Pre-treatment Method for Plating Adhesion via Two-Stage Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing electroless plating methods for forming TSVs in semiconductor devices face issues with the adhesiveness of palladium nanoparticles, leading to potential separation during cleaning processes, which compromises the quality of the barrier layer and subsequent plating layers.
Innovation Solution
A pre-treatment method involving the formation of a catalytic particle-containing film on a substrate, followed by two heating processes to remove moisture and polymerize the dispersing agent, ensuring the catalytic metal nanoparticles are firmly attached to the base, enhancing the adhesivity and quality of the plating layer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If palladium nanoparticles are supplied using a dispersing agent in a conventional electroless plating method, then the catalytic metal can be adsorbed onto the self-assembled monolayer, but the adhesiveness of the palladium nanoparticles is not sufficiently high, causing them to separate during cleaning processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing a two-stage heating process before the actual plating. First, the substrate is heated to a first temperature to remove moisture from the catalytic particle-containing film. Then, it is heated to a second temperature to polymerize the dispersing agent, forming a sheet-shaped structure that firmly attaches the palladium nanoparticles to the base layer. This preliminary treatment ensures the nanoparticles remain adhered during subsequent cleaning processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes by controlling the heating temperature in two distinct stages. The first heating stage uses a lower temperature to remove moisture without causing premature polymerization. The second heating stage uses a higher temperature to polymerize the dispersing agent and firmly attach the nanoparticles. This controlled parameter change resolves the contradiction between maintaining nanoparticle stability and achieving strong adhesion.
2Reliability
If the palladium nanoparticles are firmly attached through polymerization of the dispersing agent, then the adhesivity of the plating layer is improved, but additional heating processes are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into the two heating processes. The first heating process simultaneously removes moisture and prepares the substrate for polymerization. The second heating process performs polymerization of the dispersing agent and firm attachment of nanoparticles in one step. By combining these functions, the patent reduces overall process complexity while achieving the desired adhesivity improvement.
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 method significantly improves the adhesiveness and quality of the plating film, ensuring a robust barrier layer and subsequent copper plating layers, even in high-stress regions, thereby enhancing the overall integrity of the TSVs.
Implementation Method 1
a first heating process of removing moisture contained at least in the catalytic particle-containing film by heating the substrate to a first temperature
Implementation Method 2
a second heating process of polymerizing the dispersing agent to have a sheet shape by heating the substrate to a second temperature higher than the first temperature
Data Source
AI summary
Catalytic metal nanoparticles can be attached on a base. A pre-treatment method for plating includes a catalytic particle-containing film forming process of forming a catalytic particle-containing film on a surface of a substrate by supplying, onto the substrate, a catalytic particle solution which is prepared by dispersing the catalytic metal nanoparticles and a dispersing agent in a solvent containing water; a first heating process of removing moisture contained at least in the catalytic particle-containing film by heating the substrate to a first temperature; and a second heating process of polymerizing the dispersing agent to have a sheet shape by heating the substrate to a second temperature higher than the first temperature after the first heating process and fixing the catalytic metal nanoparticles on a base layer by covering the catalytic metal nanoparticles with the sheet-shaped dispersing agent.