Programmable interposer with conductive particles

• US 9,041,171 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2011
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhao, Sam Ziqun, Hu, Kevin Kunzhong, Karikalan, Sampath K. V., Khan, Rezaur Rahman, Vorenkamp, Pieter, Chen, Xiangdong
• Primary Examiner(s): Gumedzoe, Peniel M
• Application Number:
  US13/340,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20130168841A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,244 Days
• Field of Search: 257/676, 257/E23.037, 438/468, 174/261, 977/742
• US Class Current: 257/676
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/485 Adaptation of interconnections, e.g. engineering charges, repair techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/486 Via connections through the substrate with or without pins
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49822 Multilayer substrates multilayer metallisation on monolayer substrate H01L23/498
• 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: H05K 1/029 having a programmable lay-out, i.e. adapted for choosing between a few possibilities
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0248 Needles or elongated particles; Elongated cluster of chemically bonded particles microfibers H05K2201/0251; stacked conductors H05K2201/0379
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/026 Nanotubes or nanowires
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0323 Carbon
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10378 Interposers
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/104 Using magnetic force, e.g. to align particles or for a temporary connection during processing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/105 Using an electrical field; Special methods of applying an electric potential electroplating H05K2203/0723
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4038 Through-connections; Vertical interconnect access [VIA] connections H05K3/403, H05K3/42 take precedence

Abstract

An exemplary implementation of the present disclosure includes a programmable interposer having top and bottom interface electrodes and conductive particles interspersed within the programmable interposer. The conductive particles are capable of forming an aligned configuration between the top and bottom interface electrodes in response to application of an energy field to the programmable interposer so as to electrically connect the top and bottom interface electrodes. The conductive particles can have a conductive outer surface. Also, the conductive particles can be spherical. The conductive particles can be within a bulk material in an interface layer in the programmable interposer, and the bulk material can be cured to secure programmed paths between the top and bottom interface electrodes.

Claims

1. A programmable interposer comprising:

top and bottom interface electrodes having one or more top interface electrodes offset from one or more bottom interface electrodes along an axis that is parallel to the top and bottom interface electrodes, wherein one or more of the top interface electrodes are non-overlapping with one or more of the bottom interface electrodes; and

conductive particles electrically connecting the top and bottom interface electrodes in one or more programmed states of the programmable interposer, the one or more programmed states including a programmed state that electrically connects the conductive particles from a bottom interface electrode to a non-overlapping top interface electrode, the conductive particles configured to form different aligned configurations between said top and bottom interface electrodes in response to application of different energy fields to said programmable interposer.

2. The programmable interposer of claim 1, wherein said conductive particles are within a bulk material of an interface layer in said programmable interposer.

3. The programmable interposer of claim 1, wherein said conductive particles are selected from the group consisting of carbon nanotubes (CNT) and nano wires.

4. The programmable interposer of claim 2, wherein said bulk material comprises a dielectric film.

5. The programmable interposer of claim 2, wherein said bulk material is capable of being cured.

6. The programmable interposer of claim 1, wherein said conductive particles have conductive outer surfaces.

7. The programmable interposer of claim 1, wherein said conductive particles are spherical.

8. A semiconductor package comprising:

a programmed interposer including top interface electrodes having respective first surfaces and bottom interface electrodes having respective second surfaces, wherein one or more of the top interface electrodes are non-overlapping with one or more of the bottom interface electrodes along an axis that is parallel to the first and second surfaces;

said programmed interposer including conductive particles electrically connecting the top and bottom interface electrodes through one or more programmed paths of the semiconductor package, said one or more programmed paths including a programmed path that electrically connects the conductive particles from a top interface electrode to a non-overlapping bottom interface electrode, the conductive particles configured to form different programmed paths based on different energy fields applied to the semiconductor package; and

a semiconductor die electrically connected to said top interface electrode and said bottom interface electrode of said programmed interposer.

9. The semiconductor package of claim 8, wherein a printed circuit board (PCB) is situated under said programmed interposer.

10. The programmed interposer of claim 8, wherein said programmed interposer includes a top substrate and a bottom substrate.

11. The programmed interposer of claim 8, comprising at least one solder bump electrically connecting said semiconductor die to said programmed path of said programmed interposer.

12. The semiconductor package of claim 8, wherein said programmed path is formed from said conductive particles in response to application of an energy field.

13. The semiconductor package of claim 8, wherein said conductive particles are within a bulk material of an interface layer in said programmed interposer.

14. The semiconductor package of claim 8, wherein said conductive particles are selected from the group consisting of carbon nanotubes (CNT) and nano wires.

15. A method for fabricating a programmed interposer comprising:

applying an energy field to a programmable interposer to move conductive particles situated within said programmable interposer for forming a first aligned configuration between top and bottom interface electrodes of said programmable interposer;

varying the energy field applied to the programmable interposer to move the conductive particles to form a second aligned configuration between the top and bottom interface electrodes that differs from the first aligned configuration; and

securing said conductive particles of said second aligned configuration into a programmed path.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said securing comprises curing said programmable interposer.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising situating said top and said bottom interface electrodes on respective top and bottom sides of said programmable interposer prior to said applying said energy field.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein said energy field comprises a magnetic field.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein said energy field comprises an electric field.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing at least one substrate for said programmable interposer.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the first aligned configuration is between at least a first top interface electrode and a first bottom interface electrode, and

the second aligned configuration is between at least the first top interface electrode and a second bottom interface electrode that is different from the first bottom interface electrode.