Fine Line Routing and Micro via Patterning in ABF Enabled by Excimer Laser Ablation

Abstract

Abstract Fan-Out technologies continue to be the main driver for advanced packaging, be it on wafer level (FOWLP) or panel level (FOPLP). There is a continuing need for higher density routing and heterogeneous integration of different devices, but also for continuous cost reduction. While traditional organic flip-chip substrates using semi-additive processes (SAP) have not been able to scale to ultra-fine RDL pitches and via opening below 10um, photo-sensitive spin-on dielectrics and RDL processes used for wafer level packaging do not sufficiently address the cost reduction need, and also face serious technical challenges. This paper presents the latest results from an innovative package RDL and micro via processes using excimer laser ablation in an especially developed non-photo sensitive material, to meet the market's most stringent requirements. To enable panel and wafer based interposers to reduce RDL cost and scale interconnect pitch to 40um and below, excimer laser ablation is introduced as a direct patterning process that uses proven industrialized excimer laser sources to emit high-energy pulses at short wavelengths to remove polymer materials with high precision and high throughput. The combination of a high-power excimer laser source, large-field laser mask and precision projection optics enables the accurate replication and placement of fine resolution circuit patterns without the need for any wet-processing. With excimer laser patterning technology the industry gains a much wider choice of dielectric materials (photo and non-photo) to help achieve further reductions in manufacturing costs as well as enhancements in interposer and package performance. In this paper, we propose a novel patterning process that uses excimer laser ablation to integrate via and RDL traces in one patterning step, followed by seed layer deposition, plating and planarization. The capability of this excimer laser patterning process in non-photo materials Ajinomoto Build-up Film, which is abbreviated to “ABF” in this paper, will be discussed, and its technical robustness and commercial advantages are demonstrated. We will present electrical and reliability data of Via and RDL traces patterned by excimer laser in ABF material.