Semiconductor package device and method of manufacturing the same

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/425,723, filed Feb. 6, 2017, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor package device and a method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to a semiconductor package device including an antenna embedded therein and a method of manufacturing the same.

2. Description of the Related Art

Near Field Communication (NFC) is a short-distance, high-frequency wireless communication technology and includes contact-free radio frequency identification (RFID) and interconnection technologies.

The NFC technology can be applied to products such as a credit card, an identification (ID) card, a smart phone or a wireless charger. It would be desirable to improve communication quality and to reduce a total package size of an NFC device.

In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, a semiconductor package device includes: (1) a substrate having a first surface; (2) a permeable element including a first portion disposed on the first surface of the substrate, a second portion protruding from the first portion, and a third portion disposed on the second portion and contacting the second portion of the permeable element; (3) a first electrical element disposed on the substrate and surrounded by the second portion of the permeable element; and (4) a coil disposed on the substrate and surrounding the second portion of the permeable element.

In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, a semiconductor package device includes: (1) a substrate having a first surface; (2) a permeable element including a first portion disposed on the first surface of the substrate, a second portion protruding from the first portion, and a third portion disposed on the second portion and contacting the second portion of the permeable element; and (3) a coil disposed between the first portion and the third portion of the permeable element.

FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor package device in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor package device in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor package device in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor package device in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor package device in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6A , FIG. 6B , FIG. 6C , FIG. 6D and FIG. 6E illustrate a semiconductor manufacturing method in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7A , FIG. 7B , FIG. 7C and FIG. 7D illustrate a semiconductor manufacturing method in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8A , FIG. 8B , FIG. 8C and FIG. 8D illustrate a semiconductor manufacturing method in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Common reference numerals are used throughout the drawings and the detailed description to indicate the same or similar components. The present disclosure will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In some embodiments of this disclosure, for example, in some embodiments in which radio frequency identification (RFID) is used for Near Field Communications (NFC), an antenna structure is used for passive RFID, semi-passive RFID, or active RFID, each of which may benefit from improvements in communication quality and increased communication distance. Of these forms of RFID, in addition to challenges related to transmission through the antenna structure, passive RFID faces an additional challenge in that power to operate logic in a passive RFID device is received by way of an induced current from an associated antenna structure, and the received power should be sufficient to power the logic in the RFID device. Thus, in passive RFID devices, the antenna structure may be used both to receive a power transfer (e.g., the induced current) and to transmit information. Current may be induced in the antenna structure by passing the antenna through a magnetic field, such as a magnetic field generated by an RFID reader. The magnetic field is strongest closest to the source, and diminishes as a distance from the source increases. An improvement in the reception capability of the antenna structure may allow for an RFID device to receive sufficient power to operate the logic of the RFID device at an increased distance from a magnetic field source. Additionally, an improvement in the reception capability of the antenna may also improve the transmission capability of the antenna. Because of the additional challenges faced by passive RFID, some embodiments of the present disclosure are described as an antenna structure useful for improving a passive RFID device. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that such an antenna structure will also be useful for improving other NFC devices, and indeed, non-NFC devices.

FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor package device 1 in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The semiconductor package device 1 includes a substrate 10 , a package body 11 , a magnetically permeable element 12 , a coil 13 , electronic components 14 a , 14 b and an electrical connection 16 .

The substrate 10 may include, for example, a printed circuit board, such as a paper-based copper foil laminate, a composite copper foil laminate, or a polymer-impregnated glass-fiber-based copper foil laminate. The substrate 10 may include an interconnection structure, such as a redistribution layer (RDL) or a grounding element. In some embodiments, the grounding element is a via exposed from a lateral surface of the substrate 10 . In some embodiments, the grounding element is a metal layer exposed from the lateral surface of the substrate 10 . In some embodiments, the grounding element is a metal trace exposed from the lateral surface of the substrate 10 . In some embodiments, the substrate 10 includes a surface 101 and a surface 102 opposite to the surface 101 . The surface 101 of the substrate 10 is referred to as a bottom surface or a first surface and the surface 102 of the substrate 10 is referred to as a top surface or a second surface.

