Grooved Seal Ring for Thermal Interface Material Bonding
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Solution Overview
Problem
In semiconductor devices, the integration of stacked dies requires effective heat dissipation and protection, but existing seal rings fail to prevent underfill material from seeping between the thermal interface material (TIM) and the seal ring, weakening the bond and reducing thermal interface efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A grooved or shaped seal ring surface is created to enhance the bonding with a thermal interface material, preventing underfill material from seeping and improving thermal interface efficiency by increasing contact surface area and using a specific number of grooves with optimal dimensions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a flat seal ring surface is used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but underfill material seeps between the TIM and seal ring, weakening the bond and reducing thermal interface efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The seal ring surface is modified with grooves at specific locations rather than changing the entire structure. The grooves are positioned in the bonding interface between the seal ring and TIM to specifically address the seepage problem, while maintaining the overall simplicity of the seal ring design.
Solution Approach 2:
The flat seal ring surface is segmented into multiple grooved regions. These grooves divide the bonding interface into distinct zones that prevent underfill material from creating continuous seepage paths, thereby strengthening the TIM bond without requiring a completely complex结构设计.
2Temperature
If a grooved seal ring surface is created, then thermal interface efficiency is improved by increasing contact surface area, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The grooves in the seal ring are designed with specific parameter ranges: depth between 1-50 μm and width between 2-30 μm. By optimizing these parameters, the thermal interface efficiency is improved while the groove dimensions remain small enough to be integrated into existing manufacturing processes without requiring completely new fabrication techniques.
3Reliability
If the groove depth is increased, then underfill material is better prevented from seeping, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The groove depth is designed to be sufficient (1-50 μm) to prevent underfill seepage without being excessively deep. This partial action approach provides just enough barrier function to stop underfill migration while keeping the groove dimensions within achievable manufacturing tolerances for standard semiconductor fabrication processes.
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
The grooved seal ring design enhances the clamping force between the lid and the workpiece, prevents delamination, and maintains thermal interface integrity even under adverse conditions, allowing for improved heat dissipation and device performance.
Implementation Method 1
a first thermal interface material (TIM) contacts the seal ring and a first surface of the recess in the lid... allowing for improved heat dissipation
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a device having a shaped seal ring comprising a workpiece, the workpiece comprising at least one dielectric layer disposed on a first side of a substrate, a seal ring disposed in the at least one dielectric layer, and at least one groove in the seal ring. A lid is disposed over the workpiece, the workpiece extending into a recess in the lid and a first thermal interface material (TIM) contacts the seal ring and the lid, with the first TIM extending into the at least one groove. The workpiece is mounted to the package carrier. A die is mounted over a first side of workpiece and disposed in the recess. A first underfill a disposed under the die and a second underfill is disposed between the workpiece and the package carrier. The first TIM is disposed between the first underfill and the second underfill.