Adhesion test standardization for multichip module packages

This paper summarizes the adhesion test standard and technique developed collectively by groups from the IBM Research Division, Yorktown Heights, and the Development Laboratory of IBM Microelectronics Division at East Fishkill. This activity was Initiated since the increased complexity of interconnection technologies require a large number of interfaces to maintain their integrity while being subjected to a large variety of processes. For example, reliable adhesion of polymer layers to metals and ceramics plays a vital role in several IBM key product technologies, such as the recently announced Glass-Ceramic Module multichip packaging technology used in the system 390/ES9000, models 820, 900 and 9021, computers and the Metallized Ceramic Polyimide (MCP) products. During the course of these product development cycles, it was noted that, sample preparation and measurement techniques can strongly affect the measured adhesion strength of a multi-component structure such as that found in multichip and multilayer modules. As a result of the observed variability in a multitude of adhesion measurements from many IBM laboratories, it was decided that standardization of the sample preparation and adhesion measurement techniques was required. During the course of collective work between a large number of participants, it became clear, that once a certain number of rules are followed, data collected from different workers can be compared. These rules form the basis of the peel standard which is discussed here. Once the standard measurement of adhesion is implemented, various adhesion promotion techniques can be directly compared, which lead to a swift and facile improvement in the reliability of products and in their development cycle time.