US 6,664,130 B2 · Methods of fabricating carrier substrates and semiconductor devices

Abstract

A micromachined insulative carrier substrate preferably formed of silicon and a multi-chip module formed from the micromachined substrate. The micromachined substrate is fabricated by forming mesas across the surface of the substrate, forming an insulating layer on the substrate, and forming conductive traces on the insulating layer to route signals between semiconductor dice and/or to external circuitry. A variety of semiconductor dice and/or integrated circuitry-bearing wafer configurations (collectively, “semiconductor elements”) may be attached to the semiconductor substrate. Electrical contact between the carrier substrate and semiconductor element is achieved with conductive connectors formed on either the semiconductor element or the carrier substrate. The conductive connectors each preferably make contact with both a portion of the conductive trace extending down the sidewall of the mesa and a portion of the conductive trace on the substrate between the mesas to form a more effective bond. The present invention also includes a stacked configuration. After attachment of semiconductor elements, the carrier substrates can be stacked to form a high density stacked configuration.

Claims36

Dependent claims

A method for producing a carrier substrate, comprising:

providing a substrate having a layer of material at least partially defined by at least one elongated mesa of material having sidewalls extending upwardly to a top from at least one substrate plane of semiconductor material below said at least one elongated mesa;
substantially simultaneously forming an insulating layer over said at least one substrate plane and said top and sidewalls of said at least one elongated mesa;
and
forming conductive traces on said insulating layer including mutually laterally spaced, substantially linear conductive trace segments oriented transversely to said at least one elongated mesa, said mutually laterally spaced, substantially linear conductive trace segments of said conductive traces each extending over at least one of said sidewalls of said at least one elongated mesa and onto said at least one substrate plane.

1 more element

A method for producing a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

providing a base substrate having a layer of material exhibiting a face surface at least partially defined by at least one elongated mesa of material having sidewalls extending upwardly to a top from at least one base substrate plane of material below said at least one elongated mesa;
substantially simultaneously forming an insulating layer extending over said top and sidewalls of said at least one elongated mesa and said at least one base substrate plane;
forming a plurality of elongated conductive traces on said insulating layer including mutually laterally spaced, substantially linear conductive trace segments oriented transversely to said at least one elongated mesa, said mutually laterally spaced, substantially linear conductive trace segments of said plurality of elongated conductive traces each extending over at least a portion of one of said sidewalls and over a portion of said at least one base substrate plane adjacent said one of said sidewalls;
providing at least one semiconductor element having at least one conductive connector protruding therefrom;
and
forming an electrical connection between said at least one semiconductor element and at least one of said plurality of elongated conductive traces through said at least one conductive connector by contacting a first area of said at least one of said plurality of elongated conductive traces on said at least a portion of said one of said sidewalls and a second area of said at least one of said plurality of elongated conductive traces extending over said adjacent portion of said at least one base substrate plane.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Methods of fabricating carrier substrates and semiconductor devices

Life of this patent

Methods of fabricating carrier substrates and semiconductor devices

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims36