IP Library Granted Patent US 11,804,421
Granted Patent B2
US 11,804,421 · App. 17/247,200 · Granted Oct 31, 2023

Connecting clip design for pressure sintering

Inventors: Atapol Prajuckamol (Klaeng, TH); Chee Hiong Chew (Seremban, MY); Yushuang Yao (Shenzhen, CN)
Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
H01L23/49513H01L23/49548H01L24/29H01L24/33H01L24/83H01L2224/8384H01L2224/83439
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,804,421
App. No.
17/247,200
Granted
Oct 31, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A semiconductor package assembly having a connecting clip disposed on both a first material stack and a second material stack having different thicknesses and disposed on a conducting substrate. This connecting clip has a first portion disposed on to the first material stack and second portion disposed on the second material stack, such that the surfaces of the first portion and second portion opposite the conducting substrate are at the same perpendicular distance from the conducting substrate. For example, in some implementations, when the thickness of the second material stack is smaller than the thickness of the first material stack, the second portion of the connecting clip may include a vertical support disposed on the second material stack to equalize the heights of the surfaces of the first portion and second portion of the connecting clip.

Claims (50)

1. A method of forming a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

disposing a first material stack on a conducting substrate, the first material stack having a first thickness;

disposing a second material stack on the conducting substrate and apart from the first material stack, the second material stack having a second thickness, the second thickness being different from the first thickness;

disposing a connecting clip on the first material stack and the second material stack, the connecting clip including a first portion disposed on the first material stack and a second portion disposed on the second material stack; and

performing a pressure sintering operation by applying pressure, by a top plate of a pressure sintering apparatus, to the connecting clip, the top plate being in substantially simultaneous contact with the first portion and the second portion during the pressure sintering operation.

2. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the pressure applied to the connecting clip is applied substantially equally to the first portion and the second portion.

3. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the pressure applied is between 2 MPa and 100 MPa.

4. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the pressure is applied for a time between 30 seconds and 600 seconds.

5. A method of forming a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

disposing a first material stack on a conducting substrate, the first material stack having a first thickness;

disposing a second material stack on the conducting substrate and apart from the first material stack, the second material stack having a second thickness, the second thickness being different from the first thickness; and

disposing a connecting clip on the first material stack and the second material stack, the connecting clip including a first portion disposed on and aligned along the first material stack and a second portion disposed on and aligned along the second material stack, the first portion having a surface opposite the first material stack and the second portion having a surface opposite the second material stack, the surface of the first portion and the surface of the second portion being at a substantially same perpendicular distance from the surface of the conducting substrate.

6. The method as in claim 5 , wherein the surface of the first portion opposite the first material stack is located apart from the surface of the second portion opposite the second material stack.

7. The method as in claim 6 , wherein the connecting clip further includes an obtuse-angled shoulder portion in between the first portion and the second portion.

8. The method as in claim 7 , wherein the second portion includes a first member, connected to the obtuse-angled shoulder portion, a second member located apart from the first member, and a bridge having a surface included in the surface of the second portion opposite the second material stack, each of the first member and the second member being connected to the bridge.

9. The method as in claim 7 , wherein the second portion includes a first foot connected to the obtuse-angled shoulder portion and disposed on the second material stack, a second foot apart from the first foot, and a member in between the first foot and the second foot, the second foot having a surface included in the surface of the second portion opposite the second material stack.

10. The method as in claim 5 , wherein the first material stack further includes a first sintering material, a second sintering material, and a semiconductor die, and

wherein the method further comprises:

disposing a first sintering material on the conducting substrate,

disposing a semiconductor die on the first sintering material, and

disposing a second sintering material on the semiconductor die.

11. The method as in claim 5 , wherein the surface of the first portion and the surface of the second portion are aligned within a plane, the plane being aligned substantially parallel to the conducting substrate.

12. The method as in claim 5 , further comprising:

performing a pressure sintering operation by applying pressure, by a top plate of a pressure sintering apparatus, to the connecting clip, the top plate being in substantially simultaneous contact with the first portion and the second portion during the pressure sintering operation.

