Abstract:
The present invention provides methods and apparatus related to preventing adhesive contamination of the electrical contacts of a semiconductor device in a stacked semiconductor device package. The methods and apparatus include providing a first semiconductor device with an adhesive flow control dam located on an upper surface thereof. The dam is positioned between electrical contacts and a substrate attach site on the upper surface of the first semiconductor device. The dam is rendered of a sufficient height and shape to block applied adhesive from flowing over the electrical contacts of the first semiconductor device when a second substrate is mounted onto the upper surface of the first semiconductor device. The semiconductor device package may be encapsulated with the dam in place or with the dam removed. The adhesive flow control dam thus protects the electrical contacts of the first semiconductor device from contamination by excess adhesive, which can result in unusable electrical contacts.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 09/703,920, filed Nov. 1, 2000, pending, which claims foreign priority benefit to Singapore patent application, Serial No. 200005397-5, filed Sep. 21, 2000. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    This invention relates generally to integrated circuit semiconductor device assemblies. More particularly, the present invention relates to stacked arrangements for semiconductor dice in semiconductor device assemblies.  
           [0004]    Semiconductor devices are increasingly used in portable electronic applications, necessitating the development of smaller, higher-performance components. In conventional semiconductor manufacturing processes, a multitude of integrated circuit (IC) dice or semiconductor dice is typically fabricated at one time onto a wafer comprising a semiconducting substrate (e.g., silicon or gallium arsenide) through methods well known in the art. These semiconductor dice are then incorporated, in turn, into a system by mounting them on a carrier substrate, for example, a printed circuit board, to interconnect with the rest of the elements of the system, many of which are also other semiconductor dice.  
           [0005]    In recent years, semiconductor manufacturing technology has steadily progressed, resulting in ever-increasing numbers of circuit elements placed on a single semiconductor die. Semiconductor wafers are now subjected to thinning processes, resulting in the removal of nearly all excess silicon from individual semiconductor dice. To further decrease the size of the overall packaged system, printed circuit boards and other component supporting substrates are made as small as practicable. For still further increases in electronics density, recent innovations have turned to new ways to package semiconductor dice. One such innovation involves vertically stacking a plurality of horizontally disposed semiconductor dice to form a dense electronic package. By using such stacking arrangements, multiple semiconductor dice can be attached to the system using the footprint area of a single semiconductor die. The resulting increases in density allow for faster signal propagation while providing lower overall device weight. Additionally, these “chip-on-chip or die-on-die” arrangements can often be fabricated faster and more cheaply than by designing new integrated circuitry for substrates.  
           [0006]    The lack of available “real estate” on smaller circuit boards makes the stacking of semiconductor dice particularly desirable. One type of stacking arrangement, wherein several bare semiconductor dice used for the same or different functions are mounted in a common package, is known as a multi-chip module (MCM). MCMs generally contain a plurality of semiconductor dice in a dense arrangement where they are packaged together in a supporting substrate that can be hermetically sealed. Although prior art MCMs typically have a number of individual semiconductor dice mounted within the package in a laterally adjacent manner, the vertical stacking of semiconductor dice is increasingly gaining acceptance.  
           [0007]    Many types of semiconductor dice can be used to form MCM chip-on-chip or die-on-die stacks, including dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM) and FLASH memory chips, as well as semiconductor dice having other types of functions such as analog-to-digital convertor (ADC) semiconductor dice, microprocessors, and field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). Typically, the stacked semiconductor dice have electrical contacts which are coupled in common or in parallel to contacts on the substrate board.  
           [0008]    In early MCM stacking arrangements, single stacks of semiconductor dice were generally made using semiconductor dice having substantially equal dimensions. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,323,060, assigned to the assignee of the present application, a plurality of identical, vertically stacked semiconductor dice is disclosed with a relatively thick adhesive layer interposed therebetween. The active circuitry of the horizontally disposed semiconductor dice is shown facing upwardly, with wirebonds from each semiconductor die extending downwardly from the active surface to contact pads onto a multi-chip module substrate.  
           [0009]    In the case of memory semiconductor dice, vertical stacking proves particularly advantageous since a plurality of semiconductor dice could be used to multiply the amount of memory available. Illustrative of the prior state of the art in this regard is “ Laminated Memory: A new  3- Dimensional Packaging Technology for MCM”, Proceedings of  1994  IEEE Multi - Chip Module Conference , pp. 58-63.  
