Laser processes for repair of thin-film wiring
- 1 December 1991
- proceedings article
- Published by SPIE-Intl Soc Optical Eng
- Vol. 1598, 141-149
- https://doi.org/10.1117/12.51035
Abstract
Lasers are being used for a wide range of applications in the microelectronics and packaging industries in such diverse applications as etching, film deposition, repair of open circuits and short circuits, machining and trimming of components, and heating of solder connections. In these applications, the laser radiation is primarily used as a heat source, to melt, ablate, or otherwise alter a material through a thermal process. The use of a laser under these conditions can often lead to damage to the surrounding layers or underlayers, which is particularly important when the laser is not well controlled and when the surrounding layers are thermally sensitive. The development of high-performance wiring for greater wiring density and smaller signal propagation delays has placed greater emphasis on the control of laser-initiated thermal processes. The thin film metal patterns produced in IBM's packaging programs can be used in a wide variety of metal/insulator structures. Although the metallurgies are typically copper based, the choice of insulator materials can vary, with structures produced with both inorganic (glasses and ceramics) and organic (polymers) dielectrics. Several laser-based technologies have been developed at IBM, establishing the capability to modify fine line circuit patterns on the range of packaging materials. These modification techniques, either to repair defects created during the manufacturing process or to restructure the circuit for design and performance reasons, can be achieved with the proper control of the laser conditions. This ability to control the laser/material interaction, with the goal of successfully modifying the circuit without adversely affecting the integrity of the dielectric will be discussed. The applications of these techniques to IBM's thin film packaging will be described, with specific focus on the two technologies recently introduced for the manufacture of East Fishkill's new high end packaging products.Keywords
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