Method of fabricating electronic circuit device and apparatus for performing the same method

• US 5,816,473 A
• Filed: 12/22/1995
• Issued: 10/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nishikawa, Toru, Harada, Masahide, Satoh, Ryohei, Hayashida, Tetsuya, Shirai, Mitugu
• Primary Examiner(s): Heinrich, Samuel M.
• Application Number:
  US08/578,054
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 228/205, 228/221, 228/231, 228/6.2, 228/8, 228/42, 228/49.5, 228/56.3
• US Class Current: 228/6.2
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 1/0016 Brazing of electronic components
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 1/008 Soldering within a furnace B23K1/012 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 1/206 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/40 Semiconductor devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/4853 Connection or disconnection of other leads to or from a metallisation, e.g. pins, wires, bumps
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/563 Encapsulation of active face of flip-chip device, e.g. underfilling or underencapsulation of flip-chip, encapsulation preform on chip or mounting substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6835 using temporarily an auxiliary support
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/11003 for holding or transferring the bump preform
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/11334 using preformed bumps
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/13099 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/13111 Tin [Sn] as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16 of an individual bump connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73203 Bump and layer connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/742 Apparatus for manufacturing bump connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/749 Tools for reworking, e.g. for shaping
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/75 Apparatus for connecting with bump connectors or layer connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/81141 Guiding structures both on and outside the body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/81801 Soldering or alloying
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49816 Spherical bumps on the substrate for external connection, e.g. ball grid arrays [BGA]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/11 Manufacturing methods for bumps on insulating substrates H01L21/4853
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/12 : Structure, shape, material or disposition of the bump connectors prior to the connecting process
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/75 : Apparatus for connecting with bump connectors or layer connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/81 : using a bump connector
• 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 2924/01005 : Boron [B]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01006 : Carbon [C]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01015 : Phosphorus [P]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01018 : Argon [Ar]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01032 : Germanium [Ge]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01033 : Arsenic [As]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01042 : Molybdenum [Mo]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01047 : Silver [Ag]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0105 : Tin [Sn]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01074 : Tungsten [W]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01075 : Rhenium [Re]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01078 : Platinum [Pt]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01079 : Gold [Au]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01082 : Lead [Pb]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/014 : Solder alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 : Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15787 : Ceramics, e.g. crystalline carbides, nitrides or oxides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/16152 : Cap comprising a cavity for hosting the device, e.g. U-shaped cap
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10984 : Component carrying a connection agent, e.g. solder, adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/025 : Abrading, e.g. grinding or sand blasting
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0278 : Flat pressure, e.g. for connecting terminals with anisotropic conductive adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/041 : Solder preforms in the shape of solder balls
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0435 : Metal coated solder, e.g. for passivation of solder balls
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/086 : Using an inert gas
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/087 : Using a reactive gas
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/095 : Plasma, e.g. for treating a substrate to improve adhesion with a conductor or for cleaning holes
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/1157 : Using means for chemical reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/3426 : characterised by the leads
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/3436 : having an array of bottom contacts, e.g. pad grid array or ball grid array components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/3489 : Composition of fluxes; Methods of application thereof; Other methods of activating the contact surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 : Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

An apparatus comprises a sputter cleaning device, an alignment device operable in atmospheric condition and a heating and soldering device in the form of a belt furnace operable in non-oxidizing or reducing environment. Instead of the sputter cleaning device, a mechanical polishing or cutting device can be used to clean a surface of solder or a member to be bonded or a solder ball plated with gold may be used. An alignment between two members to be bonded is provided by an alignment mark means which comprises a protrusion on a surface of one member and a complimentary recess formed at a center portion of a protrusion means formed on a corresponding surface of the other member.

Claims

1. A fluxless bonding apparatus for bonding connecting members of electronic circuits to be electrically connected without using flux, comprising:

structure for removing at least one of an oxide film and a contamination film on surfaces of at least one of said connecting members and a solder material;

structure for aligning said connecting members, including structure such that the aligning takes place in an atmosphere; and

heating structure for melting said solder material, including structure such that the melting takes place in a substantially non-oxidizing atmosphere.