           [0010]    More recently, single stacks have been made comprised of semiconductor dice of different sizes and/or functions directly attached to one another. Generally, one or more semiconductor dice are bonded on top of a larger semiconductor die, although larger semiconductor dice have been placed on smaller semiconductor dice using various ball grid array connections and various interposers as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,977,640 and 5,790,384, respectively.  
           [0011]    Numerous packaging alternatives for stacked dice are found in the art. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,777,345, an integrated circuit package is disclosed wherein a first semiconductor die (a microprocessor) is attached to a die paddle of a lead frame, and a second smaller semiconductor die (a memory chip) is directly attached to the upwardly facing active surface of the first semiconductor die. The bonding pads of the semiconductor dice are shown to be connected to each other, and to the lead frame, by a wire bonding process.  
           [0012]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,998,884 discloses horizontally disposed bare semiconductor dice stacked atop one another in offset fashion such that an edge portion of each semiconductor die is exposed. On the edge portions of each semiconductor die are terminals (bond pads) for interconnection of the semiconductor dice to an interconnection substrate.  
           [0013]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,005,778 shows semiconductor die stacking arrangements wherein a planar silicon spacer with a conductive surface and upwardly facing bond pads is mounted between two semiconductor dice on a substrate carrier. The planar conductive spacer is shown with two configurations. In a first configuration, the intermediately disposed spacer has a two-tiered portion at its lateral edges, with bond pads exposed on the lower of the two tiers. The spacer is further provided with lesser horizontal dimensions than the first semiconductor die, such that the two lateral edges of the first semiconductor die, containing bond pads for wire bonding to the substrate, remain exposed after the spacer is adhesively affixed to the first semiconductor die. In a second embodiment, the planar spacer has a larger footprint than the horizontally disposed semiconductor dice used in the assembly. The spacer is placed intermediate to the two smaller semiconductor dice such that lateral edge upper surface areas of the spacer, containing bond pads and wire bonds, extend beyond the footprints of both semiconductor dice. The second semiconductor die, also containing wire bonds on its upper surface lateral edges, is bonded to the spacer by an adhesive layer, leaving the bonding pads and wire bonds of the spacer exposed.  
           [0014]    In these types of stacked semiconductor die arrangements, the semiconductor dice are typically bonded to each other, or to intermediately disposed spacers/interposers, by means of an adhesive layer. Typically, bare semiconductor dice are attached to such substrates using organic-based adhesives. The adhesive layer is typically dispensed automatically by screen printing, by a stamping device, or by a needle or syringe, in a non-cured state (soft phase), and is deposited in a predetermined area designated for the mounting of the semiconductor die (i.e., the die attach area). Meanwhile, the semiconductor die to be mounted is then typically picked up and held by an automated vacuum mechanism, or other apparatus, of a die bonding machine. The semiconductor die is then positioned over the center of the die attach area and is pressed into the previously deposited adhesive, ideally forming a uniform layer of adhesive under the semiconductor die. Usually, the adhesive layer is thereafter brought to its cured phase through exposure to elevated temperatures for a specified time period.  
           [0015]    In many adhesive compositions, the carrier material, which provides the adhesion and mechanical strength in the bond line, is a polyimide or an epoxy resin. The carrier can be filled with metal particles in the event electrical and thermal conductivity is required. Alternatively, the carrier can be filled with nonmetallic particles, such as alumina, if the final bond is to act as an insulator.  
           [0016]    One problem associated with the application of die attach adhesives is that an amount of a particular adhesive must be satisfactorily dispensed in a particular thickness and over a particular area which will provide sufficient bond integrity for the application while simultaneously being free from voids. Voids are a problem for several reasons. First, if a void appears directly under an active part of a power circuit, the junction temperature may rise significantly since there is no material available to pull away the heat. Second, and more obviously, voids can affect the quality and mechanical strength of the die attach itself. Thus, the distribution of voids across the adhesive bonding layer is important in determining the effects which they will have. Small, random voids have only a modest effect on the thermal performance and mechanical integrity of the attach. Large, contiguous voids, however, can be catastrophic to both thermal and mechanical performance. Voids can also serve as sites for moisture to collect during storage. This is especially problematic in plastic packages since this moisture can spread to critical interfaces and cause delaminations and package cracking. Care must be taken, therefore, to ensure a sufficient amount of a properly viscous adhesive is applied to the die attach site so that void formation is minimized.  
