Semiconductor Bonding Layer for Alignment-Tolerant Interconnects
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for interconnecting semiconductor devices, such as Hybrid Bonding, face challenges with high alignment requirements, leading to increased costs and yield loss due to misalignment and insufficient adhesion, which affects the reliability and efficiency of high-density interconnections.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the formation of a metal layer and an oxidant layer on semiconductor devices, with conductive and non-conductive regions, allowing for partial overlap and alignment errors, to create a bonding layer that enhances interconnection reliability through increased conductive areas and reliable adhesive regions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If Hybrid Bonding is used to achieve high-density interconnection, then interconnection density is improved, but alignment precision requirements increase sharply
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by forming a metal layer on one wafer and an oxidant layer on the other wafer before the actual bonding process. This preparatory step allows the layers to react and form a bonding layer that compensates for alignment errors, enabling high-density interconnection without requiring extremely precise alignment during the bonding process itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical and chemical parameters of the bonding interface by introducing metal and oxidant layers that react to form a bonding layer. This chemical transformation allows the bonding process to tolerate larger alignment deviations while maintaining high interconnection density, effectively decoupling the density achievement from the alignment precision requirement.
2Manufacturing precision
If high-precision equipment is used for alignment, then alignment accuracy is improved, but fabrication cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses consumable metal and oxidant layers that react during bonding to form the bonding layer. These layers act as disposable elements that absorb alignment errors, allowing the use of less expensive alignment equipment while maintaining bonding quality. The metal and oxidant layers are consumed in the process to compensate for misalignment.
3Manufacturing precision
If high-precision equipment is used for alignment, then alignment accuracy is improved, but fabrication time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The metal layer and oxidant layer are formed in advance on separate wafers before bonding. This preliminary preparation allows the actual bonding process to proceed faster with less stringent alignment requirements, reducing the time needed for high-precision alignment while maintaining bonding quality through the chemical reaction of the pre-formed layers.
4Reliability
If coupling pads are precisely aligned, then connection reliability is improved, but adhesion strength decreases due to insufficient bonding area
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite bonding structure consisting of metal layer, oxidant layer, and the resulting bonding layer. This composite material system provides both electrical connection through the conductive bonding layer and mechanical adhesion through the adhesive bonding layer, simultaneously achieving connection reliability and adhesion strength that neither material could provide alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The bonding layer exhibits local quality differentiation with conductive regions for electrical connection and adhesive regions for mechanical bonding. The conductive regions provide connection reliability for the coupling pads, while the adhesive regions provide adhesion strength for the wafer surfaces, allowing both requirements to be satisfied in different locations of the bonding interface.
5Adaptability or versatility
If misalignment occurs during coupling, then alignment tolerance is improved, but connection reliability decreases due to open circuit failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the bonding mechanism from direct mechanical contact to chemical reaction between metal and oxidant layers. This parameter change allows the bonding process to tolerate misalignment because the chemical reaction can occur across larger areas, creating a bonding layer that maintains electrical connection even when coupling pads are not perfectly aligned.
Solution Approach 2:
The metal layer and oxidant layer act as intermediary substances that facilitate bonding between wafers. These intermediaries react to form a bonding layer that bridges the gap between misaligned coupling pads, maintaining electrical connection and preventing open circuit failure even when direct pad-to-pad alignment is imperfect.
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 improves the reliability of semiconductor device interconnections by allowing for alignment errors, reducing disconnection probabilities, and enhancing bonding effects, thus increasing fault tolerance, yield, and reducing costs in mass production.
Implementation Method 1
reacting the metal layer and the oxidant layer under target conditions to form a bonding layer between the first semiconductor device and the second semiconductor device
Implementation Method 2
forming a metal layer on the first connection surface of the first semiconductor device comprises sputtering a target metal on the first connection surface to form the metal layer
Implementation Method 3
the metal layer and the oxidant layer react to form a bonding layer... the metal layer 12 and the oxidant layer 22 react to form a bonding layer 30
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a method of interconnecting semiconductor devices and an assembly of interconnected semiconductor devices. The method comprises forming a metal layer on a first connection surface of the first semiconductor device, and forming an oxidant layer on a second connection surface of the second semiconductor device, the first connection surface including first coupling pads, the second connection surface including the second coupling pads. The method further comprises aligning the first connecting pads and respective ones of the second connecting pads to each other, pressing together the metal layer and the oxidant layer, and reacting the metal layer with the oxidant layer under target condition to form a bonding layer. The bonding layer first regions, second regions, and third regions that are conductive regions, and a fourth region that is a nonconductive adhesive region. The method of interconnecting semiconductor devices allows alignment errors, improves yield, and reduces cost.