Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates to an improved method for encapsulating and reinforcing the electrical interconnections between an integrated circuit chip and a substrate. It also relates to an integrated circuit chip assembly produced by said method.  
           [0002]    An integrated circuit chip assembly generally comprises an integrated circuit chip attached to a substrate, typically a chip carrier or a circuit board. The most commonly used integrated circuit chip is composed primarily of silicon having a coefficient of thermal expansion of about 2 to 4 ppm/°C. The chip carrier or circuit board is typically composed of either a ceramic material having a coefficient of thermal expansion of about 6 ppm/°C., or an organic material, possibly reinforced with organic or inorganic particles or fibers, having a coefficient of thermal expansion in the range of about 6 to 50 ppm/°C. One technique well known in the art for interconnecting integrated circuit chips and substrates is flip chip bonding. In flip chip bonding, a pattern of solder balls is formed on the active surface of the integrated circuit chip, allowing complete or partial population of the active surface with interconnection sites. The solder balls which typically have a diameter of about 0.002 to 0.006 inches, are deposited on solder wettable terminals on the active surface of the integrated circuit chip forming a pattern. A matching footprint of solder wettable terminals is provided on the substrate. The integrated circuit chip is placed in alignment with the substrate and the chip to substrate connections are formed by reflowing the solder balls. Flip chip bonding can be used to attach integrated circuit chips to chip carriers or directly to printed circuit boards.  
           [0003]    During operation of an integrated circuit chip assembly, cyclic temperature excursions cause the substrate and the integrated circuit chip to expand and contract. Since the substrate and the integrated circuit chip have different coefficients of thermal expansion, they expand and contract at different rates causing the solder ball connections to weaken or even crack as a result of fatigue. To remedy this situation, it is common industry practice to reinforce the solder ball connections with a thermally curable polymer material known in the art as an underfill encapsulant. Underfill encapsulants are typically filled with ceramic particles to control their rheology in the uncured state and to improve their thermal and mechanical properties in the cured state.  
           [0004]    Underfill encapsulants have been widely used to improve the fatigue life of integrated circuit chip assemblies consisting of an integrated circuit chip of the flip chip variety attached to a substrate made of alumina ceramic material having a coefficient of thermal expansion of about 6 ppm/°C. More recently, integrated circuit assemblies having an integrated circuit chip of the flip chip type attached to a substrate made of a reinforced organic material with a composite coefficient of thermal expansion of about 20 ppm/°C. have been manufactured.  
           [0005]    At the first level of packaging, the underfill encapsulation process is typically accomplished by dispensing the liquid encapsulant at one or more points along the periphery of the integrated circuit chip. The encapsulant is drawn into the gap between the integrated circuit chip and the substrate by capillary forces, substantially filling the gap and forming a fillet around the perimeter of the integrated circuit chip. The diameter of the filler particles in the encapsulant are sized to be smaller than the height of the gap so as not to restrict flow. Typical encapsulant formulations have a viscosity of about 10 Pa-s at the dispense temperature. After the encapsulant has flowed into the gap, it is cured in an oven at an elevated temperature.  
           [0006]    Cured encapsulants typically have coefficients of thermal expansion in the range of about 20 to 40 ppm/°C., and a Young&#39;s Modulus of about 1 to 3 GPa, depending on the filler content and the polymer chemistry. It may be desirable in some cases to further alter the cured properties of the encapsulant, however, the requirement that the encapsulant have low viscosity in the uncured state severely restricts the formulation options. For example, the addition of more ceramic filler would lower the resulting coefficient of thermal expansion, but increase the uncured viscosity.  
           [0007]    At the second level of packaging, encapsulating materials can be used to reinforce the interconnections between a circuit board and an integrated circuit chip assembly comprised of an integrated circuit chip attached to a chip carrier. In this type of assembly the solder balls typically have a diameter in the range of about 0.020 to 0.030 inches. Several methodologies are known for reinforcing and encapsulating this type of interconnection. However, the various methods used for reinforcing and encapsulating interconnections at the second level are not extendable to first level packaging because of the differences in flow regimes resulting from the different gap heights. In the case of a flip chip package with a gap of 0.002 to 0.006 inches, the flow characteristics of the underfill encapsulant are governed by viscous forces and capillary forces; viscous forces resisting flow and capillary forces driving flow. Suitable materials for first level underfill encapsulation are highly engineered to exhibit tightly controlled viscosity levels and specific wetting characteristics. In the case of a second level encapsulation, where the gap is about 0.020 to 0.030 inches in height, conventional first level underfill encapsulants would flow indiscriminately across the surface of the printed circuit board unless some external barrier prevents such flow.  
