Method for aligning micro-electronic components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9799632-B2
Application number	US-201715457744-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2017
Priority date	Dec 19, 2013
Publication date	Oct 24, 2017
Grant date	Oct 24, 2017

Abstract

Alignment of a first micro-electronic component to a receiving surface of a second micro-electronic component is realized by a capillary force-induced self-alignment, combined with an electrostatic alignment. The latter is accomplished by providing at least one first electrical conductor line along the periphery of the first component, and at least one second electrical conductor along the periphery of the location on the receiving surface of the second component onto which the component is to be placed. The contact areas surrounded by the conductor lines are covered with a wetting layer. The electrical conductor lines may be embedded in a strip of anti-wetting material that runs along the peripheries to create a wettability contrast. The wettability contrast helps to maintain a drop of alignment liquid between the contact areas so as to obtain self-alignment by capillary force. By applying appropriate charges on the conductor lines, electrostatic self-alignment is realized, which improves the alignment obtained through capillary force and maintains the alignment during evaporation of the liquid.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An assembly of at least two components, comprising:
a first component and a second component;
wherein each of the first component and the second component comprises a contact area covered by a wetting layer;
wherein each of the first component and the second component comprises means for containing a liquid on the respective wetting layer;
wherein each of the first component and the second component comprises one or more conductor lines running along a circumference of the respective contact area, wherein the one or more conductor lines of the first component are arranged to face the one or more conductor lines of the second component;
and wherein at least one of the first component or the second component is provided with means for applying an electrical charge to the respective one or more conductor lines.

2. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein on at least one of the first component or the second component, the means for containing a liquid on the respective wetting layer includes at least one strip of anti-wetting material running along a circumference of the respective contact area.

3. The assembly according to claim 2 , wherein on at least one of the first component or the second component, the respective one or more conductor lines is embedded in or located on top of the respective at least one strip of anti-wetting material.

4. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein on at least one of the first component or the second component, the means for containing a liquid on the respective wetting layer includes the respective one or more conductor lines, which are provided with anti-wetting properties.

5. The assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the one or more conductor lines provided with anti-wetting properties includes the one or more conductor lines being embedded in a hydrophobic material.

6. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein on at least one of the first component or the second component, the means for containing a liquid on the respective wetting layer includes a vertical sidewall around the respective contact area.

7. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein on at least one of the first component or the second component, the respective one or more conductor lines are embedded in a first passivation layer and are covered by a second passivation layer.

8. The assembly according to claim 7 , wherein the wetting layer includes the second passivation layer.

9. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the first component comprises a pair of conductor lines, wherein the second component comprises a single conductor line, wherein the first component is configured to apply a first electric potential to a first conductor line of the pair of conductor lines and to apply a second electric potential to a second conductor line of the pair of conductor lines, while the second component is configured to apply no electric potential to the single conductor line, and wherein the first electrical potential has an opposite electrical charge of the second electric potential.

10. The assembly according to claim 9 , wherein the pair of conductor lines includes interdigitated lateral extensions.

11. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the first component is configured to apply a first electric potential to its respective one or more conductor lines, wherein the second component is configured to apply a second electric potential to its respective one or more conductor lines, and wherein the first electric potential has an opposite electrical charge of the second electric potential.

12. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the first component includes a first bonding structure in the respective contact area, and the second component includes a second bonding structure in the respective contact area, and wherein the first bonding structure is arranged to align with and face the second bonding structure.

13. The assembly according to claim 12 , wherein at least one of first bonding structure or the second bonding structure includes a solder ball or microbump.

14. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first component or the second component includes a single conductor line that runs in a closed loop along a circumference of the respective contact area.

15. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first component and the second component includes a single conductor line, wherein the first component is configured to apply a first electric potential to its respective single conductor line, wherein the second component is configured to apply a second electric potential to its respective single conductor line, and wherein the first electric potential has an opposite electrical charge of the second electric potential.

16. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the first component and the second component are micro-electronic components.

17. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the means for applying an electrical charge includes a contact lead.

18. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more conductor lines of the first component are located in a recess running around a circumference of the respective contact area of the first component, and wherein the conductor lines of the second component extend outwardly from a surface of the second component, wherein the recess of the first component and the surface of the second component are configured to fit together in a lock and key fashion.

19. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more conductor lines of the first component are facing and aligned with the one or more conductor lines of the second component.

20. The assembly according to claim 19 , further comprising the liquid disposed between the contact area of the first component and the contact area of the second component.

Assignees

• Imec Vzw
• Univ Leuven Kath

Inventors

• Dubey Vikas
• De Wolf Ingrid
• Beyne Eric

Classifications

• H10W90/794

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

• H10W90/792

  between multiple chips · CPC title

• H10W90/724

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

• H10W90/722

  between stacked chips · CPC title

• H10W90/297

  characterised by the through-semiconductor vias [TSVs] in the stacked chips · CPC title