Lecture/Supporting Notes

Dr. Nowshad Amin, UKM

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Q1) what is the difference between the conductive and non-conductive epoxy? Non conductive epoxy used to hold chip in place. Epoxy forms a dam and a different type of epoxy fills and protects. Conductive epoxy is printed; chips are placed on board (tacky epoxy holds them in place), oven cure of epoxy. Conductive epoxy is used where electrical or thermal conductivity is needed. Q2) In IC wire bonding either Gold or copper can be used, give a co parison betwwen the ! old is more common because its oxide is not as problematic in makin! a weld. "f copper wire is used, nitro!en must be used as a cover !as to prevent the copper oxides from formin! durin! the wire bondin! process. Copper is also harder than !old, which makes dama!e to the surface of the microchip more likely. #owever copper is cheaper than !old and has superior electrical properties, and so remains a compellin! choice. Q") #$% and &ire bonding are two techni'ues for IC bonding, which techni'ue is prefrarable ! $%& was ori!inally conceived as a rapid and robust alternative to wirebondin! at a time when wirebondin! was manual, and slow. $he main users of $%& at that time were 'airchild and National for the packa!in! of the ((" devices. $he watch industry used also this process in )apan and Europe. "n the meantime, *irebonders became automatic, free pro!rammable and very rapid, and the initial advanta!es of $%& vanished at a level that this technolo!y was mainly abandoned. +nly )apanese manufacturers continued with this interconnect technolo!y for consumer products as calculators, cameras and watches. $hey conse,uently exploited all the benefits of automatic handlin! for bi! ,uantities and the advanta!es in miniaturi-ation. $here is also a )apanese expression created. /0eihakutansho1meanin! /li!ht, thin, short, stron!1. Q() what is the ain difference between the wire bonding and flip chip!

'lipchip connect the face2down chips onto substrates, circuit boards, or carriers, by means of conductive bumps on the chip bond pads. "n contrast wire bondin!, uses face2up chips with a wire connection to each pad.