Blind Hole Plating Thickness for Component Carrier Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Component carriers face challenges in achieving both mechanical robustness and electrical reliability, especially with increasing miniaturization and the need for efficient heat removal from densely packed electronic components, where traditional methods fail to prevent cracks and voids in conductive filling materials within blind holes.
Innovation Solution
A component carrier design featuring a stack with an electrically conductive plating layer extending along the surface of a tapering blind hole, with a minimum thickness of 8 μm at the hole's bottom, formed by laser drilling or similar processes, ensuring robust and reliable electrical connectivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the component carrier is miniaturized to accommodate more components with smaller spacing, then the quantity of components and integration density are improved, but the mechanical robustness and electrical reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the blind hole (taper angle, depth-to-diameter ratio) and the plating layer (minimum thickness of 8 μm) to optimize both signal integrity and mechanical strength. By controlling the taper angle and ensuring adequate plating thickness at the bottom, the design achieves reliable electrical connectivity while maintaining mechanical robustness in miniaturized structures
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different plating thickness requirements to different locations: a minimum thickness of 8 μm at the bottom of the blind hole for electrical reliability, while allowing thinner plating at the sidewalls. This local differentiation optimizes material usage while ensuring critical areas have sufficient conductivity and mechanical strength
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional plating methods are used in blind holes, then the manufacturing process is simple, but cracks and voids form in the conductive filling reducing electrical reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by first forming a seed layer in the blind hole before the main plating process. This seed layer preparation ensures proper adhesion and prevents void formation during subsequent plating, eliminating the need for complex multi-step processes while ensuring reliable electrical connectivity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent specifies a minimum plating thickness of 8 μm at the bottom of the blind hole, which prevents crack formation by ensuring adequate material thickness. This parameter control transforms a potentially unreliable thin plating process into a reliable manufacturing method
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 design enhances the mechanical and electrical reliability of component carriers by preventing cracks and voids in the conductive filling, meeting stringent reliability requirements and being compatible with modified semi-additive processing flows.
Implementation Method 1
a tapering blind hole (in particular a laser blind hole) formed in the stack
Implementation Method 2
an electrically conductive plating layer (in particular a curved layer) extending along at least part of a horizontal surface of the stack outside of the blind hole and along at least part of a surface of the blind hole
Data Source
AI summary
A component carrier with a stack including an electrically insulating layer structure and an electrically insulating structure has a tapering blind hole formed in the stack and an electrically conductive plating layer extending along at least part of a horizontal surface of the stack outside of the blind hole and along at least part of a surface of the blind hole. A minimum thickness of the plating layer at a bottom of the blind hole is at least 8 μm. A demarcation surface of the plating layer in the blind hole and facing away from the stack extends laterally outwardly from the bottom of the blind hole towards a lateral indentation and extends laterally inwardly from the indentation up to an outer end of the blind hole. An electrically conductive structure fills at least part of a volume between the plating layer and an exterior of the blind hole.