US 12,245,379 B2
Thermocompression bonding using metastable gas atoms
Eric Frank Schulte, Santa Barbara, CA (US)
Assigned to SET NORTH AMERICA, LLC, Chester, NH (US)
Filed by SET North America, LLC, Chester, NH (US)
Filed on Oct. 27, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/081,587.
Application 17/081,587 is a continuation of application No. 13/781,927, filed on Mar. 1, 2013, granted, now 11,134,598.
Application 13/781,927 is a continuation in part of application No. 12/837,751, filed on Jul. 16, 2010, granted, now 8,567,658, issued on Oct. 29, 2013.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/606,442, filed on Mar. 4, 2012.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/227,063, filed on Jul. 20, 2009.
Prior Publication US 2021/0219474 A1, Jul. 15, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H05K 13/04 (2006.01); H01L 23/00 (2006.01); H01L 25/00 (2006.01); B32B 38/00 (2006.01)
CPC H05K 13/046 (2013.01) [H01L 24/11 (2013.01); H01L 24/81 (2013.01); H01L 25/50 (2013.01); B32B 38/0008 (2013.01); B32B 2310/14 (2013.01); B32B 2457/00 (2013.01); H01L 24/13 (2013.01); H01L 24/16 (2013.01); H01L 2224/0381 (2013.01); H01L 2224/0401 (2013.01); H01L 2224/05552 (2013.01); H01L 2224/05557 (2013.01); H01L 2224/05568 (2013.01); H01L 2224/05655 (2013.01); H01L 2224/11334 (2013.01); H01L 2224/1181 (2013.01); H01L 2224/11831 (2013.01); H01L 2224/13099 (2013.01); H01L 2224/131 (2013.01); H01L 2224/13105 (2013.01); H01L 2224/13109 (2013.01); H01L 2224/13111 (2013.01); H01L 2224/13113 (2013.01); H01L 2224/13116 (2013.01); H01L 2224/1312 (2013.01); H01L 2224/13124 (2013.01); H01L 2224/13139 (2013.01); H01L 2224/13144 (2013.01); H01L 2224/16145 (2013.01); H01L 2224/81011 (2013.01); H01L 2224/81013 (2013.01); H01L 2224/81054 (2013.01); H01L 2224/81099 (2013.01); H01L 2224/81191 (2013.01); H01L 2224/81193 (2013.01); H01L 2224/812 (2013.01); H01L 2224/81201 (2013.01); H01L 2224/81365 (2013.01); H01L 2224/81895 (2013.01); H01L 2224/81897 (2013.01); H01L 2225/06513 (2013.01); H01L 2225/06565 (2013.01); H01L 2924/00 (2013.01); H01L 2924/0001 (2013.01); H01L 2924/00014 (2013.01); H01L 2924/01006 (2013.01); H01L 2924/01013 (2013.01); H01L 2924/01014 (2013.01); H01L 2924/01022 (2013.01); H01L 2924/01029 (2013.01); H01L 2924/0103 (2013.01); H01L 2924/01032 (2013.01); H01L 2924/01033 (2013.01); H01L 2924/01042 (2013.01); H01L 2924/01047 (2013.01); H01L 2924/01049 (2013.01); H01L 2924/0105 (2013.01); H01L 2924/01051 (2013.01); H01L 2924/01073 (2013.01); H01L 2924/01074 (2013.01); H01L 2924/01075 (2013.01); H01L 2924/01079 (2013.01); H01L 2924/01082 (2013.01); H01L 2924/01327 (2013.01); H01L 2924/014 (2013.01); H01L 2924/14 (2013.01); H01L 2924/1431 (2013.01); H01L 2924/1461 (2013.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for bonding microelectronic elements, comprising the steps of:
a) directing plasma-activated radical-enriched gas flow at substantially ambient atmospheric conditions both to first contacting metallizations on a first element and also to second contacting metallizations on a second element, both to reduce native oxides from said contacting metallizations and also to passivate said contacting metallizations against re-oxidation;
b) compressing said first and second contacting metallizations together, without any conductive liquid phase material, to thereby bond said second element to said first element;
c) repeating said step b), using additional elements which have been subjected to step a) to bond contacting metallizations on the additional elements to contacting metallizations on an unbonded side of a previously bonded element;
wherein said plasma-activated radical-enriched gas flow includes a population of helium metastable states; and
wherein said compressing step compresses said contacting metallizations by no more than 40% of the initial heights of said contacting metallizations.