7. The apparatus claimed in any one of claims 1-4, wherein said heating structure comprises:

a plenum chamber having a belt conveyor;

a solder heating and melting chamber including a belt furnace for heating and melting said solder, so as to provide soldered structure;

a cooling chamber having a belt conveyor for cooling the soldered structure;

said plenum chamber, said solder heating and melting chamber and said cooling chamber being arranged in series in order of plenum chamber, solder heating and melting chamber and cooling chamber, and provided with an evacuating system and a gas supplying system, respectively;

a first gate valve interposed between said plenum chamber and atmospheric environment;

a second gate valve interposed between said plenum chamber and said solder heating and melting chamber;

a third gate valve interposed between said solder heating and melting chamber and said cooling chamber; and

a fourth gate valve interposed between said cooling chamber and the atmospheric environment.

10. The apparatus claimed in claim 1, further comprising a sputter cleaning device for removing at least one of oxide film and contamination film on surfaces of at least one of the at least one connecting member and said solder material by irradiating them with atom or ion beam.

13. The apparatus claimed in claim 7, further comprising a sputter cleaning device for removing at least one of oxide film and contamination film on surfaces of at least one of at least one connecting member and said solder material, by irradiating them with atom or ion beam.

14. The apparatus claimed in claim 1, further comprising a mechanical surface cleaning device for mechanically removing at least one of oxide film and contamination film on surfaces of at least one of at least one connecting member and said solder material.

17. The apparatus claimed in claim 7, further comprising a mechanical surface cleaning device for mechanically removing at least one of oxide films and contamination films on surfaces of at least one of said connecting member and said solder material.

18. The apparatus claimed in claim 1, wherein said solder is in the form of at least one solder ball plated with gold.

19. The apparatus claimed in claim 18, wherein said at least one solder ball is at least one solder ball prepared by removing at least one of an oxide film and a contamination film on a surface thereof by acid solution and then plating the solder ball with gold.

20. The apparatus claimed in claim 1, wherein said solder material has an oxide film of a thickness of at most 5 nm when said solder material is heated in the substantially non-oxidizing atmosphere to melt it.

21. The apparatus claimed in claim 20, wherein said oxide film having a thickness of at most 5 nm is an oxide film formed at least in part during said aligning in an oxidizing atmosphere.

27. The apparatus claimed in claim 1, wherein the structure for removing includes a support for the solder material, and wherein the at least one of an oxide film and a contamination film is removed from the solder material while the solder material is supported by said support.

28. The apparatus claimed in claim 27, wherein the support for the solder material includes a member having recesses so as to retain individual elements of the solder material supported at the recesses.

35. The apparatus claimed in any one of claims 1-4, wherein said structure for aligning includes structure such that the aligning takes place in an uncontrolled atmosphere.

36. The apparatus claimed in any one of claims 1-4, wherein said structure for aligning includes structure such that the aligning takes place in an oxidizing atmosphere.

37. The apparatus claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said heating structure includes a heating chamber, and wherein the apparatus further includes transfer structure for transferring the connecting members to the heating chamber after the connecting members are aligned in the structure for aligning.

39. The apparatus claimed in any one of claims 1-4, wherein the heating structure is a separate structure from the structure for aligning.

40. The apparatus claimed in any one of claims 1-4, wherein the structure for aligning includes structure such that the aligning takes place in an atmosphere of air.

41. The apparatus claimed in any one of claims 1-4, wherein said heating structure includes gas supply structure to supply a substantially non-oxidizing gas to form said substantially non-oxidizing atmosphere, such that said substantially non-oxidizing atmosphere is different from said atmosphere in which the aligning takes place.

