High reliability multilayer circuit substrates and methods for their formation

• US 7,138,330 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2003
• Issued: 11/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Minimed Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Minimed Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Shah, Rajiv, Pendo, Shaun
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Long
• Application Number:
  US10/671,996
• Publication Number:
  US 20040061234A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 438/622, 438/624
• US Class Current: 438/622
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/4857 Multilayer substrates multilayer metallisation on monolayer substrate H01L21/4846
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/4867 Applying pastes or inks, e.g. screen printing H01L21/486 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 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19107 off-chip wires
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/162 incorporating printed capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0179 Thin film deposited insulating layer, e.g. inorganic layer for printed capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0278 Flat pressure, e.g. for connecting terminals with anisotropic conductive adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/085 Using vacuum or low pressure
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/1476 Same or similar kind of process performed in phases, e.g. coarse patterning followed by fine patterning
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/308 Sacrificial means, e.g. for temporarily filling a space for making a via or a cavity or for making rigid-flexible PCBs
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/048 using a lift-off resist pattern or a release layer pattern
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4053 by thick-film techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4061 for via connections in inorganic insulating substrates
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4664 Adding a circuit layer by thick film methods, e.g. printing techniques or by other techniques for making conductive patterns by using pastes, inks or powders H05K3/4647 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/467 Adding a circuit layer by thin film methods H05K3/4647 takes precedence

Abstract

A multilayer circuit substrate for multi-chip modules or hybrid circuits includes a dielectric base substrate, conductors formed on the base substrate and a vacuum deposited dielectric thin film formed over the conductors and the base substrate. The vacuum deposited dielectric thin film is patterned using sacrificial structures formed by shadow mask techniques. Substrates formed in this manner enable significant increases in interconnect density and significant reduction of over-all substrate thickness.

Claims

1. A method for forming a multilayer circuit substrate, comprising:

providing a dielectric base substrate;

forming conductors on the base substrate;

forming sacrificial structures on the base substrate and conductors to define areas to be protected from deposition of a dielectric layer;

vacuum depositing a dielectric thin film on the base substrate, the conductors and the sacrificial structures; and

removing the sacrificial structures to leave a patterned deposited dielectric thin film on the conductors and the base substrate;

wherein the sacrificial structures are formed by a shadow mask deposition process; and

wherein the shadow mask deposition process utilizes a shadow mask having laser drilled via holes.

2. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein forming the conductors comprises:

depositing a blanket layer of a conductor material; and

patterning the blanket layer of conductor material.

3. The method claimed in claim 2, wherein the blanket layer of conductor material is formed by physical vapor deposition.

4. The method claimed in claim 2, wherein the blanket layer of conductor material is formed by evaporation.

5. The method claimed in claim 2, wherein the blanket layer of conductor material is formed by chemical vapor deposition.

6. The method claimed in claim 2, wherein the blanket layer of conductor material is patterned by a photoresist lift-off process.

7. The method claimed in claim 2, wherein the blanket layer of conductor material is patterned by a chemical etching process.

8. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the conductors are formed by a shadow mask patterning process.

9. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the conductors are formed by a screen printing process.

10. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the sacrificial structures are formed of aluminum and are removed using a ferric chloride solution.

11. The method claimed in claim 1, further comprising mounting a circuit component on the deposited dielectric layer.

12. A method for forming a multilaver circuit substrate, comprising:

providing a dielectric base substrate;

forming conductors on the base substrate;

forming sacrificial structures on the base substrate and conductors to define areas to be protected from deposition of a dielectric layer;

vacuum depositing a dielectric thin film on the base substrate, the conductors and the sacrificial structures; and

removing the sacrificial structures to leave a patterned deposited dielectric thin film on the conductors and the base substrate;

wherein the base substrate comprises a hermetic via, and

wherein one of the conductors is formed in contact the hermetic via.

13. A method for forming a multilayer circuit substrate, comprising:

providing a dielectric base substrate;

forming conductors on the base substrate;

forming sacrificial structures on the base substrate and conductors to define areas to be protected from deposition of a dielectric layer;

vacuum depositing a dielectric thin film on the base substrate, the conductors and the sacrificial structures; and

removing the sacrificial structures to leave a patterned deposited dielectric thin film on the conductors and the base substrate;

wherein the base substrate comprises a hermetic via, and wherein providing the base substrate comprises;

forming a via hole in the base substrate;

respectively forming multiple layers of conductive ink on sidewalls of the via hole;

filling a space between said sidewalls with conductive ink; and

sintering the conductive material in the via hole.

14. The method claimed in claim 13, wherein forming said multiple layers comprises:

introducing a conductive ink to the via hole;

applying a vacuum to the via hole to form a layer of said conductive ink on sidewalls of the hole; and

repeating said introducing and said applying to form said multiple layers of conductive ink on the sidewalls.

15. The method claimed in claim 14, wherein the conductive ink is introduced to the via hole by screen printing.

16. The method claimed in claim 14, wherein applying the vacuum eliminates voids in the conductive ink introduced into the via hole.

17. The method claimed in claim 14, wherein the vacuum is applied to one end of the via hole.

18. The method claimed in claim 14, wherein the conductive ink used to fill the space between the sidewalls is less dilute than the conductive ink used to form said multiple layers.

19. The method claimed in claim 14, wherein applying the vacuum is followed by thermal processing to remove solvent and organic binder from the conductive ink.

20. The method claimed in claim 13, wherein providing the base substrate further comprises removing residual conductive material from surfaces of the base substrate.

21. The method claimed in claim 13, wherein the via hole is formed by laser drilling.

22. The method claimed in claim 21, wherein said laser drilling is followed by annealing to smooth the sidewalls of the via hole.

23. A method for forming a multilayer circuit substrate, comprising:

providing a dielectric base substrate that has a hermetic via;

forming conductors on the base substrate;

forming sacrificial structures on the base substrate and conductors to define areas to be protected from deposition of a dielectric layer;

vacuum depositing a dielectric thin film on the base substrate, the conductors and the sacrificial structures;

removing the sacrificial structures to leave a patterned deposited dielectric thin film on the conductors and the base substrate;

forming a conductor on the base substrate in contact with the hermetic via; and

forming a cap over the conductor and the hermetic via.

24. The method claimed in claim 23, wherein the cap is formed by a shadow mask deposition technique.