3D Printed Semiconductor Packaging With Photopolymerized Structures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current semiconductor device packaging methods lack the ability to efficiently encapsulate integrated circuits with complex three-dimensional structures and functional components, such as inductors and antennas, while also mitigating physical and thermal stress.
Innovation Solution
The method employs vat photopolymerization to fabricate semiconductor devices and their packaging by immersing substrates in a liquid encapsulation material and selectively illuminating it to polymerize the material, forming a solid encapsulation that can include unique features and internal structures like microfluidic channels and cavities, allowing for the integration of various functional components in a single package.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional packaging methods are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but the ability to encapsulate complex three-dimensional structures and functional components is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical and chemical parameters of the encapsulation material by using photopolymerizable resin that can be selectively cured. This allows the material to transition from liquid to solid state in controlled regions, enabling complex three-dimensional structures to be formed through selective illumination patterns during the packaging process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite encapsulation structures that integrate multiple functional components (inductors, antennas, microfluidic channels) within a single photopolymerized resin matrix. This composite approach allows diverse functional elements to be co-encapsulated together, achieving high adaptability for complex structures while maintaining manufacturing efficiency.
2Reliability
If traditional packaging methods are used, then manufacturing process simplicity is maintained, but thermal stress mitigation capability is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating regions with different thermal properties within the encapsulation structure. The photopolymerizable resin can be formulated with specific thermal expansion coefficients and heat dissipation characteristics tailored to different areas, allowing optimal thermal stress mitigation in critical regions while maintaining overall manufacturing simplicity through a single-step curing process.
3Manufacturing precision
If vat photopolymerization is used to fabricate semiconductor devices and packaging, then high-resolution encapsulation with integrated functional structures is achieved, but manufacturing process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-designing the three-dimensional structures and functional components (inductors, antennas, microfluidic channels) in the photopolymerizable resin before curing. The selective illumination patterns are predetermined based on the desired final structure, allowing high-resolution encapsulation to be achieved through programmed curing sequences rather than post-processing modifications.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from traditional two-dimensional planar packaging to three-dimensional volumetric encapsulation using vat photopolymerization. By illuminating the photopolymerizable resin from multiple angles and depths, complex three-dimensional structures with integrated functional components are formed, achieving high manufacturing precision in all spatial dimensions while consolidating multiple manufacturing steps into a single additive process.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables high-resolution, efficient packaging of semiconductor devices with integrated functional structures, reducing stress and enhancing performance by using polymerized resin with tailored properties and features, such as microfluidic channels and cavities, within a single encapsulated package.
Implementation Method 1
illuminating the liquid encapsulation material to polymerize the liquid encapsulation material
Data Source
AI summary
In described examples, a method for fabricating a semiconductor device and a three dimensional structure, and packaging them together, includes: fabricating the integrated circuit on a substrate, immersing the substrate in a liquid encapsulation material, and illuminating the liquid encapsulation material to polymerize the liquid encapsulation material. Immersing the semiconductor device is performed to cover a layer of a platform in the liquid encapsulation material. The platform is a lead frame, a packaging substrate, or the substrate. The illuminating step targets locations of the liquid encapsulation material covering the layer. Illuminated encapsulation material forms solid encapsulation material that is fixedly coupled to contiguous portions of the semiconductor device and of the solid encapsulation material. The immersing and illuminating steps are repeated until a three dimensional structure is formed. The integrated circuit and the three dimensional structure are encapsulated in a single package.