Anisotropic Conductive Adhesive Research Articles

A Novel Anisotropic Conductive Adhesive for Lead-Free Surface Mount Electronics Packaging

Abstract The electronics industry, in recent years, has been focusing primarily on product miniaturization and lead-free assembly. The need for product miniaturization is due to the continuous demand for portable electronic products that are multifunctional, yet smaller, faster, cheaper, and lighter. This is forcing the industry to design and assemble products with miniature passive and active devices. These devices typically have fine pitch footprints that provide a very small surface area for attachment. The solder attach technique relies primarily on the formation of intermetallics between the mating metallic surfaces. With a reduction in the surface area of the pads, the ratio of intermetallic to solder is very high once the solder joint is formed. This could result in unreliable solder joints, due to the brittle nature of intermetallics. In addition, the need to eliminate lead-based materials as a means of interconnection has renewed the industry’s interest in exploring other means of assembling surface mount devices reliably. The use of a novel anisotropic conductive adhesive (ACA) as a means for assembling surface mount devices, the ACA’s performance characteristics, and preliminary research findings are discussed in this paper. Typically, ACAs require the application of pressure during the curing process to establish the electrical connection. The novel ACA uses a magnetic field to align the particles in the Z-axis direction and eliminates the need for pressure during curing. The formation of conductive columns within the polymer matrix provides a very high insulation resistance between adjacent conductors. The novel ACA also enables mass curing of the adhesive, eliminating the need for sequential assembly. The novel ACA was found to be very effective in providing the interconnection for surface mount technology (SMT) passives and leaded, bumped, or bumpless integrated circuit packages. The requirement for precise stencil printing was eliminated, as the application of magnetic field aligned the conductive columns in the Z-axis direction eliminating any lateral conductivity. The ability to mass cure the adhesive while applying the magnetic field reduced the assembly time considerably. Placement accuracy was still found to be very critical. Shear testing of adhesive joints after thermal aging showed significance past 500 h and after temperature–humidity aging showed significance within the first 100 h. I–V characteristics of the daisy chained ball grid array devices assembled with and without bumps revealed considerable difference in the breakdown current. The correlation between initial contact resistance of the daisy chain and the final breakdown current was also determined. Preliminary experiments and findings, discussed in this paper, show the viability of the ACA for mixed SMT assembly. Further experimentations will include in situ contact resistance measurements during thermal aging, temperature–humidity aging, drop testing and thermal shock.

A method for determining elastic properties of micron-sized polymer particles by using flat punch test

Micron-sized metal coated polymer particles are used in developing anisotropic conductive adhesives (ACA). The mechanical properties of polymer particles are of crucial importance for the reliability and design of ACA. In this paper we present a method to determine the mechanical properties of polymer sphere particles under large deformation by using a flat punch test-soft elastic sphere against a rigid flat. Finite element analyses have been carried out to study large deformation contacts. It has been shown that the classical Hertz solution works only for very small sphere deformation (less than 1% compression strain) and Tatara’s solution works well for sphere compression up to 20%, beyond that large strain effect should be considered. For compression less than 20%, both the compression stress–strain curves and lateral expansion strain–compression strain curves can be normalized by a function of the Poisson ratio. Based on the finite element results, explicit equations describing these relations are presented for determining the Young’s modulus and Poisson ratio of polymer particles at large deformation. The proposed method has been applied to analyze the experimental results of typical polymer particles used for conductive adhesives from a specially built capacitance-based flat punch test.

High performance anisotropic conductive adhesives for lead‐free interconnects

PurposeTo study the interface properties of anisotropic conductive adhesives (ACAs) and improve the electrical properties of ACA joints as a replacement for Sn/Pb solder in the electronics industry.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, different types of self‐assembled monolayer (SAM) compounds were introduced into the interface between the metal filler and the substrate bond pad. The formation of these SAMs on gold and silver surface and their thermal stability were investigated by measuring the contact angles with water of these SAM coated surfaces. The SAM compounds used had either hydrophilic or hydrophobic tail groups, and included octadecanethiol (ODT), mercpatoacetic acid (MAA), 1,4‐benzenedithiol (dithiol) and malonic acid (acid M). Epoxy resins with two different curing temperatures were used as polymer matrices for the ACA formulations. The electrical properties of ACA joints containing these SAMs were studied by measuring their current‐voltage relationship.FindingsThe results show that SAMs can be successfully coated onto specific metal surfaces, depending on the affinity of their functional groups with the specific metal. The SAM treated ACA joints show much lower resistance at the same applied current than non‐treated joints, and the effect on the low curing temperature epoxy matrices was more significant. Nano‐Ag filled ACAs show more significant improvements in their electrical properties due to the greater surface area and higher surface energy of nano‐particles and consequently their higher thermal stability when coated with SAMs.Originality/valueThis paper is the first to use functional organic monolayers to enhance the interface properties of electrically conductive adhesives and, in particular, for ACAs.

