Methods and apparatus for fluidic self assembly

• US 6,623,579 B1
• Filed: 11/02/1999
• Issued: 09/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RUIZHANG TECHNOLOGY LIMITED COMPANY
• Original Assignee: Alien Technology Corporation
• Inventors: Smith, John Stephen, Hadley, Mark A., Craig, Gordon S. W., Lowe, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Ball, Michael W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Haran, John T.
• Application Number:
  US09/432,291
• Time in Patent Office: 1,421 Days
• Field of Search: 427/560, 427/600, 427/601, 427/180, 427/184, 427/201, 427/346, 298/32, 294/28, 298/21, 29D/IG.46, 438/107, 438/455, 438/800, 156/73.1, 156/73.6, 156/293
• US Class Current: 156/73.6
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31122 of layers not containing Si, e.g. PZT, Al2O3
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/32136 using plasmas
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/84 the substrate being other than a semiconductor body, e.g. being an insulating body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/24225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/24227 the HDI interconnect not connecting to the same level of the item at which the semiconductor or solid-state body is mounted, e.g. the semiconductor or solid-state body being mounted in a cavity or on a protrusion of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73267 Layer and HDI connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/82 by forming build-up interconnects at chip-level, e.g. for high density interconnects [HDI]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/95085 being a liquid, e.g. for fluidic self-assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/95092 Atmospheric pressure, e.g. dry self-assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/95122 by applying vibration
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/95136 involving guiding structures, e.g. shape matching, spacers or supporting members
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/95144 Magnetic alignment, i.e. using permanent magnetic parts in the semiconductor or solid-state body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/97 the devices being connected to a common substrate, e.g. interposer, said common substrate being separable into individual assemblies after connecting
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/24 of an individual high density interconnect connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/32 of an individual layer connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/82 by forming build-up interconnects at chip-level, e.g. for high density interconnects [HDI] interconnection structure between a plurality of semiconductor chips H01L23/5389
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/95 at chip-level, i.e. with connecting carried out on a plurality of singulated devices, i.e. on diced chips
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/97 the devices being connected to a common substrate, e.g. interposer, said common substrate being separable into individual assemblies after connecting
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0655 : the devices being arranged next to each other
• 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 27/1214 : comprising a plurality of TFTs formed on a non-semiconducting substrate, e.g. driving circuits for AMLCDs
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 28/55 : with a dielectric comprising a perovskite structure material
• 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 2924/01011 : Sodium [Na]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01013 : Aluminum [Al]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01019 : Potassium [K]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01027 : Cobalt [Co]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01033 : Arsenic [As]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01047 : Silver [Ag]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01072 : Hafnium [Hf]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01074 : Tungsten [W]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01082 : Lead [Pb]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01084 : Polonium [Po]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/10158 : at the passive surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/10253 : Silicon [Si]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12041 : LED
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12042 : LASER
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12043 : Photo diode
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 : Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15153 : the die mounting substrate comprising a recess for hosting the device
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15155 : the shape of the recess being other than a cuboid
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15157 : Top view
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15165 : Monolayer substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15788 : Glasses, e.g. amorphous oxides, nitrides or fluorides
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/882 : Assembling of separate components, e.g. by attaching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/883 : Fluidic self-assembly, FSA

