U.S. patent application number 15/787471 was filed with the patent office on 2019-04-18 for semiconductor device with flexible circuit for enabling non-destructive attaching and detaching of device to system board.
The applicant listed for this patent is Micron Technology, Inc.. Invention is credited to Eiichi Nakano, Chan H. Yoo.
Application Number | 20190115286 15/787471 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 66097551 |
Filed Date | 2019-04-18 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190115286 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Yoo; Chan H. ; et
al. |
April 18, 2019 |
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE WITH FLEXIBLE CIRCUIT FOR ENABLING
NON-DESTRUCTIVE ATTACHING AND DETACHING OF DEVICE TO SYSTEM
BOARD
Abstract
A semiconductor device assembly that includes a flexible member
having a first portion connected to a substrate and a connector
attached to a second portion of the flexible member. The connector
is electrically connected to the substrate via a conducting layer
within the flexible member. The substrate may be a semiconductor
device, such as a chip. The connector may be configured to connect
the semiconductor device to another semiconductor device assembly
or a system board, such as a printed circuit board. A material may
encapsulate at least a portion of the substrate of the
semiconductor assembly. The semiconductor device assembly may be
formed by selectively connecting the flexible member to a first
substrate. A second substrate and connector may then be connected
to the flexible member. A release layer may be used to release the
assembly of the second substrate, flexible member, and connector
from the first substrate.
Inventors: |
Yoo; Chan H.; (Boise,
ID) ; Nakano; Eiichi; (Boise, ID) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Micron Technology, Inc. |
Boise |
ID |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
66097551 |
Appl. No.: |
15/787471 |
Filed: |
October 18, 2017 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01L 2224/97 20130101;
H01L 2224/16238 20130101; H01L 23/4985 20130101; H01L 2224/81
20130101; H01R 12/716 20130101; H01R 12/7041 20130101; H01L
2924/15192 20130101; H01L 21/568 20130101; H01L 2924/18161
20130101; H01R 12/707 20130101; H01L 2224/16227 20130101; H01L
24/81 20130101; H01L 23/3121 20130101; H01L 24/16 20130101; H01R
12/778 20130101; H01L 23/5387 20130101; H01L 41/0475 20130101; H01L
2224/0401 20130101; H01L 2224/97 20130101; H01L 23/49811 20130101;
H01L 2224/81005 20130101; H01L 2221/68345 20130101; H01L 21/6835
20130101; H01R 12/62 20130101; H01L 2221/68359 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H01L 23/498 20060101
H01L023/498; H01R 12/77 20060101 H01R012/77; H01L 23/00 20060101
H01L023/00; H01L 21/56 20060101 H01L021/56 |
Claims
1. A semiconductor device assembly comprising: a substrate having a
first surface and a second surface; a flexible member having a
conducting layer positioned within the flexible member, the
flexible member being connected to the second surface of the
substrate, the flexible member having a first portion adjacent to
the substrate and a second portion positioned away from the
substrate; and a connector on the second portion of the flexible
member, wherein the connector is electrically connected to an
electrical connection of the substrate via the conducting layer of
the flexible member, wherein the flexible member and the substrate
are connected together via a plurality of individual solder
connections between a plurality of pads and a plurality of
pillars.
2. The semiconductor device assembly of claim 1, wherein the
substrate further comprises a semiconductor device.
3. The semiconductor device assembly of claim 2, further comprising
a mold compound encapsulating at least a portion of the
semiconductor device.
4. The semiconductor device assembly of claim 1, wherein the
flexible member further comprises a polyimide film, a
polyetheretherketone film, a dielectric material, an organic
dielectric material, or a combination thereof.
5. (canceled)
6. The semiconductor device assembly of claim 1, wherein the
connector is configured to electrically connect the substrate to a
printed circuit board.
7. A semiconductor device assembly comprising: a first substrate; a
release layer on a surface of the first substrate; a flexible
member having a conducting layer, wherein the release layer
selectively bonds the flexible member to the surface of the first
substrate; a connector connected to a portion of the flexible
member, the connector being electrically connected to the
conducting layer of the flexible member; and a second substrate
being electrically connected to the flexible member, the connector
being electrically connected to the second substrate via the
conducting layer of the flexible member, wherein the release layer
is configured to selectively release the flexible member,
connector, and second substrate from the first surface of the first
substrate.
8. The semiconductor device assembly of claim 7, wherein the
connector is configured to electrically connect the second
substrate to a printed circuit board.
9. The semiconductor device assembly of claim 7, wherein the first
substrate comprises a carrier wafer.
10. The semiconductor device assembly of claim 7, wherein the first
substrate comprises glass, silicon, or a combination thereof
11. The semiconductor device assembly of claim 7, further
comprising a material that encapsulates at least a portion of the
second substrate.
12. The semiconductor device assembly of claim 7, wherein the
second substrate further comprises a semiconductor device.
13. (canceled)
14. (canceled)
15. (canceled)
16. (canceled)
17. (canceled)
18. (canceled)
19. (canceled)
20. (canceled)
21. (canceled)
22. (canceled)
23. The semiconductor device assembly of claim 1, wherein the
connector includes a top end, a bottom end, and electrical
connectors within the connector.
24. The semiconductor device assembly of claim 23, wherein the
electrical connectors within the connector are electrically
connected to the conducting layer of the flexible member.
25. The semiconductor device assembly of claim 24, wherein the
flexible member is configured to enable the connector to be
inserted into or removed from a corresponding connection without
the need to move the first portion of the flexible member adjacent
to the substrate.
26. The semiconductor device assembly of claim 1, wherein the
flexible member is configured to freely bend throughout three
hundred and sixty degrees.
27. The semiconductor device assembly of claim 7, wherein the
release layer is an optical release layer.
28. The semiconductor device assembly of claim 7, wherein the
release layer is configured to release the flexible member from the
surface of the first substrate by the application of a solvent.
29. The semiconductor device assembly of claim 7, wherein the
release layer is configured to release the flexible member from the
surface of the first substrate by the application of a laser.
30. The semiconductor device assembly of claim 7, wherein the
release layer is configured to release the flexible member from the
surface of the first substrate by the application of heat.
31. The semiconductor device assembly of claim 7, wherein the
connector includes a top end, a bottom end, and electrical
connectors within the connector that are electrically connected to
the conducting layer of the flexible member.
32. The semiconductor device assembly of claim 31, wherein the
flexible member is configured to enable the connector to be
inserted into or removed from a corresponding connection without
the need to move a portion of the flexible member bonded to the
surface of the first substrate.
Description
FIELD
[0001] The embodiments described herein relate to a flexible member
having a connector that is connected to a substrate, which may be a
semiconductor device such as, but not limited to, a single die of a
silicon wafer, an integrated circuit, a monolithic integrated
circuit, semiconductor chip, or a microchip. The connector is
positioned away from the substrate, but is electrically connected
to substrate via the flexible member.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Semiconductor processing and packaging techniques continue
to evolve to meet industry demands for increased performance and
reduced size. Electronic products, such as cell phones, smart
phones, tablets, personal digital assistances, laptop computers, as
well as other electronic devices, require packaged semiconductor
assemblies having a high density of devices while having a
relatively small footprint. The miniaturized semiconductor device
assemblies are typically solder mounted onto a system board, such
as a printed circuit board, within the device. The solder mounting
of a semiconductor device assembly to a board makes it nearly
impossible to detach the semiconductor device assembly without
actually damaging the semiconductor device assembly. Thus, if the
semiconductor device assembly quits working the entire board also
quits working. It may be necessary to replace the entire board or
even replace the entire device in the event only the semiconductor
device assembly is not working properly. Additional drawbacks and
disadvantages may exist.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0003] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-section view of an embodiment of
a semiconductor device assembly.