2. A soldering apparatus for use in fabricating an electronic circuit device, comprising:

structure for removing at least one of an oxide film and a contamination film from surfaces of a solder material and connecting members to be soldered thereby, by sputter-cleaning with at least one of atom and ion;

structure for supplying oxygen to said surface to form thin oxide films thereon;

structure for aligning said connecting members, including structure such that the aligning takes place in an atmosphere; and

heating structure for melting said solder material and performing a soldering operation, including structure such that the melting and the performing a soldering operation take place in a substantially non-oxidizing atmosphere.

3. A soldering apparatus for use in fabricating an electronic circuit device, comprising:

structure for removing at least one of an oxide film and a contamination film from surfaces of a solder material and at least one connecting member to be connected thereto;

structure for aligning said at least one connecting member and said solder material, including structure such that the aligning takes place in an atmosphere; and

heating structure for heating said solder material to melt it, including structure such that the heating takes place in a substantially non-oxidizing atmosphere.

25. The apparatus claimed in claim 3, wherein said structure for aligning includes a support for the solder material, such that individual elements of the solder material are supported so as to be contacted with the connecting member.

26. The apparatus claimed in claim 25, wherein the support for the solder material includes a member having recesses so as to retain individual elements of the solder material supported at the recesses.

29. The apparatus claimed in claim 3, wherein the structure for removing includes a support for the solder material, and wherein the at least one of an oxide film and a contamination film is removed from the solder material while the solder material is supported by said support.

30. The apparatus claimed in claim 29, wherein the support for the solder material includes a member having recesses so as to retain individual elements of the solder material supported at the recesses.

31. The apparatus claimed in claim 29, wherein said support also forms part of the structure for aligning, such that individual elements of the solder material are supported by the support both while removing said at least one of an oxide film and a contamination film and during the aligning.

32. The apparatus claimed in claim 31, wherein the individual elements of the solder material are temporarily retained on the support.

33. The apparatus claimed in claim 32, wherein the support for the solder material includes a member having recesses so as to retain individual elements of the solder material supported at the recesses.

34. The apparatus claimed in claim 31, wherein the support for the solder material includes a member having recesses so as to retain individual elements of the solder material supported at the recesses.

38. The apparatus claimed in claim 3 or 4, wherein said heating structure includes a heating chamber in which said heating is performed, and wherein the apparatus further includes transfer structure for transferring the solder material and the at least one connecting member to the heating chamber after the solder material and the at least one connecting member are aligned in the structure for aligning.

4. A soldering apparatus for use in fabricating an electronic circuit device, comprising:

structure for preliminarily processing solder material so as to provide solder material that does not have at least one of an oxide film and contamination film thereon;

structure for aligning said solder material and at least one connecting member, including structure such that the aligning takes place in an atmosphere; and

heating structure for heating said solder material to melt said solder material and bond said solder material to said at least one connecting member, including structure such that the heating takes place in a substantially non-oxidizing atmosphere.

22. The apparatus claimed in claim 4, wherein said structure for preliminarily processing includes structure for providing solder balls each plated with gold.

23. The apparatus claimed in claim 22, wherein the structure for aligning is a structure such that the solder material and two members are aligned in the atmosphere, and the heating structure is a structure such that the solder material is melted so as to bond the two members to each other.

24. The apparatus claimed in claim 4, wherein said structure for preliminarily processing includes structure for removing at least one of oxide film and contamination film from surfaces of said solder material.

5. The apparatus claimed in one of claimed 1-4, further comprising structure for evacuating an interior of said heating structure to a reduced pressure, and wherein said gas supply structure is for supplying substantially non-oxidizing gas into the evacuated interior of said heating structure.

6. The apparatus claimed in claim 5, wherein said substantially non-oxidizing gas includes a gas component selected from the group consisting of N₂, Ar and He and any combination thereof, and a mixture of H₂ and N₂, the apparatus also including concentration control structure for controlling concentration of said gas component and of impurity gas components in said atmosphere in said heating structure, on the basis of these concentrations and said reduced pressure in said heating structure.