The electronic components 14 a , 14 b are disposed on the top surface 102 of the substrate 10 . The electronic component 14 a may include a passive electronic component, such as a capacitor, a resistor or an inductor. The electronic component 14 b may include an active electronic component, such as an integrated circuit (IC) chip or a die. Each electronic component 14 a , 14 b may be electrically connected to one or more of another electronic component (e.g., the other electronic component 14 a , 14 b ) and to the substrate 10 (e.g., to the RDL), and electrical connection may be attained by way of flip-chip or wire-bond techniques.

The package body 11 is disposed on the bottom surface 101 of the substrate 10 and encapsulates the coil 13 and a portion of the magnetically permeable element 12 . In some embodiments, the package body 11 includes an epoxy resin including fillers dispersed therein.

The electrical connection 16 includes a first portion 16 a and a second portion 16 b . The first portion 16 a of the electrical connection 16 penetrates the package body 11 and is electrically connected to a conductive pad 10 p on the bottom surface 101 of the substrate 10 . The second portion 16 b of the electrical connection 16 is exposed from the package body 11 to be electrically connected to external devices.

The magnetically permeable element 12 includes three segments 12 a , 12 b and 12 c . The segment 12 a is disposed on the bottom surface 101 of the substrate 10 and encapsulated by the package body 11 . The segment 12 c is disposed on a surface 111 of the package body 11 . The segment 12 b penetrates the package body 11 and connects the segment 12 a with the segment 12 c . In some embodiments, a thickness of the segment 12 b is the same as or larger than that of the segment 12 a . In some embodiments, the magnetically permeable element 12 may include a magnetic layer and a conductive layer which is electrically connected to a grounding pad on the bottom surface 101 of the substrate 10 .

The magnetically permeable element 12 is, or includes, a material with a high permeability and low magnetic saturation. The magnetically permeable element 12 can be, or can include, for example, Ferrite, such as, but not limited to, ferric oxide (Fe 2 O 3 ), zinc ferrite (ZnFe 2 O 4 ), manganese-zinc ferrite (Mn a Zn (1-a) Fe 2 O 4 ) or nickel-zinc ferrite (Ni a Zn (1-a) Fe 2 O 4 ), Ferroalloy, such as, but not limited to, ferrosilicon (FeSi), ferro silicon manganese (FeSiMg), iron phosphide (FeP) or iron-nickel (FeNi), magnetic adhesive or other magnetically permeable metal or metal alloy (e.g., another nickel-containing or iron-containing material), or a combination thereof. One measure of magnetic permeability of a material is in terms of its relative permeability with respect to a permeability of free space. Examples of suitable magnetically permeable materials for the magnetically permeable element 12 include those having a relative permeability greater than about 1, such as at least about 2, at least about 5, at least about 10, at least about 50, at least about 100, at least about 500, at least about 1000, at least about 5000, at least about 10 4 , at least about 10 5 , or at least about 10 6 . Magnetic permeability of a material can be measured at room temperature and at a particular field strength, such as about 0.5 Tesla or about 0.002 Tesla. In some embodiments, the permeability of the magnetically permeable element 12 is in a range from about 500 henry per meter (H/m) to about 3000 H/m.

The coil 13 is disposed within the package body 11 and encapsulated by the package body 11 . The coil 13 surrounds the segment 12 b of the magnetically permeable element 12 . In some embodiments, an inner diameter D 3 of the coil 13 is greater than a width D 1 of the segment 12 c of the magnetically permeable element 12 and less than a width D 2 of the segment 12 a of the magnetically permeable element 12 . For example, a projection of the segment 12 c of the magnetically permeable element 12 on the bottom surface 101 of the substrate 10 (e.g., a vertical projection extending from the segment 12 c to the bottom surface 101 of the substrate 10 ) and a projection of the coil 13 on the bottom surface 101 of the substrate 10 (e.g., a vertical projection extending from the coil 13 to the bottom surface 101 of the substrate 10 ) do not overlap. In addition, a projection of the segment 12 a of the magnetically permeable element 12 on the bottom surface 101 of the substrate 10 (e.g., a vertical projection extending from the segment 12 a to the bottom surface 101 of the substrate 10 ) overlaps a projection of the coil 13 on the bottom surface 101 of the substrate 10 (e.g., a vertical projection extending from the coil 13 to the bottom surface 101 of the substrate 10 ).

