Scanning acoustic microscope sensor array for chip-packaging interaction package reliability monitoring

{
  "publication_number": "US10008427B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Scanning acoustic microscope sensor array for chip-packaging interaction package reliability monitoring",
  "abstract": "A method includes forming a flip-chip module including a chip connected to a substrate with a layer of underfill material adhered to the chip and the substrate; sensing chip-packaging interaction failure in the underfilled flip-chip module in situ; reporting in-situ chip-packaging interaction failure to a device in real-time; and imaging the chip-packaging interaction failure with an indirect scanning acoustic microscope.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A system, comprising: a flip-chip module package; a substrate connected to the flip-chip module; a layer of underfill material disposed between the flip-chip module and the substrate; and a sensor operative to measure acoustic impedance in the flip-chip module, wherein the sensor is embedded in the in a portion of the flip chip-module wherein the underfill material comprises an inorganic filler; wherein the inorganic filler is present in an amount of 5 to 75% by weight of the layer of underfill material.",
    "2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor feeds data to a scanning system.",
    "3. The system of claim 2, wherein the scanning system includes a scanning acoustic microscope.",
    "4. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes an array of sensors disposed in a corner region of the flip-chip module.",
    "5. The system of claim 4, wherein the array of sensors are disposed in at least two corner regions of the flip-chip module.",
    "6. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes an array of sensors disposed in a portion of the underfill material, outside the underfill material, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.",
    "7. The system of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises glass, an organic material, a ceramic material, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.",
    "8. The system of claim 7, wherein the substrate comprises an organic material comprising a composite including a curable resin and a glass-cloth.",
    "9. The system of claim 1, wherein the underfill material comprises a thermally reversible material.",
    "10. The system of claim 9, wherein the underfill material is thermoplastic material, a thermoset material, an epoxy material, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.",
    "11. The system of claim 1, wherein the inorganic filler is non-conductive and/or inert.",
    "12. The system of claim 1, wherein the underfill is present in an amount of 30 to 65% by weight.",
    "13. The system of claim 1, wherein the underfill material comprises alumina, silica, zinc oxide, boron nitride, talc, titanium oxide, zirconia, berylia, ceria, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, silicon carbide, Al, Ag, Cu, TiO2, clay, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.",
    "14. The system of claim 1, wherein the inorganic filler has a mean particle size of 0.005 to 10 micrometers.",
    "15. The system of claim 1, wherein the flip-chip module further includes a ball grid array.",
    "16. The system of claim 1, wherein the flip-chip module further includes a cover disposed over the flip-chip module, opposite the substrate.",
    "17. The system of claim 1, wherein the data provided includes spatial data and temporal data.",
    "18. The system of claim 17, wherein the spatial data includes location and type of fails and wherein the temporal data includes propagation of fails and first cause.",
    "19. The system of claim 1, wherein the inorganic filler has a modified surface chemistry.",
    "20. The system of claim 19, wherein the inorganic filler has improved dispersion in the underfill material as compared to an inorganic filler without a modified surface chemistry."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/988,893, filed on Jan. 6, 2016, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.\n\nThe present invention relates to a non-destructive method for detecting failure in a flip-chip module and a system therefore, and more specifically, to a non-destructive method for detecting delamination and crack propagation in a flip-chip module and a system.\n\nFlip-chip technology includes methods for interconnecting semiconductor devices, such as integrated circuit (IC) chips to external circuitry using solder bumps that have been deposited onto chip pads. The solder bumps are deposited on the chip pads on a top side of a wafer to mount the chip to external circuitry (e.g., a circuit board or another chip or wafer). The wafer is flipped over so that its top side faces down, and aligned so that its pads align with matching pads on the external circuit, and then the solder is flowed to complete the interconnect. This technique is in contrast to wire bonding, in which the chip is mounted upright, and wires are used to interconnect the chip pads to external circuitry.\n\nFlip chip assembly technology, wherein the integrated circuit chips are essentially flipped over and bonded to substrates using solderable interconnects, has seen rapid growth in semiconductor packaging in recent years. Alignment marks on the chip and the fiducial marks on the substrates are used for the fast automatic alignment between the chip and the substrate using a flip chip tool.",
  "cpc": [
    "H10P 74/277",
    "G01N 2291/101",
    "G01N 2291/2697",
    "G01N 29/043",
    "G01N 29/06",
    "G01N 29/0681",
    "H01L 21/4853",
    "H01L 21/563",
    "H01L 22/12",
    "H01L 22/26",
    "H01L 22/34",
    "H01L 2225/06596",
    "H01L 23/49816",
    "H01L 23/49838",
    "H10P 74/203",
    "H10P 74/23",
    "H10P 74/238",
    "H10P 74/27",
    "H10W 70/093",
    "H10W 70/65",
    "H10W 70/68",
    "H10W 72/00",
    "H10W 72/072",
    "H10W 72/073",
    "H10W 72/877",
    "H10W 74/012",
    "H10W 74/15",
    "H10W 76/60",
    "H10W 90/284",
    "H10W 90/701",
    "H10W 90/724",
    "H10W 90/734"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "G01N 29/06",
    "H01L 21/48",
    "H01L 21/56",
    "H01L 21/66",
    "H01L 23/498",
    "H01L 23/58"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "International Business Machines Corp"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Taryn J. Davis",
    "Jonathan R. Fry",
    "Tuhin Sinha"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2017-06-06",
  "publication_date": "2018-06-26",
  "grant_date": "2018-06-26",
  "priority_date": "2016-01-06",
  "application_number": "US-201715615148-A",
  "family_id": "59226633",
  "cited_by_count": 3,
  "citations": [
    "US20090212377A1",
    "US20140355381A1",
    "US20170008760A1"
  ]
}