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2. A RELIABLE WAFER-LEVEL CHIP SCALE PACKAGE (WLCSP)
TECHNOLOGY
Umesh Sharma, Ph.D., Philip Holland, and Harry Gee
California Micro Devices, Inc.
Milpitas, CA
umeshs@cmd.com, philh@cmd.com, and harryg@cmd.com
Metin Ozen, Ph.D., and Can Ozcan
Ozen Engineering, Inc.
Sunnyvale, CA
Metin@ozeninc.com, and can@ozeninc.com
ABSTRACT
In conventional WLCSP process, after defining the under
bump metal (UBM) layer, a solder ball is dropped in the
UBM opening. A subsequent thermal reflow cycle melts the
solder ball and cools it in a well defined shape on top of the
UBM layer. One draw back of this technology is the fracture
or cracking of passivation film that may occur during the
solder ball reflow process. The cracks in the passivation
expose the underlying semiconductor devices to the ambient
environment. Such cracks result in long term reliability
problems or complete failure depending on the extent of the
exposure to harmful ambient.
In this paper, we systematically analyze the problem of
passivation cracking and present a WLCSP process that is
resistant to cracking during solder flow and subsequent
multiple reflow steps. ANSYS thermo-mechanical finite
element modeling software is used to model the WLCSP
structure and process flow to evaluate stress and
deformation at various points across the device structure.
Contour plots clearly highlight the high stress regions and
pinpoint the potential failure region. The use of ANSYS
software in optimizing process parameters, and predicting
reliability is presented. The experimental results confirm
our simulation results and we conclude by presenting an
optimized process that is resistant to passivation cracking
and resulting failures.
Keywords: WLCSP, passivation cracks, re-passivation,
ANSYS, simulations
INTRODUCTION AND PROBLEM DESCRIPTION
WLCSP is a well established IC package technology. In its
simplest form, the WLCSP process technology requires an
under ball metallization layer (UBM) deposited and
patterned over the passivation openings on a wafer.
Subsequently, a solder ball is dropped through a stencil
mask on the UBM stack. The wafer is then subjected to a
thermal flow process in an oven. The thermal treatment
melts the solder ball and cools it in a well defined shape as
shown in Fig. 1.
The entire structure is subject to thermo-mechanical stresses
during the solder melt and subsequent solidification and
cool down to room temperature.
Figure 1. WLCSP ball formation – Cross sectional view
The forces are severe enough to create cracks in the
underlying passivation film. Fig. 2 shows the cracks and
their propagation along the surface and in the film.
Figure 2. Cracks in the passivation film after solder flow.
The SEM on the left shows a portion of the ball structure
and the two SEMs on the right highlight the cracked regions.
Solder Ball
UBM Stack
Passivation
Metal Pad
Crack

3. These cracks left in the passivation film expose the
underlying structures to the harmful ambient environment. It
is quite easy for moisture and other contaminants to
penetrate the device structures through the cracks leading to
circuit failure. Besides environmental damage, the primary
catastrophic failure is caused when the IC is assembled on
the PC board using conventional SMT techniques. Standard
procedures for mounting the ICs on a PC board require
application of a “flux” and then a thermal cycle to melt the
solder. It is during the flux application process, we have
seen the most damage done to the IC. Figure 3 clearly
highlights this problem. The flux can easily migrate through
the crack and attack the metal pad or the metal wiring.
Typical chemicals used in the flux are strong enough to
corrode the metal and etch away selected portions of metal
lines as shown in the bottom SEM in Figure 3.
Figure 3. The flux used during PCB mounting of the IC,
flows through the cracks (top) and etches away the
Aluminum pad (bottom).
The location, density, and size of the cracks in the
passivation film are dependent on several critical parameters.
The solder reflow temperature, the composition of the UBM
material, composition of the passivation films, the vertical
and horizontal geometries of the ball structure, etc., are
some of the parameters that affect passivation cracking.
In this work we embarked upon understanding the
relationship between all of the above factors and the
composite thermo-mechanical stress produced in the
passivation film during solder reflow. The goal was to arrive
at an optimum WLCSP process that would be resistant to
crack formation. We combined theoretical simulations with
experimental results on carefully designed daisy chain
structures to develop the best WLCSP process. In the
following paragraphs we describe our experimental methods
and highlight our major findings.