The coil 13 is, or includes, a conductive material such as a metal or metal alloy. Examples include gold (Au), silver (Ag), aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), or an alloy thereof. The coil 13 can be magnetically coupled to a magnetic field to induce a current within the coil 13 . In some embodiments, the induced current is provided to the electronic components 14 a , 14 b through a conductive line 13 c and the interconnection structure (e.g., the RDL) within the substrate 10 , so as to power the electronic components 14 a , 14 b or other electronic components external to the semiconductor package device 1 . Thus, the coil 13 performs as a wireless receiver (e.g., a charging coil).

In comparable wireless charging devices, the coil is an individual element separated from other electronic components, which would increase the total size and manufacturing costs of the wireless charging devices. By integrating a wireless charging coil into the semiconductor package device 1 as shown in FIG. 1 , the total size and manufacturing costs can be reduced. In addition, since the width D 2 of the segment 12 a of the magnetically permeable element 12 is greater than the inner diameter D 3 of the coil 13 , the segment 12 a can reduce the likelihood of (e.g., prevent) the electronic components 14 a , 14 b on the top surface 102 of the substrate 10 from being interfered with by undesired magnetic fields passing through the coil 13 . Furthermore, the segment 12 c of the magnetically permeable element 12 is used to aggregate the magnetic field to increase the efficiency for generating induced current. The magnetically permeable element 12 is also beneficial for heat dissipation of the semiconductor package device 1 .

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor package device 2 in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The semiconductor package device 2 is similar to the semiconductor package device 1 in FIG. 1 , except that the semiconductor package device 2 further includes a second package body 25 disposed on a top surface 202 of a substrate 20 . The semiconductor package device 1 includes the substrate 20 (e.g., similar to the substrate 10 ), a first package body 21 (e.g., similar to the package body 11 ), a magnetically permeable element 22 (e.g., similar to the magnetically permeable element 12 ), a coil 23 (e.g., similar to the coil 13 ), electronic components 24 a and 24 b (e.g., similar to electronic components 14 a , 14 b , respectively), and the second package body 25 .

The second package body 25 is disposed on the top surface 202 of the substrate 20 to cover the electronic components 24 a , 24 b . In some embodiments, the second package body 25 includes an epoxy resin including fillers dispersed therein.

The electrical connection 26 includes a first portion 26 a and a second portion 26 b . The first portion 26 a of the electrical connection 26 penetrates the second package body 25 and is electrically connected to a conductive pad 20 p on the top surface 202 of the substrate 20 . The second portion 26 b of the electrical connection 26 is exposed from the second package body 25 to be electrically connected to external devices.

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor package device 3 in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The semiconductor package device 3 includes a substrate 30 , a package body 31 , a magnetically permeable element 32 , a coil 33 , electronic components 34 a , 34 b , 34 c , 34 d and an electrical connection 36 .

The substrate 30 may include, for example, a printed circuit board, such as a paper-based copper foil laminate, a composite copper foil laminate, or a polymer-impregnated glass-fiber-based copper foil laminate. The substrate 30 may include an interconnection structure, such as an RDL or a grounding element. In some embodiments, the grounding element is a via exposed from a lateral surface of the substrate 30 . In some embodiments, the grounding element is a metal layer exposed from the lateral surface of the substrate 30 . In some embodiments, the grounding element is a metal trace exposed from the lateral surface of the substrate 30 . In some embodiments, the substrate includes a surface 301 and a surface 302 opposite to the surface 301 . The surface 301 of the substrate 30 is referred to as a bottom surface or a first surface and the surface 302 of the substrate 30 is referred to as a top surface or a second surface.

The electronic components 34 a , 34 b are disposed on the top surface 302 of the substrate 30 . The electronic components 34 c , 34 d are disposed on the bottom surface 301 of the substrate 30 . In some embodiments, each electronic component 34 a , 34 b , 34 c , 34 d may include a passive electronic component, such as a capacitor, a resistor or an inductor. In other embodiments, each electronic component 34 a , 34 b , 34 c , 34 d may include an active electronic component, such as an IC chip or a die. Each electronic component 34 a , 34 b , 34 c , 34 d may be electrically connected to one or more of another electronic component (e.g., one or more of the electronic components 34 a , 34 b , 34 c , 34 d ) and to the substrate 30 (e.g., to the RDL), and electrical connection may be attained by way of flip-chip or wire-bond techniques.

