Method of making a semiconductor chip assembly with metal pillar and encapsulant grinding and heat sink attachment

A method of making a semiconductor chip assembly, comprising:

• providing a routing line;
• then
• mechanically attaching a semiconductor chip to the routing line, wherein the chip includes first and second opposing surfaces, and the first surface of the chip includes a conductive pad;
• forming a metal pillar on the routing line, wherein the metal pillar includes first and second opposing surfaces;
• forming a connection joint that electrically connects the routing line and the pad;
• forming a thermal conductor on the chip after attaching the chip to the routing line, wherein the thermal conductor includes first and second opposing surfaces and a thermal adhesive that contacts the chip;
• forming an encapsulant after attaching the chip to the routing line, forming the metal pillar on the routing line and forming the thermal conductor on the chip, wherein the encapsulant includes first and second opposing surfaces, the first surfaces of the metal pillar, the thermal conductor and the encapsulant face in a first direction, the second surfaces of the metal pillar, the thermal conductor and the encapsulant face in a second direction opposite the first direction, the chip is embedded in the encapsulant and extends vertically beyond the routing line in the first direction, the routing line extends laterally beyond the metal pillar towards the chip and extends vertically beyond the chip and the metal pillar in the second direction, the metal pillar is embedded in the encapsulant and disposed outside a periphery of the chip and extends vertically beyond the chip in the first direction and extends vertically across most or all of a thickness of the chip between the first and second surfaces of the chip, the thermal conductor is embedded in the encapsulant and extends vertically beyond the chip in the first direction, and the encapsulant contacts the metal pillar and the thermal conductor and covers and extends vertically beyond the chip, the metal pillar and the thermal conductor in the first direction;
• grinding the encapsulant without grinding the metal pillar and without grinding the thermal conductor and without grinding the chip such that the first surface of the encapsulant migrates in the second direction, then grinding the encapsulant, the metal pillar and the thermal conductor without grinding the chip such that the first surfaces of the encapsulant, the metal pillar and the thermal conductor migrate in the second direction, and then halting the grinding before the grinding reaches the chip, thereby exposing the metal pillar and the thermal conductor without exposing the chip such that the metal pillar, the thermal conductor and the encapsulant are laterally aligned with one another at a lateral surface that faces in the first direction;
• and
• attaching a heat sink to the metal pillar and the thermal conductor after grinding the encapsulant, the metal pillar and the thermal conductor, wherein the heat sink contacts the metal pillar and the thermal conductor and covers the chip and the thermal conductor in the first direction and extends vertically beyond the chip, the metal pillar and the thermal conductor in the first direction.

A method of making a semiconductor chip assembly, comprising:

• providing a routing line;
• then
• mechanically attaching a semiconductor chip to the routing line, wherein the chip includes first and second opposing surfaces, and the first surface of the chip includes a conductive pad;
• forming a metal pillar on the routing line, wherein the metal pillar includes first and second opposing surfaces;
• forming a connection joint that electrically connects the routing line and the pad;
• forming an encapsulant after attaching the chip to the routing line and forming the metal pillar on the routing line, wherein the encapsulant includes first and second opposing surfaces, the first surfaces of the metal pillar and the encapsulant and the second surface of the chip face in a first direction, the second surfaces of the metal pillar and the encapsulant and the first surface of the chip face in a second direction opposite the first direction, the chip is embedded in the encapsulant and extends vertically beyond the routing line in the first direction, the routing line extends laterally beyond the metal pillar towards the chip and extends vertically beyond the chip and the metal pillar in the second direction, the metal pillar is embedded in the encapsulant and disposed outside a periphery of the chip and extends vertically across most or all of a thickness of the chip between the first and second surfaces of the chip, and the encapsulant contacts the chip and the metal pillar and covers and extends vertically beyond the chip and the metal pillar in the first direction;
• grinding the encapsulant without grinding the metal pillar and without grinding the chip such that the first surface of the encapsulant migrates in the second direction, and then grinding the encapsulant, the metal pillar and the chip such that the first surfaces of the encapsulant and the metal pillar and the second surface of the chip migrate in the second direction, thereby exposing the chip and the metal pillar such that the chip, the metal pillar and the encapsulant are laterally aligned with one another at a lateral surface that faces in the first direction;
• and
• attaching a heat sink to the chip and the metal pillar after grinding the encapsulant, the metal pillar and the chip, wherein the heat sink contacts the chip and the metal pillar and covers the chip in the first direction and extends vertically beyond the chip and the metal pillar in the first direction.