[0004] FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of an embodiment of a
semiconductor device assembly connected to a printed circuit
board.
[0005] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-section view of an embodiment of
a semiconductor device assembly including a flexible member
connected to first substrate.
[0006] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-section view of an embodiment of
a semiconductor device assembly that includes a second substrate
connected to a flexible member that is connected to a first
substrate.
[0007] FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-section view of an embodiment of
a semiconductor device assembly that includes material
encapsulating at least a portion of a second substrate connected to
a flexible member that is connected to a first substrate.
[0008] FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-section view of an embodiment of
a semiconductor device assembly that includes a flexible member
having a connector positioned between a first substrate and a
second substrate.
[0009] FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-section view of an embodiment of
a semiconductor device assembly of a second substrate connected to
a flexible member removed from a first substrate.
[0010] FIG. 8 is schematic of an embodiment of a plurality of
semiconductor device assemblies on a carrier substrate.
[0011] FIG. 9 is a flow chart of one embodiment of a method of
forming a semiconductor device assembly.
[0012] While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications
and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way
of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein.
However, it should be understood that the disclosure is not
intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather,
the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and
alternatives falling within the scope of the disclosure as defined
by the appended claims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] In this disclosure, numerous specific details are discussed
to provide a thorough and enabling description for embodiments of
the present disclosure. One of ordinary skill in the art will
recognize that the disclosure can be practiced without one or more
of the specific details. Well-known structures and/or operations
often associated with semiconductor devices may not be shown and/or
may not be described in detail to avoid obscuring other aspects of
the disclosure. In general, it should be understood that various
other devices, systems, and/or methods in addition to those
specific embodiments disclosed herein may be within the scope of
the present disclosure.
[0014] The term "semiconductor device assembly" can refer to an
assembly of one or more semiconductor devices, semiconductor device
packages, and/or substrates, which may include interposers,
supports, and/or other suitable substrates. The semiconductor
device assembly may be manufactured as, but not limited to,
discrete package form, strip or matrix form, and/or wafer panel
form. The term "semiconductor device" generally refers to a
solid-state device that includes semiconductor material. A
semiconductor device can include, for example, a semiconductor
substrate, wafer, panel, or a single die from a wafer or substrate.
A semiconductor device may refer herein to a semiconductor wafer,
but semiconductor devices are not limited to semiconductor
wafers.
[0015] As used herein, the terms "vertical," "lateral," "upper,"
and "lower" can refer to relative directions or positions of
features in the semiconductor devices shown in the Figures. For
example, "upper" or "uppermost" can refer to a feature positioned
closer to the top of a page than another feature. These terms,
however, should be construed broadly to include semiconductor
devices and/or semiconductor device assemblies having other
orientations, such as inverted or inclined orientations where
top/bottom, over/under, above/below, up/down, and left/right can be
interchanged depending on the orientation.
[0016] Various embodiments of this disclosure are directed to
semiconductor device assemblies, and methods of making and/or
operating semiconductor device assemblies. In one embodiment of the
disclosure a semiconductor device assembly comprises a substrate
and a flexible member having a connected layer, a first portion of
the flexible member being connected to a bottom surface of the
substrate. A connector is attached to a second portion of the
flexible member with the connector being electrically connected to
the substrate via a conducting layer or traces within the flexible
member. The substrate may be a semiconductor devices such as a
single die of a silicon wafer, an integrated circuit, a monolithic
integrated circuit, semiconductor chip, or a microchip.
[0017] In one embodiment of the disclosure a semiconductor device
assembly comprises a first substrate, a release layer on a surface
of the first substrate, and a flexible layer having a conducting
layer, wherein the release layer selectively bonds the flexible
layer to the first substrate. The semiconductor device assembly
includes a connector that is connected to the flexible layer and a
second substrate that is electrically connected to the flexible
member, the connector being electrically connected to the second
substrate via the conducting layer, wherein the release layer is
configured to selectively release an assembly of the flexible
member, the connector, and the second substrate from the first
substrate.
