AMMC-XXXX

Production Assembly Process

Application Note 5409

Description
This application note describes and illustrates the handling and attachment of Avagos AMMC-XXXX mmWave bare die.

Recommended Collet Drawing

Handling Guidelines
Avagos GaAs mmWave ICs vary in size but typically have a thickness of 0.004 (0.1 mm). Excluding air bridges and bond pads, they are passivated; therefore, although passivated, top surface handling for devices with air bridges is discouraged. The AMMC-XXXX devices are shipped in a vacuum release tray. This is to ensure the device is secure through transport. Applying a vacuum under the tray causes the gel membrane to conform to the shape of the mesh, which significantly reduces the surface contact area between the gel and the device; thus, the die is easily removed without stress. Removal may be done with tweezers, by picking up the IC from the side edges, or topside by a collet, given there are no air bridges, as shown in Figure 1:

Vacuum Figure 1. Removal of die from a vacuum release tray using a collet.
Note: Side collet is recommended which makes contact to die edges.

Rubber tip

AMMC Chip
Dimension should follow the specification of the product

Thermal Considerations
For purposes of illustration, Avagos AMMC-XXXX evaluation module will be used as an example for the assembly process. Figure 2 is a stack-up of an AMMC-XXXX module. This module uses Rogers RO4003 high frequency laminate soft board. The stack-up materials used in this assembly were chosen for best match of CTE (thermal expansion) and thermal conductivity. Both these elements are critical in determining reliability, longevity and performance of the device.
AMMC - XXXX 4 mil thk RO4003 (8 mil thk) Indium Solder IC Attach 1295SA epoxy Molybdenum Pedestal 5 mil thk Pedestal attach Au/Ge RO4003 (8 mil thk) Indium Solder

Table 2. Materials vs. W/(mK)

Material
Diamond Silver Copper Molybdenum Gold Tungsten Copper/Tungsten Alloy Aluminum Brass Indium Steel Tin Lead nickel RO4350 Air

Thermal conductivity W/(mK)

1000-2600 406 385 334 320 170-180 200-220 205 109 82 50.2 67 34.7 11 0.62 0.024

50 mil Au Plated Copper/Tungsten Carrier

Figure 2. The AMMC-XXXX DC-40 GHz package

The first consideration should be the thermal resistance, in other words, how resistive is the material to heat flow. Thermal conductivity of passive material is measured in watts per meter-kelvin, Wm-1K-1 or W/(mK). For reference, Table 1 is a conversion table from kelvins to Celsius and also from kelvins to degrees in Farenheit degrees.

Table 1. Temperature Units

Conversion From
Kelvins Degrees Celsius Kelvins

To
Degrees Celsius Kelvins

Formula
C = K - 273.15 K = C + 273.15 K = (F + 459.67) / 1.8

Degrees farenheit F = K 1.8 459.67

Degrees Farenheit Kelvins

The second element CTE (Coefficient of linear Thermal Expansion) is just as important as the thermal resistance. The materials, over a temperature range, must expand and contract at similar or equal rates. If one material expands and contracts at a much higher rate than the other, the result would be breakage or cracking of either material, depending on which one is the most fragile. In our case the most fragile material would be the GaAs IC. The thermal expansion coefficient is a thermodynamic property of a substance given by Incropera & DeWitt. It relates the change in temperature to the change in a materials linear dimensions. It is the fractional change in length per degree of temperature change. = 1 L LO T Where LO is the original length, L the new length and T the temperature. Typically, it is given in ppm (parts per million) per degree Celsius. Table 3 below shows various materials rated in ppm/C. The higher the ppm/C the more movement in the rate of expansion and contraction the material will have over temperature.

Table 2 is a list of materials, typically used in the industry, showing their thermal resistance. The higher the W/(mK) the faster heat can pass through the material. Air is the worst conductor of heat; therefore, you can see why it is so important to eliminate air pockets from between your materials. Eliminating air pockets directly under an IC (bare die), which will create hot spots in that area, is very important. If a hot spot is directly under an active area, it will cause the active area to exceed its maximum threshold for temperature; thus, causing it to fail.