           [0008]    Known in the art is a method for encapsulation of a flip chip package wherein a package body is formed around the perimeter of the flip chip in a two step process. First the integrated circuit chip is underfilled as previously described for first level packaging, and then a package body is formed around the perimeter of the integrated circuit chip using a molding process. In yet another known method, additional reinforcement is achieved by encapsulating both faces of the flip chip and its perimeter in a single step. In this technique, the gap between the integrated circuit chip and the substrate has been substantially eliminated by forming a large hole in the substrate that comprises at least 50% of the active area of the integrated circuit chip. This approach essentially eliminates the small gap typical of a conventional integrated circuit chip to substrate interconnection, but has the drawback of limiting the active area of the integrated circuit chip that can be used for forming interconnections because only the perimeter of the integrated circuit chip can be used.  
           [0009]    Notwithstanding the use of underfill encapsulation, fatigue life of an integrated circuit chip assembly is shorter when the solder interconnections are made to organic substrates as opposed to ceramic substrates, owing to the greater mismatch in thermal expansion. Together with the limitations imposed on formulation options by the low viscosity requirement, improvement in the mechanical reinforcement of integrated circuit chip interconnections is still required.  
           [0010]    It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved method for underfilling and for encapsulating flip chip packages. It is also the object of this invention to permit the use of more viscous materials as underfill materials. It is the further object to provide a method which permits increased speed for the encapsulation process and allows the encapsulation process, both underfilling and overmolding, to be completed in a single step using a single encapsulant material.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0011]    This invention provides an improved method for encapsulating the solder ball interconnections of an integrated circuit chip assembly which accommodates the use of high viscosity encapsulating materials and eliminates the need for a dam to contain flow. In accordance with the preferred embodiment of this invention, an integrated circuit chip assembly comprised of an integrated circuit chip mounted on a chip carrier or directly on a circuit board in a standoff relationship is provided. The chip carrier or circuit board is constructed with an opening which extends from the surface on which the integrated circuit chip is mounted to the opposite surface of the chip carrier or circuit board. The integrated circuit chip is mounted on the chip carrier or circuit board above the opening.  
           [0012]    External pressure is applied to the exposed surface of the integrated circuit chip and a metered volume of encapsulant material is dispensed through the opening into the space between the integrated circuit chip and the chip carrier or circuit board. The preferred encapsulant material comprises a high strength thermosetting two part epoxy containing about 50% by weight of a ceramic filler and has a viscosity at 25° C. of about 250 Pascal-seconds measured using a Brookfield viscometer, model HET, with a CP-52 cone head, at 2 rpm; although materials having viscosities in the range of about 10 to 1,000 Pascal-seconds may also be used. In one aspect of this invention the volume of encapsulating material is equivalent to the amount required to fill the space between the integrated circuit chip and the chip carrier or circuit board. In another aspect of this invention the volume of encapsulating material is equivalent to the amount necessary to (1) fill the space between the integrated circuit chip and the chip carrier, and substantially cover a portion of the surface of the chip carrier; or (2) fill the space between the integrated circuit chip and the circuit board, and substantially cover a predetermined surface area of the circuit board. After the required amount of encapsulant material is dispensed, the encapsulant material is cured to form a bond between the integrated circuit chip and the chip carrier or circuit board and reinforce the standoff connections.  
