Through-Mold Interconnect Package for Top-Side Cooling and PCB Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional chip packages face challenges in incorporating large thermal structures while maintaining space for electrical interconnections, often reducing routing space or increasing substrate size.
Innovation Solution
The method involves forming a device package with electrically conductive pillars protruding from a frame structure, encapsulating the manifold in molding material, and selectively removing frame material to separate pillars, allowing for both thermal structures and electrical interconnects on the same substrate surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If large thermal structures are incorporated into chip packages, then thermal management capability is improved, but routing space for electrical interconnections is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions thermal structures from the substrate plane to the vertical dimension by using through-mold pillars that extend through the molding material thickness. This allows thermal management functionality to be added in the Z-direction rather than competing for XY-plane routing space, resolving the contradiction between thermal capability and routing area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the manifold into multiple through-mold pillars distributed across the substrate surface. This segmentation allows thermal structures to be distributed vertically through the package rather than occupying continuous horizontal space, enabling both thermal management and electrical interconnection routing in the same package area.
2Temperature
If thermal structures are added to the substrate surface, then cooling capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the thermal management function with the existing manifold structure by forming through-mold pillars from the same conductive material. This integration combines cooling capability with the electrical interconnection framework, improving cooling while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The through-mold pillars serve multiple functions simultaneously: they provide thermal conduction paths for cooling, maintain structural integrity of the package, and can be integrated with electrical interconnection schemes. This multi-functionality improves cooling capability without proportionally increasing device complexity.
3Volume of moving object
If through-mold pillars are used for thermal structures, then space efficiency is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by forming the conductive manifold structure with integrated through-mold pillars before final package assembly. This allows precise pillar positioning and formation to be accomplished during the molding process itself, achieving high space efficiency while managing manufacturing precision requirements through process integration rather than post-assembly adjustments.
Data Source
AI summary
Molded device packages which allow electrical contacts to coupled to a first surface of a circuit substrate such as a printed circuit board while allowing the opposite surface to remain exposed for other purposes such as bonding thermal structures such as heatsinks include electrically-conductive pillars which are bonded to the first surface of the substrate and encapsulated in molding material. The molding material can one or more cavities over disposed over the first surface of the substrate which can be evacuated or gas-filled. The electrically-conductive pillars protrude from connected manifold and are joined to each other by a frame portion of the manifold. The manifold is patterned with a masking material that protects the pillars from being etched during a selective etching process which removes the frame portion of the manifold to separate the electrically-conductive pillars from each other.