Plasma Surface Treatment for Semiconductor Packaging and Assembly
Nordson MARCH offers a variety of plasma treatment solutions specifically designed for the unique needs of advanced semiconductor packaging and assembly, wafer-level packaging (WLP), and microelectromechanical (MEMS) assembly. Plasma applications include cleaning, wire bond improvement, descum, bump adhesion, stripping, and etch.
Achieving high reliability and yield in advanced manufacturing becomes increasingly challenging as package dimensions shrink and material complexity grows. Plasma treatment helps overcome many of these challenges by enhancing surface energy and cleanliness—resulting in improved die attach performance, stronger wire bonds, reduced underfill voids, and minimized risk of package delamination.
Plasma Surface Treatment for Die Attach Adhesion and Reliability: Plasma cleaning activates and prepares substrate surfaces to significantly improve adhesion of die-attach epoxies, creating a stronger and more reliable bond between the die and substrate. Enhanced adhesion also supports better thermal conductivity, improving heat dissipation from the device. Additionally, plasma treatment removes surface oxidation and contaminants, helping ensure void-free die attachment. This oxide removal is especially critical when eutectic solder is used as the die-bonding adhesive, as oxidation can severely compromise bond integrity.
Plasma Surface Activation to Improve Wire Bond Strength and Yield: Gas plasma treatment effectively cleans bond pads prior to wire bonding, removing contaminants and increasing surface energy to improve bond strength and overall yield. Plasma cleaning helps mitigate issues caused by upstream contamination and material interactions commonly encountered in advanced packaging, resulting in more consistent and reliable wire bond performance.
Plasma Surface Treatment for Enhanced Underfill Flow and Wetting: Plasma treatment prior to the underfill process enhances wetting behavior, resulting in faster wicking, increased fillet height with greater uniformity, reduced void formation, and improved adhesion to package surfaces. These benefits are driven by plasma‑induced modifications to surface energy and surface chemistry, which promote more consistent underfill flow and stronger bonds.
Plasma Surface Treatment for Mold Compound Adhesion: Plasma processing prepares package surfaces by increasing surface energy and removing contaminants, enabling stronger adhesion of mold compounds to the substrate. Improved mold adhesion enhances mechanical integrity and significantly improves overall package reliability, particularly under thermal and environmental stress.
MEMS Surface Cleaning and Activation Using Plasma Technologies: MEMS devices—including accelerometers, rollover sensors, and airbag deployment sensors—rely on advanced plasma treatments throughout manufacturing to achieve high yield and long-term reliability. Plasma processes are commonly used for device cleaning, photoresist descum, material stripping (such as photoresist and benzocyclobutene [BCB]), redistribution layer (RDL) etching, and removal of organic and inorganic contaminants. Additional plasma applications include surface cleaning and controlled roughening, chemical bond activation to enhance bondability, and modification of surface energy to improve wettability and ensure uniform fluid flow across the wafer surface.
For expert guidance on integrating plasma technology into your packaging process, contact our team at [email protected]