[0018] In one embodiment of the disclosure a method of forming a
semiconductor device assembly comprises providing a first substrate
and connecting a flexible member to a surface of the first
substrate. The method comprises connecting a second substrate to
the flexible member with a conducting layer of the flexible member
being electrically connected to an electrical connection of the
second substrate. The method includes providing a connector on a
portion of the flexible member, the connector being electrically
connected to the electrical connection of the second substrate via
the conducting layer of the flexible member.
[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-section view of an embodiment of
a semiconductor device assembly 100. The semiconductor device
assembly 100 includes a substrate 110 having a first or top surface
111 and a second or bottom surface 112 positioned adjacent to a
flexible member 120. The flexible member 120 includes a first or
top surface 121 and a second or bottom surface 122. The top surface
121 of the flexible member 120 includes a plurality of pads 123 and
the second surface of the substrate 110 includes a plurality of
pillars 113, which permit the substrate 110 and the flexible member
120 to be connected together by connecting each pillar 113 to each
pad 123 to form an interconnection 130 between the substrate 110
and the flexible member 120 as would be appreciated by one of
ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this
disclosure.
[0020] A first portion 120A of the flexible member 120 is
positioned adjacent to the substrate 110 and a second portion 120B
of the flexible member 120 is positioned away from the substrate
120B as shown in FIG. 1. In other words, a portion 120B of the
flexible member 120 may extend away from the substrate 110. A
connector 140 is connected to the portion 120B of the flexible
member 120 that is positioned away from the substrate 110. The
connector 140 may be positioned at the end of the flexible member
120, as shown in FIG. 1. However, the connector 140 could
potentially be positioned at various positions along the second
portion 120B of the flexible member 120 depending on the
application as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the
art having the benefit of this disclosure. The size, configuration,
and/or shape of the substrate 110, flexible member 120, and/or
connector 140 are shown for illustrative purposes only and may be
varied depending on the application as would be appreciated by one
of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.
For example, the second portion 120B of the flexible member 120 may
be much longer than the first portion 120A of the flexible member
120.
[0021] The connector 140 includes a top end 141, a bottom end 142,
and electrical connections 144 within the connector 140. The
electrical connections 144 are electrically connected to electrical
connections, which also may be referred to as traces, 124
positioned within the flexible member 120. The connector 140 may be
configured to be selectively connected to a connector on a printed
circuit board 300 (shown in FIG. 2). The electrical connections 144
of the connector 140 are electrically connected to the substrate
110 via the electrical connections 124 within the flexible member
120 and the interconnections 130 between the substrate 110 and the
flexible member 120. A material 150 may be used to encapsulate at
least a portion of the substrate 110. Likewise, the material 150
could encapsulate the portion of the flexible member 120 that is
connected to the substrate 110, as well as the substrate 110,
depending on the application as would be appreciated by one of
ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.
Encapsulation of the substrate 110 and/or a portion of the flexible
member 120 may enable an additional structure, such as a heat sink,
to be connected to the semiconductor device assembly 100 as would
be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art having the
benefit of this disclosure. Various materials could be used to
encapsulate the substrate 110 and/or the flexible member 120. For
example, the material 150 may be, but is not limited to, various
non-conductive films and/or mold compounds.
[0022] The substrate 110 may comprises a semiconductor device. For
example, the substrate may be, but is not limited to, a single die
of a silicon wafer, an integrated circuit, a monolithic integrated
circuit, semiconductor chip, or a microchip. Additionally, the
substrate 110 may comprise a plurality of semiconductor devices
that are connected together as would be appreciated by one of
ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this
disclosure.
[0023] The flexible member 120 is configured to be more flexible
than a typical semiconductor device. At typical room temperatures
(e.g., 50 Fahrenheit to 90 Fahrenheit), the flexible member 120 may
bend, flex, twist, or the like, without fracturing or breaking.