The package body 31 is disposed on the bottom surface 301 of the substrate 30 and encapsulates the electronic components 34 c , 34 d , the coil 33 and a portion of the magnetically permeable element 32 . In some embodiments, the package body 31 includes an epoxy resin including fillers dispersed therein.

The electrical connection 36 includes a first portion 36 a and a second portion 36 b . The first portion 36 a of the electrical connection 36 penetrates the package body 31 and is electrically connected to a conductive pad 30 p on the bottom surface 301 of the substrate 30 . The second portion 36 b of the electrical connection 36 is exposed from the package body 31 to be electrically connected to external devices.

The magnetically permeable element 32 includes five segments 32 a , 32 b , 32 c , 32 d and 32 e . The segments 32 a and 32 d are disposed on the bottom surface 301 of the substrate 30 and encapsulated by the package body 31 . The segment 32 c is disposed on a surface 311 of the package body 31 . The segment 32 b penetrates the package body 31 and connects the segment 32 a with the segment 32 c . The segment 32 e penetrates the package body 31 and connects the segment 32 d with the segment 32 c . In some embodiments, a thickness of the segments 32 b , 32 e is the same as or larger than those of the segments 32 a , 32 d . In some embodiments, the magnetically permeable element 32 may include a magnetic layer and a conductive layer which is electrically connected to a grounding pad on the bottom surface 301 of the substrate 30 . The segments 32 b , 32 c and 32 e cover the electronic components 34 c , 34 d to reduce the likelihood of (e.g., prevent) the electronic components 34 c , 34 d from being interfered with by undesired magnetic fields.

The magnetically permeable element 32 is, or includes, a material with a high permeability and low magnetic saturation. The magnetically permeable element 32 can be, or can include, for example, Ferrite (e.g., Fe 2 O 3 , ZnFe 2 O 4 , Mn a Zn (1-a) Fe 2 O 4 or Ni a Zn (1-a) Fe 2 O 4 ), Ferroalloy (e.g., FeSi, FeSiMg, FeP or FeNi), magnetic adhesive or other magnetically permeable metal or metal alloy (e.g., another nickel-containing or iron-containing material), or a combination thereof. One measure of magnetic permeability of a material is in terms of its relative permeability with respect to a permeability of free space. Examples of suitable magnetically permeable materials for the magnetically permeable element 32 include those having a relative permeability greater than about 1, such as at least about 2, at least about 5, at least about 10, at least about 50, at least about 100, at least about 500, at least about 1000, at least about 5000, at least about 10 4 , at least about 10 5 , or at least about 10 6 . Magnetic permeability of a material can be measured at room temperature and at a particular field strength, such as about 0.5 Tesla or about 0.002 Tesla. In some embodiments, the permeability of the magnetically permeable element 32 is in a range from about 500 H/m to about 3000 H/m.

The coil 33 is disposed within the package body 31 and encapsulated by the package body 31 . The coil 33 surrounds the segments 32 b , 32 e of the magnetically permeable element 32 . In some embodiments, an inner diameter D 4 of the coil 33 is greater than a width D 5 of the segment 32 c of the magnetically permeable element 32 . For example, a projection of the segment 32 c of the magnetically permeable element 32 on the bottom surface 301 of the substrate 30 (e.g., a vertical projection extending from the segment 32 c to the bottom surface 301 of the substrate 30 ) and a projection of the coil 33 on the bottom surface 301 of the substrate 30 (e.g., a vertical projection extending from the coil 33 to the bottom surface 301 of the substrate 30 ) do not overlap. In addition, a projection of the segments 32 a , 32 d of the magnetically permeable element 32 on the bottom surface 301 of the substrate 30 (e.g., a vertical projection extending from the segments 32 a , 32 d to the bottom surface 301 of the substrate 30 ) overlaps a projection of the coil 33 on the bottom surface 301 of the substrate 30 (e.g., a vertical projection extending from the coil 33 to the bottom surface 301 of the substrate 30 ).

