Characterization of Commercial Epoxy Molding Compounds (EMCs) with High Thermal Conductivity

As semiconductor devices continue to advance, heat accumulation becomes a major concern, threatening device performance and lifespan. Therefore, efficient heat dissipation becomes a crucial topic in the package development. Recent studies have shown that the incorporation of functional fillers, such as alumina <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$(\mathrm{A}1_{2}\mathrm{O}_{3})$</tex>, hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), and aluminum nitride (AlN) into an epoxy molding compound (EMC) formulation can significantly improve the thermal conductivity. However, these composites are often lab-made with simplified compositions, which may not reflect the complex EMC formulations used in the semiconductor industry. To bridge this gap, we studied the properties of three commercial EMCs with the thermal conductivity of 5 <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$\mathrm{W}/\text{mK}$</tex> (denoted as TC-EMC) and benchmark it to a conventional EMC containing <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$\text{SiO}_{2}$</tex> fillers. The impact of changing the filler type from <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$\text{SiO}_{2}$</tex> to <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$\mathrm{A}1_{2}\mathrm{O}_{3}$</tex> for improved thermal conductivity is discussed, ranging from the specific gravity, thermal stability, thermomechanical properties, moisture absorption and adhesion to copper (Cu) substrates. Understanding of material properties is vital for the development of future materials and to unlock the full potential of advanced semiconductor devices.