Effect of elastic recovery on the electrical contact resistance in anisotropic conductive adhesive assemblies

The successful design of anisotropic conductive adhesive (ACA) assemblies depends mainly on the accurate prediction of their electrical contact resistance. Among the parameters that influence this resistance, the bonding force used to compress the conductive particles against the conductive tracks during the assembly process is very important. This paper investigates how the contact resistance changes as the bonding force is removed at the end of the assembly process when the epoxy resin used to bond the surfaces has cured. The final contact resistance is determined by examining, through theoretical, experimental and numerical analyzes, the evolution of the residual stress as the elastic recovery of the compressed conductive particles and tracks takes place when the bonding force is removed. An iterative algorithm derived from methods found in fracture mechanics analysis is used to determine the relationship between the contact resistance, the adhesive strength and the stiffness of the cured resin. It is shown that smaller values of adhesive strength yield higher contact resistance values; and similarly, smaller values of modulus of elasticity of the resin lead to higher contact resistance values.

RLC effects in fine pitch anisotropic conductive film connections

PurposeThe resistance, capacitance and inductance of anisotropic conductive film (ACF) connections determine their high frequency electrical characteristics. The presence of capacitance and inductance in the ACF joint contributes to time delays and cross‐talk noise as well as simultaneous switching noise within the circuit. The purpose of this paper is to establish an experimental method for estimating the capacitance and inductance of a typical ACF connection. This can help to provide a more detailed understanding of the high frequency performance of ACF assemblies.Design/methodology/approachExperiments on the transient response of an ACF joint were performed using a digital oscilloscope capable of achieving the required ns resolution. An equivalent circuit model is proposed in order to quantify the capacitance (C) and inductance (L) of a typical ACF connection and this model is fitted to the experimental data. The full model consisted of two resistors, an inductor, and a capacitor.FindingsThe capacitance and inductance of a typical ACF connection were estimated from the measured transient response using Kirchhoff's voltage law. The method for estimation of R, L, and C from the transient response is discussed, as are the RLC effects on the high frequency electrical characteristics of the ACF connection.Research limitations/implicationsThere was decay time deviation between the calculation and the experiment. It may have resulted from the skin effect in the high frequency response and the adhesive surrounding joint as well. The main reason may be the capacitance zctric lost. Further research work will be done to determine more accurately the dielectric losses in anisotropic conductive adhesive (ACA) joint.Originality/valueThis paper presents a new method to characterise the high frequency properties of ACA interconnections and will be of use to engineers evaluating the performance of ACF materials in high frequency applications.

Enhancement of electrical properties of anisotropically conductive adhesive joints via low temperature sintering

AbstractThe electrical properties of anisotropically conductive adhesives (ACAs) joints through low temperature sintering of nano silver (Ag) particles were investigated and compared with that of the submicron‐sized Ag‐filled ACA and lead‐free solder joints. The nano Ag particles used exhibited sintering behavior at significantly lower temperatures (<200°C) than at the bulk Ag melting temperature (960°C). The sintered nano Ag particles significantly reduced the joint resistance and enhanced the current carrying capability of ACA joints. The improved electrical performance of ACA was attributed to the reduced interfaces between the Ag particles and the increased interfacial contact area between nano Ag particles and bond pads by the particle sintering. The reduced joint resistance was comparable to that of the lead‐free (tin/3.5 silver/0.5 copper) metal solder joints. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 99: 1665–1673, 2006

Monolayer-protected silver nano-particle-based anisotropic conductive adhesives: Enhancement of electrical and thermal properties

Two types of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), dicarboxylic acid and dithiol, were used to treat the silver nanoparticles. Thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), and contact angle results indicated that the SAMs were well coated on the silver nanoparticles and thermally stable below 150°C. By introducing the monolayer-coated silver nanoparticles into the anisotropic conductive adhesives (ACAs), the electrical properties and thermal conductivity of ACAs were significantly improved. The joint resistance of the ACA decreased from 10−3 Ohm to 10−5 Ohm with SAMs-coated silver fillers, and the current carrying capability of ACAs was also obviously improved. The improved electrical properties are due to the stronger bonding between nanofillers and the SAM coating materials; consequently, this improved the ACA interfacial properties. The enhanced interfacial properties with the SAM-protected nanofillers also attributed to the improved thermal conductivity of ACAs.

