Development and application by ink-jet printing of advanced packaging materials

High temperature ink-jet based printing processes (MicroJet) and custom polymer formulations have been developed for use in the fabrication of high-density microelectronic and optoelectronic packages. The enabling technologies for this work have been the development of a high-temperature (to 300/spl deg/C) print head and a set of UV-curing polymeric and oxide-filled formulations satisfying the rheological requirements for application by MicroJet. MicroJet processes have been utilized in the printing of solder bumps and vias, micro-optical interconnects, dielectric coatings, passive microelectronic elements, and adhesives. Potential applications of MicroJet processes and materials include: integrated circuit and chip-scale packaging, optical interconnect fabrication, printed wiring board manufacturing, and flat panel display assembly. The inherently data-driven nature of MicroJet processes lead to higher levels of process integration, lower costs, and increased manufacturing flexibility. Commercial platforms exist for print-on-the-fly solder deposition at rates of over 400 bumps/sec, and similar systems for high speed printing of polymers are under development. The range of packaging applications addressable by MicroJet technology is set to expand rapidly as printable feature sizes are reduced and as new MicroJetable material formulations are developed to meet a growing set of applications.