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for assembling a structure onto a substrate. A method according to one aspect of the invention includes dispensing a slurry onto a substrate wherein the slurry includes a first plurality of elements, each of which is designed to mate with a receptor region on said substrate and each of which comprises a functional element, and wherein the slurry also includes a second plurality of elements which are not designed to mate with receptor regions on the substrate. Typically, these second plurality of elements help movement of the first plurality of elements. A method according to another aspect of the invention includes dispensing in a flow having a first direction a slurry onto a substrate, wherein the slurry includes a fluid and a plurality of elements, each of which is designed to mate with a receptor region on the substrate and each of which includes a functional element, and vibrating substrate in a second direction which is substantially perpendicular to the first direction. A method according to another aspect of the invention includes creating a slurry comprising of fluid and a plurality of elements, each of which is designed to mate with a receptor region on the substrate and each of which comprises a functional element, and projecting the slurry through a nozzle toward the substrate. In one particular implementation of this aspect, additional nozzles may be used to provide suction or additional fluid or additional slurry. A method according to another aspect of the invention includes dissolving a bonding agent into a solvent to create a fluid, dispensing a slurry onto a substrate, wherein the slurry includes the fluid and a plurality of elements each of which is designed to mate with a receptor region on the substrate and each of which comprises a functional element, and evaporating the solvent after each of the plurality of elements has mated with a corresponding receptor, wherein the bonding agent bonds each of the plurality of elements to the corresponding receptor region.

Claims

1. A method of assembling a plurality of elements onto a substrate, said method comprising:

dispensing in a flow having a first direction a slurry onto said substrate, said slurry created by adding to a fluid a first plurality of elements, each of which is designed to mate with one of a plurality of receptor regions on said substrate and each of which comprises a functional element, said plurality of receptor regions being a plurality of recessed receptor regions;

assembling said first plurality of elements to said plurality of receptor regions; and

vibrating said substrate in a second direction which is substantially perpendicular to said first direction to drive said plurality of elements down said substrate.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein said vibrating occurs while said first plurality of elements are mating with said plurality of receptor regions on said substrate.

3. A method as in claim 2 wherein said first plurality of elements are dispensed on said substrate and move along said substrate as said substrate is vibrated.

4. A method as in claim 1 wherein said substrate is tilted at angle from horizontal and wherein said first plurality of elements slide down said substrate by gravity.

5. A method as in claim 4 where in said angle is not greater than 55°

.

6. A method as in claim 2 wherein said vibrating is at a frequency ranging from about 50 Hz to 10,000 Hz.

7. A method as in claim 6 wherein said vibrating has a waveform of the form of one of:

a square wave;

a sine wave;

or a sawtooth wave.

8. A method as in claim 3 wherein said functional element comprises at least one electrical element.

9. A method as in claim 2 further comprising:

including in said slurry a second plurality of elements which are not designed to mate with said receptor regions on said substrate.

10. A method as in claim 9 wherein said second plurality of elements facilitate movement of said first plurality of elements over said substrate.

11. A method as in claim 10 wherein each of said second plurality of elements is significantly larger than each of said first plurality of elements.

12. A method as in claim 2 further comprising:

exposing a surface each of said first plurality of elements to a first solvent prior to adding said first plurality of elements to said fluid to create said slurry, wherein said exposing decreases friction between said surface and said substrate.

13. A method as in claim 12 further comprising:

including in said slurry a second plurality of elements which are not designed to mate with said receptor regions on said substrate, wherein said second plurality of elements facilitate movement of said first plurality of elements over said substrate.

14. A method of assembling a first plurality of elements onto a substrate having a surface provided with a plurality of recessed receptor regions, said method comprising:

dispensing in a flow having a first direction a slurry onto said substrate, said slurry comprising a fluid and said first plurality of elements, each of which is designed to mate with one of said plurality of recessed receptor regions and each of said plurality of elements has approximately the same size as each of said plurality of recessed receptor regions; and

vibrating said substrate in a second direction which is substantially perpendicular to said first direction, wherein said substrate is tilted, and

wherein elements of said first plurality of elements become mated with receptor regions of said plurality of recessed receptor regions and said vibrating of said substrate drives said plurality of elements down said substrate.

15. A method of assembling a plurality of elements onto a substrate comprising:

dispensing in a flow having a first direction a slurry onto said substrate, said slurry created by adding to a fluid a first plurality of elements, each of which is designed to mate with a receptor region on said substrate and each of which comprises a functional element, said receptor region being a recessed receptor region;

assembling said first plurality of elements to said receptor regions; and

vibrating said substrate in a second direction which is substantially transverse to said first direction to drive said plurality of elements down said substrate.