Process Optimization Study on Leadframe Surface Enhancements for Delamination Mitigation

Package delamination has been a recurring problem in the semiconductor industry. Material interfaces are weak regions which are susceptible to fracture. Leadframe technology has been ramping-up the development of new solutions to mitigate the risks of delamination. In this study, die attach process parameters of certain leadframe improvements were optimized by design of experiment and hypothesis testing. The results have shown optimal response at 3% anti-EBO and 70%-85% dimple coverage. The latter had greater impact on die shear strength and bond line thickness. The better performance of higher dimple coverage was attributed to a more extensive mechanical anchoring of polymer chains of adhesives onto the etched leadframe.