Integrated circuit substrate material
A semiconductor substrate material is disclosed for producing a semiconductor substrate. In an embodiment, the semiconductor substrate material may include a multitude of hollow microspheres. Each one of the multitude of hollow microspheres may have an inner layer and an outer layer. The inner layer may include a first material, the outer layer may include a second material, and the first material and the second material may differ from one another. The first material of the inner layer of each of the multitude of hollow microspheres may have a first melting point, the second material of the outer layer of the multitude of hollow microspheres may have a second melting point, and the first melting point may be higher than the second melting point.
This patent application is a continuation-in-part of pending prior U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/629,271, filed Jul. 29, 2003 by Marvin Glenn Wong et al. for INTEGRATED CIRCUIT SUBSTRATE MATERIAL AND METHOD.
The above-identified patent application is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUNDElectronic components, such as integrated circuits are becoming more and more common in various devices. Under certain circumstances, it is important for the integrated circuit substrate to have various qualities or attributes. Often certain qualities are balanced against other qualities. It is sometimes important for the substrate to have low thermal conductivity, low mass, low cost, low dielectric constant, high strength, etc. Depending upon the application, some of these qualities may be less important than others and the design team makes trade-offs to maximize the desired qualities with the minimum weaknesses and costs.
Accordingly, there exists a need in the industry for materials that can be used for integrated circuit substrates that meet the different electrical and physical requirements of current electronics.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn one embodiment, there is disclosed a semiconductor substrate material for producing a semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor substrate material comprising a multitude of hollow microspheres, each one of the multitude of hollow microspheres having an inner layer and an outer layer, the inner layer comprising a first material, the outer layer comprising a second material, and the first material and the second material differing from one another, wherein the first material of the inner layer of each of the multitude of hollow microspheres has a first melting point, wherein the second material of the outer layer of the multitude of hollow microspheres has a second melting point, and wherein the first melting point is higher than the second melting point.
Other embodiments are also disclosed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSA more complete appreciation of this invention, and many of the attendant advantages thereof, will be readily apparent as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference symbols indicate the same or similar components, wherein:
As shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration, the present invention relates to techniques for manufacturing a integrated circuit substrate using ceramic, glass or glass-coated ceramic, hollow microspheres to create a substrate is low thermal conductivity, low dielectric constant, low electrical conductivity, light weight and high strength.
Turning now to the drawings,
Thus, the outer glass coating material 130 should be selected from any of several materials such as, borophosphate glass, borosilicate glass, etc., such that it has a relatively low melting point. And the inner microsphere 120 should be selected from any known microsphere with a higher melting point than the outer glass coating material, such that when the outer glass coating is sintered, the inner microsphere does not melt, but the outer glass coatings of the microspheres essentially binds, sinters or glues the microspheres together. This process may optionally include glazing 216 of a top surface 160 of the wafer or integrated circuit substrate in order to smooth the surface of the substrate of sintered glass-coated microspheres 100. The glazing process may include screen printing thick film glass 160, spin coating glass, vapor deposition, etc.
The present invention may create a semiconductor substrate having applications where there are requirements for high strength of ceramic; lightweight substrate; low dielectric-constant substrate, (such as in high frequency circuit applications, a need for less capacitive coupling, low loss of signal propagation or microwave applications); or applications requiring low thermal conductivity.
Although this preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope of the invention, resulting in equivalent embodiments that remain within the scope of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A semiconductor substrate material for producing a semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor substrate material comprising:
- a multitude of hollow microspheres, each one of the multitude of hollow microspheres having an inner layer and an outer layer, the inner layer comprising a first material, the outer layer comprising a second material, and the first material and the second material differing from one another, wherein the first material of the inner layer of each of the multitude of hollow microspheres has a first melting point, wherein the second material of the outer layer of the multitude of hollow microspheres has a second melting point, and wherein the first melting point is higher than the second melting point.
2. The semiconductor substrate material in accordance with claim 1, wherein the multitude of hollow microspheres comprises a multitude of gas filled glass microspheres, and wherein the second material of the outer layer comprises a glass material, the inner layer of each of the gas filled glass microspheres has the first melting point, the outer layer of the glass material has the second melting point, and the first melting point is higher than the second melting point.
3. The semiconductor substrate material in accordance with claim 2, wherein at least one of the multitude of gas filled glass microspheres is sintered together with another one of the multitude of gas filled glass microspheres.
4. The semiconductor substrate material in accordance with claim 2, wherein a hardened matrix contains the gas filled glass microspheres.
5. The semiconductor substrate material in accordance with claim 2, further comprising a glaze is disposed on a top surface of the semiconductor substrate.
6. The semiconductor substrate material in accordance with claim 5, wherein the glass material of the outer layer of at least one of the multitude of gas filled glass microspheres is sintered together with the glass material of the outer layer of another one of the multitude of gas filled glass microspheres.
7. The semiconductor substrate material in accordance with claim 2, wherein the hardened matrix containing the multitude of hollow microspheres comprises glass particles, a binder material, and a viscosity modifier.
8. The semiconductor substrate material in accordance with claim 7, wherein the binder material comprises at least one chosen from the group consisting of ethyl cellulose, an acrylic, a polyvinyl alcohol, an organic polymer, and a borophosphate glass.
9. The semiconductor substrate material in accordance with claim 7, wherein the at least one viscosity modifier comprises at least one chosen from the group consisting of a surfactant, an organic thickener, a magnesium silicates thickening agent, and a filler material.
10. The semiconductor substrate material in accordance with claim 2, wherein the semiconductor substrate forms a semiconductor wafer.
11. The semiconductor substrate material in accordance with claim 2, wherein the semiconductor substrate forms an integrated circuit die.
12. The semiconductor substrate material in accordance with claim 1, wherein the outer layer of at least one of the multitude of hollow microspheres is sintered together with the outer layer of another one of the multitude of hollow microspheres.
13. The semiconductor substrate material in accordance with claim 1, wherein a hardened matrix contains the multitude of microspheres.
14. The semiconductor substrate material in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a glaze is disposed on a top surface of the semiconductor substrate.
15. The semiconductor substrate material in accordance with claim 15, wherein the outer layer of at least one of the multitude of hollow microspheres is sintered together with the outer layer of another one of the multitude of hollow microspheres.
16. The semiconductor substrate material in accordance with claim 1, wherein the hardened matrix containing the multitude of hollow microspheres comprises glass particles, a binder material, and a viscosity modifier.
17. The semiconductor substrate material in accordance with claim 16, wherein the binder material comprises at least one chosen from the group consisting of ethyl cellulose, an acrylic, a polyvinyl alcohol, an organic polymer, and a borophosphate glass.
18. The semiconductor substrate material in accordance with claim 16, wherein the at least one viscosity modifier comprises at least one chosen from the group consisting of a surfactant, an organic thickener, a magnesium silicates thickening agent, and a filler material.
19. The semiconductor substrate material in accordance with claim 1, wherein the semiconductor substrate forms a semiconductor wafer.
20. The semiconductor substrate material in accordance with claim 1, wherein the semiconductor substrate forms an integrated circuit die.
Type: Application
Filed: May 2, 2006
Publication Date: Sep 14, 2006
Inventors: Marvin Wong (Woodland Park, CO), Arthur Fong (Colorado Springs, CO)
Application Number: 11/416,989
International Classification: H01L 29/06 (20060101);