8. The apparatus claimed in claim 5, wherein said heating structure comprises:

a plenum chamber having a belt conveyor;

a solder heating and melting chamber including a belt furnace for heating and melting said solder, so as to provide soldered structure;

a cooling chamber having a belt conveyor for cooling the soldered structure;

said plenum chamber, said solder heating and melting chamber and said cooling chamber being arranged in series in order of plenum chamber, solder heating and melting chamber and cooling chamber, and provided with an evacuating system and a gas supplying system, respectively;

a first gate valve interposed between said plenum chamber and atmospheric environment;

a second gate valve interposed between said plenum chamber and said solder heating and melting chamber;

a third gate valve interposed between said solder heating and melting chamber and said cooling chamber; and

a fourth gate valve interposed between said cooling chamber and atmospheric environment.

9. The apparatus claimed in claim 6, wherein said heating structure comprises:

a plenum chamber having a belt conveyor;

a solder heating and melting chamber including a belt furnace for heating and melting said solder, so as to provide soldered structure;

a cooling chamber having a belt conveyor for cooling the soldered structure;

said plenum chamber, said solder heating and melting chamber and said cooling chamber being arranged in series in order of plenum chamber, solder heating and melting chamber and cooling chamber, and provided with an evacuating system and a gas supplying system, respectively;

a first gate valve interposed between said plenum chamber and atmospheric environment;

a second gate valve interposed between said plenum chamber and said solder heating and melting chamber;

a third gate valve interposed between said plenum chamber and said solder heating and melting chamber;

a third gate valve interposed between said solder heating and melting chamber and said cooling chamber; and

a fourth gate valve interposed between said cooling chamber and atmospheric environment.

11. The apparatus claimed in claim 5, further comprising a sputter cleaning device for removing at least one of oxide film and contamination film on surfaces of at least one of at least one connecting member and said solder material, by irradiating them with atom or ion beam.

12. The apparatus claimed in claim 6, further comprising a sputter cleaning device for removing at least one of oxide film and contamination film on surfaces of at least one of at least one connecting member and said solder material, by irradiating them with atom or ion beam.

15. The apparatus claimed in claim 5, further comprising a mechanical surface cleaning device for mechanically removing at least one of oxide film and contamination film on surfaces of at least one of at least one connecting member and said solder material.

16. The apparatus claimed in claim 6, further comprising a mechanical surface cleaning device for mechanically removing at least one of oxide film and contamination film on surfaces of at least one of at least one connecting member and said solder material.

42. A fluxless bonding apparatus for bonding connecting members of electronic circuits to be electrically connected without using flux, comprising:

structure for removing at least one of an oxide film and a contamination film on surfaces of at least one of said connecting members and a solder material;

structure for aligning said connecting members, including structure such that the aligning takes place in an atmosphere; and

heating structure for melting said solder material, including structure such that the melting takes place in a substantially non-oxidizing atmosphere, the heating structure being a separate structure from the structure for aligning.

43. The apparatus claimed in claim 42, wherein said heating structure includes a heating chamber, and wherein the apparatus further includes transfer structure for transferring the connecting members to the heating chamber after the connecting members are aligned in the structure for aligning.

44. A soldering apparatus for use in fabricating an electronic circuit device, comprising:

structure for removing at least one of an oxide film and a contamination film from surfaces of a solder material and at least one connecting member to be connected thereto;

structure for aligning said at least one connecting member and said solder material, including structure such that the aligning takes place in an atmosphere; and

heating structure for heating said solder material to melt it, including structure such that the heating takes place in a substantially non-oxidizing atmosphere, the heating structure being a separate structure from the structure for aligning.

45. The apparatus claimed in claim 44, wherein said heating structure includes a heating chamber in which said heating is performed, and wherein the apparatus further includes transfer structure for transferring the solder material and the at least one connecting member to the heating chamber after the solder material and the at least one connecting member are aligned in the structure for aligning.