Method for producing metal powder with a uniform distribution of dispersants, method of uses thereof and structures fabricated therewith

Abstract

Methods of fabricating powders of metal particles containing grain growth control additives are described. A powder, metal particles, e.g., copper particles, are mixed with a powder of additive particles, e.g., alumina particles. The mixture is milled in a high energy ball mill to provide metal particles having substantially uniformly distributed therein of additive particles. The ball milled powder contains elongated high aspect ratio particles. The high aspect ratio particles are reduced in size by jet impact milling. The jet impact milled powder can be used to form a conductor forming paste in the fabrication of a metallized ceramic substrate for semiconductor chip packaging application. The jet impact milled powder has particles of sufficiently small in size to fill vias between metallization layers in the green ceramic precursor to the ceramic substrate. During sintering of the combination of ceramic precursor and conductor forming paste, the grain growth control additive results in a substantially void free via filled with metal having a fine grain morphology.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.