Electricity: conductors and insulators – Conduits – cables or conductors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement
Reexamination Certificate
1994-03-18
2001-12-18
Cuneo, Kamand (Department: 2841)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Conduits, cables or conductors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement
C174S260000, C228S248500, C257S784000, C257S780000, C361S783000, C361S768000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06331681
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connection method and a connection device for electrical connection of small portions, in particular, various portions in electronic parts, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to electrically connect the inner lead portion of a lead frame and a bonding pad formed on a semiconductor chip, a wire bonding method using a gold wire or aluminum wire is generally used. Recently, method of forming a bump on a bonding pad and electrically connecting the bump to the wiring pattern formed on a film carrier or electrically connecting the bump to the wiring pattern formed on the board as in TAB (tape automated bonding) or flip-chip bonding have been used. With the above methods, the bonding pad and the bonding wire, the bonding wire and the inner lead portion, and the bump and the wiring pattern are electrically connected to each other by metal bonding. Further, soldering is often used for electrical connection at the time of mounting of electronic parts on the printed-circuit board.
However, the wire bonding method has defects that the arrangement of elements formed on the semiconductor chip is limited and it is difficult to reduce the pitch between the pads. That is, in order to connect the bonding wire and the bonding pad to each other by metal bonding, it is necessary to apply a physical load such as heat, pressure or ultrasonic vibration to the connection portion. Therefore, when a semiconductor element is formed in an area directly under the bonding pad, the element may be damaged and the characteristic thereof may be deteriorated. Thus, the semiconductor element cannot be formed in an area near or directly under the bonding pad. Further, since the shortest distance between adjacent bonding wires is limited by the outer diameter of a bonding capillary, it is practically difficult to reduce the pitch between the pads to be less than 100 &mgr;m. For this reason, the chip size of a semiconductor chip in which a large number of pads are required to be formed must be increased.
In a connection method using no bonding wire, unlike TAB or flip-chip bonding, a larger amount of heat and a higher pressure may be often applied to the connection portion than in the wire bonding method. For this reason, the elements formed in the semiconductor chip may be often damaged. Further, the pad pitch may be reduced to less than approximately 80 &mgr;m, but since it is not preferable to reduce the size of the bump from the viewpoint of the mechanical strength, reduction in the pad pitch is limited. Further, since a large number of bumps and a large number of wiring patterns are connected at the same time, the heights of the bumps must be made constant and the connection position must be precisely determined. Thus, the connection method, such as TAB and flip-chip bonding, has been problems in that various conditions for connection may exist, that are unsuitable variation in the connection state and connection strength tends to occur, and it is difficult to maintain a stable connection.
Where electronic parts are mounted on the printed-circuit board, for example, and where the outer lead portion of the semiconductor device is connected to the wiring pattern formed on the printed-circuit board by soldering, solder must be previously attached to the outer lead portion. Further, flux or the like must be coated on a portion to be connected or to-be-connected portion. In addition, it is necessary to remove the flux by using organic solvent after the soldering is completed. Thus, the connection method using solder requires a large number of working steps, and the working efficiency and the reliability thereof is low. Further, since the organic solvent and solder vapor are harmful, environmental protection measures must be taken, thereby increasing manufacturing cost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, a first object of this invention is to provide a connection method for electrically connecting small portions without causing mechanical and thermal damage.
A second object of this invention is to provide a connection device for electrically connecting small portions without causing mechanical and thermal damage.
The first object can be attained by a connection method comprising a first step of positioning a first to-be-connected portion near or in contact with a second to-be-connected portion; and a second step of electrically connecting the first and second to-be-connected portions by spraying fine metal particles on the first and second to-be-connected portions to fixedly attach a metal bump thereto.
According to the above connection method, since it is not necessary to apply a physical load, such as heat, pressure and ultrasonic vibration to the connection portion, the small portions can be electrically connected without causing mechanical and thermal damage.
The second object can be attained by a connection device comprising fine metal particle creation means for creating fine metal particles; carrying means for carrying fine metal particles created by the fine metal particle creation means together with carrier gas; spraying means for spraying fine metal particles and carrier gas carried by the carrying means on to-be-connected portions to form a metal bump so as to electrically connect the to-be-connected portions.
According to the above connection device, since the to-be-connected portions are electrically connected to each other by spraying fine metal particles together with the carrier gas on the to-be-connected portions and forming the bump on the to-be-connected portions, small portions can be electrically connected without causing mechanical and thermal damage.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
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Cuneo Kamand
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
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