Incorporating SIMS Structures in Product Wafers in Order to Perform SIMS and other Material Analysis and Achieve Wafer Level Information about the Front-End Processing

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Budri ◽  
L. Krott ◽  
N. Patel ◽  
A. Smith ◽  
B. Gurcan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wafer Level ◽  
Material Analysis ◽  
Front End ◽  
Level Information

Characterization of Circuit Blocks for Configurable Analog-Front-End

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 (HITEC) ◽  
pp. 000146-000153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce W. Ohme ◽  
Mark R. Larson ◽  
Bhal Tulpule ◽  
Alireza Behbahani
Keyword(s):  
Embedded Systems ◽  
Integrated Circuit ◽  
Extreme Temperature ◽  
Silicon On Insulator ◽  
Instrumentation Amplifier ◽  
Signal Conditioning ◽  
Wafer Level ◽  
Voltage Range ◽  
Front End ◽  
Programmable Gain

Analog functions have been implemented in a Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) process optimized for high-temperature (>225°C) operation. These include a linear regulator/reference block that supports input voltages up to 50V and provides multiple independent voltage outputs. Additional blocks provide configurable sensor excitation levels of up to 10V DC and/or 20V AC-differential, with current limiting and monitoring. A dual-channel Programmable-Gain-Instrumentation Amplifier (PGIA) and a high-level AC input block with programmable gain and offset serve signal conditioning, gain, and scaling needs. A multiplexer and analog buffer provide an output that is scaled and centered for down-stream A-to-D conversion. Limited component availability and high component counts deter development of sensing and control electronics for extreme temperature (>200°) applications. Systems require front-end power conditioning, sensor excitation and monitoring, response amplification, scaling, and multiplexing. Back-end Analog-to-Digital conversion and digital processing/control can be implemented using one or two integrated circuit chips, whereas the front-end functions require component counts in the dozens. The low level of integration in the available portfolio of SOI devices results in high component count when constructing signal conditioning interfaces for aerospace sensors. These include quasi-DC sensors such as thermo-couples, strain-gauges, bridge transducers as well as AC-coupled sensors and position transducers, such as Linear Variable Differential Transducers (LVDT's). Furthermore, a majority of sensor applications are best served by excitation/response voltage ranges that typically exceed the voltage range of digital electronics (either 5V or 3.3V in currently available digital IC's for use above 200°C). These constraints led Embedded Systems LLC to design a generic device which was implemented by Honeywell as an analog ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). This paper will describe the ASIC block-level capabilities in the context of the typical applications and present characterization data from wafer-level testing at the target temperature range (225C). This material is based upon work performed by Honeywell International under a subcontract from Embedded Systems LLC, funding for which was provided by the U.S. Air Force Small Business Innovative Research program.

FBAR Rx filters for handset front-end modules with wafer-level packaging

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kun Wang ◽  
M. Frank ◽  
P. Bradley ◽  
R. Ruby ◽  
W. Mueller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wafer Level ◽  
Wafer Level Packaging ◽  
Front End

High-level information-an approach for integrating front-end and back-end compilers

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sangyeun Cho ◽  
Jenn-Yuan Tsai ◽  
Yonghong Song ◽  
Bixia Zheng ◽  
S.J. Schwinn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Front End ◽  
Level Information ◽  
High Level

A Compact 28 GHz RF Front-end Module using IPDs and Wafer-level Metal Fan-out Packaging

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jong-Min Yook ◽  
Dongsu Kim ◽  
Bok-Ju Park ◽  
Sanghoon Sim ◽  
Yun-Seong Eo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wafer Level ◽  
Front End ◽  
Rf Front End ◽  
Front End Module

A Robust Thin-Film Wafer-Level Packaging Approach for MEMS Devices

2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 175-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krishnan Seetharaman ◽  
Bart van Velzen ◽  
Johannes van Wingerden ◽  
Hans van Zadelhoff ◽  
Cadmus Yuan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Silicon Nitride ◽  
Wafer Bonding ◽  
Sacrificial Layer ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Bulk Acoustic Wave ◽  
Mems Devices ◽  
Wafer Level ◽  
Front End ◽  
Mems Device

Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) devices are extremely sensitive to their environment, especially at the wafer level, until they are packaged in final form. The harsh back-end (BE) operations that the MEMS devices have to endure include dicing, pick-and-place, wire bonding, and molding. During these processing steps, the MEMS device is exposed to particles and contaminants. Therefore, protection at an early stage is a fundamental requirement. We describe a silicon nitride thin-film capping, which is processed using a sacrificial layer technique only with front-end technology. This approach is suitable for mass production of MEMS devices, owing to the fact that it is more cost-effective when compared to other approaches such as wafer-to-wafer bonding and die-to-wafer bonding. A bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonator that finds application in the radio frequency (RF) front end, for example, in cell phones, is taken as a MEMS vehicle for our work. It is an example of an extremely sensitive MEMS device, because the resonance frequency shifts significantly when additional mass is accidentally deposited on its surface. The thickness of the silicon nitride capping that is required to withstand all the BE steps, in particular transfer molding, is estimated using simple analytical calculations and finite element model (FEM) simulations. The pressure acting on the thin film capping and the thermal load during molding are included in the FEM model. Using this, the minimum thickness required for the capping is determined. We prove that a BAW resonator capped with silicon nitride at the wafer level can be wafer-thinned, diced, wire bonded, and molded without major degradation in performance.

scholarly journals Design and Implementation of RF Front-End Module Based on 3D Heterogenous-Integrated Wafer-Level Packaging

Electronics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (16) ◽  
pp. 1893
Author(s):  
Faxin Yu ◽  
Qi Zhou ◽  
Zhiyu Wang ◽  
Jiongjiong Mo ◽  
Hua Chen
Keyword(s):  
Noise Figure ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
High Resistivity ◽  
Plane Waveguide ◽  
Wafer Level ◽  
Wafer Level Packaging ◽  
Front End ◽  
Rf Front End ◽  
Front End Module ◽  
High Resistivity Silicon

In this paper, a three-dimensional heterogenous-integrated (3DHI) wafer-level packaging (WLP) process is proposed, and a radio frequency (RF) front-end module with two independent ultra-high frequency (UHF) receiving channels are designed and implemented, which covers 400 MHz–600 MHz and 2050 MHz–2200 MHz respectively for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) applications. The module is formed by wafer-to-wafer (W2W) bonding of two high-resistivity silicon (HR-Si) interposers with embedded bare dies and through silicon via (TSV) interconnections. Double-sided deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) and conformal electroplating process are introduced to realize the high-aspect-ratio TSV connection within 290 µm-thick cap interposer. Co-plane waveguide (CPW) transmission lines are fabricated as the process control monitor (PCM), the measured insertion loss of which is less than 0.18 dB/mm at 35 GHz. The designed RF front-end module is fabricated and measured. The measured return loss and gain of each RF channel is better than 13 dB and 21 dB, and the noise figure is less than 1.5 dB. In order to evaluate the capability of the 3DHI process for multi-layer interposers, the module is re-designed and fabricated with four stacked high-resistivity silicon interposers. After W2W bonding of two pairs of interposers and wafer slicing, chip-to chip (C2C) bonding is applied to form a four-layer module with operable temperature gradient.

Electroplating with Dielectric Bridges

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 (DPC) ◽  
pp. 000590-000610
Author(s):  
Gene Stout ◽  
Doug Scott ◽  
Anthony Curtis ◽  
Guy Burgess ◽  
Theodore G. Tessier
Keyword(s):  
Seed Layer ◽  
Flip Chip ◽  
Semiconductor Industry ◽  
High Volume ◽  
Wafer Level ◽  
Semiconductor Wafer ◽  
Front End ◽  
Dielectric Layers ◽  
Alternative Means ◽  
Assembly Operations

The electroplating of underlying metal redistribution layers, under-bump metallization (UBM) layers, WLCSP, Cu pillar and other flip chip applications is well established in the semiconductor industry. The use of semi-additive plating can sometimes be adversely affected by the absence of plating occurring in all targeted locations or with plating non-uniformity as a result of front-end fab related structural anomalies. Subsequent analysis has routinely determined that the previously deposited metal seed layer had been discontinuous due to the topography of wafer features. The most predominant types of topographical issues causing discontinuity in the seed layer are related to adverse sidewall profiles of an underlying dielectric layer or an edge of die feature. Typically die streets are kept clear of certain dielectric layers to avoid complications from saw tool wear and residual defects. As such, these particular dielectric layers are usually terminated at or near each die edge on a semiconductor wafer during processing. Introducing dielectric bridges over the dicing streets provides additional assurances an alternative means to significantly improve the ability to uniformly plate on all targeted die by creating an electrically continuous seed layer pathway while still allowing for subsequent wafer dicing with minimal blade wear, die chipping or residual dielectric issues. FCI has developed and successfully uses this patent pending method to insure the uniform electroplating of metallization layers for a wide variety of applications. This paper will highlight the advantages of this wafer level processing strategy in a high volume, high mix wafer bump fabrication facility including improvements in processing quality and consistency. The transparency on deploying this front-end process change on back-end assembly operations and device reliability will also be addressed.

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