The coil 33 is, or includes, a conductive material such as a metal or metal alloy. Examples include Au, Ag, Al, Cu, or an alloy thereof. The coil 33 can be magnetically coupled to a magnetic field to induce a current within the coil 33 . In some embodiments, the induced current is provided to the electronic components 34 a , 34 b , 34 c , 34 d through a conductive line 33 c and the interconnection structure (e.g., the RDL) within the substrate 30 , so as to power the electronic components 34 a , 34 b , 34 c , 34 d or other electronic components external to the semiconductor package device 3 . Thus, the coil 33 performs as a wireless receiver (e.g., a charging coil).

In comparison with the semiconductor package device 1 in FIG. 1 , the semiconductor package device 3 could accommodate more electronic components, which would reduce the total size of the semiconductor package device 3 .

FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor package device 4 in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The semiconductor package device 4 is similar to the semiconductor package device 3 in FIG. 3 , except that the semiconductor package device 4 further includes a second package body 45 disposed on a top surface 402 of a substrate 40 . The semiconductor package device 4 includes the substrate 40 (e.g., similar to the substrate 30 ), a first package body 41 (e.g., similar to the package body 31 ), a magnetically permeable element 42 (e.g., similar to the magnetically permeable element 32 ), a coil 43 (e.g., similar to the coil 33 ), electronic components 44 a , 44 b , 44 c , 44 d (e.g., similar to electronic components 34 a , 34 b , 34 c , 34 d , respectively), and the second package body 45 .

The second package body 45 is disposed on the top surface 402 of the substrate 40 to cover the electronic components 44 a , 44 b . In some embodiments, the second package body 45 includes an epoxy resin including fillers dispersed therein.

The electrical connection 46 includes a first portion 46 a and a second portion 46 b . The first portion 46 a of the electrical connection 46 penetrates the second package body 45 and is electrically connected to a conductive pad 40 p on the top surface 402 of the substrate 40 . The second portion 46 b of the electrical connection 46 is exposed from the second package body 45 to be electrically connected to external devices.

FIG. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor package device 5 in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The semiconductor package device 5 is similar to the semiconductor package device 3 in FIG. 3 , except that the semiconductor package device 5 further includes a connector 56 and an opening 52 g formed on a magnetically permeable element 52 . The semiconductor package device 5 includes a substrate 50 (e.g., similar to the substrate 30 ), a first package body 51 (e.g., similar to the package body 31 ), a second package body 55 (e.g., similar to the second package body 45 ), the magnetically permeable element 52 , a coil 53 (e.g., similar to the coil 33 ), and electronic components 54 a , 54 b , 54 c , 54 d (e.g., similar to electronic components 34 a , 34 b , 34 c , 34 d , respectively).

The connector 56 is disposed on the top surface 502 of the substrate 50 and is exposed from the second package body 55 . The connector 56 may include a plurality of pins to provide electrical connections between the electronic components 54 a , 54 b , 54 c , 54 d and external circuits.

A segment 52 c 1 and a segment 52 c 2 of the magnetically permeable element 52 are disposed on a surface 511 of the first package body 51 . The segment 52 c 1 is connected with a segment 52 a of the magnetically permeable element 52 through a segment 52 b of the magnetically permeable element 52 . The segment 52 c 2 is connected with a segment 52 d of the magnetically permeable element 52 through a segment 52 e of the magnetically permeable element 52 . The segment 52 c 1 and the segment 52 c 2 are physically separated from each other by the opening 52 g . The opening 52 g is used to facilitate the formation of the first package body 51 because the molding compound can be easily injected into the space defined by the segments 52 b , 52 c 1 , 52 c 2 , 52 e to encapsulate the electronic components 54 c , 54 d through the opening 52 g.

FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D and 6E illustrate a semiconductor manufacturing method in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 6A , a substrate 60 is provided. The substrate 60 may include, for example, a printed circuit board, such as a paper-based copper foil laminate, a composite copper foil laminate, or a polymer-impregnated glass-fiber-based copper foil laminate. A magnetically permeable layer 62 a is formed on the substrate 60 . The magnetically permeable layer 62 a may be formed by attaching a Ferrite sheet, sputtering or platting Ferroalloy, coating or filling magnetic adhesive or by other suitable processes. In some embodiments, an adhesive layer can be formed on the substrate 60 prior to the formation of the magnetically permeable layer 62 a.

