Seal Ring Interposer Layout for Low-Stress IC Package Bonding

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Solution Overview

Problem

The challenge of reducing stress and delamination defects in integrated circuit packages due to excess overhang in interposers during temperature changes, which degrades bonding interfaces.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating sacrificial zones defined by seal rings under integrated circuit dies and performing a singulation process to remove excess overhang, utilizing a molding compound to enhance adhesion and reduce stress.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If interposers are used to redistribute ball contact areas and enable three-dimensional packaging, then integration density and packaging capability are improved, but excess overhang in interposers causes stress and delamination defects during temperature changes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveintegration densityVSAvoidbonding interface reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by performing a singulation process before final packaging to remove excess overhang from interposers. This preemptive removal of problematic structures prevents stress and delamination defects that would occur during subsequent temperature changes, thereby maintaining bonding interface reliability while preserving the integration benefits of interposers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the harmful excess overhang portions from the interposer structure through the singulation process. By selectively removing only the problematic overhang regions while retaining the functional interposer structure, the patent eliminates the source of stress and delamination defects without compromising the overall packaging capability and integration density.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Reliability

If excess overhang is removed from interposers, then stress and delamination defects are reduced, but additional processing steps are required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepackage reliabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the singulation process with the existing manufacturing workflow by integrating it as a standard step between interposer fabrication and final packaging. This consolidation approach incorporates the overhang removal function into the established process flow, minimizing additional complexity while achieving significant reductions in stress and delamination defects.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS20250329669A1Seal rings in integrated circuit package and method

Publication Date: 2025.10.23 TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO LTD

AI summary

In an embodiment, a package includes an integrated circuit die comprising a first insulating bonding layer and a first semiconductor substrate and an interposer comprising a second insulating bonding layer, a first seal ring, and a second semiconductor substrate. The second insulating bonding layer is directly bonded to the first insulating bonding layer with dielectric-to-dielectric bonds, and wherein the integrated circuit die overlaps the first seal ring. A sidewall of the integrated circuit die is exposed at an outer sidewall of the package.