Study on Ag/Sn multilayer thin film bonding for 3D stacked semiconductor

Abstract

Through-silicon via (TSV) technology for 3D stacking is attracting much attention as a means of alleviating the miniaturization limits on advanced semiconductor devices. Despite a great deal of research, low load (<1 MPa), low temperature (<473 K) and short time (<300 s) solid phase bonding with high heat resistance (>623 K) to prevent the damage of weak low-k dielectric material, etc. has not been realized. In this work, we examine a new Ag–Sn thin film bonding system to replace Cu–Cu direct bonding. It is found that Ag/Sn/nano Ag-nano Ag/Sn/Ag thin film bonding systems (especially when the film thickness of the surface Ag is controlled to around 10 nm) is a promising approach because (1) it enables low load (<0.4 MPa), low temperature (<453 K) and short time (<300 s) bonding, and (2) the bonded interface has a high heat resistance (>673 K) and joint strength (>29 MPa). It is found that it may be possible to realize an optimal solid-phase bonding system for wafer-level 3D-stacking for 3D-IC which can satisfy a hierarchical temperature-based bonding method that includes TSV formation.

Keywords:

• Solid-phase bonding
• through-silicon via
• 3D stacking
• Cu direct bonding
• temperature hierarchy
• surface oxidation

Notes

Selected from Quarterly Journal of the Japan Welding Society 2014 32(3) 201–206.