Referring to FIG. 6B , a coil 63 is formed on the magnetically permeable layer 62 a . In other words, the coil 63 overlaps the magnetically permeable layer 62 a.

Referring to FIG. 6C , a package body 61 is formed on the substrate 60 to cover the coil 63 and the magnetically permeable layer 62 a . In some embodiments, the package body 61 includes an epoxy resin including fillers dispersed therein. An opening 61 h is then formed to penetrate the package body 61 to expose the magnetically permeable layer 62 a . In some embodiments, the opening 61 h can be formed by drilling, laser drilling or etching.

Referring to FIG. 6D , a magnetically permeable layer 62 b is formed to fill the opening 61 h . In some embodiments, the magnetically permeable layer 62 b and the magnetically permeable layer 62 a are formed of the same material. Alternatively, they can include different materials. In some embodiments, a thickness of the magnetically permeable layer 62 b is the same as or larger than that of the magnetically permeable layer 62 a.

Referring to FIG. 6E , a magnetically permeable layer 62 c is formed on the package body 61 to contact the magnetically permeable layer 62 b . The magnetically permeable layer 62 c and the coil 63 do not overlap. In some embodiments, the magnetically permeable layer 62 c and the magnetically permeable layer 62 b are formed of the same material. Alternatively, they can include different materials. After forming the magnetically permeable layer 62 c , electronic components may be formed on an opposite surface of the substrate 60 to form the semiconductor package device 1 as shown in FIG. 1 . In some embodiments, an adhesive layer can be formed on the package body 61 prior to the formation of the magnetically permeable layer 62 c.

In some embodiments, forming the magnetically permeable layer 62 c may further include the following operations: (i) forming a protective layer (e.g., a mask or stencil) on the package body 61 and above the coil 63 ; (ii) forming the magnetically permeable layer 62 c on a portion of the package body 61 that is not covered by the protective layer; and (iii) removing the protective layer. In some embodiments, the operation of forming the magnetically permeable layer 62 c is the same as that of forming the magnetically permeable layer 62 a . Alternatively, they can be formed by different operations.

FIGS. 7A, 7B, 7C and 7D illustrate a semiconductor manufacturing method in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 7A , a substrate 70 is provided. The substrate 70 may include, for example, a printed circuit board, such as a paper-based copper foil laminate, a composite copper foil laminate, or a polymer-impregnated glass-fiber-based copper foil laminate. A magnetically permeable layer 72 a is formed on the substrate 70 . The magnetically permeable layer 72 a may be formed by attaching a Ferrite sheet, sputtering or platting Ferroalloy, coating or filling magnetic adhesive or by other suitable processes.

Referring to FIG. 7B , a package body 71 is formed on the substrate 70 to cover the magnetically permeable layer 72 a . An opening 71 h 1 is formed to penetrate the package body 71 to expose the magnetically permeable layer 72 a . A plurality of openings 71 h 2 are formed to penetrate the package body 71 without exposing the magnetically permeable layer 72 a . At least one opening 71 h 3 is formed to penetrate the package body 71 to expose a conductive pad 70 p on the substrate 70 . In some embodiments, the openings 71 h 1 , 71 h 2 and 71 h 3 can be formed by drilling, laser drilling or etching.

Referring to FIG. 7C , a magnetically permeable layer 72 b is formed to fill the opening 71 h 1 . In some embodiments, the magnetically permeable layer 72 b and the magnetically permeable layer 72 a are formed of the same material. Alternatively, they can include different materials. In some embodiments, a thickness of the magnetically permeable layer 72 b is the same as or larger than that of the magnetically permeable layer 72 a.

A conductive material is formed within the openings 71 h 2 and 71 h 3 to form a coil 73 and the conductive line 73 c connecting the coil 73 with the conductive pad 70 p of the substrate 70 . The coil 73 overlaps the magnetically permeable layer 72 a.

