Die Attach Films

Composition of conductive die attach film, DAF

Looking at their core ingredients, conductive die attach films are fundamentally similar to paste versions. They are made from organic resin that may be thermoplastic or thermosetting, incorporated with a conductive filler, and dried into sheets/film of thickness ranging anywhere between 10-40 µm. Polymer resins like epoxies, maleimides, bismaleimides, acrylates, silicone, cyanate esters have been used successfully in commercial films. And conductive fillers like gold, copper, silver, and nickel widely used.

Conductive die attach films are used as adhesives for circuit substrates, and heat sinks joined to metal or ceramic packages and PWBs. Silver-filled films are popular because of their high thermal conductivity in the order of 6 W/m·K. The typical electrical conductivities that make a film useful for EMI shielding lie in the range 5 × 10-3 to 5 × 10-4 ohm-cm.

Properties that can affect conductive die attach film selection

Die mounting temperature

Supplier recommendations for bonding temperatures are a good place to start. The stipulated temperatures show the strongest bonding strength for specified materials. However, because the surfaces to be bonded can vary (roughness, type of material and level of contamination), the die attach process will need to be tested for each new product before scaling production.

Therefore, optimization is necessary to determine the bonding force, temperature, and bonding time that will achieve the strongest bond possible with minimum bondline thickness and negligible voids.

Tg, viscosity, and low stress

The stress characteristics of packages with film adhesives are a function of CTE, elastic modulus, and Tg to varying degrees.

Low modulus DAF can absorb a large amount of stress before fracture occurs. However, because the modulus for thin films at high temperatures is difficult to determine, adhesion at high temperatures is an important parameter when selecting a DAF variant. A DAF with high Tg is recommended at high temperatures. The Tg is the point (range) where the film changes from glassy solid to rubbery. As such, operating close to Tg means that the reliability of an assembly can become compromised. Testing the elastic modulus of a DAF at different temperatures is important.

Dicing

Optimizing the dicing parameters ensures dicing occurs with minimal chipping, cracking, or flying die. Die fly when the adhesion between DAF and dicing tape isn't strong enough. On the other hand, too strong an adhesion will lead to difficulties for die pick up. Appropriate film selection makes a trade-off between these competing challenges.

Good wetting

For handling thin wafers and large die sizes, films characterized with excellent wetting are recommended to enable complete and robust adhesion to substrates. This removes the need to apply excessive pressure that may damage the wafer. On the other hand, poor adhesion in large die can lead to warping and other problems.

Compatibility

For wafers, a film that is compatible with the various wafer processing stages will add a higher level of flexibility and performance to the manufacturing process. For other applications, the type of resin a film is composed of should agree with the substrate, whether metal, glass, ceramics or organics and also the end-use device. The manufacturer's guidelines will prove useful here.

Curing

With every application of heat, the film gets partly cured. This is not a significant issue for processes with few heating steps. However, for multichip packages, the total heat applied for heat treatment at wafer lamination, die attach and wire bonding needs to take into account the curing required for molding. There's a risk of delamination when attempting to mold packaging with fully cured DAF.

Certain films need heat and pressure to be applied simultaneously during curing, e.g., anisotropic films (so that metal filler particles become aligned) or where plastic substrates are involved (so that trapped air and volatiles can be pushed out). Techniques for preventing trapped air or moisture bubbles include curing under vacuum and vacuum baking surfaces before adhesion.

Storage:

DAF contains UV-sensitive components. Therefore, exposure to ambient light for periods of time can initiate curing. Rolled film can be stored from 6 months to a year (depending on the manufacturer) in a dark place before it loses its effectiveness.

Ideally, based on their storage time and minimum order quantity, DAF is suited to large scale manufacturing where these requirements will be matched by production volume to prevent wastage.

Advantages of non-conductive die attach films

The importance of no fillet in thin, small die and multiple die packaging

In traditional die attach paste applications, the leadframe pad is larger than the die. The applied paste flows and forms a fillet around the die edge but must not spread past and flow to the top surface of the die.