Flip chip interconnection with anisotropic conductive adhesives for RF and high-frequency applications

Anisotropic conductive adhesives (ACAs) are as promising interconnect materials for flip chip assembly in low cost, high-density, high-speed interconnection packages. We evaluated and compared several flip chip interconnects that use ACAs at the radio frequency (RF) and high-frequency range. The performance of high-speed circuits is limited by the package interconnect discontinuity which is due to large inductance and resistance in the high-frequency range. This discontinuity is determined by the interconnection geometry and materials used. For bumps on the integrated circuit (IC), we used Au studs, Au electroplated and electroless Ni/Au bumps, for the interconnection adhesives, we used two kinds of anisotropic conductive film (ACF) with a different dielectric constant. To evaluate the high frequency model parameters, which we based on an ACF flip chip model and network analysis, we took the high-frequency measurements of test flip chip vehicles that used different bonding materials. Furthermore, to demonstrate real applications for an ACF interconnection at the RF and high-frequency range, we applied ACF flip chip technologies to assemble a passive device that uses an RF integrated passive device. We also applied these technologies to an active device that uses a highly integrated monolithic microwave (IC) device on an RF module. Moreover, we compared the high-frequency characteristics of these devices with those of flip chip assemblies fabricated with conventional methods such as solder ball interconnection.

Chip Warpage Damage Model for ACA Film Type Electronic Packages

The use of anisotropically conductive adhesives (ACA) for the direct interconnection of flipped silicon chips to printed circuits (flip chip packaging), offers numerous advantages such as reduced thickness, improved environmental compatibility, lowered assembly process temperature, increased metallization options, cut downed cost, and decreased equipment needs. Despite numerous benefits, ACA film type packages bare several reliability problems. The most critical issue among them is their electrical performance deterioration upon consecutive thermal cycles attributed to gradual delamination growth through chip and adhesive film interface induced by CTE mismatch driven shear and peel stresses. In this study, warpage of the chip is monitored by real time moiré interferometer during –50oC to +125oC temperature range. Moreover, reduction in chip warpage due to increase in delamination length is obtained as in function of thermal fatigue cycles. Finally, a new model to predict damage level of ACA package and remained life is proposed and developed.

Formulation and characterization of anisotropic conductive adhesive paste for microelectronics packaging applications

There has been a steadily increasing interest in using electrically conductive adhesives as interconnecting materials in electronics manufacturing. In this paper, several anisotropic conductive adhesive (ACA) pastes were formulated, which consist of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol F or diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A as polymer matrix, imidazoles as curing agents, and different sizes of silver (Ag) powders or gold (Au)-coated polymer spheres as conductive particles. The effects of ACA resin and different curing agents, as well as different conductive particles, on flexible substrate of the flip-chip joint were studied. The results show that the size and type of different conductive particles have very limited influence on an ACA flip-chip joint. The ACA resin as well as the curing agent can affect the reliability of the joint. The same results can be applied for the failure analysis of ACA flip-chip technology.

Effect of filler content on the dielectric properties of anisotropic conductive adhesives materials for high-frequency flip–chip interconnection

The dielectric property of anisotropic conductive film (ACF) as an interconnect materials in the flip–chip joints is becoming important concern for device packaging solution at high-frequency due to low parasitic effect on the signal transfer. The effects of non-conductive, dielectric filler content on dielectric properties of ACA materials, like dielectric constant, loss factor and loss tangent, and conductivity at high-frequency were investigated. Frequency is dominating factor in determining dielectric constant, loss factor, and conductivity. However, the filler content is dominant only on dielectric constant, not on the loss factor, and conductivity at low-frequency range. The effect of low dielectric constant (low- k) filler addition on high-frequency behavior of ACF interconnection in flip–chip assembly was also investigated. Impedance parameters of low- k ACF with Ni filler and low- k SiO 2 filler extracted from measurement were compared with that of conventional ACF with only Ni filler. The resonant frequency of conventional ACF flip–chip interconnect was 13 GHz, while the resonant frequency of low- k ACF including low- k SiO 2 filler was found at 15 GHz. This difference is originated from capacitance decrease of polymer matrix between bump and substrate pad due to change in dielectric constant of polymer matrix, which was verified by measurement-based modeling. The high-frequency property of the conductive adhesive flip–chip joint, such as resonant frequency can be enhanced by low- k polymer matrix.

