Connector Design for Packaging Integrated Circuits

• US 20140131864A1
• Filed: 01/22/2014
• Published: 05/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Yu, Chen-Hua, Shih, Ying Ching, Tsai, Po-Hao, Kao, Chin-Fu, Huang, Cheng-Lin, Hsieh, Cheng-Chieh, Hsu, Kuo-Ching, Lin, Jing-Cheng, Hou, Shang-Yun, Jeng, Shin-Puu
• Granted Patent: US 8,901,735 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/737
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/0361 Physical or chemical etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/03912 the bump being used as a mask for patterning the bonding area
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/0401 Bonding areas specifically adapted for bump connectors, e.g. under bump metallisation [UBM]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05022 the internal layer being at least partially embedded in the surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05027 the internal layer extending out of an opening
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05073 Single internal layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05124 Aluminium [Al] as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05139 Silver [Ag] as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05144 Gold [Au] as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05147 Copper [Cu] as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05155 Nickel [Ni] as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05184 Tungsten [W] as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05666 Titanium [Ti] as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05681 Tantalum [Ta] as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05686 with a principal constituent of the material being a non metallic, non metalloid inorganic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/10145 Flow barriers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/10156 Bump collar
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/1146 Plating
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/1147 using a lift-off mask
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/1182 Applying permanent coating, e.g. in-situ coating
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/11831 : involving a chemical process, e.g. etching the bump connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/13017 : being non uniform along the bump connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/1308 : being stacked
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/13082 : Two-layer arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/13083 : Three-layer arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/13111 : Tin [Sn] as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/13147 : Copper [Cu] as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/13155 : Nickel [Ni] as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/13164 : Palladium [Pd] as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/13565 : Only outside the bonding interface of the bump connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/13578 : being disposed next to each other, e.g. side-to-side arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/13686 : with a principal constituent of the material being a non metallic, non metalloid inorganic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16058 : being non uniform along the bump connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16145 : the bodies being stacked
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/81193 : wherein the bump connectors are disposed on both the semiconductor or solid-state body and another item or body to be connected to the semiconductor or solid-state body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/81815 : Reflow soldering
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/147 : Semiconductor insulating substrates semiconductor conductive substrates H01L23/4926
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49827 : Via connections through the substrates, e.g. pins going through the substrate, coaxial cables H01L23/49822, H01L23/49833, H01L23/4985, H01L23/49861 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/11 : Manufacturing methods for bumps on insulating substrates H01L21/4853
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/13 : of an individual bump connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/16 : of an individual bump connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/81 : using a bump connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/04 : the devices not having separate containers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/50 : Multistep manufacturing processes of assemblies consisting of devices, each device being of a type provided for in group H01L27/00 or H01L29/00 H01L21/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 : Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 : the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01029 : Copper [Cu]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01047 : Silver [Ag]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01322 : Eutectic Alloys, i.e. obtained by a liquid transforming into two solid phases
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01327 : Intermediate phases, i.e. intermetallics compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/014 : Solder alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/049 : Nitrides composed of metals from groups of the periodic table
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/04941 : TiN
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/04953 : TaN
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/053 : Oxides composed of metals from groups of the periodic table
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3651 : Formation of intermetallics
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3841 : Solder bridging

Abstract

A device includes a top dielectric layer having a top surface. A metal pillar has a portion over the top surface of the top dielectric layer. A non-wetting layer is formed on a sidewall of the metal pillar, wherein the non-wetting layer is not wettable to the molten solder. A solder region is disposed over and electrically coupled to the metal pillar.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

forming a top dielectric layer of a first package component;

forming a metal pillar extending over a top surface of the top dielectric layer;

forming a metal cap over the metal pillar, wherein the metal cap comprises edge portions extending beyond respective sidewalls the metal pillar;

performing a treatment on a sidewall surface of the metal cap to form a first non-wettable surface layer; and

forming a solder region over the metal cap.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing the treatment on a sidewall surface of the metal to form a second non-wettable surface layer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the treatment comprises treating the sidewall surface of the metal cap in a process gas selected from a group consisting essentially of nitrogen, oxygen, and combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising, after forming the metal cap and the solder region, performing an etching step to etch the metal pillar, wherein the metal cap is not etched, and wherein portions of the metal pillar directly underlying the edge portions of the metal cap are etched.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising bonding a second package component to the first package component, wherein bonding the second package comprises reflowing the solder region.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein after the bonding the second package comprises bending the edge portions of the metal cap away from the top dielectric layer.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein after the bonding the second package comprises bending the edge portions of the metal cap toward the top dielectric layer.

8. A device comprising:

a polymer layer having a top surface;

a copper-containing metal pillar comprising a portion over the top surface of the polymer layer;

a first non-wetting layer on a sidewall of the copper-containing metal pillar, wherein the first non-wetting layer comprises a material selected from a group consisting essentially of a copper nitride, a copper oxide, and a copper oxynitride;

a nickel-containing metal cap over the copper-containing metal pillar, wherein the nickel-containing metal cap comprises edge portions extending beyond respective sidewalls of the copper-containing metal pillar;

a second non-wetting layer on a sidewall of the nickel-containing metal cap, wherein the second non-wetting layer comprises a material selected from a group consisting essentially of a nickel nitride, a nickel oxide, and a nickel oxynitride; and

a solder region over the nickel-containing metal cap.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the first non-wetting layer does not extend between the copper-containing metal pillar and the nickel-containing metal cap.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the second non-wetting layer does not extend between the nickel-containing metal cap and the solder region.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein the nickel-containing metal cap has a lateral size greater than a lateral size of the copper-containing metal pillar.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein the second non-wetting layer extends to contact a bottom surface of the nickel-containing metal cap, with the bottom surface belonging to the edge portions of the nickel-containing metal cap that extend beyond the respective sidewalls of the copper-containing metal pillar.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the edge portions of the nickel-containing metal cap bend away from the polymer layer.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the edge portions of the nickel-containing metal cap bend toward the polymer layer.

15. The device of claim 8, wherein the polymer layer, the copper-containing metal pillar, and the nickel-containing metal cap are comprised in a first device die, wherein the device further comprises a package component bonded to the first device die through the solder region, and wherein the package component is selected from a group consisting essentially of a second device die, an interposer, a package substrate, and combinations thereof.

16. A device comprising:

an integrated circuit die including a substrate;

a passivation layer formed atop the integrated circuit die, the passivation layer having at least one opening therein, the at least one opening exposing a contact pad;

a metal pillar extending at least in part over a top surface of the passivation layer;

a metal cap over the metal pillar, the metal cap being aligned with the metal pillar;

a first non-wetting layer on a sidewall of the metal cap, wherein the first non-wetting layer comprises materials for forming the metal cap and a material selected from the group consisting essentially of oxygen, nitrogen, and combinations thereof; and

a solder region physically and electrically connected to the metal cap

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the metal cap has a lateral size greater than a lateral size of the metal pillar.

18. The device of claim 16 further comprising a second non-wetting layer on a sidewall of the metal pillar, wherein the second non-wetting layer comprises materials for forming the metal pillar and a material selected from the group consisting essentially of oxygen, nitrogen, and combinations thereof.

19. The device of claim 16 further comprising an under-bump metallurgy formed in the at least one opening in the passivation layer.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the under-bump metallurgy is electrically connected to the contact pad, and wherein the under-bump metallurgy is underlying and contacting the metal pillar.