Die attach films make the dispensing step obsolete. In most cases, thermal compression bonding melts the film between a die and its substrate. As a result of negligible fillet formation or bleeding, die attach films are suitable for configurations demanding tighter clearance between die and die pad, making it possible to incorporate more die per package, such as in LGA and PBGA. In comparison, using pastes, larger die pad sizes means fewer dies per package are possible.

Processing and manufacturing are easier to control

A wafer already backed by die attach film eliminates the need to apply paste to individual die, essentially removing a repetitive stage from the manufacturing process. Also, no second guessing the thickness of the applied adhesive is required. The film thickness decides the width of bondlines.

The drawbacks of film are their higher price, the need for additional equipment, and generally, their lower thermal and electrical conductivity compared to paste variants. However, manufacturers are still coming up with films having higher thermal conductivities than their previous film products.

Die sizes:

Initially developed for devices using die sizes less than 3x3mm, film manufacturers continue to push the boundaries so their products are suitable for a wider range of die sizes. You will find that often, suppliers offer different grades of dicing die attach film depending on the size of the die. For smaller die sizes (2x2mm), increased adhesion to the dicing tape is implemented to prevent die flying off during dicing. Die attach films for sizes less than 1x1mm and thickness less than 100 µm are now available commercially.

Properties that can affect non-conductive die attach film selection

Dielectric strength and dissipation factor

To provide the required electrical insulation, a NCF will be characterized by low dielectric constant and low dissipation factor. Dielectric strength measures the likelihood of the film breaking down when exposed to a high enough voltage and becoming conductive as a result. Suppliers will state the maximum voltage a component featuring their NCF film can experience and still continue to operate normally.

A low dissipation factor indicates low power losses and the corresponding low heating of circuit components in close proximity.

Curing

Cure temperatures provided in supplier data sheets should achieve complete polymerization of the NCF and the strongest adhesive strength. At temperatures other than what is provided, poor wetting and severe reliability issues can result. Temperatures between 125-150°C for 1-2 s are common, although there are specialized formulations with lower cure temperatures and faster cure times which are attractive for multichip modules.

Voiding, and CTE

Even though compared to paste variants, films exhibit low voiding, voids can become an issue when films are not applied properly (100% void-free is unlikely, 5% is acceptable in many applications). A few factors that can contribute to voiding are the NCF's viscosity, thermal stability, chemical stability, the evenness of the adhering surfaces, and moisture absorption especially for plastic substrates (plastics have uneven surfaces and are hydrophilic). To overcome voids, users will need to address these factors, e.g., through pressure application, substrate preparation, filler selection, and so forth

The mismatch of the CTE of different packaging materials is often the direct cause of warpage that leads to cracking. Used as an adhesive, the selected NCF should be lower than the CTE values of the die and substrate to minimize mechanical stresses after bonding. The presence of voids combined with thermal expansion can lead to film failure.

Good wetting

For handling thin wafers and large die sizes, films characterized with excellent wetting are recommended to enable complete and robust adhesion to substrates. This removes the need to apply excessive pressure that may damage the wafer. On the other hand, poor adhesion in large die can lead to warping and other problems.

Storage

After UV exposure, some film variants deteriorate to such a level that the die pick up and place process is compromised. And due to their expense, it’s important to take into account the work-life of stored NCF.

Suitability to processing, and compatibility to various substrates

Wafers laminated with NCF will still need to undergo further processing conditions without degrading in adhesive and mechanical strength, or thermal properties, e.g., stealth dicing before grind (SDBG) process. Also, the selected film should exhibit excellent wetting and compatibility with typical substrates and applications, e.g., Cu and Au wire packages, solder masks, etc.

Applications for Die Attach Films

Conductive and Non Conductive Die attach Films can be used in a variety of packages and applications such as:

• Board on chip
• Leadframe semiconductor packages: QFN, QFP, SOIC, TSOP, and TSSOP
• Wirebond laminate packaging: Memory, RF sensors, Logic IC, MEMS and MOSFET