IC Conductive Trace Patterning for Fine-Feature Cold Spray Deposition
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Solution Overview
Problem
High throughput additive manufacturing techniques like cold spray struggle to create fine features or features with high aspect ratios due to the ablation of soft photoresist materials, limiting their capability in forming intricate structures.
Innovation Solution
Combining cold spray with sacrificial and permanent dielectric patterns, along with subtractive etching, to create structures with fine features and high aspect ratios, using sacrificial dielectric masks and buffer layers to protect underlying layers during deposition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If cold spray is used to deposit thick conductor layers, then high throughput additive manufacturing is achieved, but fine features and high aspect ratio features cannot be created due to photoresist ablation
Solution Approach 1:
A buffer layer is introduced as an intermediary between the cold spray deposition and the photoresist mask. This buffer layer absorbs the impact of the cold spray particles, preventing ablation of the photoresist while allowing the conductor material to be deposited. The buffer layer acts as a protective mediator that enables both thick conductor deposition and fine feature preservation simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The photoresist mask and buffer layer are applied in advance before the cold spray deposition process. This preliminary preparation creates a protected structure that can withstand the subsequent high-velocity particle bombardment, enabling fine features to be maintained throughout the thick conductor layer formation process.
2Strength
If cold spray particles bombard photoresist to deposit conductor material, then thick conductor layers are formed, but the soft photoresist is ablated
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer layer serves as a protective intermediary that absorbs the harmful kinetic energy of the cold spray particles. This mediator layer prevents direct bombardment of the photoresist, eliminating ablation while allowing the conductor material to be successfully deposited in thick layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The buffer layer is applied beforehand to cushion the impact of incoming cold spray particles. This pre-positioned protective layer absorbs the shock and energy of particle bombardment, preventing damage to the underlying photoresist mask during the conductor deposition process.
3Manufacturing precision
If standard photoresist is used to create fine features, then fine features can be formed, but cold spray ablates the soft photoresist
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer layer acts as a protective intermediary shield between the cold spray particles and the photoresist. This mediator allows fine features to be created with standard photoresist while preventing the particle bombardment that would otherwise cause ablation and compromise photoresist integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
By applying the buffer layer beforehand, the photoresist is pre-protected against the harmful effects of cold spray particles. This beforehand cushioning enables the use of soft, easy-to-pattern photoresist materials without worrying about ablation during the subsequent conductor deposition 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
Enables the formation of conductive traces with precise features and improved structural integrity, enhancing the manufacturing capabilities of integrated circuit components.
Implementation Method 1
High throughput additive manufacturing techniques such as cold spray can enable thick conductor layers
Implementation Method 2
cold spray may ablate the soft photoresist as cold spray particles bombard it
Data Source
AI summary
Technologies for high throughput additive manufacturing (HTAM) structures are disclosed. In one embodiment, a sacrificial dielectric is formed to provide a negative mask on which to pattern a conductive trace using HTAM. In another embodiment, a permanent dielectric is patterned using a processing such as laser project patterning. A conductive trace can then be patterned using HTAM. In yet another embodiment, conductive traces with tapered sidewalls can be patterned, and then a buffer layer and HTAM layer can be deposited on top.