JPH07263614A - Semiconductor device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To assure the junction of a semiconductor chip with a lead frame by a method wherein the content of sulfur in nickel material forming a bump is specified not to exceed a specific value for suppressing the production of an Ni-Sn alloy layer. CONSTITUTION:The carbon content of a lead frame 7, sulfur content and the total content of carbon and sulfur are specified respectively to be within the range of 0.01-0.04%, 0.01-004% and not to exceed 0.07% so that the brittleness of nickel by the thermal effect of the lead frame in the junction time with a semiconductor chip may be suppressed thereby enabling the sufficient mechanical strength to be gained. Furthermore, the conventional production of an Ni-Sn alloy layer can be suppressed by specifying the sulfur content not to exceed 0.04% thereby enabling the connection between the semiconductor chip electrode and the lead frame 7 to be assured.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a semiconductor device provided with a semiconductor chip such as an IC or LSI, and more particularly to a lead frame of the semiconductor device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a metal lead frame has been used for assembling a semiconductor device in which a semiconductor chip is integrated with a resin mold and a plurality of pins are provided in a protruding manner. As shown in FIG. 7, the lead frame has a tab lead 3 for supporting a rectangular tab 2 to which the semiconductor chip 1 is attached at its four corners, a number of fingers 4 having inner ends facing the periphery of the tab 2, and these fingers. 4 and a frame portion 5 that supports the outer ends of the tab leads 3, and sprocket holes 6 provided at regular intervals along both edges of the frame portion 5.

In order to assemble a semiconductor device using such a lead frame 7, first, the semiconductor chip 1 is mounted on the tab 2 and each electrode of the semiconductor chip 1 and the inner end (tip portion) of the finger 4 corresponding to the electrode. And the frame part 5
A flat lead or in-line type semiconductor device was obtained by molding the inside region of the above with a synthetic resin to cover the semiconductor chip 1 and then cutting off the frame portion 5.

[0004]

However, the conventional semiconductor device has a problem in the mechanical strength of the lead frame.
As a result of studying this point, the present inventors have found that the content of the brightener has an effect. That is, when a lead frame is formed by electroforming nickel, carbon and sulfur are used as a brightening agent, and the content of the brightening agent is usually about 0.1%. When the content of the brightening agent is high as described above, the temperature of the lead frame is increased during the bonding (soldering) with the semiconductor chip, so that the nickel becomes brittle and the mechanical strength is lowered. Further, if no brightening agent is contained, the mechanical strength is weak from the beginning, and there is a risk of short-circuiting due to contact with the adjacent lead frame due to deformation during processing.

Especially when the content of sulfur in the brightener is high,
In addition to the above problems, nickel in the lead frame reacts with tin in the solder to form a Ni—Sn alloy layer having poor adhesion, and the lead frame may peel off from the semiconductor chip.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, and to make the lead frame have sufficient mechanical strength.
Moreover, the object is to provide a highly reliable semiconductor device in which the electrodes of the semiconductor chip and the lead frame are securely joined.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the first aspect of the present invention is a semiconductor device in which bumps of a lead frame are connected to electrodes of a semiconductor chip, and sulfur of nickel material for forming the bumps is used. Content rate is 0.04
It is characterized by being regulated below%.

In order to achieve the above object, a second aspect of the present invention is a semiconductor device in which electrodes of a semiconductor chip are connected to bumps of a lead frame, the nickel material forming the bumps contains carbon and sulfur, and Is regulated in the range of 0.01 to 0.04%, the content of sulfur is regulated in the range of 0.01 to 0.04%, and the total content of carbon and sulfur is 0.07%. It is characterized by being regulated below.

[0009]

According to the first aspect of the invention, by controlling the content of sulfur in the nickel material forming the bumps to 0.04% or less, the formation of the Ni-Sn alloy layer is suppressed, and the semiconductor chip is formed. The joining with the lead frame can be ensured.

As in the second invention, the carbon content in the nickel material forming the bumps is 0.01 to 0.04%.
, The sulfur content is in the range of 0.01 to 0.04%, and the total carbon and sulfur content is 0.07%.
By restricting the following, it is possible to suppress the embrittlement of the nickel due to the thermal effect of the lead frame at the time of joining with the semiconductor chip, to obtain sufficient mechanical strength, and to prevent the lead frames from contacting each other. There is nothing.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.
1 is a perspective view showing a cross section of a part of a finger, FIG. 2 is a vertical cross section of the tip of the finger, FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a part of the finger, and FIG. 4 is a finger showing another embodiment. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a cross section of a part of FIG. 5, FIG. 5 is a view showing a manufacturing process of the lead frame, FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a resist pattern of a finger portion, FIG. 7 is a plan view of the lead frame, and FIG.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a connecting portion between a finger and an electrode of a semiconductor chip.