           [0017]    A related problem is that the adhesive, when dispensed, may overflow the site for semiconductor die or spacer/interposer attachment, or the adhesive may be squeezed out too far when the semiconductor die or spacer/interposer to be mounted is pressed into it. In the situation of vertically stacked semiconductor dice, this overflow or excess of adhesive can lead to the contamination of nearby bond pads, consequently interfering with subsequent wire bond operations, or even resulting in the loss of the function of the semiconductor die.  
           [0018]    An associated phenomenon pertains to the use of conductive silver-filled epoxies for the bonding of silicon semiconductor dice, a well-established procedure in the microelectronics industry. One of the problems that has plagued the industry in the past is the separation or “bleeding out” of the resin vehicle from the epoxy. In some cases, this resin bleed is severe enough to interfere with subsequent wire bonding and lid sealing operations by disadvantageously coating the surfaces with a thin film of the resin material.  
           [0019]    The rheology (also referred to as viscosity) of adhesives is therefore a property which is critical to proper die attach processes. Viscosity can be a difficult property to control, and may be affected by even small changes in the ambient temperature. Different application methods for adhesive also have different viscosity ranges. For example, viscosity ranges typical for dispensing are from about 20,000 to about 60,000 centipoise (cps), from about 8,000 to about 20,000 cps for stamping, and from about 30,000 to about 100,000 cps for screen printing.  
           [0020]    Therefore, when attaching vertically stacked semiconductor dice, it would be advantageous to develop a method and assembly for preventing adhesive overflow which can potentially lead to bond pad contamination. Such a method and assembly should ideally be simple, inexpensive, and compatible with widely practiced means of fabricating stacked semiconductor die package assemblies. Additionally advantageous would be a method which allows for relaxed requirements for die attach materials and process controls.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0021]    The present invention relates to a method and assembly for preventing adhesive overflow contamination of bond pads during the attachment of stacked semiconductor dice. The method and assembly comprise building or placing an adhesive flow control dam positioned between an adhesive application area and electrical contacts on an upper surface of a first semiconductor die. A second semiconductor die or other substrate is mounted (i.e., stacked) onto the adhesive application area of the first semiconductor die. In accordance with the invention, the adhesive flow control dam is rendered of a sufficient height and shape to block applied adhesive from flowing over the electrical contacts of the first semiconductor die when the second substrate is mounted onto the upper surface of the first semiconductor die. The mounting surface of the semiconductor die stack may be supplied with a thermally and/or electrically conductive adhesive, which holds the stack together in addition to allowing for heat dissipation and providing the necessary electrical interconnection between mounted chips, respectively. The semiconductor die stack may also be mounted on a carrier substrate.  
           [0022]    In another embodiment, two stacked semiconductor dice may be separated by a semiconducting interposer or other substrate. The interposer is adhesively attached to the upper surface of the first semiconductor die, while a second semiconductor die is attached to the upper surface of the interposer. An adhesive flow control dam positioned in the region between the perimeter of the interposer and the electrical contacts or bond pads of the first semiconductor die prevents adhesive from flowing over the electrical contacts.  
           [0023]    In another embodiment, the method of the present invention may be used when the two semiconductor dice are of the same or substantially similar size. The semiconductor dice can be mounted in an offset fashion relative to one another, leaving the edge portions of the semiconductor dice containing electrical contacts exposed. An adhesive flow control dam is located on a first semiconductor die between the electrical contacts and the die attach site. In addition, the dice may be mounted directly one above the other, wherein an adhesive flow control dam located on the terminal area portions of each semiconductor die is configured to deform when the mounting semiconductor die is pressed into it.  
           [0024]    In another embodiment, the adhesive flow control dam can serve as a decoupling capacitor or a decoupling capacitor coupon. The decoupling capacitor coupon is electrically connected to the surface of the first semiconductor die to lower noise and to improve inductive impedance.  
           [0025]    In a further embodiment, the dam of the present invention can be used to accumulate thermally conductive adhesive on a constrained region of the semiconductor die in addition to preventing overflow of adhesive onto the electrical bond pads. The thermally conductive adhesive provides increased thermal dissipation of heat from the semiconductor die.  