Specifically, the portion 120B of the flexible member 120 is
configured so that it may bend, or flex, to enable the connector
140 to be inserted into, or removed from, a connector of another
semiconductor device assembly or a system board, such as a printed
circuit board (PCB). The portion 120B of the flexible member 120
may enable the connector 140 to be inserted into or removed from a
corresponding connection without the need to move the portion 120A
of the flexible member 120 that is connected to the substrate 110,
which may be a semiconductor device. The flexible member 120 may be
comprised of various materials that enable the portion 120B of the
flexible member 120 to be flexible. For example, the flexible
member may be comprised of, but not limited to, a polyimide film, a
polyetheretherketone film, a dielectric material, an organic
dielectric material, combinations thereof, or the like. In an
embodiment, the flexible member 120 may be freely bend throughout
three hundred and sixty degrees. In other words, in an embodiment,
the flexible member 120 may be rolled up into a roll.
[0024] The flexible member 120 may be comprised of various other
materials depending on the application as would be appreciated by
one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this
disclosure. The flexible member 120 includes a conducting layer or
a plurality of conducting layers, also referred to as traces, that
are also flexible and enable the electrical connection between the
substrate 110 connected to a first portion 120A of the flexible
member 120 and the connector 140, which is connected to a second
portion 120B of the flexible member 120.
[0025] The connector 140 may be one of various types of connectors
that may be used to selectively connect the semiconductor device
assembly 110 to a PCB, or the like, as would be appreciated by one
of ordinary skill in the art. The flexible member 120 and connector
140 may enable the semiconductor device assembly 100 to be
selectively installed and removed from a PCB, or the like, without
damaging the semiconductor device assembly as would be appreciated
by one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this
disclosure.
[0026] FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of a PCB 300 with a
semiconductor device assembly 100 positioned on a surface 301 of
the PCB 300. The surface 301 of the PCB 300 may include a plurality
of connector receptacles 310 as shown in FIG. 2. The semiconductor
device assembly 100 including a substrate, which may be a
semiconductor device, 110 is connected to the PCB 300 via a
connector 140 connected to a connector receptacle 310. The
substrate, or semiconductor device, 110 of the semiconductor
devices assembly 100 is connected to the PCB 300 via a connection
layer, or traces, within a flexible member 120, as discussed
herein. The connector 140 is attached to the flexible member 120
and electrically connects the semiconductor device 110 with the PCB
300. As discussed herein, the flexible member 120 is connected to a
substrate of semiconductor device 110 (shown in FIG. 1), which may
be selectively attached to the PCB 300 via an epoxy, or the like,
to hold the semiconductor device 110 in place. The epoxy used to
selectively attach the semiconductor device 110 may be configured
to permit the semiconductor device 110 to be later removed from the
PCB 300 without damaging the semiconductor device 110 by various
mechanisms as would be appreciated by one or ordinary skill in the
art having the benefit of this disclosure.
[0027] FIGS. 3-7 are schematic cross-section views showing the
various steps of forming of an embodiment of a semiconductor
devices assembly 200. FIG. 3 shows a semiconductor assembly 200
that includes a first substrate 201 having a top or first surface
202 and a bottom or second surface 203. The first substrate 201 may
be comprised of various materials. For example, the first substrate
201 may be glass, silicon, or various other materials as would be
appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit
of this disclosure. In some embodiments, the first substrate 201
may be a carrier wafer.
[0028] A release layer 205 is positioned on the top surface 202 of
the first substrate 201. The release layer 205 may be a temporary
bonding material that selectively bonds the flexible member 220 to
the first substrate 201, as discussed herein. The release layer 205
may be an adhesive, or the like, that may be used to selectively
attach a flexible member 220 to the first substrate 201 and
subsequently, selectively release the flexible member 220 from the
first substrate 201, as discussed herein. The release layer 205 may
be an optical release layer. Various mechanisms may be used to
selectively release the flexible member 220 from the release layer
205 and first substrate 201, as discussed herein.
