Methods of making a curable composition having low coefficient of thermal expansion and an integrated circuit and a curable composition and integrated circuit made there from

1 . A method of making a low CTE curable composition, the method comprising

mixing together

(i) from 0. 1 to 60.0% by weight of a nanoparticle composition, said nanoparticle composition being at least one of

(a) a strongly functionalized nanoparticle composition functionalized with a carboxylic acid having at least one strongly functionalizing substituent group selected from the group consisting of a aromatic mono primary amine group, an aliphatic mono or di primary amine group, an aliphatic dihydroxyl of the formula (—CR(XOH) 2 wherein R is a C 1-5 alkyl group or H, X is CH 2 or an aromatic group, and n is 0 or 1), a phenol group, an alkoxy group, or mixtures thereof, and having less than or equal to 25 mole % functionalization,

(b) a weakly functionalized nanoparticle composition functionalized with a mono hydroxyl substituted carboxylic or mono hydroxyl substituted sulfonic acid group and having from 1 to 100 mole % functionalization,

(c) a nonfunctionalized nanoparticle composition, or

(d) mixtures thereof, and

(ii) from 20.0 to 90.0% by weight of a curable binder to provide a premixture, based on the total weight of the premixture, and

subjecting the premixture to high shear forces until the nanoparticle composition (i) is sufficiently dispersed in the curable binder (ii) to provide a curable composition, wherein the curable composition provides a cured composition having a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of no more than 60 ppm/° C. when cured for a time of from about 20 to about 60 minutes at temperature of from about 100 to 240° C.

2 . The method of claim 1 comprising subjecting the premixture to the high shear forces until (a) the premixture until at least 90% of the curable composition passes through a 1 μm filter bag.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the premixture is subjected to ultrasonification forces.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the nanoparticle composition (i) is intended to or is capable of having an average particle size of less than 100 nm when dispersed.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein the nanoparticle composition (i) comprises at least one of magnesium oxide nanoparticles, boehmite nanoparticles, hydroxyapatite powder or a combination comprising two or more of the foregoing.

6 . The method of claim 1 wherein the nanoparticle composition (i) consists of nonfunctionalized nanoparticle composition (c).

7 . The method of claim 1 wherein the nanoparticle composition (i) consists of strongly functionalized nanoparticle composition (a).

8 . The method of claim 1 wherein the nanoparticle composition (i) consists of weakly functionalized nanoparticle composition (b).

9 . The method of claim 7 wherein the functionalized nanoparticle composition is a crosslinking agent for the curable binder.

10 . The method of claim 1 comprising mixing together from 1 to 50% by weight of the nanoparticle composition (i), based on the total weight of the premixture.

11 . The method of claim 10 comprising mixing together from 10 to 45% by weight of the nanoparticle composition (i), based on the total weight of the premixture.

12 . The method of claim 11 comprising mixing together from 25 to 45% by weight of the nanoparticle composition (i), based on the total weight of the premixture.

13 . The method of claim 1 wherein the curable binder (ii) comprises at least one epoxy compound of the structure:

X —((CH 2 ) m —(N)—((CH 2 ) n -(Z)) 2 ) p

6 wherein X is an aromatic ring or a six membered cycloaliphatic ring, m is from about 0 to about 2, n is from about 1 to about 3, Z is an epoxy group of empirical formula C 2 H 3 O, p is a number from about 2 to about 3.

14 . The method of claim 13 wherein the curable binder (ii) comprises at least one epoxy compound of the structure:

X—((CH 2 ) m —(N)—((CH 2 ) n -(Z)) 2 ) p

wherein X is an aromatic ring, m is from 0 to about 1, and n is from about 1 to 2.

15 . The method of claim 14 wherein the at least one epoxy compound is N,N,N′, N′-tetraglycidyl-meta-xylenediamine.

16 . The method of claim 1 further comprising a crosslinking agent (iib).

17 . The method of claim 16 wherein the crosslinking agent (iib) comprises at least one polyamine comprising from about 2 to about 4 primary amine groups.