           [0026]    Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those of skill in the art through a consideration of the ensuing description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0027]    In the drawings, which illustrate what is currently considered to be the best mode for carrying out the invention:  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a prior art stacked semiconductor die package;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 2 a  shows a stacked semiconductor die package with less than a sufficient amount of adhesive under the mounting semiconductor die, thus resulting in the undesirable formation of voids;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 2 b  illustrates a stacked semiconductor die package with the correct amount of adhesive applied under the mounting semiconductor die;  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 2 c  illustrates a stacked die package wherein an excess of adhesive has been applied under a mounting semiconductor die;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 3 shows a side view of a stacked semiconductor die package which makes use of an adhesive flow control dam to prevent the flow of semiconductor die attach adhesive onto electrical contacts of a first semiconductor die;  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 4 shows a side view of an embodiment of a stacked semiconductor die package wherein a semiconducting interposer is intermediately disposed between two semiconductor dice;  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 5 a  illustrates an embodiment of the present invention wherein an adhesive flow control dam may be used when semiconductor dice are stacked in an offset fashion relative to one another;  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 5 b  illustrates an embodiment wherein a mounted semiconductor die is placed in contact with an adhesive flow control dam of the present invention;  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 6 illustrates an adhesive flow control dam of the present invention used to prevent solder flow from wire bonding operations from contacting a mounted semiconductor device; and  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment in which a thermally conductive adhesive is disposed adjacent an adhesive flow control dam for added heat dissipation. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0038]    Illustrated in drawing FIG. 1 is an example of a prior art vertically stacked integrated circuit semiconductor die package  10  contemplated for use in the method and assembly of the present invention. Package  10  comprises a first, large semiconductor die  12  and a second, smaller semiconductor die  14  which are horizontally disposed upon a carrier substrate  20 , the bare semiconductor dice mounted in a face-to-back configuration relative to one another. Large semiconductor die  12  and smaller semiconductor die  14  are provided with wire bonding bond pads  16  exposed on two edges of an active surface of both dice (only one edge is shown), and with wire bonds  18  extending to bond pads  22  on the carrier substrate  20 . Bond pads  16  may also be configured as any of a variety of contact pads typically used for the electrical interconnection of substrates. Under the die attach area of smaller semiconductor die  14 , an adhesive layer  13  (not shown) is provided which serves to bond large semiconductor die  12  and smaller semiconductor die  14  together. The adhesive layer may be formed of any type die attach material known in the art, including polymers such as polyimides, polyamides, epoxies, cyanate esters, silicones and acrylics (including UV curable), as well as gels, pastes, solders, various other electrically or thermally conductive adhesives, and the like. Semifluid adhesives may be used, as well as fluid-like adhesives with relatively little resistance to flow. Use of thermally and electrically conductive adhesives are preferable in some applications; a thermally conductive adhesive allows large semiconductor die  12  and smaller semiconductor die  14  to operate at substantially the same temperatures, while an electrically conductive adhesive allows the stacked dice to have the same ground potentials. Adhesive layer  13  can be deposited by any means known in the art, including, but not limited to, screen printing, stenciling, stamping, rolling on, spraying on, or by use of a needle or syringe. Preferably, adhesive layer  13  has a relatively high coefficient of thermal expansion and/or electrical conductivity to improve the thermal and/or electrical efficiency of package  10 , depending on the particular application.  
         [0039]    In the embodiment shown in drawing FIG. 1, the first semiconductor die  12  is an SRAM die while the second semiconductor die  14  is a FLASH memory die. The first semiconductor die  12 , however, may be of any variety of semiconductor die known in the art, including, but not limited to: microprocessors, DRAM, SRAM, FLASH, ADC, FGPA, active pixel sensors (APS), operational amplifiers (op AMP), etc. The smaller second semiconductor die  14  may also be of any variety known in the art, including a semiconductor die that serves the same or a similar function to that of large semiconductor die  12 , the only qualification of this embodiment being that smaller second semiconductor die  14  is smaller than large semiconductor die  12 .  