           [0013]    In yet another embodiment of this invention, a mold is placed over the integrated chip, surrounding but not in contact with the integrated circuit chip. An amount of encapsulant necessary to completely encapsulate the integrated circuit chip as well as the electrical interconnections between the integrated circuit chip and the substrate is dispensed through the opening in the substrate. The encapsulant material is then cured to form a bond between the integrated circuit chip and the chip carrier or circuit board and reinforce the standoff connections. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view somewhat diagrammatic of an integrated circuit chip mounted on a chip carrier ready to receive an encapsulant according to one embodiment of this invention;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view somewhat diagrammatic of an integrated circuit chip mounted on a chip carrier with encapsulant dispensed into the space between the integrated circuit chip and the chip carrier according to one embodiment of this invention;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view somewhat diagrammatic of an integrated circuit chip mounted on a chip carrier with encapsulant dispensed into the space between the integrated circuit chip and the chip carrier according to another embodiment of this invention; and  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view somewhat diagrammatic of an integrated circuit chip mounted on a circuit board ready to receive an encapsulant according to yet another embodiment of this invention;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 5 is a perspective view somewhat diagrammatic of an encapsulant reinforced integrated circuit chip assembly produced according to one embodiment of this invention; and  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 6 is an overhead view somewhat diagrammatic of an encapsulant reinforced integrated circuit chip assembly produced according to one embodiment of this invention; and  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view somewhat diagrammatic of an integrated circuit chip mounted on a chip carrier and covered with a mold with encapsulant dispensed into the space between the integrated circuit chip and the chip carrier and encapsulating the integrated circuit chip and the electrical interconnections between the integrated circuit chip and the chip carrier according to another embodiment of this invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0021]    Referring to FIG. 1, an integrated circuit chip assembly, indicated generally at  12 , is comprised of a chip carrier  14 , having a remote surface  16  and a mounting surface  18 , and an integrated circuit chip  20 , having a remote surface  22  and an attachment surface  24 . The chip carrier  14  has an opening  26  extending from the remote surface  16  to the mounting surface  18 . The integrated circuit chip  20  is mounted on the chip carrier  14  above the opening  26  in a standoff relationship with the attachment surface  24  of the integrated circuit chip  20  facing the mounting surface  18  of the chip carrier  14 , creating a space  28  between the attachment surface  24  of integrated circuit chip  20  and the mounting surface  18  of the chip carrier  14 . In a typical integrated circuit chip assembly, the height of the space  28  is about 0.002 to 0.006 inches. The attachment surface  24  of the integrated circuit chip  20  has arranged thereon, a plurality of electrical contacts  30 . Each electrical contact  30  has a solder ball  32  attached thereto. The mounting surface  18  of the chip carrier  14  has arranged thereon, a plurality of electrical contacts  34 , each of said electrical contacts  34  arranged to correspond to a solder ball  32  on the attachment surface  24  of the integrated circuit chip  20 .  
         [0022]    The chip carrier  14  in one embodiment is comprised of a ceramic material, typically alumina having a coefficient of thermal expansion of about 6 ppm/°C. The chip carrier can also be comprised of organic materials such as PTFE, polyimides, polytetrafluoroethylene, epoxies, triazines, bismaleimides, bismaleimides/triazines, and blends of these materials. These materials may be reinforced either by woven or non-woven inorganic or organic media such as glass, fibers or particles. Such materials typically have coefficients of thermal expansion ranging from about 6 to 50 ppm/°C. The chip carrier has arranged about its perimeter, a plurality of electrical contacts  36 . Each electrical contact  36  has attached thereto a wire lead  38  for interconnection between the chip carrier  14  and a substrate, typically a circuit board, to which the integrated circuit chip assembly is to be attached. The chip carrier  14  may also be of the ball grid array type herein rather than having edge leads  38 , solder balls having a diameter of about 0.020 to 0.030 inches are attached to the attachment surface  18  or the remote surface  16  of the chip carrier  14 . The integrated circuit chip  20  is typically comprised of monocrystalline silicon having a coefficient of thermal expansion of about 2 to 4 ppm/°C. Each solder ball  32  is typically comprised of an electrically conductive metallic solder material. The integrated circuit chip  20  is attached to the chip carrier  14  by solder reflow. During operation, the chip carrier  14  and the integrated circuit chip  20  are subjected to repeated cycles of heating and cooling. Because the chip carrier  14  and the integrated circuit chip  20  have different coefficients of thermal expansion, they expand and contract at different rates. This results in thermal stress on the connections between the solder balls  32  and the electrical contacts  30  and  34  sometimes causing the interconnection between the chip carrier  14  and the integrated circuit chip  20  to weaken or even fracture.  
         [0023]    Referring to FIG. 2, in accordance with one embodiment of this invention, an amount of the encapsulant  40  necessary to substantially fill the space  28  without substantial overflow onto the mounting surface  18  of the chip carrier  14  is dispensed through the opening  26  into the space  28 . In a preferred embodiment, the encapsulant  40  comprises Hysol FP-4323, a high strength thermosetting one part epoxy containing about 50%-70% by weight of a ceramic filler and has a viscosity at 25° C. of about 250 Pascal-seconds measured using a Brookfield viscometer, model HBT, with a CP-52 cone head, at 2 rpm, although encapsulants having viscosities in the range of about 10 to 1,000 Pascal-seconds can be used. The encapsulant  40  is dispensed through the opening  26  into the space  28  using a dispensing apparatus indicated generally at  42 . In the preferred embodiment, using an encapsulant  40  having a viscosity of about 250 Pascal-seconds at 25° C., the dispensing apparatus  42  comprises an injection apparatus with a 0.020 inch diameter needle. A pressure of approximately 80 psi is required to inject the encapsulant  40  into the space  28 . In the preferred embodiment, the viscosity of the encapsulant  40  is such that encapsulant  40  does not flow readily into space  28  without some drawing force. Thus, the encapsulant  40  must be forced through the opening  26  and into the space  28  using the dispensing apparatus  42 . Because the encapsulant  40  is highly viscous and the amount of the encapsulant  40  dispensed into the space  28  is limited to the volume of the space  28 , the surface tension between the encapsulant  40  and the chip carrier  14  and the integrated circuit chip  20  cause the encapsulant to be self-containing and there is no substantial flow of the encapsulant  40  outside of the space  28 . Thus the necessity of a dam to contain flow of the encapsulant  40  is eliminated. The encapsulant  40  is then heated for about 2 hours at 160° C. to cure the encapsulant  40  and form a bond between the integrated circuit chip  20  and the chip carrier  14  and reinforce the solder ball connections.  