[0029] A flexible member 220 having a first or top surface 221 and
a second or bottom surface 222 is positioned on the release layer
205 on the top surface 202 of the first substrate 201. The top
surface 221 of the flexible member 220 includes a plurality of pads
223, or the like, which may be used to create electrical
interconnects with a second substrate 210 (shown in FIG. 4), as
discussed herein. In some embodiments, the second substrate 210 may
be comprised of a plurality of semiconductor devices electrically
connected together as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill
in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. The flexible
member 220 includes a conducting layer or layers 224, also referred
to a traces, within the flexible member 220. The conducting layer
or layers 224 is electrically connected to the plurality of pads
223 on the top surface 221 of the flexible member 200. The flexible
layer 220 may be positioned onto the release layer 224 and thus, be
selectively connected to the first substrate 201. In another
embodiment, the flexible member 220 may be formed by depositing
multiple layers onto the release layer 205 as would be appreciated
by one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this
disclosure. The conducting layer(s), or traces, 224 of the flexible
member 220 may be formed during the process of depositing various
layers onto the release layer 205 to form the flexible member
220.
[0030] FIG. 4 shows a substrate 210, which may be comprised of
various semiconductor devices such as a chip or die, having a top
or first surface 211 and a plurality of pillars 213, or the like,
extending from a bottom or second surface 212 connected to the top
surface 221 of the flexible member 220. The pillars 213 of the
substrate 210 are connected to the pads 223 to form electrical
interconnects 230 between the substrate 210 and the flexible member
220. Various structures and/or methods maybe be used to form
interconnects 230 between the substrate 210 and the flexible member
220 as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art
having the benefit of this disclosure.
[0031] FIG. 5 shows a material 250 that encapsulates at least a
portion of the substrate 210 and the interconnects 230. The
material 250 may be comprised of various materials that may be used
to encapsulate a portion of the semiconductor device assembly 200
as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art. For
example, the material 250 may be, but is not limited to, mold
compound and/or a non-conductive film. The encapsulating material
250 is positioned adjacent to a first portion 220A of the flexible
member 220 whereas a second portion 220B of the flexible member 220
extends beyond the encapsulating material 250.
[0032] FIG. 6 shows a connector 240 having a top end 241 and a
bottom end 242 connected to the second portion 220B of the flexible
member 220. The connector 240 includes internal electrical
connections 244 that are connected to the conducting layer(s), or
traces, 224 of the flexible member 220. The connector 240 is
electrically connected to the substrate 210 via the conducting
layers 224 of the flexible member 220 and the interconnects 230
between the substrate 210 and the flexible member 220. The
connector 240 enables the substrate 210 to be selectively connected
to and disconnected from an external assembly, which may be a PCB,
or the like, or another semiconductor device assembly as would be
appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit
of this disclosure. The connector 240 may be attached to the
flexible member 220 by various mechanisms depending on the
application as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the
art having the benefit of this disclosure. For example, the
connector 240 may be attached by, but is not limited to, soldering
and/or applying an epoxy. The connector 240 may be configured to be
inserted into a corresponding receptacle. Likewise, the connector
240 may be a receptacle configured to receive a corresponding plug
or connector as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in
the art.
[0033] FIG. 7 shows a semiconductor device assembly 200' comprised
of the second substrate 210, the encapsulating material 250, the
flexible member 220, and the connector 240 being removed from the
first substrate 201. Various mechanism and/or methods may be used
to selectively release the semiconductor device assembly 200' from
the first substrate 201 as would be appreciated by one of ordinary
skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. For
example, a solvent, a laser, and/or heat may be used to cause the
release layer 205 to release the semiconductor device assembly 200'
from the first substrate 201. Mechanical debonding may be another
example of a mechanism used to release the semiconductor device
assembly 200' from the first substrate 201.
