die and harsh interconnect methods such as
copper wire or copper ribbon bonding that require high forces and ultrasonic energy.An upper bridge structure can result in a double-sided cooled module, where the drain and source connections of the die are sintered to the
planar substrate to improve cooling potential and increase the
volumetric density of the
power module. Bridging contactors can also connect the die in the cavity of the substrate to the contacts of the substrate.