# US 2022/0285281 A1 · Semiconductor devices with flexible connector array

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- Number: US 2022/0285281 A1
- Document ID: US20220285281A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/750,665
- Filed: 2022-05-23
- Published: 2022-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2020-02-27
- Assignees: Micron Technology, Inc.
- Applicants: Micron Technology, Inc.
- Inventors: Koustav Sinha; Xiaopeng Qu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220285281A1

## CPC

- H05K 3/3436: {having an array of bottom contacts, e.g. pad grid array or ball grid array components}
- H10W 70/611: {for connecting multiple chips together}
- H05K 1/189: characterised by the use of flexible or folded printed circuits
- H10W 70/644: {Elastic or compliant interconnections, e.g. springs, cantilevers or elastic pads}
- H10W 70/688: {Flexible insulating substrates}
- H10W 72/50: Bond wires
- H10W 90/701: {characterised by the relative positions of pads or connectors relative to package parts}
- H05K 2201/0311: Metallic part with specific elastic properties, e.g. bent piece of metal as electrical contact
- H05K 2201/10287: Metal wires as connectors or conductors
- H05K 2201/10719: Land grid array [LGA]
- H05K 2203/049: Wire bonding
- H10W 70/69: Insulating materials thereof
- H10W 72/0112: {Apparatus for manufacturing bump connectors}
- H10W 72/01223: {in liquid form, e.g. by dispensing droplets or by screen printing}
- H10W 72/01225: {in solid form, e.g. by using a powder or by stud bumping}
- H10W 72/07131: {Means for applying material, e.g. for deposition or forming coatings}
- H10W 72/07141: {Means for applying energy, e.g. ovens or lasers}
- H10W 72/072: {of bump connectors}
- H10W 72/07237: {using a polymer adhesive, e.g. an adhesive based on silicone or epoxy}
- H10W 72/224: {Bumps having multiple side-by-side cores}
- H10W 72/241: {Dispositions, e.g. layouts}
- H10W 72/252: {comprising solid metals or solid metalloids, e.g. PbSn, Ag or Cu}
- H10W 72/253: {not comprising solid metals or solid metalloids, e.g. polymers or ceramics}
- H10W 90/724: {between a chip and a stacked insulating package substrate, interposer or RDL}
- Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
- H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A semiconductor device includes an array of flexible connectors configured to mitigate thermomechanical stresses. In one embodiment, a semiconductor assembly includes a substrate coupled to an array of flexible connectors. Each flexible connector can be transformed between a resting configuration and a loaded configuration. Each flexible connector includes a conductive wire electrically coupled to the substrate and a support material at least partially surrounding the conductive wire. The conductive wire has a first shape when the flexible connector is in the resting configuration and a second, different shape when the flexible connector is in the loaded configuration. The first shape includes at least two apices spaced apart from each other in a vertical dimension by a first distance, and the second shape includes the two apices spaced apart from each other in the vertical dimension by a second distance different than the first distance.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A semiconductor assembly, comprising:
a substrate; and
an array of flexible connectors coupled to the substrate, each flexible connector transformable between a resting configuration and a loaded configuration, wherein each flexible connector includes:
a conductive wire electrically coupled to the substrate, the conductive wire having a first shape when the flexible connector is in the resting configuration and a second shape when the flexible connector is in the loaded configuration, the second shape differing from the first shape,
wherein the first shape includes at least two apices spaced apart from each other in a vertical dimension by a first distance, and
wherein the second shape includes the two apices spaced apart from each other in the vertical dimension by a second distance, wherein the second distance is different than the first distance, and
a support material at least partially surrounding the conductive wire.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor assembly of claim 1, wherein the first shape is a folded, helical, serpentine, or zig-zag shape.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor assembly of claim 1, wherein:
the loaded configuration is a compressed configuration and the first distance is greater than the second distance, or
the loaded configuration is a stretched configuration and the first distance is less than the second distance.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor assembly of claim 1, wherein:
the loaded configuration is a compressed configuration and the first distance is less than than the second distance, or
the loaded configuration is a stretched configuration and the first distance is greater than the second distance.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor assembly of claim 1, wherein:
the loaded configuration is a compressed configuration and the second shape has a greater amount of curvature than the first shape, or
the loaded configuration is a stretched configuration and the second shape has a smaller amount of curvature than the first shape.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor assembly of claim 1, wherein:
each flexible connector is transformable between the resting configuration and a second loaded configuration, and
the conductive wire has a third shape when the flexible connector is in the second loaded configuration, the third shape differing from the first and second shapes.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor assembly of claim 1, wherein the support material is configured to elastically deform as the flexible connector transforms between the resting configuration and the loaded configuration.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor assembly of claim 1, wherein the conductive wire is embedded in the support material, the support material comprising a polymer.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor assembly of claim 1, wherein each flexible connector has a target length range based on a gap distance between the substrate and a printed circuit board, and wherein in operation each flexible connector is compressible or extendable from the target length range by 5%-75% while remaining fully operational.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor assembly of claim 1, wherein the supporting material forms a spherical or ellipsoidal shape.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor assembly of claim 1, wherein the supporting material has a loaded maximum cross-sectional area when the flexible connector is in the loaded configuration and a resting maximum cross-sectional area when the flexible connector is in the resting configuration, and wherein the loaded maximum cross-sectional area differs from the resting maximum cross-sectional area by at least 10% of a value of the resting maximum cross-sectional area.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor assembly of claim 1, wherein a maximum cross-sectional width of the supporting material is at least 25 times greater than a cross-sectional width of the conductive wire.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one end portion of the conductive wire has a greater cross-sectional area than a middle portion of the conductive wire.

### Claim 14

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor assembly, the method comprising:
electrically coupling a first end portion of a conductive wire to a printed circuit board;
surrounding at least a portion of the conductive wire with a support material to form a flexible connector; and
electrically coupling a second end portion of the conductive wire to a substrate,
wherein a length of the conductive wire between the first and second end portions is greater than a distance between the printed circuit board and the substrate,
wherein the conductive wire has a first shape when the flexible connector is in a resting configuration and a second shape when the flexible connector is in a loaded configuration, the second shape differing from the first shape,
wherein the first shape includes at least two apices spaced apart from each other in a vertical dimension by a first distance, and
wherein the second shape includes the two apices spaced apart from each other in the vertical dimension by a second distance, wherein the second distance is different than the first distance.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 wherein the first end portion is electrically coupled to the printed circuit board by wire bonding.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 wherein the support material comprises a curable material, the method further comprising:
curing the curable material.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further comprising:
delivering the conductive wire and the support material from a nozzle of a manufacturing device, wherein the conductive wire is delivered from an inner lumen of the nozzle and the support material is delivered from an outer lumen of the nozzle.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, further comprising:
moving the nozzle along a predetermined trajectory as the conductive wire is delivered therefrom so as to form at least one curve, bend, spiral, helix, or fold in the conductive wire.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein:
the loaded configuration is a compressed configuration and the first distance is greater than the second distance, or
the loaded configuration is a stretched configuration and the first distance is less than the second distance.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein:
the loaded configuration is a compressed configuration and the first distance is less than the second distance, or
the loaded configuration is a stretched configuration and the first distance is greater than the second distance.