Table 3. Materials vs. ppm/C

Material
AlAs AlP Alumina AsSb Copper Cu/l/Cu Cu/Mo/Cu Cu/Mo-Cu/Cu E-glass Epoxy Fused Silica

CTE (ppm/C) Material

4.9 4.5 6-7 4 16.7 8.4 6 6-10 54 55 0.55 InAs InP InSb Invar Konar

CTE (ppm/C)
4.52 4.75 5.37 1.3 5.9

Clean all materials to be assembled by rinsing in acetone, which will remove oils from surfaces. Next rinse all materials in propanol alcohol. This will remove acetone traces and clean off any remaining oils. From this point, handle materials with tweezers to avoid re-contamination.

Process 2: IC Package and Board Assembly

In a well-ventilated GaAs die attach station, use gold/tin to attach the moly pedestal to the base carrier, staying within the marked guideline, per Process 1. Cut the indium ribbon solder to fit the PC boards per Figure 4.
Indium ribbon solder Pedestal Copper tungsten carrier

Molybdenum
Polymers S-glass Silicon Silicon Nitride (Si3 N4) Silicone resins

7.0-7.1
50-200 16 2.6 3.2 30-300

Gallium Arsenide (GaAs)

GaP GaSb Germanium (Ge)

6.86
4.5 7.75 5.8

Tin-Lead Solder 27 Titanium Tungsten 9.5 5.7-8.3

Align edges

As you can see, GaAs and molybdenum are a close match, which is why it is commonly used under the GaAs IC. The silver conductive epoxy used to attach the IC should also be a close match for CTE and have the best possible rating for thermal resistance.

Input PCB Figure 4. Indium Ribbon Solder Alignment

Output PCB

Assembly Guidelines
Process 1: Align and Clean Materials
Using a mechanical sample of the bare die, align the pedestal and IC input and output RF ports of the IC to the PC board RF lines. Mark the aligned position of the moly pedestal on the base material it will be attached to. This should be a permanent mark. See Figure 3 for reference.
PCB IN
AMMC-XXXX Moly Pedestal

Apply indium flux to the copper/tungsten carrier and arrange the ribbon solder and PCBs on the carrier, using the edges for alignment. Place the assembly on a 190 C to 200 C hot plate until the solder melts approximately 10 to 20 seconds. Make sure the PCBs are within the alignment marks made previously. Clean the assembly in acetone and follow with isopropyl alcohol to clean off flux residue. Clean any additional excess flux off with alcohol, using cotton swabs. Distribute an even layer of silver epoxy, approximately 0.002 thick, on top of the moly pedestal where the IC will be placed. Place the device on top of the epoxy and press down gently enough to form about a 1 mil fillet around the IC. Apply the same procedure for any other components needed in the assembly. See Figure 5.

PCB OUT AMMC Device PCB trace alignment

Copper tungsten carrier Molypedestal PCB trace/IC alignment Mark aligned pedestal position in two or more spots on carrier

Figure 3. Alignment of PCBs, IC and Pedestal

AVAGO AVAGO

Silver epoxy paste

Moly pedestral

Silver epoxy - llet (approximately 1 mil)

IC

Figure 5. Epoxy Distribution on Pedestal

Figure 6. Gold Wire Bond Example

Cure the epoxy as recommended by the epoxy manufacturer. Rinse the assembly again using the acetone and isopropyl alcohol procedure. Bond the components with 0.007 gold wire, in accordance with the AMMC assembly drawing. The RF input and output bonds should be as short as possible. See Figure 6.

Silver Epoxy and Bare Die Storage Recommendation

The recommended epoxy is ABLEBOND 84-1LMIT (P/N 0470-2502). Un-opened or unused silver epoxy is kept in a freezer the -40 C or below. For more detail, always refer to the data sheet of the epoxy. Dice should be stored in an anti-static protection environment at room temperature. The recommendation for storage of unused bare dice is in an N2 (Nitrogen) desiccator if a long storage period (over 3 months) is required.

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www.avagotech.com

Avago, Avago Technologies, and the A logo are trademarks of Avago Technologies in the United States and other countries. Data subject to change. Copyright 2005-2010 Avago Technologies. All rights reserved. AV02-1543EN - August 30, 2010