Stackable molded microelectronic packages

• US 9,123,664 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2014
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tessera, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Tessera, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Haba, Belgacem
• Primary Examiner(s): TOBERGTE, NICHOLAS J
• Application Number:
  US14/559,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20150084188A1
• Time in Patent Office: 272 Days
• Field of Search: 257/686, 257/737
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/56 Encapsulations, e.g. encapsulation layers, coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/565 Moulds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05554 being square
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05599 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/1401 Structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32145 the bodies being stacked
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45015 being circular
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45099 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48106 the connector being orthogonal to a side surface of the semiconductor or solid-state body, e.g. parallel layout
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48145 the bodies being stacked
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48227 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/85399 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2225/0651 Wire or wire-like electrical connections from device to substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2225/06517 Bump or bump-like direct electrical connections from device to substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2225/0652 Bump or bump-like direct electrical connections from substrate to substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2225/06548 Conductive via connections through the substrate, container, or encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2225/06565 the devices having the same size and there being no auxiliary carrier between the devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2225/06572 : Auxiliary carrier between devices, the carrier having an electrical connection structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2225/1023 : the support being an insulating substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2225/1047 : Details of electrical connections between containers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2225/1058 : Bump or bump-like electrical connections, e.g. balls, pillars, posts
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3121 : a substrate forming part of the encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3128 : the substrate having spherical bumps for external connection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/315 : the encapsulation having a cavity
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3157 : Partial encapsulation or coating mask layer used as insulation layer H01L21/31
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49805 : the leads being also applied on the sidewalls or the bottom of the substrate, e.g. leadless packages for surface mounting
• 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 23/49838 : Geometry or layout
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/14 : of a plurality of bump connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/16 : of an individual bump connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/48 : of an individual wire connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/73 : Means for bonding being of different types provided for in two or more of groups H01L24/10, H01L24/18, H01L24/26, H01L24/34, H01L24/42, H01L24/50, H01L24/63, H01L24/71
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0657 : Stacked arrangements of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/105 : the devices being of a type provided for in group H01L27/00
• 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 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 2924/00012 : Relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• 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 2924/10161 : with a rectangular active surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12042 : LASER
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15311 : being a ball array, e.g. BGA
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 : Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1815 : Shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/207 : Diameter ranges

Abstract

A microelectronic package has a microelectronic element and conductive posts or masses projecting above a surface of the substrate. Conductive elements at a surface of the substrate opposite therefrom are electrically interconnected with the microelectronic element. An encapsulant overlies at least a portion of the microelectronic element and may be in contact with the conductive posts or masses. The encapsulant may have openings permitting electrical connections with the conductive posts or masses. The openings may partially expose conductive masses joined to posts, fully expose top surfaces of posts and partially expose edge surfaces of posts, or may partially expose top surfaces of posts.

Claims

1. A microelectronic package comprising:

a substrate having a first surface and a second surface remote from the first surface;

a microelectronic element overlying the first surface;

a conductor extending in a substantially vertical direction above at least one of the first or second surfaces, the conductor having a top surface remote from the substrate and one or more edge surfaces extending away from the substrate to the top surface of the conductor;

a conductive bond metal contacting the top and edge surfaces of the conductor;

conductive elements exposed at the second surface of the substrate, the conductive elements being electrically interconnected with the microelectronic element; and

an encapsulant overlying at least a portion of the microelectronic element and the surface of the substrate above which the conductor projects, the encapsulant having an opening that partially exposes the conductive bond metal.

2. The microelectronic package as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conductive bond metal comprises solder.

3. The microelectronic package as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conductor has a frusto-conical shape.

4. The microelectronic package as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or second surfaces has a first region and a second region extending from the first region, the microelectronic element overlies the first region, and the conductor is aligned with the second region and projects to a first height above the second region, the encapsulant contacts the bond metal overlying the conductor and has a major surface above the second region at a second height above the second region, the second height being greater than the first height, wherein the opening in the encapsulant is an opening in the major surface.

5. The microelectronic package as claimed in claim 4, wherein the major surface of the encapsulant is a substantially planar surface, the encapsulant further having a second surface overlying the microelectronic element at a third height above the first surface, the third height being different from the second height.

6. The microelectronic package as claimed in claim 5, wherein the third height is greater than the second height.

7. The microelectronic package as claimed in claim 1, wherein the major surface of the encapsulant is a substantially planar surface overlying the first and second regions of the first surface at an at least substantially uniform second height therefrom and overlying the microelectronic element.

8. The microelectronic package as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conductor is a plurality of conductors each electrically coupled with a separate conductive element of the conductive elements, wherein at least some of the conductors are electrically insulated from one another and adapted to simultaneously carry different electric potentials.

9. The microelectronic package as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conductor consists essentially of copper.

10. The microelectronic package as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conductive bond metal comprises solder and the conductor consists essentially of copper.

11. A method of making a microelectronic package comprising:

providing a microelectronic assembly including a substrate, a microelectronic element mounted to the substrate, conductors having top surfaces remote from the substrate and edge surfaces extending away from the top surfaces towards the substrate, and conductive bond metal contacting the top and edge surfaces of each conductors, wherein first and second ones of the conductors are electrically connected by conductive features of the substrate with the microelectronic element for carrying a first signal electric potential on the first conductor and for simultaneously carrying a second electric potential on the second conductor, the second electric potential being different from the first signal electric potential;

then forming an encapsulant layer overlying at least a portion of the substrate and overlying at least a portion of the microelectronic element and covering the top surfaces and the edge surfaces of the conductors; and

then forming openings in the encapsulant layer, each opening aligned with at least one of the conductors, each opening permitting an electrical connection to be made with at least one of the conductors.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the encapsulant layer contacts the bond metal and the forming openings includes forming an opening which partially exposes the bond metal which contacts at least one of the conductors.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, in which at least first and second microelectronic packages are made, further comprising stacking the second microelectronic package atop the first microelectronic package, the first and second microelectronic packages being electrically interconnected together using the conductors of at least one of the first and second microelectronic packages.

14. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the step of forming the encapsulant layer includes forming first and second substantially planar surfaces of the encapsulant layer above a surface of the substrate, the first surface overlying at least a portion of the substrate aligned with the microelectronic element and the second surface overlying another portion of the substrate beyond an edge of the microelectronic element, the first and second surfaces having different heights from the surface of the substrate.

15. A method of forming a microelectronic assembly comprising:

providing first and second microelectronic packages, each having a structure including;

a substrate having a first surface and a second surface remote from the first surface;

a microelectronic element overlying the first surface;

a conductor extending in a substantially vertical direction above at least one of the first or second surfaces, the conductor having a top surface remote from the substrate and one or more edge surfaces extending away from the substrate to the top surface of the conductor;

a conductive bond metal contacting the top and edge surfaces of the conductor;

conductive elements exposed at the second surface of the substrate, the conductive elements being electrically interconnected with the microelectronic element; and

an encapsulant overlying at least a portion of the microelectronic element and the surface of the substrate above which the conductor projects, the encapsulant having an opening that partially exposes the conductive bond metal; and

joining the first and second microelectronic packages such that the second microelectronic package overlies the first microelectronic package and is electrically connected therewith, electrical connections provided through a conductive element at a bottom surface of the second microelectronic package, the conductor of the first microelectronic package, and the bond metal contacting the conductor of the first microelectronic package.