The finger 4 is made of a metal layer and is electrically conductive, and has a groove 4a on the lower surface of the central portion thereof along the longitudinal direction F (see FIG. 1). As shown in FIG. On both sides of the upper surface connected to the electrodes, there are provided flange portions 4b and 4c whose ridge lines are arcuate. As shown by the chain double-dashed line in FIG. 3, the groove 4a is formed in an intermediate portion of the finger 4 excluding the base portion 4d and the tip portion (inner end portion) 4e. The second moment of area for bending is increased with less material.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the tip end 4e of the finger 4 is formed with a thick bump 4f which is connected to the electrode of the semiconductor chip 1. A concave portion 4g extending in a direction substantially orthogonal to the groove 4a is formed on a lower surface of a portion connecting the tip portion 4e and the intermediate portion, and a bump 4f protruding from the upper surface of the intermediate portion is formed ahead of the concave portion 4g. ing.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing another example of the finger 4, in which a metal thin film 4h is further formed on the upper surface of the finger 4 of the above embodiment.
Are laminated. By doing so, the rigidity of the finger 4 can be further increased.

FIG. 5 shows a manufacturing process of the lead frame having the finger structure.

First, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, as a base material, a device hole 9 is formed by press working by a push back method on a film 8 made of a synthetic resin such as polyimide or polyester and having a thickness of about 35 to 70 μm. Set up. In the push back method, as shown in (a), a desired portion is first punched out by a pressing die, and then the receiving die is raised again, and (b) as shown in the figure, a device hole 9 is formed by cutting a cutout piece 10 once.
It is a processing method of fitting and holding inside. Therefore, after processing, the film 8 is maintained in the state of the device hole 9 in which the device holes 9 are not opened, and can be handled as a single sheet. When the device hole 9 is formed, other window portions such as the sprocket hole 6 (see FIG. 7) can be formed at the same time.

Next, on the film 8 which is not opened,
(C) As shown in the figure, a conductive metal layer 11 such as copper is formed by a thin film forming means such as electroless plating or vapor deposition. Further, a photoresist layer 12 is applied on the conductive metal layer 11 as shown in FIG. 3D, or a dry film-like resist layer having a thickness of about 150 μm is adhered to the photoresist mask 13.
Then, the exposed portion is removed by exposing it to a desired pattern and then washing to form a resist layer 12 on the conductive metal layer 11 as shown in FIG.

After the push back, the conductive metal layer 11 is formed.
The photoresist layer 12 has a function as a temporary fixing means for preventing the cut-out piece 10 from falling off, and is particularly effective for temporary fixing of a thin material such as a push-backed material that easily falls off. is there.

Next, the film 8 is stripped with selenious acid or caustic soda, and nickel is electroformed. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3F, the conductive metal layer 11 on which the resist layer 12 is not formed is formed. The lead frame 7 having a desired pattern is formed thereon.

A brightening agent is added when the lead frame 7 is electroformed by nickel. The brightening agent is composed of carbon and sulfur, and the total amount of both is regulated to 0.07% or less. Among them, the carbon content is 0.01 to 0.04
%, And the sulfur content is 0.01 to 0.
It is regulated within the range of 04%. Specific contents of carbon and sulfur are appropriately selected from the above range.

When the content of the brightening agent exceeds 0.07% (that is, the content of carbon is 0.04% and the content of sulfur is 0.04%) and the content is high, the semiconductor chip is as usual. Due to the temperature rise of the lead frame 7 at the time of joining, the nickel becomes brittle and the mechanical strength is lowered. On the other hand, if the carbon content is less than 0.01% and the sulfur content is less than 0.01%, that is, the brightener is not substantially added, the mechanical strength of the lead frame 7 is not sufficient from the beginning. Due to deformation during processing, there is a risk of contact with the adjacent lead frame 7 and causing a short circuit.

For this reason, the carbon content is regulated within the range of 0.01 to 0.04%, the sulfur content is regulated within the range of 0.01 to 0.04%, and By setting the total content of sulfur to 0.07% or less, it is possible to suppress the embrittlement of the nickel due to the thermal influence of the lead frame 7 at the time of joining with the semiconductor chip, and obtain a sufficient mechanical strength. .

Further, by controlling the sulfur content to 0.04% or less, generation of a Ni--Sn alloy layer as in the conventional case is suppressed, and the connection between the electrode of the semiconductor chip and the lead frame 7 is ensured. Can be

By removing the resist layer 12 after the electroforming, the lead frame 7 is formed on the entire surface of the conductive base material, and the finger 4 of the lead frame 7 is formed on the cutout piece 10 by the conductive metal. It is retained via the layer 11.