[0034] After the semiconductor device assembly 200' is removed from
the first substrate 201, the second portion 220B of the flexible
member 220 may be used to selectively connect the semiconductor
device assembly 200', and more specifically the semiconductor
device(s) 210, to an external device or assembly via the connector
240. The flexible member 220 may enable the semiconductor device
assembly 200' to be removed from a PCB, or the like, without
damaging the semiconductor device assembly 200'. Additionally, the
flexible member 220 of the semiconductor device assembly 200' may
permit the use of the semiconductor device assembly 200' in various
applications may include a flexible substrate and/or a curved
substrate. For example, the semiconductor device assembly 200' may
be potentially be applied to, but not limited to, fabric, such as
on clothing, on a wristband, and/or on a curved surface of
glassware.
[0035] FIG. 8 shows a schematic of a semiconductor device assembly
200A that includes a first substrate 201, which is a carrier wafer.
The first substrate 201 includes a plurality of semiconductor
devices 210 that are connected to a connector 240 via flexible
members 220. A plurality of semiconductor devices assemblies 200'
comprised of a semiconductor device 210, connected to a connector
240 via a flexible member 220 may be formed on a single substrate
201. The individual semiconductor device assemblies 200' may then
be released from the wafer 201, as discussed herein. An
encapsulating material 250 (shown in FIG. 7), which may be used to
protect the semiconductor device 210, may be used to encapsulate
the semiconductor devices 210 as would be appreciated by one of
ordinary skill in the art. The size, shape, number, location,
and/or configuration of the substrate 201, semiconductor devices
210, flexible members 220, and connectors 240 as shown for
illustrative purposes only and may be varied as would be
appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit
of this disclosure.
[0036] FIG. 9 shows an embodiment of a method 400 of forming a
semiconductor device assembly. The method 400 includes providing a
first substrate, at step 410. The first substrate may be various
substrates. For example, the first substrate may be, but is not
limited to, a silicon wafer or a glass substrate. The method 400
comprises connecting a flexible member to a surface of the first
substrate, at step 420. The flexible member includes a conducting
layer(s) or traces within the flexible member. The method 400 may
include the optional step 425 of depositing the flexible member in
multiple layers onto a release layer on the surface of the first
substrate.
[0037] At step 430, the method 400 includes connecting a second
substrate to the flexible member. The conducting layer within the
flexible member is electrically connected to an electrical
connection of the second substrate. The second substrate may be,
but is not limited to, a semiconductor device, such as a chip or a
microchip. The second substrate may comprises a plurality of
semiconductor devices connected together. The method 400 may
comprise the optional step 435 of encapsulating at least a portion
of the second substrate with a material. Various materials may be
used to encapsulate the second substrate and may protect the second
substrate. The encapsulating material may also encapsulate a
portion of the flexible member that is connected to the second
substrate.
[0038] The method 400 includes providing a connector on a portion
of the flexible member, at step 440. The connector is electrically
connected to the second substrate via the conducting layer within
the flexible member. The connector is connected to a portion of the
flexible member that extends away from the second substrate. The
connector may be a connector configured to be plugged into a
corresponding receptacle or the connector may be a receptacle
configured to receive a corresponding connector as would be
appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit
of this disclosure. The method 400 may include the optional step
450 of releasing the flexible member from the first substrate to
form an assembly comprised of the second substrate connected to the
flexible member with the connector. The flexible member may be
released from the first substrate via a releasing layer that may be
configured to selectively release the flexible member in various
ways. For example, the heating of the semiconductor device assembly
may cause the release layer to release the flexible member.
Alternatively, a mechanical force may be applied to release the
flexible member or a solvent may be applied to the release layer.
Various other methods may be used to selectively release the
flexible member as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in
the art having the benefit of this disclosure.
[0039] Although this disclosure has been described in terms of
certain embodiments, other embodiments that are apparent to those
of ordinary skill in the art, including embodiments that do not
provide all of the features and advantages set forth herein, are
also within the scope of this disclosure. The disclosure may
encompass other embodiments not expressly shown or described
herein. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure is defined
only by reference to the appended claims and equivalents
thereof.
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