Conquering Warpage: Ensuring Reliability in Advanced Panel-Level Packaging

The semiconductor industry is constantly innovating, and Panel-Level Packaging (PLP) is at the forefront of delivering cost-effective solutions across various applications. However, as panel sizes exceed traditional wafer dimensions, a significant challenge arises: warpage.

At INSIDIX, we recognize the crucial role of mitigating warpage in ensuring the reliability and yield of your advanced packaging solutions. Let's dive into why warpage is such a complex issue in PLP and how advanced measurement techniques are providing the answers.

The Rise of PLP and its Warpage Implications

The transition from Wafer-Level Packaging (WLP) to PLP offers considerable cost advantages for specific applications. However, this shift introduces new complexities, particularly in assembly molding, especially when panel sizes exceed 300 mm x 300 mm. Understanding the behavior of mold compounds – their flowability and tendency to warp – is crucial to prevent costly process failures.

The Growing Challenge of Warpage in Larger Panels

As PLP sizes continue to increase, the challenges associated with assembly molding become more pronounced. Warpage directly impacts a product's reliability and yield. Several factors contribute to this phenomenon:

• Material Properties: The inherent characteristics of the mold compound and other materials used in the panel.

• Process Parameters: The specific conditions during the molding process, including temperature and pressure.

• Design Factors: The overall layout and structural design of the panel itself.

Accurately measuring and analyzing warpages across these larger panel formats is essential for optimizing materials, processes, and designs from the ground up.

Advanced Warpage Measurement: The INSIDIX TDM Advantage

To effectively combat warpage in PLP, precise and comprehensive measurement techniques are non-negotiable. This is where INSIDIX TDM (Topography and Deformation Measurement) systems, like the TDM Compact-3 and Compact-3 XL, become invaluable tools for engineers and researchers.

Here's how TDM systems empower you:

• Nanometer-Level Accuracy: TDM systems employ advanced optical methods, including Phase Shifting Projection Moiré and Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), to precisely measure even the most subtle panel deformations at the nanometer level. This precision is crucial for identifying small yet significant warpage issues.

• Real-Time Thermal Profiling: Our TDM Compact models provide real-time warpage analysis across a broad temperature range, from -65°C to 400°C (depending on the model). This capability is critical for understanding how temperature fluctuations during manufacturing and end-use affect panel size and stability.

• Validation of Simulations: The accurate warpage data obtained from TDM systems is instrumental in validating numerical simulations. This leads to superior model adjustments, resulting in more reliable predictions of material behavior and improved processes.

• Data-Driven Material Selection: By measuring the warpage characteristics of various mold compounds and panel materials under diverse conditions, TDM systems provide the essential data needed for informed material selection, ultimately leading to reduced warpage.

• Enhanced Process Control: The high-resolution imaging and in-depth analysis capabilities of TDM equipment enable precise profiling of warpage across the entire panel. This detailed insight helps pinpoint critical areas and fine-tune process settings to minimize deformation and boost yield.

Insights from the Forefront of Research

Collaborative research efforts, such as the iNEMI working group project on "Wafer/Panel Level Package Flowability and Warpage," are pivotal in unraveling these complex interactions. Experimental studies focusing on warpage measurement methods and results consistently provide valuable data that shape industry best practices. These studies often involve testing various panel sizes and materials, employing advanced measurement techniques, and analyzing the influence of different molding processes.

Looking Ahead

As PLP continues its impressive growth trajectory, a deeper understanding of warpage and the implementation of advanced measurement and analysis techniques are absolutely essential. Tools that offer high-resolution, multi-scale analyses of thermo-mechanical behavior are becoming increasingly critical for accurately characterizing and addressing warpage in these larger formats.