THEORETICAL ANALYSIS –ANSYS SIMULATIONS
To aid design of experiments and develop a deeper
understanding of the failure mechanism, we created a finite
element model of a WLCSP ball structure. Figure 4 shows a
unit cell of the WLCSP structure. Finite Element Model is
generated using APDL(Ansys Parametric Design Language)
parametrically such that the dimensions, material properties,
and loading conditions can be changed for subsequent
simulations. Periodic boundary conditions are applied on the
finite element model boundaries to model physics with the
representative model. Material models are assumed to be
linear elastic and isotropic for this analysis. Material
properties used in the model are taken from the available
sources in the web[1],[2]. The material names, and
properties are presented in Table 1. Deposition process of
different layers are carried out using the EKILL and
EALIVE commands in Ansys which allow turning-off and
turning-on of the active elements during simulations. This
capability allows the deposition modeling of different
materials at different temperatures. Reference temperature is
taken as 25°C for the model, but the materials are activated
at the elevated deposition temperatures such that the stress
free state is achieved at the time of deposition.
Figure 4. Finite Element Model of a 0.5mm pitch WLCSP
structure. Periodic boundary conditions are assumed.
Table I. Mechanical and thermal properties of the materials
used in the WLCSP structure model.

4. The finite element analysis simulates the thermal cycle
during the entire process. The most relevant information is
the 1st
principal stress before and after the solder flow
thermal cycle. Both the magnitude and location of the stress
vectors are important. In the next few paragraphs, we
present path plots in the passivation layer, around the edge
to extract stresses along this critical path and compare
results for various simulation conditions. The top view of
the path location for the WLCSP structure is shown in
Figure 5.
Figure 5. Top view of the WLCSP structure. The dashed
line shows the path of 1st
principal stress near the edge of
the passivation layer.
Simulations were performed in several batches, varying one
process parameter at a time and evaluating the impact of the
variation on the final stress. An example of such a
simulation is the study of the effect of gradually increasing
the nitride passivation thickness. The nitride thickness was
varied from 8KÅ to 20KÅ in steps of 2KÅ. The results of
the principal stress calculations are plotted in Fig. 6.
Figure 6. The stress in the passivation film is shown as a
function of the nitride thickness. The stress value increases
in the color coded charts from blue to red.
For all thickness values, the maximum stress values are
around the region where the circular metal pad connects to
the metal interconnects. For thinner nitride films, the stress
is highly non-uniform ranging from very high values near
the interconnect regions versus very low values further
away. As the thickness increases, the average stress rises
throughout the film but the peak stress actually reduces.
This is an important finding as it suggests a possibility of
optimizing the stress level in the passivation film by
choosing the right thickness.
Figure 7. Principal stress along the cracking path. As the
path location (a) is varied, the stress increases or decreases
depending on the location. Peak stress is observed at the
pad connection to the metal lines. Average stress rises with
film thickness but peak stress reduces with increasing
thickness.
We ran several simulations and were able to predict both
qualitative and quantitative stress levels in the passivation
film after completion of the WLCSP process. Results from
key simulation runs are presented below in Figures. 8-11.
Figure 8. Principal stress along the cracking path. In this
experiment a dual dielectric passivation film (oxide +
nitride) was chosen. The figure compares 4 different cases:
1) original 12KÅ nitride, 2) Case-1 6K oxide + 6K nitride,
3) Case-2 8KÅ oxide + 6KÅ nitride, and 4) Case-3 12KÅ
oxide + 6KÅ nitride. Clearly, both peak and average stress
values can be reduced by using a dual dielectric film of
oxide + nitride instead of the nitride film alone.
α
X
Y α
X
Y

5. Figure 9. Principal stress along the cracking path. In this
simulation run comparison is made between two WLCSP
processes (0.4mm ball pitch vs. 0.5mm ball pitch). We
observe higher peak stress for the 0.4mm ball pitch case.
This suggests different optimizations for these two
processes.
Figure 10. Principal stress along the cracking path. In this
simulation run, the UBM opening and the metal pad
diameter are varied to study the dependence on layout rules.
