US 12,363,877 B2 · Thermocompression bonding with passivated gold contacting metal

Abstract

Methods and systems for low-force, low-temperature thermocompression bonding. The present application teaches new methods and structures for three-dimensional integrated circuits, in which cold thermocompression bonding is used to provide reliable bonding. To achieve this, reduction and passivation steps are preferably both used to reduce native oxide on the contact metals and to prevent reformation of native oxide, preferably using atmospheric plasma treatments. Preferably the physical compression height of the elements is set to be only enough to reliably achieve at least some compression of each bonding element pair, compensating for any lack of flatness. Preferably the thermocompression bonding is performed well below the melting point. This not only avoids the deformation of lower levels which is induced by reflow techniques, but also provides a steep relation of force versus z-axis travel, so that a drastically-increasing resistance to compression helps to regulate the degree of thermocompression.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A method for bonding microelectronic elements, comprising the steps of:

a) using plasma-activated radical-enriched gas flow at substantially ambient atmospheric conditions:
to reduce native oxides from first gold contacting metallizations on a first element;
and to passivate said first gold contacting metallizations against re-oxidation;
b) using plasma-activated radical-enriched gas flow at substantially ambient atmospheric conditions:
to reduce native oxides from second gold contacting metallizations on a first side of a second element;
and to passivate said second gold contacting metallizations against re-oxidation;
c) compressing said first and second gold contacting metallizations together, without any conductive liquid phase material, to thereby bond said second element to said first element;
d) repeating said step c), using additional elements which have been subjected to step a) to bond gold contacting metallizations on the additional elements to gold contacting metallizations on an unbonded side of a previously bonded element;
and
wherein said compressing step compresses said contacting metallizations by no more than 40% of the initial heights of said contacting metallizations.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Thermocompression bonding with passivated gold contacting metal

Life of this patent

Thermocompression bonding with passivated gold contacting metal

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18