When the cut-out piece 10 which closes the device hole 9 for joining with the semiconductor chip is pulled out, the lead frame 7 having a cross section as shown in FIG. 3G is formed on the synthetic resin film 8. In this case, the conductive metal layer 11 has a thickness of, for example, 5 to provide the conductivity required for electroforming.
Since the surface of the conductive metal layer 11 on which the lead frame 7 is formed is subjected to a peeling process, the pull-out force is small and the lead frame 7 is not deformed.

After the cut-out piece 10 is pulled out in this way, the semiconductor chip 1 is mounted and connected to the finger 4.

Although the lead frame 7 is formed on the synthetic resin film 8 as the base material in the above-mentioned embodiment, a conductive metal film such as stainless steel may be used as the base material.

In this case, it is not necessary to newly provide the conductive metal layer 11 made of copper or the like as shown in FIG. 3C, and the photoresist layer 12 is formed on the metal film and directly electroformed. It is possible to form the lead frame 7 made of nickel, copper, gold or an alloy thereof on the metal film.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a resist pattern of a finger portion in the manufacturing process.

In the finger portion, in addition to the resist layer 12 for the finger having a desired pattern, a resist portion 12a along the longitudinal direction is formed in the center of the non-resist portion 14 at a position corresponding to the finger 4. The aforementioned groove 4a is formed corresponding to the portion 12a.

A circular non-resist portion 15 separated by the resist layer 12 is formed at the tip of the non-resist portion 14. When a metal having such a resist layer 12 is subjected to electroforming. In the initial stage after the start of electroforming, the finger 4 main body is formed separately from the metal layer grown on the circular non-resist portion 15 separated by the resist layer 12, but the electroforming is further performed. As it advances, the metal on the non-resist portion 15 and the main body of the finger 4 which have been separated are connected together beyond the resist layer 12. Since the thickness of the metal laminated by electroforming depends on the current density, the metal layer on the dot-shaped non-resist portion 15 becomes thicker than that of the flat-shaped finger 4 main body portion. A bump 4f as shown in 2 is formed.

When forming the metal thin film 4h as shown in FIG. 4, a second electroforming process may be performed in addition to the above electroforming process.

Further, when the lead frame 7 is electroformed with a metal such as nickel, it is possible to form the lead frame 7 by superposing two layers of a layer not containing a brightening agent and a layer containing a brightening agent. If electroforming is performed without adding a brightener, the surface will be roughened and the irregularities will become remarkable, so temperature concentration during joining with the semiconductor chip, especially temperature concentration during joining in a pressure-welded state easily occurs, and the hardness is also high. It becomes low, and it is not necessary to apply a large stress to the semiconductor chip, and the bonding can be ensured.

On the other hand, if a layer containing a brightening agent is provided on the side opposite to the joint surface, the mechanical strength of the lead frame 7 can be secured. The content of brightener is 0.07%
Must be limited to:

[0035]

As described in the first aspect of the present invention, by restricting the sulfur content in the nickel material forming the bumps to 0.04% or less, the formation of the Ni-Sn alloy layer is suppressed,
It is possible to reliably bond the semiconductor chip and the lead frame.

As in the second invention, the carbon content in the nickel material forming the bumps is 0.01 to 0.04%.
, The sulfur content is in the range of 0.01 to 0.04%, and the total carbon and sulfur content is 0.07%.
By restricting the following, it is possible to suppress the embrittlement of the nickel due to the thermal effect of the lead frame at the time of joining with the semiconductor chip, to obtain sufficient mechanical strength, and to prevent the lead frames from contacting each other. There is nothing.
As a result, a highly reliable semiconductor device can be provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a cross section of a part of a finger according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the finger.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a part of the finger.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the finger of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a manufacturing process of the lead frame according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a resist pattern of a finger portion.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the shape of a lead frame.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Semiconductor chip 4 Finger 7 Lead frame

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Eiji Sakata Inventor Eiji Sakata 4680 Ikata, Katshiro-machi, Tagawa-gun, Fukuoka Prefecture Kyushu Hitachi Maxell, Ltd.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A semiconductor device comprising a lead frame bump connected to an electrode of a semiconductor chip, wherein the nickel material forming the bump has a sulfur content of 0.
A semiconductor device characterized by being restricted to 04% or less. 2. A semiconductor device in which bumps of a lead frame are connected to electrodes of a semiconductor chip, the nickel material forming the bumps contains carbon and sulfur, and the carbon content is 0.01 to 0.04%. And a sulfur content of 0.01 to 0.04%, and a total carbon and sulfur content of 0.07% or less. apparatus.