Experimental considerations for integration method of Si thin-film microchips for fluidic self-assembly

Fluidic self-assembly is a technique in which numerous semiconductor chips are integrated spontaneously. Here, we demonstrate that the integration efficiency is significantly improved by optimizing the separation conditions and appropriately controlling the external forces to which the microchips are subjected to the solution. In particular, an external drag force was found to prevent the Si microchips from forming aggregations and prompting transfer to the Si receiver pockets. This resulted in a significant improvement in the integration selectivity. Moreover, experiments with various microchip sizes statistically determined the effect of the Si receiver chip rinse on the evaluation functions: deposition selectivity, yield, and overall yield. While rinsing was effective for fluidic self-assembly of 10 & mu;m scale Si microchips, rinsing of 800 nm scale chips is indicated to have different integration mechanisms. Our quantitative analysis indicated the potential applicability of the fluidic self-assembly technique to the integration technologies of Si micro semiconductor devices.