Flexible substrate for packaging a semiconductor component

• US 6,300,679 B1
• Filed: 06/01/1998
• Issued: 10/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries LLC (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries LLC (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Inventors: Seddon, Michael J., Thomas, Ronald E., Knapp, James H., Srinivasan, Rajesh, Bosch, Colin B., Norton, Laura J., Hawkins, George W., Mukerji, Prosanto K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Alexander O.
• Application Number:
  US09/087,674
• Time in Patent Office: 1,226 Days
• Field of Search: 257/738, 257/730, 257/723, 257/686, 257/685, 257/787, 257/646, 257/676, 257/727, 257/728, 257/737, 257/700, 257/692, 257/701, 257/693, 257/758, 257/696, 257/698, 365/735, 365/749, 365/776, 365/783
• US Class Current: 257/738
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05001 Internal layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05023 the whole internal layer protruding from the surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/0508 being stacked
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05568 the whole external layer protruding from the surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16 of an individual bump connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/4985 Flexible insulating substrates H01L23/49572 and H01L23/49855 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/05 of an individual bonding area
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01079 Gold [Au]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15311 being a ball array, e.g. BGA
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/189 characterised by the use of a flexible or folded printed circuit H05K3/326 takes precedence

Abstract

A semiconductor component includes a semiconductor chip (341, 502, 601, 701, 1101, 1410, 1501) having first and second surfaces opposite each other, a semiconductor device (301) in the semiconductor chip (341, 502, 601, 701, 1101, 1410, 1501), and a flexible substrate (120, 401, 510, 610, 710, 1000, 1050, 1300, 1401, 1510, 1520) packaging the semiconductor chip (341, 502, 601, 701, 1101, 1410, 1501).

Claims

1. A semiconductor component comprising:

a substrate having first and second surfaces opposite each other and having a side surface coupling the first and second surfaces together;

a semiconductor device disposed in the substrate;

a flexible circuit layer covering the first, second and side surfaces of the substrate, the flexible circuit layer having an electrically insulative layer covering an electrically conductive layer electrically coupled to the semiconductor device, the electrically conductive layer located between the substrate and the electrically insulative layer; and

wherein the flexible circuit layer is electrically coupled to the semiconductor device at the first and second surfaces of the substrate.

2. The semiconductor component of claim 1 wherein a single continuous portion of the flexible circuit layer covers and is affixed to the first, second, and side surfaces of the substrate, and wherein a ratio between a size of the substrate and a size of the flexible circuit layer and the substrate is approximately 1:

1.2 or less.

3. The semiconductor component of claim 1 further comprising:

an additional substrate overlying the substrate wherein the flexible circuit layer is located between the additional substrate and the substrate; and

an additional semiconductor device in the additional substrate wherein the electrically conductive layer electrically couples the additional semiconductor device and the semiconductor device together.

4. The semiconductor component of claim 1 further comprising an additional electrically insulating layer covering portions of the electrically conductive layer, located between the electrically conductive layer and the substrate, underlying the first surface of the substrate, adjacent to the side surface of the substrate, and absent over the second surface of the substrate.

5. The semiconductor component of claim 1 further comprising an additional electrically insulating layer covering portions of the electrically conductive layer, located between the electrically conductive layer and the substrate, underlying the first surface of the substrate, adjacent to the side surface of the substrate, and located over the second surface of the substrate.

6. The semiconductor component of claim 1 wherein the substrate has an additional side surface coupling the first and second surfaces together and opposite the side surface and wherein the flexible circuit layer is devoid of covering the additional side surface.

7. The semiconductor component of claim 6 wherein an encapsulant covers the additional side surface of the substrate.

8. The semiconductor component of claim 1 wherein the electrically insulative layer has vias extending through a portion of the electrically insulative layer to expose portions of the electrically conductive layer.

9. The semiconductor component of claim 8 wherein the vias only overlie a portion of the electrically conductive layer that overlies the substrate.

10. The semiconductor component of claim 1 wherein the substrate further comprises a first side surface opposite the side surface, a second side surface coupling together the first side surface and the side surface, and a third side surface opposite the second side surface, wherein the flexible circuit layer is affixed to and covers the first side surface, and wherein the second and third side surfaces remain exposed.

11. The semiconductor component of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises corners, a first side surface opposite the side surface, a second side surface coupling together the first side surface and the side surface, and a third side surface opposite the second side surface, wherein the flexible circuit layer covers the first, second, and third side surfaces, and wherein the flexible circuit layer has holes exposing the corners of the substrate.

12. The semiconductor component of claim 11 further comprising an encapsulant covering the holes of the flexible circuit layer.

29. The semiconductor component of claim 1 wherein the flexible circuit layer provides the initial packaging for the substrate.