         [0024]    In another embodiment of this invention, referring to FIGS. 3, 5, and  6 , in which the several elements are similar to like elements of FIGS. 1 and 2, the amount of the encapsulant  40  dispensed through the opening  26  is equal to the amount necessary to substantially fill the space  28  and also cover a portion of the mounting surface  18  of the chip carrier  14 . The encapsulant  40  is forced into the space  28  and outward onto the mounting surface  18  of the chip carrier  14 . As in the previously described embodiment, the encapsulant  40  is highly viscous and surface tension between the encapsulant and the mounting surface  18  hinders flow of the encapsulant  40  beyond the point to which the encapsulant  40  is forced by means of the dispensing apparatus  42 . The encapsulant  40  is then heated for about 2 hours at 160° C. to cure the encapsulant  40  and form a bond between the chip carrier  14  and the integrated circuit chip  20  and reinforce the solder ball connections.  
         [0025]    In an alternate embodiment of this invention, referring to FIG. 4, the integrated circuit chip  20  is mounted directly onto a circuit board  44 , rather than to a carrier which in turn is mounted to a circuit board. The circuit board  44  has a mounting surface  46  and a remote surface  48 . Similar to the first-described embodiment the circuit board  44  has an opening  50  extending from the remote surface  48  of the circuit board  44  to the mounting surface  46  of the circuit board  44 . The integrated circuit chip  20  is mounted directly onto the circuit board  44  above the opening  50  in a standoff relationship with the attachment surface  24  of the integrated circuit chip  20  facing the mounting surface  46  of the circuit board creating a space therebetween. As in the first-described embodiment, the integrated circuit chip  20  has arranged on its attachment surface  24 , a plurality of electrical contacts  30 . Each electrical contact  30  has attached thereto a solder ball  32 . The mounting surface  46  of the circuit board  44  has a plurality of electrical contacts  52  arranged thereon. Each electrical contact  52  is arranged to correspond to a solder ball  32  on the attachment surface  24  of the integrated circuit chip  20 . An amount of the encapsulant  40  necessary to substantially fill the space between the attachment surface  24  of the integrated circuit chip  20  and the mounting surface  46  of the circuit board  44 ; or to substantially fill the space between the attachment surface  24  of the integrated circuit chip.  20  and the mounting surface  46  of the circuit board  44 , and substantially cover a predetermined surface area of the mounting surface  46  of the circuit board  44 , is dispensed through the opening  50  and into the space between the attachment surface  24  of the integrated circuit chip  20  and the mounting surface  46  of the circuit board  44 . The encapsulant  40  is then cured to form a bond between the integrated circuit chip  20  and the circuit board  44  and reinforce the solder ball connections.  
         [0026]    In yet another embodiment of this invention, referring to FIG. 7, in which the several elements are similar to like elements of FIG. 1, a mold  58  having at least one vent  66  extending from an inside surface  60  to an outside surface  62 , is placed over the integrated circuit chip  20  so that there is a space  70  between the inside surface  60  of the mold  58  and the remote surface  22  of the integrated circuit chip  20 , and a void  64  surrounding the integrated circuit chip  20 . The mold  58  can be made of metal or plastic, and can be reusable or disposable. External pressure is applied to the outside surface  62  of the mold  58  to seal the mold  58  to the mounting surface  18  of the chip carrier  14 . An amount of encapsulant  40  necessary to substantially fill the space  70 , the void  64  and the space  28  is dispensed through the opening  26  thus encasing the integrated circuit chip  20 . The encapsulant  40  is then heated for about 2 hours at 160° C. to cure the encapsulant  40  and form a bond between the integrated circuit chip  20  and the chip carrier  14  and reinforce the solder ball connections. The mold  58  may be removed prior to or after curing. This method may also be used to reinforce the electrical interconnections between an integrated circuit chip and a circuit board.  
         [0027]    Accordingly, the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described. With the foregoing description in mind, however, it is understood that this description is made only by way of example, that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described herein, and that various rearrangements, modifications and substitutions may be implemented without departing from the true spirit of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Technology Category: 5