Patent · US Expired

Method of fabricating solder bumps with high coplanarity for flip-chip application

US6348401B1 · kind B1 · utility

20Cited by
3References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 10, 2000
Grant dateFeb 19, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 10, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH05K3/3485
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A solder-pump fabrication method is proposed, which is used for the fabrication of solder bumps with high coplanarity over a semiconductor chip for flip-chip application. The proposed solder-bump fabrication method is characterized in the use of a two-step solder-bump fabrication process, including a first step of electroplating solder over UBM (Under Bump Metallization) pads to a controlled height still below the topmost surface of the mask, and a second step of screen-printing solder paste over the electroplated solder layer. The combined structure of the electroplated solder layer and the printed solder layer is then reflowed to form the desired solder bump. Since the proposed solder-bump fabrication method allows the solder material electroplated and printed over the UBM pads to be confined within the mask openings and never exceed the topmost surface of the mask, the resulted solder bumps would not be bridged to neighboring ones. Moreover, the proposed solder-bump fabrication method allows all the resulted solder bumps to be substantially equally sized to achieve high coplanarity.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.