Interconnect Oxidation Prevention via Protective Masking
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Solution Overview
Problem
In electronic packaging, the susceptibility of conductive layers to oxidation leads to poor adhesion between the conductive layer and contact pads, resulting in increased resistance and performance issues, particularly as device size decreases and interconnect density increases, causing heating and signal degradation.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the deposition of a conductive layer on a substrate, followed by a protective layer to prevent oxidation, with the protective layer being patterned to expose areas for contact pad deposition, and then patterning both layers to form electrical traces, eliminating the need for bus lines and residual bus portions, thereby enhancing adhesion and reducing resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If bus plating is employed to form interconnects with conductive layer exposed to ambient environment, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the conductive layer is highly susceptible to oxidization which affects adhesion of contact pads
Solution Approach 1:
A protective layer is introduced as an intermediary between the conductive layer and the ambient environment. This protective layer prevents oxidation of the conductive layer while allowing contact pads to be formed through openings in the protective layer, thus maintaining both manufacturing simplicity and adhesion reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The protective layer creates an inert environment for the conductive layer by preventing exposure to oxygen in the ambient environment. This eliminates oxidization without requiring complex inert atmosphere processing equipment, maintaining ease of manufacture while improving reliability
2Area of moving object
If device size is reduced and interconnect density is increased, then device integration is improved, but resistance increases and heating occurs due to poor adhesion
Solution Approach 1:
The protective layer serves as a mediator that prevents oxidation even in high-density interconnect configurations. This ensures consistent adhesion quality regardless of interconnect density, allowing device size reduction without compromising performance or causing heating issues
3Reliability
If bus lines are used to route to common bus, then power distribution is achieved, but residual bus portions remain after contact pad formation causing signal reflections and noise
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the harmful residual bus portions after contact pad formation. By using the protective layer masking approach, the bus lines are prevented from extending into areas where they would create residual portions, thus eliminating signal reflections and noise while maintaining power distribution functionality
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 improves adhesion and reduces resistance, leading to enhanced performance and reliability in electronic packaging by preventing oxidation and eliminating signal reflections and noise degradation, while simplifying circuit design and reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
the conductive layer is exposed to the ambient environment and is highly susceptible to oxidization
Implementation Method 2
These busses are connected to a power source via a common bus and are used to form electrical connections from the power source to the traces
Data Source
AI summary
A method for making an interconnect is provided. The method includes depositing a conductive layer on a substrate, depositing a protective layer on the conductive layer, patterning the protective layer to form openings to the conductive layer, depositing contact pads on the conductive layer through the openings in the protective layer, the contact pads comprising a conductive material, and patterning the conductive layer and the protective layer to form electrical traces on the substrate.