Applied Mechanics and Materials Online: 2014-03-24

ISSN: 1662-7482, Vols. 543-547, pp 3914-3917

doi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.543-547.3914
© 2014 Trans Tech Publications Ltd, Switzerland

Fabrication of Redistribution Layer (RDL) based on AlN/Sodium Silicate

composite for TSV Interposers

Wen Lu1, a, Jie Han2,b, Jiangbo Luo3,c, Guifu Ding4,d and Ran Chen5,e
1,2,3,4,5
National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Nano/Micro Fabrication ,
Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, People’s Republic of China
a
luwenwen@sjtu.edu.cn, bshuidefeixiang@sjtu.edu.cn, cluojiangbo@sjtu.edu.cn,
d
gfding@sjtu.edu.cn,echenran_1988@163.com

Keywords: Redistribution Layer, inorganic dielectric, composite layer, sodium silicate

Abstract. 3D stacking technology with TSV interconnect is becoming a major trend of microsystem
packaging. Redistribution layer (RDL) plays an important role in TSV packaging applications.
Inorganic RDL based on AlN/sodium silicate composite through wet process has been put forward in
this paper. After mixing AlN powder with sodium silicate uniformly and curing of the mixture,
AlN/sodium silicate composite dielectric was formed. Finally a novel wet RDL process was
developed for TSV interposer applications.

Introduction
Recently, TSV technology is widely regarded as a critical technology of the next-generation of
microelectronic packaging field, since it can largely improve the signal transmission speed with low
power consumption. [1] TSV redistribution layers adjust bonding bump arrangement and play an
increasingly crucial role to match different chips. The redistribution layer process technology can be
divided into dry process and wet process according to the process types, also can be divided into
organic and inorganic redistribution layer according to the types of dielectric materials.
Inorganic materials, such as SiO2, Si3N4 [2-4], are deposited by dry process. Good thickness
uniformity, high density and adhesion strength of insulting medium can be achieved, but it has
shortcomings of high fabrication costs and low efficiency. Since there is large internal stress in thick
film, and the thermal-expansion coefficient are different between Cu (CTE: 17 ppm) and SiO2 (CTE:
0.4 ppm) , cracks occur around the Cu - TSV [4].In traditional wet process, polymer materials [5-7]
are studied as interlayer dielectric to prepare redistribution layer. Polymer-based RDL is easy to be
planarized and the process of it is relatively very mature. However, the thermal conductivity of
polymer is low. And as it is prone to swelling in organic solvents, the compatibility with the
subsequent process is not good enough.
In this paper, AlN and sodium silicate were blended to form a new type of dielectric layer, and a
novel wet process has been developed to fabricate redistribution layer with this inorganic dielectric.

Preparation of AlN/ sodium silicate composite

Excellent properties of AlN include high thermal conductivity (Theoretical value: 320W/m),
proper thermal expansion coefficients similar to Si, high insulation resistance, moderate dielectric
constant and loss. It is suitable to be applied to TSV interposer. Generally, sodium silicate blisters
easily during curing process, and dehydrates at high temperatures as in Fig. 1(a). In our experiments,
AlN was added to act as curing agent to form the composite. After being heated for 4h at 130℃,TGA
analysis was carried out. As illustrated in Fig. 1(b), about 97% of water was removed before the text
and the composite kept basically stable from 400℃ to 800℃.

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 Applied Mechanics and Materials Vols. 543-547 3915

Fig. 1 TGA of (a)Sodium silicate(b)AlN/sodium silicate composite

AlN with the purity more than 99% was provided by Shanghai ChaoWei Nanotechnology Co. Ltd
(Shanghai, China). Sodium silicate with modulus of 3.45 and baume degree of 37.1 was bought from
Shanghai Lida Industrial Co.Ltd (Shanghai, China).A mechanical ball milling machine
(QM-QX04,Nanjing University Instrument Plant, China) was used to mix AlN and sodium silicate.
Then the mixture was solidified by programmed temperature drying.
Due to volume shrinkage of sodium silicate/AlN mixture during solidification process, the cured
sodium silicate could not fill in the gap of particles completely, as shown in Fig.2(a),voids involved in
the composite. Hence, sodium silicate was spin-coated again and vacuated in the vacuum oven, thus
making it fully penetrate into the internal of the composite. Spin-coating method was adopted to
remove extra sodium silicate off the wafer surface at a speed of 1500 rpm, followed by curing process.
After this step, few voids were observed in Fig. 2(b).

Fig. 2 SEM images of the composite(1000 magnification)(a)Before sodium silicate

penetrating(b)After sodium silicate penetrating

RDL fabrication based on AlN/ sodium silicate composite

The RDL was fabricated on a 3 inch glass wafer. The process flow was shown in Fig. 3.To start
with, Cr/Cu was sputtered as the seed layer. Then a 5µm positive photoresist (PR) was spin-coated on
the substrate. And it was patterned by UV-lithography and developed as shown in Fig. 3(a), after
which, a 4µm Cu was electroplated in Fig. 3(b).Then another positive photoresist was spin-coated and
patterned as in Fig. 3(c).A 10µm electroplated Cu, used as the connection layer was carried out as
shown in Fig. 3(d).After removing the superfluous photoresist and Cr/Cu seed layer respectively, the
metal layer was obtained as followed in Fig. 3(e). And then AlN and sodium silicate composite was
deposited onto the surface of substrate as the dielectric layer in Fig. 3(f).Finally, the wafer was
polished by 5000# water proof sand papers. As shown in Fig. 3(g), RDL process was obtained when
the connection layer was exposed.
3916 Vehicle, Mechatronics and Information Technologies II

Fig. 3 RDL process flow

Fig. 4 illustrates the metal layer of RDL, including Cu lines and connective posts. Cr/Cu seed layer
was removed. The optical microscopic image of the RDL based on AlN/sodium silicate is
demonstrated in Fig. 5.It can be seen that only the Cu posts were exposed to connect with the next
layer, the Cu lines were covered by AlN/sodium silicate composite, isolated from the next layer.

Fig.4 The metal layer of RDL Fig.5 RDL based on AlN/sodium silicate

Summary
A redistribution layer based on the AlN/sodium silicate was fabricated by wet process for TSV
interposers in this work. AlN was used as the curing agent, making it stable at high temperatures. AlN
and sodium silicate were mixed uniformly to form the dielectric layer, and based on that, a novel wet
process has been proposed. The TSV-RDL process and the characterization of this type of RDL is
undergoing. By repeating AlN/sodium silicate and Cu electroplating, multilayered RDL will be done
in the future.
 Applied Mechanics and Materials Vols. 543-547 3917

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