# US 2021/0243889 A1 · Component Carrier With Embedded Component Exposed by Blind Hole

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- Number: US 2021/0243889 A1
- Document ID: US20210243889A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/248,502
- Filed: 2021-01-27
- Published: 2021-08-05
- Earliest claimed: 2020-02-03
- Assignees: AT&S Austria Technologie & Systemtechnik Aktiengesellschaft
- Applicants: AT&S Austria Technologie & Systemtechnik Aktiengesellschaft
- Inventors: Mikael Tuominen; Seok Kim Tay
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210243889A1

## CPC

- H05K 1/0272: {Adaptations for fluid transport, e.g. channels, holes}
- H10F 77/50: Encapsulations or containers (for photovoltaic modules H10F19/80)
- H05K 1/0201: {Thermal arrangements, e.g. for cooling, heating or preventing overheating}
- H05K 1/0274: {Optical details, e.g. printed circuits comprising integral optical means (H05K1/0269 takes precedence; coupling light guides with opto-electronic components G02B6/42)}
- H05K 1/185: associated with components encapsulated in the insulating substrate of the PCBs; associated with components incorporated in internal layers of multilayer circuit boards
- H05K 3/0026: {by laser ablation}
- H05K 3/0035: {of blind holes, i.e. having a metal layer at the bottom}
- H05K 3/0041: {by plasma etching}
- H05K 3/0047: {Drilling of holes}
- H10F 39/011: {Manufacture or treatment of image sensors covered by group H10F39/12}
- H10F 39/80: {Constructional details of image sensors}
- H10F 39/8057: {Optical shielding}
- H10F 77/407: {indirectly associated with the devices}
- H10F 77/413: {directly associated or integrated with the devices, e.g. back reflectors (directly associated or integrated with photovoltaic cells H10F77/42)}
- H10H 20/8506: {Containers}
- H10H 20/853: characterised by their shape
- H05K 2201/10121: Optical component, e.g. opto-electronic component
- H05K 2201/10151: Sensor
- H05K 2203/0207: Partly drilling through substrate until a controlled depth, e.g. with end-point detection
- H05K 2203/1476: Same or similar kind of process performed in phases, e.g. coarse patterning followed by fine patterning
- H10H 20/036: {of packages}
- H10H 20/0362: {of encapsulations}
- H10H 20/857: Interconnections, e.g. lead-frames, bond wires or solder balls
- H10W 70/614: {the multiple chips being integrally enclosed}
- H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- H10H: INORGANIC LIGHT-EMITTING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES HAVING POTENTIAL BARRIERS
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A method of manufacturing a component carrier is disclosed. The method includes providing a stack having at least one electrically conductive layer structure and/or at least one electrically insulating layer structure, embedding a component in the stack, drilling a blind hole in the stack towards the embedded component, and thereafter extending the blind hole by etching to thereby expose a surface portion of the embedded component.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of manufacturing a component carrier, comprising:
providing a stack comprising at least one electrically conductive layer structure and/or at least one electrically insulating layer structure;
embedding a component in the stack;
creating, in particular drilling, a blind hole in the stack towards the embedded component; and
thereafter extending the blind hole by etching to thereby expose a surface portion of the embedded component.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises drilling the blind hole by laser drilling.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises exposing the surface portion by plasma etching.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises carrying out the etching for extending the blind hole over the last few micrometers up to the embedded component.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises carrying out the etching for extending the blind hole over less than 5 pm up to the embedded component.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises cleaning the exposed surface portion and/or the blind hole by said etching.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises cleaning the exposed surface portion and/or the blind hole by a laser treatment.

### Claim 8

A component carrier, comprising:
a stack comprising at least one electrically conductive layer structure and/or at least one electrically insulating layer structure;
a component embedded in the stack; and
a blind hole in the stack exposing a surface portion of the embedded component and having at least partially curved sidewalls delimited by the stack.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The component carrier according to claim 8, wherein the component is an optical component, in particular at least one of the group consisting of an optical sensor, an optical emitter, a light-emitting device, and an optically receiving and/or emitting device.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The component carrier according to claim 8, wherein the component has an aperture at the exposed surface portion.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The component carrier according to claim 10, comprising an optical element, in particular a lens, accommodated at least partially in the aperture.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The component carrier according to claim 8, wherein a width of the exposed surface portion is less than 100 μm, in particular less than 70 μm.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The component carrier according to claim 8, wherein a maximum width of the blind hole is less than 150 μm, in particular less than 90 μm.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The component carrier according to claim 8, wherein the at least partially curved sidewalls are at least partially concavely curved.

### Claim 15 (depends on 8)

The component carrier according to claim 8, wherein the at least partially curved sidewalls have a curved section and a step at an interface with the component.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The component carrier according to claim 15, wherein the curved section is delimited by a first one of the at least one electrically insulating layer structure, in particular by a first electrically insulating material, and the step is delimited by a second one of the at least one electrically insulating layer structure, in particular by a second electrically insulating material being different from the first electrically insulating material.

### Claim 17 (depends on 8)

The component carrier according to claim 8, wherein the at least partially curved sidewalls taper towards the embedded component.

### Claim 18 (depends on 8)

The component carrier according to claim 8, wherein the exposed surface portion is a sensor-active surface of the component.

### Claim 19 (depends on 8)

The component carrier according to claim 8, comprising at least one of the following features:
wherein the component is selected from a group consisting of an electronic component, an electrically non-conductive and/or electrically conductive inlay, a heat transfer unit, a light guiding element, an optical element, a bridge, an energy harvesting unit, an active electronic component, a passive electronic component, an electronic chip, a storage device, a filter, an integrated circuit, a signal processing component, a power management component, an optoelectronic interface element, a voltage converter, a cryptographic component, a transmitter and/or receiver, an electromechanical transducer, an actuator, a microelectromechanical system, a microprocessor, a capacitor, a resistor, an inductance, an accumulator, a switch, a camera, an antenna, a magnetic element, a further component carrier, and a logic chip;
wherein the at least one electrically conductive layer structure comprises at least one of the group consisting of copper, aluminum, nickel, silver, gold, palladium, and tungsten, any of the mentioned materials being optionally coated with supra-conductive material such as graphene;
wherein the at least one electrically insulating layer structure comprises at least one of the group consisting of resin, in particular reinforced or non-reinforced resin, for instance epoxy resin or Bismaleimide-Triazine resin, FR-4, FR-5, cyanate ester, polyphenylene derivate, glass, prepreg material, polyimide, polyamide, liquid crystal polymer, epoxy-based build-up material, polytetrafluoroethylene, a ceramic, and a metal oxide;
wherein the component carrier is shaped as a plate;
wherein the component carrier is configured as one of the group consisting of a printed circuit board, and a substrate;
wherein the component carrier is configured as a laminate-type component carrier.