A general Weibull model for reliability analysis under different failure Criteria-application on anisotropic conductive adhesive joining technology

In this paper, a generic four-parameter model has been developed and applied to the anisotropic conductive adhesive (ACA) flip-chip joining technology for electronics packaging applications. The model can also be used to predict any minimum failure cycles if the maximum acceptable failure criterion (in this case, a preset electrical resistance value) is set. The original reliability testing from which the test data was obtained was carried out on flip-chip anisotropically conductive adhesive joints on an FR-4 substrate. In the study, nine types of ACA and one nonconductive film (NCF) were used. In total, nearly 1000 single joints were subjected to reliability tests in terms of temperature cycling between -40/spl deg/C and 125/spl deg/C with a dwell time of 15 min and a ramp rate of 110/spl deg/C/min. The reliability was characterized by single contact resistance measured using the four-probe method during temperature cycling testing up to 3000 cycles. A single Weibull model is used for two failure definitions defined as larger than 50 m/spl Omega/ and larger than 100 m/spl Omega/ respectively using the in situ electrical resistance measurement technique. The failure criteria are incorporated into this Weibull model. This paper shows the flexibility and usefulness of Weibull distribution in this type of applications.

SMT-compatibility of adhesive flip chip on foil interconnections with 40-/spl mu/m pitch

The manufacturing and reliability of a novel type of first-level interconnections is described. Anisotropic conductive and nonconductive adhesives are used to electrically bond flip chip ICs with a pitch of 60 and 40 /spl mu/m to flexible substrates. Analyses cover the initial state of the samples as well as their performance in the JEDEC moisture sensitivity level assessment and subsequent life testing. From the different behavior of the two types of adhesives a failure mechanism issues for the reflow-soldering test.

Anisotropic conductive adhesives with enhanced thermal conductivity for flip chip applications

In this paper, we present the development work of anisotropic conductive adhesives (ACA) with particular emphasis on the enhanced thermal conductivity of ACAs for flip chip applications. To ensure good thermal conductivity, we incorporated silicon carbide (SiC) fillers in the ACA formulation. For the characterization of modified ACAs with enhanced thermal conductivity by loading different content of SiC fillers, measurements of thermal conductivity and thermomechanical analyses such as dynamic scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and thermomechanical analysis (TMA) were performed. The current carrying capability and reliability of flip chip joints using conventional ACA and novel ACA with enhanced thermal conductivity were compared to investigate the role of ACA as a new thermal transfer medium in the flip chip assembly. We developed a new ACA with high thermal conductivity which can improve reliability under high current stressing. This paper is part of a broad study of thermally conductive ACAs for flip chip packaging and other electronic packaging technologies.

Recent advances on anisotropic conductive adhesives (ACAs) for flat panel displays and semiconductor packaging applications

Anisotropic conductive films (ACFs) consist of conducting particles and adhesive polymer resins in a film type and have been widely used for the flat panel display module to be high-resolution, light weight, thin profile and low power consumption in forms of out lead bonding (OLB), flex to printed circuit board bonding (PCB), chip-on-glass (COG) and chip-on-film (COF) in last decades. As the interconnection pitch between driver IC and flex is decreasing, ACF materials have been evolved to meet the fine pitch capability, low-temperature curing and strong adhesion requirements. Multi-layered ACF structures such as double and triple-layered ACFs were developed for the same reason. Flip chip technology has been well-known as one of the solutions to meet today's semiconductor packaging needs of miniaturization of package size as well as reduction in interconnection distance, resulting in high electrical performance. Especially, flip chip assembly using anisotropic conductive adhesives (ACAs) has been gaining much attention for its simple and lead-free processing as well as cost-effective packaging method. High mechanical reliability, good electrical performance at high-frequency range and effective thermal conductivity for high current density are the required properties for the ACF material for wide use in the flip chip application. In this paper, an overview on the principles, recent development and applications of ACF materials for flat panel displays and semiconductor packaging applications, with focus on the fine pitch capability, low-temperature bonding process, electrical/mechanical/thermal performance and wafer level package using ACFs are described.

The prediction of failure probability in anisotropic conductive adhesive (ACA)

This paper develops a model for predicting the failure probability of flip chip packaging using anisotropic conductive adhesive (ACA). The proposed approach modifies the box model to improve the accuracy of the bridging probability estimation by considering bridging in all directions. In the current failure analysis, probability theory is applied to calculate the probability of both opening and bridging failure. The Poisson distribution is used to calculate the probability of opening in the vertical gap between the pads, while the modified box model is used to estimate the probability of bridging between the pads. The results indicate that the modified box model provides an effective means of accurately estimating the probability of failure. The failure analysis takes the volume fraction of the conductive particles as the major variable in defining the optimal ACA design condition. A V-shaped curve model can be employed to establish an appropriate value of the volume fraction as a function of conductive particle radius, pitch, and pad dimensions such that the overall probability of failure is minimized.