         [0040]    Illustrated in drawing FIGS. 2 a ,  2   b , and  2   c  are top views of smaller semiconductor die  14  mounted atop a larger semiconductor die  12  by means of a previously dispensed layer of adhesive. Larger semiconductor die  12  is configured with bond (or electrical contact) pads  16  on lateral edges. In drawing FIG. 2 a , semiconductor die  14  is shown with less than a sufficient amount of adhesive thereunder, resulting in the undesirable formation of voids  19 . Illustrated in drawing FIG. 2 b  is the correct amount of adhesive dispensed, while drawing FIG. 2 c  illustrates the application of too much adhesive. Above each figure is a top view of adhesive layer  13  shown as it would appear prior to the attachment of semiconductor die  14 , the adhesive deposited in this case by a stamping tool. Illustrated in drawing FIG. 2 c  is the deposit of adhesive where the deposit of adhesive is the same size as the semiconductor die. The mounting of a semiconductor die or substrate may cause adhesive material to be squeezed out sufficiently such that the adhesive  13  is forced outside the perimeter of the semiconductor die and onto bond pads  16 , of larger semiconductor die  12 . The contamination potentially renders the bond pads unusable. As shown in drawing FIGS. 2 b  and  2   c , adhesive  13  may also be forced from the perimeter edges of semiconductor die  14  and in the vicinity or onto bond pads  16 , dependent upon the viscosity of the adhesive  13 .  
         [0041]    As shown in drawing FIG. 3, dam or barrier  30  (hereinafter referred to as dam  30 ) is provided or formed on an upper surface of large semiconductor die  12 . Dam  30 , which is an adhesive flow control dam, is formed in situ or is manufactured and then preplaced and adhered on large semiconductor die  12  prior to die attach. Dam  30  is positioned in a region on the upper die surface between the area for die attach adhesive application and bond pads  16 . Dam  30  may be a polyimide, epoxy, polyamide or other type strip, as well as a cured liquid or other type of physical barrier. When formed in situ, dam  30  may be formed on a wafer or a semiconductor die through any of a variety or combination of deposition techniques well known in the art, including sputtering, CVD, PVD, and photoimaging techniques. Dam  30  may also be preformed or formed in place by casting techniques. Dam  30  is configured with lateral dimensions and a predetermined height, shape, and viscosity so as to prevent the flow of adhesive material  13  onto bond pad  16  when smaller semiconductor die  14  is mounted onto larger semiconductor die  12 . By preventing the flow of adhesive material  13  onto bond pads  16 , the bond pads  16  are protected from “contamination” by the adhesive material, which could potentially render the bond pads unusable. It is understood that use of the term “contamination” refers to any contact of adhesive  13  to bond pads  16 . It is contemplated that dam  30  may be placed in any location on semiconductor die  12  wherein the potential exists for adhesive overflow onto bond pads or other electrical structures of semiconductor die  12 .  
         [0042]    Illustrated in drawing FIG. 3 is an overflow  15  of adhesive material  13  of the kind the invention is designed to protect, resulting, for example, from the dispensing of a low-viscosity adhesive, from the inaccurate placement of adhesive, or from an excess of adhesive squeezed out from the die edges during the mounting of smaller semiconductor die  14  onto the die attach area of large semiconductor die  12 . Once die attach has been accomplished using dam  30 , stacked semiconductor die package  10  may be encapsulated by means known in the art to protect package  10 , as well as its related interconnections, from moisture, contamination, etc. Dam  30  may remain in place during encapsulation. Alternatively, dam  30  can be removed prior to the encapsulation process. Typically, encapsulant  50  is an electrically insulating material which prevents electrical shorting of bond pads  16  and wire bonds  18 . In a preferred embodiment, dam  30  is made of a material which is the same, or substantially similar to, the material which forms encapsulant  50 .  
         [0043]    Illustrated in drawing FIG. 4 is an alternate embodiment of a package  10  wherein a semiconducting interposer  40  is intermediately disposed between two semiconductor dice  12   a  and  12   b . Interposer  40  is mounted onto an upper surface of first semiconductor die  12   a , the upper surface of semiconductor die  12   a  containing bond pads at its lateral edges. A second semiconductor die  12   b , which is shown as approximately the same size as semiconductor die  12   a , is adhesively mounted on a top surface of interposer  40 . Interposer  40 , which preferably comprises a conductive substrate, is formed of dimensions less than the footprint of semiconductor die  12   a  such that bond pads  16  of semiconductor die  12   a  remain exposed. Interposer  40  is adhesively attached on top of semiconductor die  12   a  by a layer of adhesive  13  as described above. Dam  30  is shown positioned in the region between a perimeter edge of interposer  40  and bond pads  16  of die semiconductor  12   a  so as to block an overflow of adhesive  13  onto bond pads  16 .  