13. The method as in claim 12 , wherein the pressure applied to the connecting clip is applied substantially equally to the first portion and the second portion.

14. The method as in claim 12 , wherein the pressure applied is between 2 MPa and 100 MPa.

15. The method as in claim 12 , wherein the pressure is applied for a time between 30 seconds and 600 seconds.

16. The method as in claim 5 , wherein the connecting clip further includes a bridge portion, a surface of the bridge portion and the surface of the first portion opposite the first material stack forming a continuous surface parallel to the conducting substrate.

17. The method as in claim 16 , wherein the second portion includes an acute-angled shoulder connected to the bridge portion and a foot connected to the bridge portion, the foot being disposed on the second material stack.

18. The method as in claim 16 , wherein the second portion includes a first member connected to the bridge portion, a second member apart from the first member, and a foot disposed on the second material stack and connected to the first member and the second member.

19. The method as in claim 16 , wherein the second portion includes a first foot connected to the bridge portion, a second foot disposed on the second material stack, and a member in between the first foot and the second foot.

20. A method of forming a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

disposing a first material stack on a conducting substrate, the first material stack having a first thickness;

disposing a second material stack on the conducting substrate, the second material stack being separate from the first material stack, the second material stack having a second thickness different from the first thickness; and

disposing a connecting clip on the first material stack and the second material stack, the connecting clip including a first portion disposed on and aligned along the first material stack and a second portion disposed on and aligned along the second material stack, the first portion having a surface and the second portion having a surface, the surface of the first portion and the surface of the second portion being aligned within a plane, the plane being aligned parallel to the conducting substrate.

21. The method as in claim 20 , wherein a first sintering material of the first material stack is disposed on the conducting substrate, and

wherein the method further comprises:

disposing a semiconductor die on the first sintering material, and

disposing a second sintering material on the semiconductor die.

22. The method as in claim 20 , further comprising:

performing a pressure sintering operation by applying pressure, by a top plate of a pressure sintering apparatus, to the connecting clip, the top plate being in substantially simultaneous contact with the first portion and the second portion during the pressure sintering operation.

23. The method as in claim 22 , wherein the pressure applied to the connecting clip is applied substantially equally to the first portion and the second portion.

24. The method as in claim 22 , wherein the pressure applied is between 2 MPa and 100 MPa.

25. The method as in claim 22 , wherein the pressure is applied for a time between 30 seconds and 600 seconds.

26. A method of forming a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

disposing a first material stack on a conducting substrate, the first material stack having a first thickness;

disposing a second material stack on the conducting substrate and apart from the first material stack, the second material stack having a second thickness, the second thickness being different from the first thickness; and

disposing a connecting clip on the first material stack and the second material stack, the connecting clip including a first portion disposed on the first material stack, a second portion disposed on the second material stack, and a connecting portion oriented parallel to the conducting substrate, the connecting portion being disposed between the first portion and the second portion, the second portion including a first foot, a second foot, and a member connecting the first foot and the second foot, the first foot being disposed on the second material stack, the first portion having a surface and the second portion having a surface, the surface of the first portion and the surface of the second portion being aligned within a plane, the plane being aligned parallel to the conducting substrate.

27. The method as in claim 26 , wherein a surface of the connecting portion of the connecting clip, a surface of the first portion of the connecting clip, and a surface of the second portion of the connecting clip forms a single surface of contact with a plate of a pressure sintering apparatus.

28. The method as in claim 26 , wherein a width of the first foot is substantially equal to a width of the second material stack.

Assignments (3)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL 055315, FRAME 0350 Recorded Aug 17, 2023
From: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC; FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064618/0881 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 17, 2021
From: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC; FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
To: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 055315/0350 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 3, 2020
From: PRAJUCKAMOL, ATAPOL; CHEW, CHEE HIONG; YAO, YUSHUANG
To: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 054535/0432 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 16145517 · Sep 28, 2018
Related Publication 20210090975A1 · Mar 25, 2021