A method of making a semiconductor chip assembly, comprising:

• providing a routing line;
• then
• mechanically attaching a semiconductor chip to the routing line, wherein the chip includes first and second opposing surfaces, and the first surface of the chip includes a conductive pad;
• forming a metal pillar on the routing line, wherein the metal pillar includes first and second opposing surfaces;
• forming a connection joint that electrically connects the routing line and the pad;
• forming an encapsulant after attaching the chip to the routing line and forming the metal pillar on the routing line, wherein the encapsulant includes first and second opposing surfaces, the first surfaces of the metal pillar and the encapsulant face in a first direction, the second surfaces of the metal pillar and the encapsulant face in a second direction opposite the first direction, the chip is embedded in the encapsulant and extends vertically beyond the routing line in the first direction, the routing line extends laterally beyond the metal pillar towards the chip and extends vertically beyond the chip and the metal pillar in the second direction, the metal pillar is embedded in the encapsulant and disposed outside a periphery of the chip and extends vertically beyond the chip in the first direction and extends vertically across most or all of a thickness of the chip between the first and second surfaces of the chip, and the encapsulant contacts the metal pillar and covers and extends vertically beyond the chip and the metal pillar in the first direction;
• forming an insulative base after forming the encapsulant, wherein the insulative base includes a first surface that faces in the first direction and a second surface that faces in the second direction, and the insulative base contacts and covers and extends vertically beyond the routing line in the second direction and covers and is spaced from and extends vertically beyond the chip and the metal pillar in the second direction;
• grinding the encapsulant without grinding the metal pillar and without grinding the chip such that the first surface of the encapsulant migrates in the second direction, then grinding the encapsulant and the metal pillar without grinding the chip such that the first surfaces of the encapsulant and the metal pillar migrate in the second direction, thereby exposing the metal pillar such that the metal pillar and the encapsulant are laterally aligned with one another at a first lateral surface that faces in the first direction;
• grinding the insulative base without grinding a conductive trace that includes a first surface that faces in the first direction and a second surface that faces in the second direction and includes the routing line and the metal pillar and without grinding the chip such that the second surface of the insulative base migrates in the first direction, then grinding the insulative base and the conductive trace without grinding the chip such that the second surfaces of the insulative base and the conductive trace migrate in the first direction, and then halting the grinding of the insulative base and the conductive trace before the grinding of the insulative base and the conductive trace reaches the chip, thereby exposing the conductive trace without exposing the chip such that the insulative base and the conductive trace are laterally aligned with one another at a second lateral surface that faces in the second direction;
• and
• attaching a heat sink to the metal pillar after grinding the encapsulant and the metal pillar, wherein the heat sink contacts the metal pillar and covers the chip in the first direction and extends vertically beyond the chip and the metal pillar in the first direction.

A method of making a semiconductor chip assembly, comprising:

• providing first and second routing lines;
• then
• mechanically attaching a semiconductor chip to the routing lines, wherein the chip includes first and second opposing surfaces, and the first surface of the chip includes first and second conductive ground pads;
• forming a first metal pillar on the first routing line, wherein the first metal pillar includes first and second opposing surfaces;
• forming a second metal pillar on the second routing line, wherein the second metal pillar includes first and second opposing surfaces;
• forming a first connection joint that electrically connects the first routing line and the first pad;
• forming a second connection joint that electrically connects the second routing line and the second pad;
• forming an encapsulant after attaching the chip to the routing lines and forming the metal pillars on the routing lines, wherein the encapsulant includes first and second opposing surfaces, the first surfaces of the metal pillars and the encapsulant face in a first direction, the second surfaces of the metal pillars and the encapsulant face in a second direction opposite the first direction, the chip is embedded in the encapsulant and extends vertically beyond the routing lines in the first direction, the first routing line extends laterally beyond the first metal pillar towards the chip and extends vertically beyond the chip and the first metal pillar in the second direction, the second routing line extends laterally beyond the second metal pillar towards the chip and extends vertically beyond the chip and the second metal pillar in the second direction, the metal pillars are embedded in the encapsulant and disposed outside a periphery of the chip and extend vertically beyond the chip in the first direction and extend vertically across most or all of a thickness of the chip between the first and second surfaces of the chip, and the encapsulant contacts the metal pillars and covers and extends vertically beyond the chip and the metal pillars in the first direction;
• grinding the encapsulant without grinding the metal pillars and without grinding the chip such that the first surface of the encapsulant migrates in the second direction, then grinding the encapsulant and the metal pillars without grinding the chip such that the first surfaces of the encapsulant and the metal pillars migrate in the second direction, thereby exposing the metal pillars such that the metal pillars and the encapsulant are laterally aligned with one another at a lateral surface that faces in the first direction;
• and
• attaching a heat sink to the metal pillars after grinding the encapsulant and the metal pillars, wherein the heat sink contacts and electrically connects the metal pillars, covers the chip in the first direction, extends vertically beyond the chip and the metal pillars in the first direction and provides a ground plane for the pads.