Cost Effective 3D Glass Microfabrication

Jeb H. Flemming, Kevin Dunn, James Gouker, Carrie Schmidt, Roger Cook

3D Glass Solutions, Life BioScience
4343 Pan American Frwy NE
Albuquerque, NM 87107

Interposer technologies are gathering more importance in IC packaging as the industry continues miniaturization trends in microfabrication nodes and IC packaging to meet design and utility needs in consumer electronics. Furthermore, IC packaging is widely seen as a method to prolong Moore's law. Historically, silicon has been the material of interest or interposer materials given its prevalence in IC production, but it presents many technical and costs hurdles.

In contrast, glass interposer technology presents a low cost alternative, yet attempts at producing advanced through glass vias (TGVs) arrays using traditional methods, such as laser ablation, have inherent process flaws, such as reduced interposer mechanical strength and debris sputtering among others.

In this extended abstract we present 3D Glass Solutions' efforts in using our proprietary APEX Glass ceramic to create various interposer technologies. This extended abstract will present on the production of large arrays of 10 micron diameter TGVs, with 20 micron center-to-center pitch, in 100 micron thick APEX Glass ceramic and the comparisons of wet etching of APEX Glass vs. laser ablation.

APEX Glass is an ideal substrate for 2.5D and 3D IC packaging applications. Wafer processing is accomplished through standard batch IC processes enabling a low cost alternative to silicon interposers. Furthermore, wet etching of the 3D structures, such as TGVs, produces a micro fracture-free product, leading to a more reliable product. 3D Glass Solutions has demonstrated the optimized production of 8 million 10 micron.