Liquid Metal Interposer Wells With Molded Channels for Fine Pitch
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional liquid metal interposers face limitations in design flexibility and cost due to the drilling process, which results in non-uniform well diameters, rough sidewalls, and limited shape options, making them unsuitable for advanced packaging solutions with high pin counts.
Innovation Solution
The use of an injection molding process to form liquid metal interposers with uniform and customizable opening shapes, including non-circular designs and embedded channels, which reduces costs and enhances scalability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a drilling process is used to form wells in liquid metal interposer, then wells can be created to hold liquid metal, but the well diameters become non-uniform and sidewalls become rough
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical drilling process with an injection molding process to form wells in the liquid metal interposer. Injection molding uses hydraulic pressure to inject molten material into a mold cavity, eliminating the mechanical contact and rotation of drill bits that cause diameter variation and rough sidewalls. This substitution achieves uniform well dimensions and smooth sidewalls while maintaining the capability to form wells efficiently.
2Ease of manufacture
If a drilling process is used to form wells in liquid metal interposer, then wells can be created, but only circular shapes can be formed limiting design flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The injection molding process replaces the drilling process, enabling the formation of wells in various shapes including rectangular, triangular, and custom geometries. The mold cavity defines the well shape, allowing complete freedom from the circular constraint of drill bits. This provides design flexibility to optimize electrical performance, thermal management, and mechanical properties for different interposer applications.
3Ease of manufacture
If individual drilling of each well is performed, then wells can be formed, but cost increases significantly for high pin count applications
Solution Approach 1:
The injection molding process merges the formation of multiple wells into a single manufacturing operation. The mold cavity contains multiple cavities or a single complex cavity that forms all required wells simultaneously in one injection cycle. This eliminates the need for individual drilling of each well, dramatically reducing the cost per well for high pin count applications with thousands of interconnects.
4Ease of manufacture
If drilling process is used, then wells can be formed, but the process is not scalable to fine pitch and small diameter pins
Solution Approach 1:
The injection molding process replaces the mechanical drilling system, enabling the formation of very small diameter wells with fine pitch spacing. The mold cavity can be designed with precise dimensions and tight tolerances, allowing formation of wells with diameters suitable for fine pitch and small diameter pins that would be difficult or impossible to drill with conventional mechanical processes.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments disclosed herein include a liquid metal interposer. In an embodiment, the liquid metal interposer comprises a substrate with a first opening in the substrate and a second opening in the substrate. In an embodiment, a channel is between the first opening and the second opening. In an embodiment, the channel fluidically couples the first opening to the second opening.