18 . The method of claim 1 wherein the crosslinking agent (iib) comprises at least one polyamine of the structure:

(R) p —(NH 2 ) q

wherein R is at least one of a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic ring, a substituted or unsubstituted six membered cycloaliphatic ring, a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaromatic ring, a substituted or unsubstituted six membered cycloheteroaliphatic ring, (R 1 —W) k —R 2 , (R 1 —W—R 2 ) k , and combinations thereof, p is from about 1 to about 4, and q is from about 2 to about 4, wherein R 1 and R 2 are the same or different and are defined as R above, W is at least one of, an alkyl group of from 1 to 3 carbons, a heteroatom, a heteroatom containing radical, and combinations thereof, and k is from about 1 to about 4.

19 . The method of claim 1 further comprising a catalyst (v).

20 . The method of claim 1 further comprising adding an organic liquid (iii) to the premixture.

21 . The method of claim 20 wherein the organic liquid (iii) is a solvent for the curable binder (ii).

22 . The method of claim 21 wherein the organic liquid (iii) is at least one of methanol, ethanol, acetone, methylethyl ketone, tetrahydrofuran, chloroform, butyl acetate, toluene and mixtures thereof.

23 . The method of claim 1 further comprising adding at least one of additives, accelerators, diluents, coupling agents, adhesion agents, fluxing agents, impact modifiers, aliphatic amines, stabilizers, antioxidants, antifoaming agents, flame retardants, and combinations comprising two or more of the foregoing to either the premixture or the curable composition.

24 . The curable composition made by the method of claim 1 .

25 . A curable composition comprising

(i) from 0.1 to 60.0% by weight of a nanoparticle composition having an average particle size of less than 1000 nm when dispersed and which is at least one of

(a) a strongly functionalized nanoparticle composition functionalized with a carboxylic acid having at least one strongly functionalizing substituent group selected from the group consisting of a aromatic mono primary amine group, an aliphatic mono or di primary amine group, an aliphatic dihydroxyl of the formula (—CR(XOH) 2 wherein R is a C 1-5 alkyl group or H, X is CH 2 or an aromatic group, and n is 0 or 1), a phenol group, an alkoxy group, or mixtures thereof, and having less than or equal to 25 mole % functionalization,

(b) a weakly functionalized nanoparticle composition functionalized with a mono hydroxyl substituted carboxylic or mono hydroxyl substituted sulfonic acid group and having from 1 to 100 mole % functionalization,

(c) a nonfunctionalized nanoparticle composition, or

(d) mixtures thereof, and

(ii) from 20.0 to 90.0% by weight of a curable binder, based on the total weight of the curable composition,

wherein the curable composition is characterized by

(1.) a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of no more than 60 ppm/° C. when cured for a time of from about 20 to about 60 minutes at temperature of from about 100 to 240° C.,

(2.) a modulus of elasticity of no less than 4.50 GPa when cured for a time of from about 20 to about 60 minutes at temperature of from about 100 to 240° C., and

(3) a glass transition temperature of no less than 80° C.

26 . A method of making a low CTE cured composition, the method comprising

applying the curable composition of claim 25 to a substrate to provide a coated substrate, and

curing the coated substrate to provide a cured composition having a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of no more than 60 ppm/° C.

27 . The method of claim 26 comprising curing the coated substrate for a time of from about 20 to about 60 minutes at temperature of from about 100 to 240° C.

28 . The cured composition made by the method of claim 26 .

29 . A method of making an integrated circuit assembly, comprising

applying the curable composition made by the method of claim 25 to a substrate,

placing a die in communication with the applied composition, and

curing the applied composition to provide an integrated circuit assembly, wherein at least one of the substrate or die comprises one or more bumps.

30 . The integrated circuit made by the method of claim 29 comprising a cured composition having a CTE of from 35 to 50 ppm/° C.

31 . A method of making an integrated circuit comprising

providing a substrate comprising one or more substrate bumps thereon,

applying the curable composition made by the method of claim A to the substrate,

placing a die on the applied curable composition, said die comprising one or more flip chip bumps,

subjecting the assembly to a temperature sufficient to cause flow and joining of the bumps, and

subjecting the assembly to a temperature sufficient to cause curing of the applied curable composition.

32 . The method of claim 31 wherein the steps of subjecting the assembly to a temperature sufficient to cause flow of the bumps and subjecting the assembly to a temperature sufficient to cause crosslinking of the applied curable composition occur simultaneously.

33 . The method of claim 31 wherein the majority of the crosslinking of the curable composition occurs after the step of subjecting the assembly to a temperature sufficient to cause flow of the bumps.