Through-Hole Chip Gold Plating With Uniform Conductive Layer Thickness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional conductive plating layers on semiconductor substrates exhibit significant thickness differences inside and outside through holes, leading to uneven performance and subconformal phenomena, which affect the overall functionality and efficiency of the chip.
Innovation Solution
A chip design and manufacturing method involving a nickel-containing adhesive layer followed by chemical gold plating, which allows for uniform thickness distribution of the conductive plating layer by using a chemical gold-plated layer and a gold electroplated layer, reducing the thickness difference inside and outside the through holes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a conductive plating layer is manufactured on the back surface of the substrate using conventional methods, then heat dissipation capability is improved, but the thickness of the conductive plating layer differs greatly inside and outside the through hole, causing subconformal phenomenon and uneven performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by first forming a nickel-containing adhesive layer on the back surface and side walls of through holes before conducting chemical gold plating. This preliminary nickel layer ensures that chemical gold can be uniformly deposited on both the back surface and inside the through holes, preventing the subconformal phenomenon where gold plating is thin inside through holes and thick on the back surface. The nickel adhesive layer is formed in advance to create a uniform base for subsequent gold plating, ensuring consistent thickness across different surface areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by using different materials (nickel and gold) in different locations to achieve optimal performance. The nickel-containing adhesive layer is specifically placed on the back surface and side walls of through holes, while the chemical gold plating is applied on top. This localized material distribution allows the nickel to provide adhesion and uniform deposition base on vertical surfaces, while the gold provides the final conductive and heat-dissipating surface with consistent thickness throughout.
2Manufacturing precision
If chemical gold plating is used to reduce thickness difference, then manufacturing cost increases due to gold consumption, but thickness uniformity is improved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using chemical gold plating only where necessary - on the nickel-containing adhesive layer that covers the back surface and side walls of through holes. This localized application ensures gold is deposited only in areas requiring uniform thickness coverage, rather than wasting gold on areas where it is not needed. The nickel adhesive layer serves as a cost-effective base material that provides the necessary adhesion and deposition surface, reducing overall precious metal consumption while maintaining thickness uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the nickel-containing adhesive layer as an intermediary between the substrate and the chemical gold plating. This nickel intermediate layer facilitates uniform gold deposition on complex geometries (including inside through holes) while consuming less expensive nickel material instead of requiring thick gold layers everywhere. The nickel adhesive layer acts as a mediator that enables efficient gold utilization by providing a reactive surface that promotes uniform chemical gold plating only where needed.
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 solution enhances the uniformity and performance of the conductive plating layer, reduces gold waste, and lowers manufacturing costs by optimizing the thickness distribution and reducing resistance, thereby improving the chip's heat dissipation and signal transmission capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
forming a chemical gold-plated layer on the adhesive layer by using a chemical gold plating method
Implementation Method 2
forming a gold electroplated layer on the chemical gold-plated layer by using a gold electroplating method
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3(a)~5(c)
Figure 6(a)~7(c)
AI summary
This application provides a chip, a manufacturing method thereof, and an electronic device. When a chemical gold-plated layer is manufactured on a nickel-containing adhesive layer by using a chemical gold plating method, because chemical gold plating is not affected by an electric field or a magnetic field, gold can easily enter a through hole without being affected by an incident angle. Gold is deposited on a surface of the adhesive layer through a replacement reaction between nickel and gold, and gold entering the through hole can increase a thickness of the chemical gold-plated layer inside the through hole to reduce a difference between thicknesses of the chemical gold-plated layer inside and outside the through hole, so that a difference between thicknesses of the conductive plating layer inside and outside the through hole is reduced, a subconformal phenomenon is avoided, uniformity of the conductive plating layer inside and outside the through hole is improved, and performance of the conductive plating layer and even the chip is improved. In addition, because the adhesive layer is a nickel-containing film layer, gold can be deposited on the surface of the adhesive layer, and gold is not deposited at another position without the adhesive layer. In this way, amount of gold used is reduced, and manufacturing costs of the chip are reduced.