         [0044]    It is also contemplated that dam  30  may be used when interposer  40  is formed as a semiconductor substrate with bond pads  32  disposed thereon. In this alternate embodiment, interposer  40  is intermediate to two stacked and horizontally disposed dice. As seen in drawing FIG. 4, interposer  40  is configured with a footprint larger than that of top die  12   b  (see FIG. 4). A dam  30  is positioned in the region between a perimeter edge of semiconductor die  12   b  and bond pads  32  of interposer  40  such that die attach adhesive  13  does not overflow onto bond pads  32  during die attach processes.  
         [0045]    Dam  30  can also be used when stacked dice are of the same or approximately the same size. As shown in drawing FIG. 5 a , semiconductor dice  12   a  and  12   b  are mounted in an offset fashion similar to or the same as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,998,884. In this configuration, bare semiconductor dice are stacked atop one another in offset fashion such that an edge portion of each semiconductor die, containing bond pads  16 , is exposed. A dam  30  can be formed between each of the semiconductor die attach sites and bond pads  16  to prevent contamination resulting from adhesive overflow.  
         [0046]    In drawing FIG. 5 b , semiconductor dice  12   a , and  12   b , of the same or similar size, are shown in a stacked arrangement, mounted directly above one another, with a relatively thick layer of adhesive placed therebetween. Such a stacked arrangement is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,323,060, assigned to the assignee of the present application. Dams  30 , formed of a height, length, and other dimensions so as to effectively block the flow of the thick layer of adhesive  13 , may be placed in the terminal area portions on lateral edges of each semiconductor die to prevent contamination of bond pads  16 . In a preferred embodiment of this arrangement, dams  30  are preformed on an upper surface of semiconductor die  12   a  in a peaked shape. When semiconductor dice  12   a ,  12   b  are pressed together to form a vertically stacked package  10 , peaked dams  30  are of a height and material so as to deform, thus providing support for the “overhang” regions of the stacked dice arrangement to protect the dice against structural damage. As an additional advantage, peaked dams  30 , when deformed by the mounting of semiconductor dice  12   a ,  12   b , form a complete barrier to the passage of excess adhesive  13 , consequently providing increased protective capacity and insulation for bond pads  16 . As is apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, the peaked dam structure of this embodiment has further application in other types of mounting arrangements, such as the interposer/die stack arrangement shown in drawing FIG. 4.  
         [0047]    In another embodiment, dam  30  can be formed to serve an additional function as a decoupling capacitor or a decoupling capacitor coupon. A decoupling capacitor coupon dam  30   a , as used herein, is defined as a relatively thin capacitive structure which is sufficiently thin so as to minimize any associated height increase to the semiconductor die to which it is mounted. Such a decoupling capacitor is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 5,982,018, assigned to the assignee of the present invention. Illustrated in drawing FIG. 6 is an example of a decoupling capacitor coupon dam  30   a  placed near a proximate edge region of larger semiconductor die  12  such that it also functions as a dam  30 , preventing die attach adhesive  13 , used for the attachment of smaller semiconductor die  14 , from contaminating bond pads  16  on larger semiconductor die  12 . Decoupling capacitor coupon dam  30   a  is electrically connected to the active surface of semiconductor die  12  (or other substrates) by conventional methods known in the art. The decoupling capacitor coupon dam  30   a  comprises at least two electrode plates with a dielectric film disposed therebetween. Such coupons are useful in lowering noise by providing a path to ground for high frequency signals and, when positioned in close proximity to a chip, demonstrate an improved inductive impedance. Capacitor coupons  30   a  may be preformed of layers of conductive foil and dielectric, such as a polyimide tape, and dispensed from a stack or a reel for placement on a carrier substrate, in which case the coupon may be provided with a preplaced adhesive (conductive or non-conductive, as required) for affixation of each coupon to a semiconducting substrate or die in accordance with the uses specified by the present invention. Alternatively, decoupling capacitor coupon dam  30   a  may be formed adjacent future die bond pad regions during fabrication of semiconductor dice on a wafer or other semiconductor substrates by deposition or application of the electrode and dielectric layers to the wafer prior to singulation of the dice therefrom. Preferably, the decoupling capacitor coupon dam  30   a  is used in combination with an insulating die attach adhesive  13 . To prevent electrically shorting capacitor coupon dam  30   a , die attach adhesive  13  should not be electrically conductive.  
