SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor chip including a first conducting element, and a second conducting element arranged outside the semiconductor chip and electrically connected to the first conducting element at a first location. It further includes a third conducting element arranged outside the semiconductor chip and electrically connected to the first conducting element at a second location, and a fourth conducting element arranged outside the semiconductor chip. An encapsulating body encapsulates the semiconductor chip. A vertical projection of the fourth conducting element on the chip crosses the first conducting element between the first location and the second location. At least one of the second conducting element, third conducting element, and fourth conducting element extend over the semiconductor chip and the encapsulating body.
Latest INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG Patents:
This is a Continuation application of Ser. No. 11/965,081 filed Dec. 27, 2007, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety
This disclosure refers to embodiments of semiconductor devices and methods for their production, particularly the electrical connection between a semiconductor chip and its supporting structure.
BACKGROUNDIn the production of semiconductor devices, small contact elements on the semiconductor chip have to be connected to electrical terminals which provide a contact to the outside world. These connections are generally realized as part of the package or encapsulation of the semiconductor chip, e.g. by providing a metallization layer on a face of the chip which provides conducting elements or lines connecting the contact elements of the chip to contact elements on an outer face of the package, e.g. solder balls. Especially with high pin counts, the problem frequently occurs that the high number of conducting lines in the layer cannot be arranged without crossings between at least some of the lines. In a single metallization layer, a crossing of two lines can not be realized because this would cause an electrical shortcut between the lines. Hence, in this case a second metallization layer has to be provided in order to arrange the connections between the chip and the contact elements to the outside.
SUMMARYAccording to an embodiment, a semiconductor device is provided. It includes a semiconductor chip which includes a first conducting element. A second conducting element outside the semiconductor chip is electrically connected to the first conducting element arranged at a first location. A third conducting element outside the semiconductor chip is electrically connected to the first conducting element at a second location. A fourth conducting element is also provided arranged outside the semiconductor chip. In a vertical projection of the fourth conducting element on the chip, the projection crosses the first conducting element between the first location and the second location.
According to a further embodiment, a semiconductor device is provided. It includes a semiconductor chip including at least two contact elements and a first conducting element located in the chip, and a layer of conducting elements arranged adjacent the chip, which include a contact region providing an interface to the outside of the semiconductor device. It further includes second and third conducting elements connected to the first conducting element located in the chip via contact elements, so that the second and third conducting elements are electrically connected via the first conducting element, and wherein the second conducting element is connected to the contact region. According to a further embodiment, there is provided a method of manufacturing semiconductor devices, which includes providing at least two semiconductor chips that each comprise a first conduction line, covering the at least two semiconductor chips with mold material, applying a metallization layer over the at least two semiconductor chips and the mold material such that the metallization layer contacts each of the first conduction lines at least two separated locations, and separating the at least two semiconductor chips from each other after the application of the metallization layer.
According to a further embodiment, there is provided a method of manufacturing semiconductor devices, which includes providing a semiconductor chip having a first conducting element, which is connected to two contact elements on a face of the chip, and providing a layer of conducting elements on a face of the chip, wherein a second conducting element and a third conducting element of the layer of conducting elements are connected to the first conducting element located in the chip via contact elements, so that the second and third conducting elements are electrically connected via the first conducting element, and a vertical projection of a fourth conducting element of the layer of conducting elements crosses the first conducting element.
A full and enabling disclosure, including the best mode thereof, to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth more particularly in the remainder of the specification, including reference to the accompanying figures. Therein:
Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the figures. Each example is provided by way of explanation, and is not meant as a limitation. For example, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used on or in conjunction with other embodiments to yield yet a further embodiment. It is intended that the present disclosure includes such modifications and variations. The examples are described using specific language which should not be construed as limiting the scope of the appending claims. The drawings are not scaled and are for illustrative purposes only.
The term “connected” is used in this context for a direct connection of two elements, which includes that the elements are electrically connected. The term “electrically connected” means that two elements are in electrical contact, but can be connected over an intermediate element, hence they need not be directly connected. The terms “conducting element” and “conducting line” are used interchangeably in this description.
A concept underlying the design of the embodiments below is the functional separation between the layout of the semiconductor chip and the layout of the package, printed circuit board or substrate. This is achieved by using a conducting element in the semiconductor chip to enable crossings of conducting lines in redistribution layers, printed circuit boards or substrates without the need of implementing further layers. In the following, this concept is described for a number of embodiments.
Conducting element 100 is typically a conducting structure in one of the top layers of the semiconductor chip 10. It is typically not part of the circuitry of the chip, but designed only for the described purpose. It has two contact elements or contact pads 20, typically at its ends, where it is connected to conducting elements 110, 130.
During the design phase of the semiconductor device, the routing of the conducting elements in the layer of conducting elements is arranged. If it occurs that a crossing between two conducting elements in the metallization layer is necessary, the design according to the above described embodiments is employed. That is, in the mask for the production of the layer of conducting elements, one of the elements is separated at the location where the crossing with another conducting element would be necessary. Simultaneously, conducting element 100 is added to the layout of the semiconductor chip, designated to connect the separated conducting elements in the semiconductor device.
In a further embodiment, shown in
In the following, the manufacturing method for the aforementioned embedded wafer level ball grid array is described. The procedure is based on the dicing of a readily fabricated and tested wafer 200 into discrete semiconductor chips 10, the relocation of the semiconductor chips in a larger spacing then they have been in the wafer bond, and the addition of a molding compound or mold mass to be a placeholder between the chips.
7a: dicing the fabricated and tested semiconductor wafer 200 shown in
7b: Laminating a double sided adhesive tape 230 onto a metal carrier plate 220 in order to support the assembly during molding, wherein the tape 230 typically features thermo-release properties which allow the removal of the tape after molding.
