# US 2013/0154091 A1 · Semiconductor device packaging using encapsulated conductive balls for package-on-package back side coupling

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- Number: US 2013/0154091 A1
- Document ID: US20130154091A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/325,092
- Filed: 2011-12-14
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2011-12-14
- Inventors: Jason R. Wright; Zhiwei Gong; Scott M. Hayes; Douglas G. Mitchell
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130154091A1

## CPC

- H10W 90/701: {characterised by the relative positions of pads or connectors relative to package parts}
- H10W 70/09: extending onto an encapsulation that laterally surrounds the chip or wafer, e.g. fan-out wafer level package [FOWLP] RDLs
- H10W 70/60: Insulating or insulated package substrates; Interposers; Redistribution layers (leadframes H10W70/40)
- H10W 70/614: {the multiple chips being integrally enclosed}
- H10W 70/688: {Flexible insulating substrates}
- H10W 90/00: Package configurations
- H10W 42/20: protecting against electromagnetic or particle radiation, e.g. light, X-rays, gamma-rays or electrons
- H10W 72/241: {Dispositions, e.g. layouts}
- H10W 74/00: Encapsulations, e.g. protective coatings
- H10W 74/019: {using temporary auxiliary substrates (H10W74/017 takes precedence)}
- H10W 90/722: {between stacked chips}
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A semiconductor device package having an embedded three-dimensional interconnect structure and a process for making such a package is provided. One or more ball conductors are attached to a major surface of a substrate that provides at least an electrical conduit from the ball conductor to an opposite major surface of the substrate. The substrate can also provide an interconnect between solder balls. The combination of solder balls and substrate is encapsulated in the semiconductor device package. The ends of the signal conduits are exposed on one major surface of the device package, while a portion of the ball conductors is exposed on the opposite major surface of the device package. The ball conductors and signal conduits provide signal-bearing pathways between the major surfaces of the package. Contacts created by the back grinded ball conductors are used to form a package-on-package structure by coupling with contacts from another package.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for packaging an electronic device assembly, the method comprising:
providing an interconnect assembly comprising
a substrate,
a plurality of signal conduits embedded in the substrate and extending to a first major surface of the substrate,
a substrate interconnect formed on the substrate and electrically coupling two or more of the plurality of signal conduits, and
one or more conductive balls electrically coupled to the substrate interconnect at a second major surface of the interconnect assembly;
placing the interconnect assembly in a first area for the electronic device assembly;
placing a first electronic device in a second area for the electronic device assembly;
forming an encapsulant over and around sides of the first electronic device and over and around sides of the interconnect assembly;
exposing a portion of the one or more conductive balls, wherein
performing said exposing further removes a portion of the encapsulant, and
the exposed portion of the one or more conductive balls provides electrical contacts to the interconnect assembly on a first major surface of the electronic device assembly.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
exposing an end of the one or more signal conduits at a second major surface of the electronic device assembly, wherein said exposing the end is performed subsequent to said forming the encapsulant;
forming a package interconnect on the second major surface of the electronic device assembly, wherein the package interconnect is electrically coupled to the exposed ends of the one or more signal conduits and electrical contacts of the first electronic device.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
providing an adhesive layer disposed on a carrier, wherein
said placing the interconnect assembly comprises placing the interconnect assembly on the adhesive layer with the first major surface of the interconnect assembly in contact with the adhesive layer, and
said placing the first electronic device comprises placing the first electronic device active side down on the adhesive layer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3 wherein said exposing the end of the one or more signal conduits comprises removing the adhesive layer from the encapsulated electronic device assembly.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein the package interconnect is electrically coupled to one or more of the one or more conductive balls via one or more of the signal conduits and the substrate interconnect.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein said exposing the portion of the one or more conductive balls comprises:
grinding the encapsulant from the electronic device assembly to a predetermined depth.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 wherein the predetermined depth comprises a depth resulting in a desired diameter of the exposed portion of a conductive ball of the one or more conductive balls.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein a conductive ball of the one or more conductive balls is a solder ball.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
forming a package-on-package assembly, wherein said forming the package on package assembly comprises
placing a second electronic device assembly in contact with the first major surface of the electronic device assembly, and
forming an electrical contact between one or more contacts of the second electronic device assembly with one or more corresponding exposed portions of the one or more conductive balls.

### Claim 10

A packaged device assembly comprising:
an electronic device;
an interconnect assembly comprising
a substrate,
a plurality of signal conduits embedded in the substrate and extending to a first major surface of the substrate,
a substrate interconnect formed on the substrate and electrically coupling two or more of the plurality of signal conduits, and
one or more conductive balls electrically coupled to the substrate interconnect at a second major surface of the interconnect assembly;
encapsulant over and around the electronic device and over and around the interconnect assembly and forming an encapsulated region of the packaged device assembly, wherein
a portion of the encapsulant is removed to expose a portion of the one or more conductive balls on a top surface of the packaged device assembly; and
a first interconnect structure formed on the bottom surface of the packaged device assembly, wherein
the exposed portions of the conductive balls are electrically coupled to the first interconnect structure by one or more of the substrate interconnect and a signal conduit of the one or more signal conduits.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The packaged device assembly of claim 10 wherein a conductive ball of the one or more conductive balls comprises a solder ball.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The packaged device assembly of claim 10 wherein the exposed portion of the one or more conductive balls on the top surface of the packaged device assembly comprises an area sufficient to provide a coupling point for a second packaged device assembly attached to the top of the packaged device assembly.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The packaged device assembly of claim 10 further comprising:
a second packaged device assembly comprising one or more coupling points on a major surface of the second packaged device assembly, wherein
the one or more coupling points are coupled to the exposed portion of the one or more conductive balls on the top surface of the packaged device assembly, and
the coupled packaged device assembly and the second packaged device assembly form a package-on-package assembly.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The packaged device assembly of claim 10 further comprising:
an electrical component comprising electrical contacts coupled to the exposed portion of one or more of the one or more conductive balls on the top surface of the packaged device assembly.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The packaged device assembly of claim 10, wherein
the interconnect assembly forms a region in which the electronic device is placed.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The packaged device assembly of claim 10, wherein
the interconnect assembly comprises a plurality of substrates.

### Claim 17

A packaged device assembly comprising:
encapsulant forming an encapsulated region of the packaged device assembly;
one or more electrical contacts on a first major surface of the packaged device assembly, wherein the electrical contacts comprise exposed portions of conductive balls encapsulated in the encapsulant; and
a package interconnect structure formed on a second major surface of the packaged device assembly, wherein
a conductive ball of the conductive balls is electrically coupled to the package interconnect structure by an internal interconnect, and
the internal interconnect is encapsulated in the encapsulant.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The packaged device assembly of claim 17 wherein the internal interconnect comprises:
a substrate;
a plurality of signal conduits embedded in the substrate and extending to a first major surface of the substrate; and
a substrate interconnect formed on the substrate and electrically coupling two or more of the plurality of signal conduits, wherein
the substrate interconnect is coupled to the conductive ball of the conductive balls.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The packaged device assembly of claim 17 further comprising:
an electronic device encapsulated in the encapsulant, wherein the electronic device is electrically coupled to one or more of the package interconnect and the internal interconnect.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

A package-on-package assembly comprising the packaged device assembly of claim 17 and an electronic device electrically coupled to the one or more electrical contacts on the first major surface of the packaged device assembly.