Optically-Transmissive Carrier Substrates for Solid-State Transducers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional direct-attach solid-state transducer devices are challenging to manufacture due to their fragile nature, which makes them prone to warping and damage during assembly, especially without a support substrate, and require thick metal contacts for mechanical support, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
The use of optically-transmissive carrier substrates provides mechanical support and protection for semiconductor devices, allowing for thinner conductive materials and contacts, reducing fragility and manufacturing complexities, while enabling direct-attach configurations that are more robust and efficient.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If direct-attach configuration is used to simplify assembly, then ease of manufacture is improved, but device fragility increases making handling difficult
Solution Approach 1:
A carrier substrate is introduced as an intermediary component between the LED structure and the final mounting location. The carrier substrate provides mechanical support and protection during handling and assembly, enabling the direct-attach configuration to be implemented without compromising device integrity. The LED structure is mounted on the carrier substrate, which then serves as the robust interface for PCB attachment.
2Device complexity
If support substrate is removed to enable direct-attach configuration, then device complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to warping
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier substrate acts as a temporary support structure that maintains manufacturing precision during the assembly process. It provides a stable platform that prevents warping of the thin LED structure, enabling precise alignment and attachment to the PCB. After assembly, the carrier substrate can be removed or retained depending on the application.
Solution Approach 2:
The LED structure is first mounted on the carrier substrate before final attachment to the PCB. This preliminary mounting step allows for precise positioning and alignment to be established on the stable carrier substrate, ensuring manufacturing precision is maintained throughout the assembly process.
3Ease of manufacture
If opaque contact materials are used in direct-attach configuration, then ease of manufacture is improved, but light transmission is blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The contact materials are applied selectively only in regions where electrical connection is required, rather than covering the entire device area. This allows opaque conductive materials to be used for electrical contacts while leaving the light-emitting areas transparent. The carrier substrate also provides optical pathways that allow light to pass through to the active surface.
Data Source
AI summary
Semiconductor device assemblies having solid-state transducer (SST) devices and associated semiconductor devices, systems, and are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method of forming a semiconductor device assembly includes forming a support substrate, a transfer structure, and a plurality semiconductor structures between the support substrate and the transfer structure. The method further includes removing the support substrate to expose an active surface of the individual semiconductor structures and a trench between the individual semiconductor structures. The semiconductor structures can be attached to a carrier substrate that is optically transmissive such that the active surface can emit and/or receive the light through the carrier substrate. The individual semiconductor structures can then be processed on the carrier substrate with the support substrate removed. In some embodiments, the individual semiconductor structures are singulated from the semiconductor device assembly and include a section of the carrier substrate attached to each of the individual semiconductor structures.