         [0048]    In addition to preventing bond pad contamination from die attach adhesive, use of dam  30  has several other distinct advantages. First, the protective aspect of dam  30  allows relaxed requirements for die attach materials and process controls. For example, lower viscosity adhesives can be used in the various dispensing operations. Additionally, the dispensing process controls need not be as precise, allowing for less expensive and higher throughput die attach procedures. Furthermore, in applications where tight tolerances between stacked chips are required, dam  30  may secondarily prevent the overflow of solder from bond pads  16  (during wire bonding or other operations) onto a surface or conductive extension of stacked semiconductor die  14 , thus preventing electrical shorts. Illustrated in drawing FIG. 6 is this secondary preventive function of dam  30   a . In drawing FIG. 6, an excess of solder  60  is controlled from reaching surface areas or conductive extensions of semiconductor die  14  by the flow control properties of dam  30   a . Preferably, this embodiment entails rendering semiconductor die  14  from a material or composition of materials which have dielectric characteristics.  
         [0049]    An additional advantage is realized when die attach adhesive  13  is thermally conductive. During their operation, chips dissipate electrical power as heat. Fluctuations in heat caused by the powering on and off of semiconductor dice are known to cause considerable mechanical stresses on semiconductor die interconnecting arrangements and mountings. Furthermore, where semiconductor dice are stacked one atop the other, it is difficult to dissipate the heat generated by the semiconductor dice in the middle of the stack. Thus, a design challenge for stacked semiconductor dice assemblies is to withstand thermal expansion during operation, and the substantial contraction that occurs when operation ceases. Moreover, there has been a need for semiconductor die assemblies which provide enhanced heat dissipation, particularly from semiconductor dice in the middle of a stack. Dam  30 , when used in conjunction with a thermally conductive die attach adhesive, helps solve this problem.  
         [0050]    As shown in drawing FIG. 7, thermally conductive adhesive  13   a  is suitably viscous and/or is placed onto and around the die attach area in such a manner so as to be in contact with, or to flow outwardly towards, dam  30 , where it is restrained from contaminating the bond pads  16 . The surface area provided by the overflow of thermally conductive adhesive  13   a  provides increased thermal dissipation of heat from semiconductor dice  12  and  14 . In this embodiment, dam  30  may protect contamination of bond pads  16  or, alternatively, may be used on the upper surface of a stacked semiconductor die wherein the upper surface does not contain bond pads, such as in stacked die arrangements with one or more BGA dice, to allow for an accumulation of thermally conductive adhesive  13   a . Preferably, thermally conductive adhesive  13   a  is comprised of an Ag-filled polymer. Other adhesive polymers are also contemplated for use, including nonelectrically conductive polymers, such as alumina-filled polymers, in applications where bond pads  16  or other electrically conductive parts of vertically stacked package  10  are in danger of electrically shorting due to the close proximity of thermally conductive adhesive  13   a . In carrying out this embodiment, dam  30  may be formed of a predetermined height which is relatively taller than other dam embodiments disclosed by the present invention, the height configured to provide sufficient protection for bond pads  16  due to increased risk of contamination by an intentionally applied excess amount of thermally conductive adhesive  13   a . In an alternative embodiment, a thermal gel is used as the thermally conductive adhesive  13   a.    
         [0051]    It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the embodiments herein described, while illustrating certain embodiments, are not intended to so limit the invention or the scope of the appended claims. For example, this invention, while being described with reference to a dam or barrier for the protection of adhesive contamination of bond pads during die attach, has applicability for the protection of other electrical components which may be attached to a semiconductor die, including traces, contact pads, solder balls, mounting recesses, electrical plugs, etc. Those skilled in the art will also understand that various combinations or modifications of the preferred embodiments could be made without departing from the scope of the invention.