Comparing 3 different cases: 1) Original UBM opening =
240um + Pad size = 260um, 2) Case-1 UBM = 240um +
Pad size = 290um, 3) Case-2 UBM = 210um + Pad size =
260um. Peak stress is lower for Case-1 and Case-2.
Figure 11. Principal stress along the cracking path. In this
simulation, addition of a polyimide coat over the passivation
layer is investigated. Stress can be reduced significantly by
adding the polyimide layer. Three cases are considered: 1)
original – no polyimide, 2) Case-1 10um of polyimide, and
3) Case-2 3um of polyimide.
The simulation results above point to a complex relationship
between the passivation film stress and various process and
layout parameters. In general, stress can be reduced by
increasing the nitride thickness, adding a pad oxide layer
under the nitride, adding a polyimide layer on top of
passivation or by carefully tailoring the design rules.
Based on these findings and our anticipation that reduced
cumulative stress would lead to less fatigue and eventually
fewer cracks in the passivation film, we narrowed down our
experimental matrix to just a few parameters. In the
following section we discuss the experimental procedure
and the results of various experiments.
EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES AND RESULTS
Experimental Procedures
To facilitate detailed study of this phenomenon and simply
the analysis, we designed a 5x5 daisy chain with 5 rows and
5 columns of I/Os linked with metal as shown in Figure 12.
After WLCSP processing, the daisy chains were mounted
on a FR-4 board designed to complete the electrical
continuity between the two ends of the chain. Resistance
was measured after mounting the parts on the board. A
crack in the passivation layer would lead to flux going
through the crack and attacking the metal lines underneath.
Failed parts would typical register an “OPEN” or “High
Resistance”.
Figure 12. Daisy chain layout
In a typical 2-sided FR4 board mounting process the IC is
subjected to 2 solder reflows. We also subjected a few parts
to additional 3X reflows with the same temperature profile
as the standard lead free WLCSP mount process. Daisy
chains were visually examined before and after reflows for
any signs of passivation cracks. Daisy chains were also
electrically measured before and after reflows to examine
metal continuity.
Process Experiments
Wafers were split into several groups. Main process
experiments can be summarized as follows:
1) Nitride thickness variation – 6KÅ, 9KÅ, 12KÅ,
15KÅ, 18KÅ
2) Nitride vs. Oxynitride – 12KÅ
3) Oxide + Nitride dual dielectric (6KÅ/6KÅ,
6KÅ/12KÅ, 12KÅ/6KÅ)

6. 4) Deposition Tool A vs. Deposition Tool B (12KÅ
nitride, 6KÅ oxide + 12KÅ nitride)
5) No polyimide vs. Polyimide (10um)
The primary goal of these experiments was to design a
WLCSP vertical structure that is free of cracks in the
passivation immediately after processing and can withstand
3X thermal reflow cycles. After WLCSP processing, one
wafer from every group was used for visual examination
under a high power microscope. The solder balls were
chemically removed from the wafer to allow observations of
cracks in the passivation underneath the balls. Rest of the
wafers were diced and the individual ICs were mounted on
the FR-4 board. The devices were then subjected to 3X
reflows using the same temperature profile as the SMT
assembly process. Daisy chains were electrically measured
after completion of the 3X reflow.
EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS
Results after 3X reflow cycle provide the most dramatic
contrast among various wafer groups. These results are
summarized in Table 2.
% Failed PadsNo. Passivation
After 3X Reflow
1 6KÅ SiN 98.00%
2 6 KÅ SiO2 + 6 KÅ SiN 39.60%
3 12 KÅ SiO2 + 6 KÅ SiN 59.33%
4 9 KÅ SiN 5.60%
5 12k SiN 0.24%
6 6 KÅ SiO2 + 12 KÅ SiN 0.02%
7 15 KÅ SiN 8.80%
8 18 KÅ SiN 0.22%
9 12 KÅ SiON 96.40%
10 6 KÅ SiO2 + 12 KÅ SiON 10.00%
11 12 KÅ SiN(Deposition tool B) 0.02%
12 6 KÅ SiO2+12 KÅ SiN
(Deposition Tool B )
0%
13 12 KÅ SiN + 10um Polyimide 0%
14 6 KÅ SiO2+12 KÅ SiN +
10um Polyimide
0%
Table 2. Summary of experimental results
Upon examining the table carefully we can draw the
following conclusions:
A) SiN passivation thickness: Examining wafer
groups 1, 4, 5, and 8, we can see a definite
correlation with nitride thickness as predicted by
the simulations. From Figure7, we observe a
reduction in the peak stress with increasing nitride
thickness. The experimental results are consistent
with this observation. For 6KÅ nitride film, the
failure rate is as high as 98% but for 18KÅ nitride
film, the failure rate drops to 0.22%.