7c: placing the diced chips 10 onto the mounted tape 230 with the active area facing down.
7d: encapsulating the mounted chips 10 by molding by using a molding compound 240.
7e: releasing the molded, reconfigured wafer 210 from the carrier plate 220.
7f: pealing off the adhesive tape from the molded wafer 210.
Typically, a liquid mold compound is used as it can be dispended and no melting time is needed. The reconfigured wafer 210 typically has a thickness similar to a normal wafer, i.e. about 300 μm. Hence, further processing steps such as the application of the metallization layer for the production of the layer of conducting elements may be carried out using equipment designed for wafer processing. Further processing steps in order to arrive at an embodiment are described in the following with respect to
In an embodiment shown in
Additionally to the embodiments described herein in detail, the concept of using a conducting element in the semiconductor chip as a functional part of an external layer of conducting elements may be applied to a variety of chip packaging technologies. These include, as non-limiting examples, Flip Chip technology or Carrier Wafer Level Ball grid arrays (CWLB). Thereby, a variety of contact variants to the outside may be employed, such as (non-limiting) the use of solder balls, pins or land grid arrays (LGA). A person skilled in the art can easily transfer the concept applied in the described embodiments to other technologies.
In an embodiment shown in
In an embodiment shown in
Claims
1. A semiconductor device comprising:
- a semiconductor chip comprising a first conducting element;
- a second conducting element arranged outside the semiconductor chip and electrically connected to the first conducting element at a first location; and
- a third conducting element arranged outside the semiconductor chip and electrically connected to the first conducting element at a second location; and
- a fourth conducting element arranged outside the semiconductor chip;
- an encapsulating body encapsulating the semiconductor chip,
- wherein a vertical projection of the fourth conducting element on the chip crosses the first conducting element between the first location and the second location, and
- wherein at least one of the second conducting element, third conducting element and fourth conducting element extend over the semiconductor chip and the encapsulating body.
2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising an insulating layer arranged between the first conducting element and at least one of the second conducting element, third conducting element and fourth conducting element.
3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the second conducting element, third conducting element and fourth conducting element are formed from a common conducting layer.
4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising external connection elements electrically connected to at least one of the second conducting element, third conducting element and fourth conducting element.
5. The semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the external connection elements are solder bumps.
6. The semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the external connection elements are located at positions defining an array.
7. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first, second, third and fourth conducting elements comprise a metal.
8. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first, second, third and fourth conducting elements are a part of a coil.
9. A semiconductor device, comprising:
- a semiconductor chip comprising at least two contact elements and a first conducting element located in the chip,
- a layer of conducting elements arranged adjacent the chip, comprising a contact region providing an interface to the outside of the semiconductor device, and second and third conducting elements, and
- a mold material covering a backside and side faces of the semiconductor chip, wherein a part of the layer of conducting elements projects vertically on the mold material covering the side faces of the chip,
- wherein the second conducting element and the third conducting element are connected to the first conducting element located in the chip via contact elements, so that the second and third conducting elements are electrically connected via the first conducting element, and the second conducting element is connected to the contact region.
10. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein a vertical projection of the first conducting element located in the chip on the layer of conducting elements crosses a fourth conducting element of the layer of conducting elements.
11. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, further comprising a first dielectric layer arranged between the semiconductor chip and the layer of conducting elements.
12. The semiconductor device according to claim 11, further comprising a second dielectric layer arranged on a side of the layer of conducting elements opposite the first dielectric layer.
13. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein the contact region of the layer of conducting elements comprises a solder ball.
14. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein the layer of conducting elements comprises a metal.
15. A method of manufacturing semiconductor devices, comprising:
- providing at least two semiconductor chips that each comprise a first conduction line;
- covering the at least two semiconductor chips with mold material;
- applying a metallization layer over the at least two semiconductor chips and the mold material such that the metallization layer contacts each of the first conduction lines at least two separated locations,
- wherein at least a part of the metallization layer extends over the at least two semiconductor chips and the mold material; and
- separating the at least two semiconductor chips from each other after the application of the metallization layer.
16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the semiconductor chips are diced semiconductor chips.
17. The method according to claim 15, wherein a first dielectric layer is applied on at least one of the semiconductor chips before applying the metallization layer, and contact holes are subsequently formed in the first dielectric layer.
18. The method according to claim 15, wherein a second dielectric layer is applied after application of the metallization layer, and wherein contact holes are subsequently formed in the second dielectric layer.
19. The method according to claim 15, wherein the metallization layer is etched using a mask so as to produce at least one conduction line.
20. A method of manufacturing semiconductor devices, comprising:
- providing a semiconductor chip having a first conducting element, which is connected to two contact elements on a face of the chip; and
- providing an encapsulating body, which encapsulates the semiconductor chip, and
- providing a layer of conducting elements on one side of the chip, wherein the layer of conducting elements at least partially extends over the semiconductor chip and the encapsulating body,
- wherein a second conducting element and a third conducting element of the layer of conducting elements are connected to the first conducting element located in the chip via contact elements, so that the second and third conducting elements are electrically connected via the first conducting element, and a vertical projection of a fourth conducting element of the layer of conducting elements crosses the first conducting element.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein the layer of conducting elements is part of a substrate.
22. The method of claim 20, wherein the layer of conducting elements is part of a printed circuit board.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 3, 2011
Publication Date: Sep 22, 2011
Applicant: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG (Neubiberg)
Inventors: Christoph Kutter (Munich), Ewald Soutschek (Neubiberg), Georg Meyer-Berg (Munich)
Application Number: 13/152,971
International Classification: H01L 23/495 (20060101); H01L 21/786 (20060101); H01L 21/60 (20060101);