Openair-Plasma® in Semiconductor Packaging
Semiconductor packaging is a critical step in semiconductor manufacturing, ensuring optimal performance, reliable interconnections, effective chip protection, and efficient heat dissipation. However, surface contaminants such as organic residues and oxide layers can severely compromise bonding quality and electrical reliability. Additionally, the use of electronic devices in harsh environments can degrade IC chip performance over time.
Openair-Plasma® technology addresses these challenges with precise surface cleaning and activation, reduction of oxide layers, and the application of anti-corrosion or adhesion-promoting nano-coatings. These processes enhance surface properties, improve interconnection reliability, and contribute to higher manufacturing yields.
Wire Bonding
Organic residues on surfaces can be hindrances at interconnections such as Wire Bonding. In Wire Bonding organic residues cause issues such as Non-Stick on pad, poor shear strength or wire pull strength, wire pull, etc. Openair-Plasma removes organic residues and improves adhesion strengh in interconnections and ensures high reliability of devices.
Die Bonding
Plasma surface treatment using Openair-Plasma® can be used to optimize processes in wire bonding, die bonding, thermal compression bonding and pre-moulding. In contrast to vacuum systems, which are typically filled with magazines in a batch process and whose cleaning results are sometimes irregular. components are treated individually inline with Openair-Plasma®. This ensures fast and uniform surface treatment. Integrated process controls ensure the desired surface properties with high reproducibility. It is also possible to integrate Openair-Plasma® inline into existing systems.
Lead Frame - Oxide Reduction
Oxide layers are a common obstacle in achieving reliable interconnections in semiconductor devices such as CPUs (Central Processing Units), power devices, and similar components. The REDOX®-Tool, in combination with Openair-Plasma® technology, enables efficient in-line oxide reduction — directly within the production process. This results in improved bonding quality and significantly higher production yields.
The REDOX®-Tool
Oxide Reduction on Leadframe with The REDOX®-Tool
Thermo Compression Bonding
Applying plasma prior to fluxing creates a consistent surface energy, ensuring optimal wetting behavior and allowing for a significant reduction in flux usage
Fluxless Thermo Compressin Bonding (TCB)
In fluxless Thermo-Compression Bonding (TCB), metal oxides can hinder reliable interconnections. The Plasmatreat REDOX®-Tool enables inline plasma-based oxide reduction, ensuring clean metal surfaces and improved bonding performance in advanced semiconductor packaging. This dry, inline process eliminates the need for flux, supports higher process reliability, and contributes to environmentally friendly electronics manufacturing.
Activation Before Underfill
To ensure optimal wettability of underfill materials on substrates, a high and uniform surface energy is essential. Openair-Plasma® enables inline substrate activation, significantly increasing surface energy and improving underfill flow and adhesion. Additionally, it promotes a clean and consistent fillet build-up along the die edge, while reliably removing dicing-related contaminants.
Coating: Protection
IC chips need to be protected from outer environment. Moistures propagate between layers of signal or power lines and can damage functionalities of IC chips. PlasmaPlus® enables atmospheric plasma enhanced coating and deposit layers of protection in the range of 700 nm to 1,000 nm(depending on application) for protection.
Coating: Adhesion Promotor
In Semiconductor Packaging poor adhesion between different materials cause reliability failures. When semiconductor devices experience harsh environment with temperature cycles the adhesion issues are encountered more. PlasmaPlus® ahesion promotor enables a stronger adhesion between different materials and ensure a high reliability of semiconductor devices.
FEATURES OF
OPENAIR-PLASMA®
in semiconductor manufacturing
- Selective area treatment possible
- High-speed treatment: Up to 1.5m/sec.
- Potential-free: < 1V, can also be used on sensitive electronics
- Cost-effective: Low investment and operating costs
- Flexible: Adaptable to all surfaces (flat or 3D)
- Environmentally friendly: No solvents thanks to the use of compressed air, VOC free technology
