Die Attach Pastes

Properties of conductive die attach pastes affecting their performance

Numerous conductive die attach pastes are available in the market, each with its unique differentiating property. The essential properties to consider that have far-reaching effects on the performance of any given product are: filler composition, morphology, manufacturing, and processing requirements.

Type of filler and thermal conductivity

The majority of polymer resin used in formulating conductive die attach are insulators by nature, so fillers are incorporated to increase their electrical and thermal conductivity. Fillers that have been used commercially are silver (429 W/m·K), copper (401 W/m·K), gold (318 W/m·K), and nickel (90-92 W/m·K). Their thermal conductivity values indicate why silver is so popular.

Understandably, silver-filled die attach pastes are expensive. However, silver exhibits other superior qualities including the fact that silver oxide is stable and conductive. On the other hand, copper-filled variants experience a decrease in conductivity with oxide growth after exposure to high temperatures. Nickel has a low oxidation rate, and given its lower thermal conductivity value, is a preferred filler in low-cost anisotropic adhesives.

Even though the thermal conductivity values of the filler metals are substantial, those of the formulated pastes are considerably lower. A value such as 1.9 W/m·K is not unusual for commercially available silver-filled pastes, while others as high as 7-11 W/m·K are also available.

Percentage of filler

The filler percentage of a composite mixture is important because of the underlying trade-offs. A large amount of metal is necessary for greater conduction, but this affects physical properties like elasticity and mechanical strength.

According to percolation theory, a critical filler concentration exists where the 3-D network structure is established, and the increase in conductivity becomes significant by several orders of magnitude. Beyond this concentration, conductivity does not increase as noticeably with an increase in filler composition. Therefore, only a minimum quantity of filler is required to achieve a degree of electrical performance that is inherent to the composite. Typical values for ICAs lie between 25-30 vol % and 5-10 vol % for ACAs.

Processing requirements

Parameters like temperature, cure time, pressure, storage conditions, and shelf life, impact not only the strength and reliability of a die bond, but also design and manufacturing decisions.

Manufacturing

In addition to the resin and filler, other components like hardeners, thinners and curing agents are added to modify cure rates, viscosity, and other mixtures properties. The die attach paste can be supplied as a single component where the catalyst is latent (usually by storing below -40°C ) until exposed to the given cure temperature. Supplied as two components, you get a separate resin, called part A, and the catalyst, part B. Either or both part A and B may contain the metal filler. The parts are weighed, mixed, degassed and cured. Cost-cutting objectives favor formulations that are solvent-free and have shorter cure cycles.

Curing

Curing involves the polymerization of the resins to solidify them into strong adhesive joints. Curing agents and sufficient heat (oven, UV) are often required for the reaction to occur and the type of catalyst will influence the cure time and temperature.

Typical pastes cure anywhere between 80°C to 180°C and some two-component die attach can cure at room temperature. Snap cure (often one-component) pastes derived from modified cyanate esters can cure in under 1-2 minutes making them an excellent choice for high volume manufacturing.

Storage

One-component formulations often need to be stored in a freezer, and this reduces the ease of using it. If stored incorrectly, adhesives can polymerize prematurely, absorb moisture, or crystallize. Also, if left too long before dispensing at room temperature, an adhesive mixture can separate leading to die bond inconsistencies where some parts are resin-rich and will flow excessively, while other parts are filler-rich and don’t flow easily. Die attach formulations based on bismaleimide resins were developed to counteract the tendency to absorb moisture.

Dispensing

Conductive (and non-conductive) die attach pastes may be syringe dispensed or stencil printed depending on the viscosity of the mixture.

Applications of conductive die attach pastes

• Isotropic conductive adhesives (ICAs), popular for surface mount technology. They conduct electricity in all directions equally.
• Anisotropic conductive adhesives (ACA) used for adhering IC chips to glass panels in LCDs and in tape automated bonding packages. They conduct electricity in the Z-axis only.
• Non-conductive adhesives (NCAs) are useful in applications where the mechanical bond from the die attach is more important than its electrical conductivity.

Properties of non-conductive die attach pastes affecting their performance

Thermal conductivity and heat dissipation

The thermal conductivity of silver-filled die attach pastes makes it excellent for heat dissipation, but in electronic applications where a high thermal conductivity must be combined with low electrical conductivity, ceramic fillers such as alumina and silica are good alternatives. Examples are packaging materials for power semiconductor devices where the heat generated needs to be dissipated to ensure its long life and reliability.

Thermal dissipation through the die attach occurs mainly through conduction and convection. Therefore, the morphology of the filler materials, their shapes, sizes and their distribution in the resin influence the process. Smooth ceramic powders less than 20 µm in diameter are typical.

Thermal conductivity and type of non-conductive filler

The thermal conductivity of diamond is impressive, as high as 1500-2000 W/m·K depending on its purity, and that of diamond-filled pastes can exceed 12 W/m·K. However, the price of diamond is prohibitive for everyday applications. Fillers that have found commercial use are alumina (99%, 40 W/m·K), aluminum nitride (170-260 W/m·K), boron nitride (130-260 W/m·K), and silicon carbide (270 W/m·K).

Percentage of filler and flow properties

Boron nitride at a loading level of 40 wt% can produce a mixture with a bulk thermal conductivity of 8-10 W/m·K, although the thixotropic end result can be difficult to dispense. On the other hand, alumina is low cost and a popular choice due to its more manageable flow properties. When mixed with organic resin, the resulting paste has a thermal conductivity of 1.5 W/m·K at a loading level of 75 wt%.

Therefore, although the thermal conductivity of a paste may be increased by adding more filler as far as the density of the resin will allow (typically, 85%–90% by weight and 40%–50% by volume), there is a point where doing so is no longer beneficial, negatively impacting other properties of the paste, e.g., viscosity. To counter this, thixotropic additives are introduced to improve flow properties. You will find that many commercially available die attach pastes are formulated using similar core resins, fillers, and catalysts but differ in the quantities of these ingredients.

Another factor affecting the thermal conductivity of a paste other than type and percentage of filler is the curing requirement of the paste.

Electrical Insulation

Dielectric constant

A dimensionless ratio that measures the ability of a material to store electrical energy when exposed to an electric field. The dielectric constant for non-conductive die attach pastes used for electrical insulation will typically lie between 2-5. A higher value in the range 6-12 is acceptable where some electrical conductivity can be overlooked.

Dissipation factor

It measures the power loss in a material experiencing an alternating electric field, a ratio of the power dissipated to the power applied. A low value implies the die attach paste, the substrates to which it adheres, and the surrounding circuit components will experience only low levels of heating. At ambient temperatures, typical DF values lie between 0.003 to 0.030 at 1 KHz, and can go up to 0.050 at 1 MHz.

Dielectric strength

It measures the maximum voltage that, when applied across a material, won’t cause dielectric breakdown. Beyond this point (breakdown voltage), a non-conductive die attach paste becomes electrically conductive. Also, dielectric strength decreases as temperature or frequency increases.

Applications of Non conductive die attach pastes

• Leadframe packaging for proper attachment to surfaces like copper, gold, silver, palladium, PPF
• Laminate packaging in BGAs, LGAs
• Printable board on chip for DRAM devices, flexible circuit boards
• For bonding high power LEDs and surface mounted devices, SMDs to PCBs
• For bonding ICs to heat sinks