13. A semiconductor component comprising:

a substrate having first and second surfaces opposite each other and having an edge surface coupling the first and second surfaces together;

a semiconductor device disposed in the substrate;

a flexible polyimide layer having first and second surfaces opposite each other and having first and second ends opposite each other and having a middle portion coupling the first and second ends, wherein the first end of the first surface faces towards the first surface of the substrate, wherein the second end of the first surface faces towards the second surface of the substrate, and wherein the middle portion of the first surface faces towards the edge surface of the substrate;

copper traces on the first surface of the flexible polyimide layer wherein a first portion of the copper traces overlies the first end of the first surface of the flexible polyimide layer and wherein a second portion of the copper traces overlies the first end, the second end, and the middle portion of the first surface of the flexible polyimide layer;

a first solder portion electrically coupling the first portion of the copper traces to the semiconductor device at the first surface of the substrate; and

a second solder portion electrically coupling the second portion of the copper traces to the semiconductor device at the second surface of the substrate.

14. The semiconductor component of claim 13 wherein the first and second portions of the copper traces are electrically isolated from each other.

15. The semiconductor component of claim 13 further comprising a solder mask over a portion of the second portion of the copper traces that overlies the middle portion of the flexible polyimide layer.

16. The semiconductor component of claim 15 further comprising an encapsulant between the edge surface and the solder mask.

17. The semiconductor component of claim 13 wherein the flexible polyimide layer has vias at the first end extending from the first surface to the second surface, wherein the first and second portions of the copper traces cover the vias along the first surface of the flexible polyimide layer, and further comprising solder bumps in the vias and electrically coupled to the first and second portions of the copper traces wherein the solder bumps extend out of the vias and beyond the second surface of the flexible polyimide layer.

18. The semiconductor component of claim 17 wherein the vias covered by the second portion of the copper traces overlies the substrate.

19. The semiconductor component of claim 17 wherein the vias covered by the second portion of the copper traces are absent over the substrate.

20. The semiconductor component of claim 13 wherein the semiconductor device is a transistor comprising:

a gate electrode at the second surface of the substrate and electrically coupled to a portion of the second portion of the copper traces by a portion of the second solder portion;

a source electrode at the second surface of the substrate and electrically coupled to a different portion of the second portion of the copper traces by a different portion of the second solder portion wherein the portion and the different portion of the copper traces are electrically isolated from each other; and

a drain electrode at the first surface of the substrate and electrically coupled to the first portion of the copper traces by the first solder portion.

21. The semiconductor component of claim 13 wherein the flexible polyimide layer includes at least one via at the second end of the flexible polyimide layer and further comprising a heatsink adjacent to the second surface of the flexible polyimide layer at the second end of the flexible polyimide layer wherein a portion of the heatsink extends into the at least one via.

30. The semiconductor component of claim 13 wherein the flexible polyimide layer provides the initial packaging for the substrate.

22. A semiconductor component comprising:

a circuit board;

a substrate having first and second surfaces opposite each other, the second surface facing towards the circuit board;

a semiconductor device in the substrate, the semiconductor device electrically coupled to the circuit board at the second surface of the substrate;

a flexible electrically insulative layer covering the entire first surface of the substrate and extending beyond the first surface in a first direction; and

an electrically conductive layer between the flexible electrically insulative layer and the substrate and electrically coupled to the semiconductor device at the first surface of the substrate, a portion of the electrically conductive layer extending beyond the first surface in the first direction, the flexible electrically insulative layer overlying the electrically conductive layer.

23. A semiconductor component comprising:

a circuit board;

a substrate, positioned over the circuit board, supporting a semiconductor device and having bonding pads at a first surface;

a flexible circuit layer physically and electrically coupled to the bonding pads and bent underneath the substrate so that a first portion of the flexible circuit layer is folded over substantially backwards and opposite from a second portion of the flexible circuit layer;

wherein the flexible circuit layer is electrically coupled to the circuit board; and

wherein both the first and second portions of the flexible circuit layer are disposed between the substrate and the circuit board.

24. The semiconductor component of claim 23 wherein the flexible circuit layer has a continuous portion disposed adjacent to the circuit board and substantially coextensive with the substrate.

25. A semiconductor component comprising:

a semiconductor substrate having first and second surfaces opposite each other;

a circuit board;

a flexible circuit layer, physically and electrically coupling the first surface of the substrate to the circuit board, for reducing external stress to the semiconductor substrate from the circuit board, wherein a portion of the flexible circuit layer is disposed between the semiconductor substrate and the circuit board;

wherein a first portion of the flexible circuit layer is folded over substantially backwards and opposite from a second portion of the flexible circuit layer; and

wherein the first and second portions of the flexible circuit layer are disposed between the semiconductor substrate and the circuit board.

26. A semiconductor component comprising:

a substrate having first and second surfaces opposite each other;

a semiconductor device disposed in the substrate;

a first flexible circuit layer covering the first surface of the substrate, wherein the first flexible circuit layer is electrically coupled to the semiconductor device at the first surface of the substrate; and

a second flexible circuit layer covering the second surface of the substrate, wherein the second flexible circuit layer is electrically coupled to the semiconductor device at the second surface of the substrate.

27. The semiconductor component of claim 26 wherein the first flexible circuit layer and the second flexible circuit layer together provide the initial packaging for the substrate.

28. The semiconductor component of claim 26 wherein the first flexible layer comprises first and second ends and is bent at both the first and second ends.