Repairable three-dimensional semiconductor subsystem

• US 7,427,809 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2004
• Issued: 09/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nostromo LLC
• Original Assignee: Salmon Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Salmon, Peter C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pert, Evan
• Application Number:
  US11/015,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20060131728A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• Field of Search: 257/719, 257/773, 257/778, 257/E23.003, 257/E23.078, 257/E23.083
• US Class Current: 257/773
• 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 21/6835 using temporarily an auxiliary support
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/0401 Bonding areas specifically adapted for bump connectors, e.g. under bump metallisation [UBM]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05001 Internal layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05022 the internal layer being at least partially embedded in the surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05099 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/0557 the external layer being disposed on a via connection of the semiconductor or solid-state body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05571 the external layer being disposed in a recess of the surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05647 Copper [Cu] as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05666 Titanium [Ti] as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/11332 using a powder
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/1147 using a lift-off mask
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/11474 Multilayer masks
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/11554 Stereolithography, i.e. solidification of a pattern defined by a laser trace in a photosensitive resin
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/11901 with repetition of the same manufacturing step
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/13099 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/131 with a principal constituent of the material being a metal or a metalloid, e.g. boron [B], silicon [Si], germanium [Ge], arsenic [As], antimony [Sb], tellurium [Te] and polonium [Po], and alloys thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16 of an individual bump connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16237 the bump connector connecting to a bonding area disposed in a recess of the surface of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/29099 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/81052 : Detaching bump connectors, e.g. after testing unsoldering in general B23K1/018
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/81101 : as prepeg comprising a bump connector, e.g. provided in an insulating plate member
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/81121 : Active alignment, i.e. by apparatus steering, e.g. optical alignment using marks or sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/81191 : wherein the bump connectors are disposed only on the semiconductor or solid-state body
• 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 2224/8121 : using a reflow oven
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/81815 : Reflow soldering
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2225/06517 : Bump or bump-like direct electrical connections from device to substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2225/06575 : Auxiliary carrier between devices, the carrier having no electrical connection structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/147 : Semiconductor insulating substrates semiconductor conductive substrates H01L23/4926
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/36 : Selection of materials, or shaping, to facilitate cooling or heating, e.g. heatsinks H01L23/28, H01L23/40, H01L23/42, H01L23/44, H01L23/46 take precedence; heating H01L23/345
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49811 : Additional leads joined to the metallisation on the insulating substrate, e.g. pins, bumps, wires, flat leads H01L23/49827 takes precedence
• 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 23/66 : High-frequency adaptations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/05 : of an individual bonding area
• 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 25/0652 : the devices being arranged next and on each other, i.e. mixed assemblies
• 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 2924/00013 : Fully indexed content
• 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 2924/01005 : Boron [B]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01006 : Carbon [C]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01013 : Aluminum [Al]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01019 : Potassium [K]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01022 : Titanium [Ti]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01023 : Vanadium [V]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01027 : Cobalt [Co]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01029 : Copper [Cu]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01033 : Arsenic [As]
• 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 2924/01082 : Lead [Pb]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/014 : Solder alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 : Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15747 : Copper [Cu] as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19041 : being a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19043 : being a resistor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30105 : Capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30107 : Inductance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 : Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/351 : Thermal stress
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3651 : Formation of intermetallics

Abstract

A tightly packed three-dimensional electronic system or subsystem comprising multiple stacks of semiconductor elements is described. The system is repairable because the elements connect together using re-workable flip chip connectors; each flip chip connector comprises a conductive spring element on one side and a corresponding well filled with solder on the other side. The spring elements relieve stresses at the interfaces and allow the component stacks to remain flat; they also provide vertical compliance for easing assembly of elements that have been imperfectly thinned or planarized. Semiconductor integration platforms may be used to integrate active and passive devices, multi-layer interconnections, through wafer connections, I/O plugs, and terminals for attachment of other semiconductor elements or cables.

Claims

1. A connector for making a mechanically compliant flip chip connection between an input/output pad of an integrated circuit and a trace of an interconnection circuit comprising:

a metallic spring element integrally formed on said input/output pad;

a well having conductive walls connected to said trace of said interconnection circuit;

a conductive material substantially filling said well; and

,

wherein the metallic spring element has a terminus that is inserted into said conductive material in said well to make said flip chip connection.

2. The flip chip connector of claim 1 wherein said conductive material is a conductive fluid or paste.

3. The flip chip connector of claim 1 wherein said conductive material is hardened after said insertion to bind the terminus of said spring structure in said conductive material in said well.

4. The flip chip connector of claim 1 wherein said conductive material is a solder having a paste form for said insertion and a solid form for said binding.

5. The flip chip connector of claim 2 wherein said conductive fluid or paste is a liquid metal.

6. A repairable electronic subsystem comprising:

a semiconductor integration platform having female terminals comprising wells filled with conductive material;

one or more semiconductor elements that attach to said integration platform, said semiconductor elements having a conductive spring element formed at each input/output pad and each spring element including a terminus; and

,

wherein said attachment of said semiconductor elements to said integration platform is accomplished by inserting said terminus into said well filled with said conductive material.

7. The repairable electronic subsystem of claim 6 wherein said semiconductor elements attach to both sides of said integration platform, and said integration platform includes through wafer connections.

8. The repairable electronic subsystem of claim 6 having two or more of said integration platforms, wherein said integration platforms are electrically connected using input/output plugs implemented as specific forms of said semiconductor elements, said input/output plugs having through wafer connections spaced on a grid.

9. The repairable electronic subsystems of any one of claims 6-8 wherein said conductive material is a conductive fluid or paste.

10. The repairable electronic subsystems of any one of claims 6-8 wherein said conductive material is a solder.

11. The repairable electronic subsystem of claim 6 and including an interface adaptor that is thermally connected with said integration platform or one or more of said semiconductor elements, said interface adaptor including a planar base layer and flexible fingers extending from said base layer, and said thermal connection is achieved using said flexible fingers.

12. The repairable electronic subsystem of claim 6 and including a cable attached to said integration platform wherein said cable has integral spring elements formed at input/output pads, and each spring element has a terminus, and attachment is achieved by inserting each of said terminus into a corresponding one of said female terminals of said integration platform.

13. An integrated circuit assembly comprising:

a semiconductor substrate in which circuits are fabricated;

bump or wire-like terminals formed at input/output pads on a first side of said semiconductor substrate; and

,

an interface adaptor including flexible fingers and a base layer supporting said fingers, wherein an end of each of said fingers attaches to a second side of said semiconductor substrate opposite the first side.

14. A semiconductor integration platform comprising:

a semiconductor substrate having conductive traces;

an assembly layer on one or both sides of said substrate;

at least one array of wells having conductive walls formed in said assembly layer, said array of wells adapted to accept a component to be attached;

electrical connection between said conductive walls and selected ones of said traces; and

,

conductive material substantially filling said wells.

15. The semiconductor integration platform of claim 14 and further including through wafer connections in said semiconductor substrate.

16. The semiconductor integration platform of claim 14 and further including active and/or passive circuits fabricated in said semiconductor substrate.