Abstract: A power electronic interposer (10) for mounting a number of power transistor integrated circuit dice (14) can be made from a multi-layer ceramic process to provide an aluminum nitride body (11) having internal tungsten traces (30-35) to electrically connect die bond pads (17,18) to interposer contact pads (25,26) allowing connection to circuitry off of the interposer. The traces can include one or more groupings of parallely spaced apart conductive vias (30,31) that are connected in an electrically parallel manner to reduce electrical resistance and inductance in the circuitry. A network of cooling conduits and optional resistance temperature detector traces can be run through other parts of the body to provide controlled active cooling. The interposer can be formed separate ceramic bodies bonded together, to package the dice.

Abstract: A multi-layer aluminum nitride ceramic, multi-heating element substrate (11) is provided for forming electrical bonds between integrated circuits (13) and an interposer structure (14) using a thermocompression bonding process. The individually energizable heater element traces (9) can be run through common regions of the heater surface platform (5). A network of cooling vias can be run through other parts of the substrate. The traces are then separately controlled and energized during a predetermined routine resulting in a temperature profile that maintains a substantially constant temperature plateau phase near a reflow temperature, and a more uniform temperature across the spaced apart surface regions of the heater substrate, thus imparting a more precisely uniform heating to the parts being bonded.

Abstract: A monolithic, substantially hermetic joining or bonding of two or more aluminum nitride (“AlN”) ceramic components is made by promoting transient liquid phase sintering near the contact areas between the components. In a first approach, AlN particles are combined with a rare earth oxide sintering additive such as yttrium oxide (Y2O3) in a joining paste can be applied between the joining surfaces of fired ceramic preformed components prior to final firing to weld the components together. In a second approach, the additive is added to green mixture, and the components having different shrinkage aspect ratios are mated and cofired in an atmosphere containing a partial pressure of the additive. The additive encourages wetting and diffusion of the liquid phases present on the surfaces of ceramic interface particles in the contact areas during final firing.

Abstract: A multi-layer aluminum nitride ceramic, multi-heating element substrate is provided for forming electrical bonds between integrated circuits and an interposer structure using a thermocompression bonding process. The individually energizable heater element traces can be run through common regions of the heater surface platform. A network of cooling vias can be run through other parts of the substrate. The traces are then separately controlled and energized during a predetermined routine resulting in a temperature profile that maintains a substantially constant temperature plateau phase near a reflow temperature, and a more uniform temperature across the spaced apart surface regions of the heater substrate, thus imparting a more precisely uniform heating to the parts being bonded.

Abstract: A monolithic, substantially hermetic joining or bonding of two or more aluminum nitride (“AlN”) ceramic components is made by promoting transient liquid phase sintering near the contact areas between the components. In a first approach, AlN particles are combined with a rare earth oxide sintering additive such as yttrium oxide (Y2O3) in a joining paste can be applied between the joining surfaces of fired ceramic preformed components prior to final firing to weld the components together. In a second approach, the additive is added to green mixture, and the components having different shrinkage aspect ratios are mated and cofired in an atmosphere containing a partial pressure of the additive. The additive encourages wetting and diffusion of the liquid phases present on the surfaces of ceramic interface particles in the contact areas during final firing. Such processes can be used to form complex ceramic structures such as a ceramic susceptor used in integrated circuit fabrication.