Thermal Cycling Reliability and Delamination of Anisotropic Conductive Adhesives Flip Chip on Organic Substrates With Emphasis on the Thermal Deformation

One of the most important issues whether anisotropic conductive film (ACF) interconnection technology is suitable to be used for flip chip on organic board applications is thermal cycling reliability. In this study, thermally induced deformations and warpages of ACF flip chip assemblies as a function of distance from neutral point (DNP) and ACF materials properties were investigated using in situ high sensitivity moire´ interferometry. For a nondestructive failure analysis, scanning acoustic microscopy investigation was performed for tested assemblies. To elucidate the effects of ACF material properties and DNP on the thermal cycling reliability of ACF assembly, Weibull analysis for the lifetime estimation of ACF joint was performed, and compared with thermal deformations of ACF flip chip assembly investigated by moire´ interferometry. Results indicate that the properties of ACF have a significant role in the thermal deformation and reliability performance during thermal cycling testing. Therefore, optimized ACF properties can enhance ACF package reliability during thermal cycling regime.

Interfacial Adhesion of Anisotropic Conductive Adhesives on Polyimide Substrate

There has been steadily increasing interest in using electrically conductive adhesives as interconnecting materials in electronics manufacturing. Simple processing, low processing temperature and fine pitch capability are the major advantages of conducting adhesive technology. A new and innovative connection technology geared towards achieving increased functionality at a lower total system cost is anisotropic conductive adhesive (ACA) interconnection. ACAs, when used for flip chip assembly, provide electrical as well as mechanical interconnections for fine pitch applications. This work deals with adhesion issues between ACA on polyimide materials. The paper presents a reliability assessment of adhesive joints using ACA on polyimide substrate that was conducted by testing samples at various aging temperature, high humidity and high pressure environments. The effects of high temperature and high humidity on the bond strength of ACA joints were measured using 90 deg peel test as well as by microstructural examination. It was found that aging generally caused a decrease in peel strength, especially the results of scanning electronic microscopy showed that the pressure cooker test could most effectively reveal the adhesion behavior.

Correlation of material properties to reliability performance of anisotropic conductive adhesive flip chip packages

The anisotropic conductive adhesive (ACA) is a promising solder alternative candidate that shows potential for further pitch reduction. Although much work has been published on ACA joint behavior, study on correlation of material properties with reliability performance is still lacking. The main objective in this study was to identify the impact of material properties on reliability, so as to engineer highly reliable microelectronics assemblies. Four representative ACA materials (both film and paste types) with diverse properties were selected. Material properties were characterized as close as possible to "stress test" conditions so as to allow more accurate correlation predictions. Reliability performance was obtained by assembling test chips of 200-/spl mu/m pitch onto BT-substrates, then subjecting them to reliability tests. Correlation analysis was conducted and key material properties that contributed to good reliability performance were identified. Findings indicated that the best properties for high reliability assemblies were: high adhesion strength after subjecting to "stress aging", low coefficient of moisture expansion (CME) and low elastic modulus (E).

Investigation of Conductive Adhesive Bonding Using UV Curable Anisotropic Conductive Adhesives at Different Curing Conditions

Generally, adhesive materials can be cured in a short time under high curing temperature. High curing temperature usually leads to an increase in cross-link density and a homologous increase in heat resistance. Nevertheless, curing process under high temperature problems can occur such as the inclination for the adhesive materials to shrinkage, cracks, voids and it would probably lower the dielectric properties. UV curing of anisotropic conductive adhesives (ACAs) offers several advantages over the conventional epoxy resin, including rapid cure, little to no emission of volatile organic compounds and without affecting other components in the assembly [Pataki, W. S., 1997, “Optimization of Free-Radical Initiation Reactions in the Electrical Industry,” Electrical Insulation Conference and Electrical Manufacturing and Coil Winding Conference Proceedings, pp. 745–751]. Based on the aforementioned advantages, it is worth investigating the bonding properties at different curing conditions. In this work, a new type of UV curable ACA for chip-on-flex application is presented. The adhesive bonds of the chip-on-flex application are cured at different cure cycles within a range of UV frequencies. Cure cycles in this work were the different periods of time that were needed to cure the ACAs under different UV light intensities. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy with attenuated total internal reflection was used to investigate the curing degree of the ACAs at different cure cycles. The result shows that the longer the curing time and the larger the UV intensity, the higher the curing degree can be obtained. Furthermore, the curing time in the UV curable ACA was much shorter than that of the conventional thermal curable ACAs. Shear test was done to find out the shear strength of the bonding. Finally, after shear test, scanning electron microscope was used to investigate the fracture mode of the chip-on-flex application at different curing cycles.