Package structure to enhance yield of TMI interconnections

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9613933-B2
Application number	US-201414198479-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2014
Priority date	Mar 5, 2014
Publication date	Apr 4, 2017
Grant date	Apr 4, 2017

Abstract

An apparatus is described that includes a substrate and a mold compound disposed on the substrate. The semiconductor die is embedded within the mold compound and is electrically coupled to lands on the substrate. Solder balls are disposed around the semiconductor die on the substrate. Each of the solder balls have a solid coating thereon. The solid coating contains a cleaning agent to promote its solder ball's coalescence with another solder ball. Respective vias are formed in the mold compound that expose the solder balls and their respective solid coatings. In combined or alternate embodiments outer edges of the mold compound have smaller thickness than regions of the mold compound between the vias and the semiconductor die. In combined or alternate embodiments micro-channels exist between the solder balls and the mold compound.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a substrate;
a mold compound disposed on the substrate;
a semiconductor die embedded within the mold compound and electrically coupled to lands on the substrate;
solder balls disposed around the semiconductor die on the substrate, the solder balls each having a respective solid coating thereon, the solid coating containing a cleaning agent to promote the solder balls' respective coalescence with other solder balls, wherein, an active potential of the cleaning agent does not appreciably decay during extended storage of the apparatus between construction of the apparatus and a reflow of the solder balls so that the solder balls will coalesce during the reflow with the other solder balls, the other solder balls being components of a packaged semiconductor die when the apparatus is attached to the packaged semiconductor die to form a package-on-package structure;
respective vias formed in the mold compound that expose the solder balls and their respective solid coatings.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cleaning agent of the solid coating does not substantially react with its solder ball at temperatures beneath that at which the solder ball will coalesce with its respective one of the other solder balls.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the solid coating further contains a solvent and the cleaning agent does not substantially react with its solder ball at temperatures at which the solvent evaporates.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the cleaning agent of the solid coating does not substantially react with its solder ball at a temperature below 150° C.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising micro-channels between the solder balls and the mold compound.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the solder balls reside within respective larger cavities within the mold compound, the micro-channels corresponding to the respective spaces between the solder balls and the larger cavities.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cleaning agent is a rosin.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the solid coating comprises either or both of an amine and an acid.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the solid coating is selected from the group consisting of:
an organic polymer network;
a powder based solid coating;
an active adhesive film;
an elastomer;
a wax.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein outer edges of the mold compound have smaller thickness than regions of the mold compound adjacent to the semiconductor die.

11. An apparatus, comprising:
a substrate;
a mold compound disposed on the substrate;
a semiconductor die embedded within the mold compound and electrically coupled to lands on the substrate;
a packaged semiconductor die disposed over the semiconductor die that is embedded within the mold compound;
coalesced solder ball pairs disposed on the substrate around the semiconductor die that is embedded within the mold compound, a first solder ball of each solder ball pair being part of the package of the packaged semiconductor die, a second solder ball of each solder ball pair formed on a land on the substrate, the coalesced solder ball pairs including first material from a first coating originally applied to the first solder ball and including second material from a second coating originally applied to the second solder ball;
respective vias formed in the mold compound where the coalesced solder ball pairs reside.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a micro-channel between the second solder ball of the coalesced solder ball pairs and the mold compound.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the second solder ball of the coalesced solder ball pairs reside within a larger cavity within the mold compound, the micro-channel corresponding to the respective space between the second solder ball and the larger cavity.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the second material is from a rosin-based flux originally applied to the second solder ball.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the second material is selected from the group consisting of:
an organic polymer network originally applied to the second solder ball;
a powder based solid coating originally applied to the second solder ball;
an active adhesive film originally applied to the second solder ball;
an elastomer originally applied to the second solder ball;
a wax originally applied to the second solder ball.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein outer edges of the mold compound have smaller thickness than regions of the mold compound adjacent to the semiconductor die.

17. An apparatus, comprising:
a substrate;
a mold compound disposed on the substrate;
a semiconductor die embedded within the mold compound and electrically coupled to lands on the substrate;
solder balls disposed around the semiconductor die on the substrate;
respective vias formed in the mold compound that expose the solder balls, wherein, outer edges of the mold compound have smaller thickness than regions of the mold compound between the vias and the semiconductor die.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the apparatus is part of a package-on-package structure.

19. An apparatus, comprising:
a substrate;
a mold compound disposed on the substrate;
a semiconductor die embedded within the mold compound and electrically coupled to lands on the substrate;
solder balls disposed around the semiconductor die on the substrate;
respective vias formed in the mold compound that expose the solder balls and their respective solid coatings, wherein, micro-channels exist between the solder balls and the mold compound, wherein, outer walls of the micro-channels comprise respective surfaces facing their respective solder balls that curve around the respective solder balls.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the apparatus is part of a package-on-package structure.

Assignees

• De Bonis Thomas J
• May Lilia
• Sidhu Rajen S
• Renavikar Mukul P
• Dani Ashay A
• Prack Edward R
• Deppisch Carl L
• Prakash Anna M
• Matayabas Jr James C
• Zhang Jason Jieping
• Aravamudhan Srinivasa R
• Lin Chang
• Intel Corp

Inventors

• De Bonis Thomas J
• May Lilia
• Sidhu Rajen S
• Renavikar Mukul P
• Dani Ashay A
• Prack Edward R
• Deppisch Carl L
• Prakash Anna M
• Matayabas Jr James C
• Zhang Jason Jieping
• Aravamudhan Srinivasa R
• Lin Chang

Classifications

• H10W90/724

  between a chip and a stacked insulating package substrate, interposer or RDL · CPC title

• H10W90/722

  between stacked chips · CPC title

• H10W90/721

  of bump connectors · CPC title

• H10W90/291

  characterised by containers, encapsulations, or other housings for the stacked chips · CPC title

• H10W74/10

  characterised by their shape or disposition · CPC title