Mold Compound Surface Layer Adhesion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional mold compounds used in semiconductor packaging have poor adhesion strength to metals deposited directly on their surface, requiring additional surface treatments that increase cost and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A mold compound formulation including a polymer interphase material that forms a surface layer with enhanced adhesion strength during the curing process, eliminating the need for additional surface treatments, and optionally using a simple plasma etch for further improvement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional mold compounds are used without additional surface treatments, then manufacturing process is simple, but adhesion strength to deposited metals is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the chemical composition parameters of the mold compound by incorporating specific functional groups (epoxy, carboxyl, hydroxyl, amine) and controlling the molecular weight distribution of the polymer matrix. These parameter changes enable the material to inherently provide sufficient adhesion strength without requiring additional surface treatment processes
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite mold compound system by combining polymer matrix materials with specific inorganic fillers and coupling agents. This composite structure provides both the mechanical properties needed for molding and the chemical functionality required for metal adhesion, eliminating the need for separate surface treatment steps
2Strength
If additional surface treatments are applied to mold compounds, then adhesion strength to metals is improved, but manufacturing cost and process complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mold compound is designed to be self-sufficient by incorporating functional groups and polymer structures that automatically provide the necessary adhesion properties. The material serves its own surface preparation function through its inherent chemical composition, eliminating the need for external surface treatment processes
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the unnecessary surface treatment steps from the manufacturing process while retaining the essential adhesion function through modified mold compound composition. This extraction simplifies the overall process by eliminating redundant operations
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 mold compound achieves improved adhesion strength to seed layers without additional surface treatments, reducing processing costs and complexity while maintaining or exceeding the adhesion strength of traditional compounds with treatments.
Implementation Method 1
The molecular weight difference between the epoxy-hardener mix and the long-chain polymers can allow phase separation of the long-chain polymer during cure, precipitating or phase-separating, forming a surface layer that provides enhanced adhesion to seed layers
Implementation Method 2
Mold compounds have various uses in the microelectronics and semiconductor industry, including as semiconductor packaging material
Data Source
AI summary
This document discusses, among other things, a microelectronic system including a mold compound having a base layer and a surface layer on the base layer, and a seed layer deposited on the surface layer of the mold compound. The mold compound includes a monomer epoxy resin, a hardener, a filler material, and a polymer interphase material, wherein the polymer interphase material forms the surface layer of the mold compound having an adhesion strength to the seed layer greater than the monomer epoxy resin and hardener alone.