Lasers in advanced IC packaging applications

Lasers have long been used for various device packaging and interconnect applications and today the advent of chip-scale packaging (CSP) and through-silicon via (TSV) architectures represents an opportunity to bring laser processing into the forefront of advanced-packaging applications. This paper identifies specific developments in laser technology for packaging applications and investigates the costs associated with laser-processed IC packages. Finally, it proposes a solution that, if fully implemented, would bring laser-processed IC packages into full-scale production over a wide variety of products and enable the extension of product and technology roadmaps presently in play all over the world. Economics and miniaturization are the primary drivers of the entire semiconductor industry. The world's manufacturing facilities are searching for ways to continue expanding existing technologies to meet the requirements for 65nm and 45nm integrated circuit (IC) processing. As a result, companies are investing heavily in yield management for their current and upcoming manufacturing processes. In order to enable higher yields, bring next-generation 3D technologies into the production and continue tracking with Moore's Law, the industry will need to increase its use of lasers in IC processing and packaging applications. Applications in which lasers provide beneficial yields are spreading throughout semiconductor manufacturing. Micromachining and micro-via drilling for back-end packaging are key growth areas for laser technology, because it can help to eliminate mechanical stress and enable better first-time yields (defined by Six Sigma as the number of good units produced, divided by the number of total units going into the process).