B) Comparing SiN passivation with Oxynitride
passivation: Group 5 and Group 9 comparison
shows that a single oxynitride film is worse than
the nitride film of same thickness.
C) Dual Dielectric passivation film (SiO2 + SiN): A
comparison of groups 2 and 3 shows that both
groups have high failure rate. Thus, increasing the
oxide thickness does not prevent cracking. But,
comparing 2 and 3 with group 6 suggests the
dramatic improvement in performance obtained by
increasing the nitride film in the stack to 12KÅ.
The failure rate for group 6 is only 0.02%. Using
Oxynitride as the second film instead of nitride
makes matters worse. The failure rate for group 10
increases to 10%.
D) Effect of nitride deposition tool: Experimental
data show that Deposition Tool B is marginally
better than Deposition Tool A as evidenced by
comparing Group 5 and Group 12. This result is
due to minor differences in deposition conditions
such as gas flow, pressure, and chamber design.
E) The Optimal results: From the table it is clear that
the best results are for the case when the
passivation film is a composite insulator consisting
of 6KÅ SiO2 + 12KÅ SiN. The failure rate is zero
(within statistical limits) for this combination,
especially if the nitride is deposited using
Deposition Tool B.
We also investigated the effect of a 10um thick polyimide
layer deposited on top of the passivation layer. This process
is known in the industry as “Re-passivation WLCSP”
process. Schematically, the resulting vertical ball structure
is shown in Figure 13.
Figure 13. “Re-passivation WLCSP” ball formation –
Cross sectional view. A thick polyimide layer is added on
top of the passivation film before ball drop.
Addition of the thick polyimide layer completely prevents
any failures due to thermo-mechanical stresses during
processing or PC board assembly. Because polyimide has a
higher coefficient of thermal expansion (52ppm/K) and
much lower Young’s modulus than either oxide or nitride
films with a CTE of (0.75 – 2.8ppm/K) and Young’s
b
Solder
UBM
Passivation
Metal
Polyimide

7. modulus (68 – 290 GPa) (see Table 1), it provides larger
elongation and therefore a “cushioning effect” during
WLCSP process or subsequent reflow steps. Even if the
passivation underneath cracks due to thermal fatigue, the
polyimide film covers up all the cracks and seals all the
cracks. In this manner, the corrosive flux or any other
harmful ambient element are unable to enter the cracks and
cause damage. The SEM shown in Figure 14, illustrates this
result.
Figure 14. Addition of a thick polyimide layer (top row) to
prevent flux migration.
CONCLUSIONS
In this paper we discussed a commonly observed problem
for all WLCSP products. Various compressive and tensile
forces present during solder flow and subsequent cooling
cycle cause cracks in the passivation film. These cracks
expose the underlying circuitry to harmful ambient
chemicals and volatile compounds during assembly process
and can cause circuit failure.
The best method of preventing assembly failures due to
these cracks is to add a thick layer of polyimide on top of
the passivation film. However, the polyimide layer increases
the manufacturing cost. A second approach requires
optimization of the composition, thickness, and deposition
conditions of the passivation film. Passivation cracks can be
minimized or completely eliminated by using a dual
dielectric layer passivation consisting of oxide and nitride
films. The best results are obtained by using a 6KÅ thick
oxide layer followed by a 12KÅ thick nitride layer.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors would like to thank Sanyo Semiconductor, Inc. ,
and JCAP, Inc., who were involved in supporting this study.
The authors would also like to acknowledge the support of
CMD management in this study, in particular Manny Mere
and Bob Dickinson.
REFERENCES
[1] www.matweb.com.
[2]http://www.flipchip.com/get_started/FCI_bump_design_
guide.pdf