Referring to FIG. 7D , a magnetically permeable layer 72 c is formed on the package body 71 to contact the magnetically permeable layer 72 b . The magnetically permeable layer 72 c and the coil 73 do not overlap. In some embodiments, the magnetically permeable layer 72 c and the magnetically permeable layer 72 b are formed of the same material. Alternatively, they can include different materials. After forming the magnetically permeable layer 72 c , electronic components may be formed on an opposite surface of the substrate 70 to form the semiconductor package device 1 as shown in FIG. 1 . In some embodiments, forming the magnetically permeable layer 72 c may further include the following operations: (i) forming a protective layer (e.g., a mask or stencil) on the package body 71 to cover the coil 73 ; (ii) forming the magnetically permeable layer 72 c on a portion of the package body 71 that is not covered by the protective layer; and (iii) removing the protective layer. In some embodiments, the operation of forming the magnetically permeable layer 72 c is the same as that of forming the magnetically permeable layer 72 a . Alternatively, they can be formed by different operations. After forming the magnetically permeable layer 72 c , electronic components may be formed on an opposite surface of the substrate 70 to form the semiconductor package device 1 as shown in FIG. 1 .

FIGS. 8A, 8B, 8C and 8D illustrate a semiconductor manufacturing method in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 8A , a substrate 80 is provided. The substrate 80 may include, for example, a printed circuit board, such as a paper-based copper foil laminate, a composite copper foil laminate, or a polymer-impregnated glass-fiber-based copper foil laminate. A magnetically permeable layer 82 a is formed on a portion of the substrate 80 . The magnetically permeable layer 82 a may be formed by attaching a Ferrite sheet, sputtering or platting Ferroalloy, coating or filling magnetic adhesive or by other suitable processes.

A coil 83 is formed on the magnetically permeable layer 82 a . The coil 83 is electrically connected with a conductive pad 80 p on the substrate 80 through a conductive line 83 c.

Electronic components 84 a , 84 b are formed on a surface of the substrate 80 that is not covered by the magnetically permeable layer 82 a . The electronic component 84 a may include a passive electronic component, such as a capacitor, a resistor or an inductor. The electronic component 84 b may include an active electronic component, such as an IC chip or a die. The electronic components 84 a , 84 b may be connected to the substrate 80 by flip-chip or wire-bond techniques.

Referring to FIG. 8B , a package body 81 is formed on the substrate 80 to cover the magnetically permeable layer 82 a . Openings 81 h 1 and 81 h 2 are formed to penetrate the package body 81 to expose the magnetically permeable layer 82 a . In some embodiments, the openings 81 h 1 and 81 h 2 can be formed by drilling, laser drilling or etching.

Referring to FIG. 8C , a magnetically permeable layer 82 b 1 is formed to fill the opening 81 h 1 and a magnetically permeable layer 82 b 2 is formed to fill the opening 81 h 2 . In some embodiments, the magnetically permeable layers 82 b 1 , 82 b 2 and the magnetically permeable layer 82 a are formed of the same material. Alternatively, they can include different materials. In some embodiments, a thickness of the magnetically permeable layers 82 b 1 , 82 b 2 is the same as or larger than that of the magnetically permeable layer 82 a.

Referring to FIG. 8D , a magnetically permeable layer 82 c is formed on the package body 81 to contact the magnetically permeable layers 82 b 1 and 82 b 2 . The magnetically permeable layer 82 c and the coil 83 do not overlap. In some embodiments, the magnetically permeable layer 82 c and the magnetically permeable layers 82 b 1 , 82 b 2 are formed of the same material. Alternatively, they can include different materials. After forming the magnetically permeable layer 82 c , electronic components may be formed on an opposite surface of the substrate 80 to form the semiconductor package device 3 as shown in FIG. 3 . In some embodiments, forming the magnetically permeable layer 82 c may further include the following operations: (i) forming a protective layer (e.g., a mask or stencil) on the package body 81 and above the coil 83 ; (ii) forming the magnetically permeable layer 82 c on a portion of the package body 81 that is not covered by the protective layer; and (iii) removing the protective layer. In some embodiments, the operation of forming the magnetically permeable layer 82 c is the same as that of forming the magnetically permeable layer 82 a . Alternatively, they can be formed by different operations.

As used herein, the terms “substantially,” “substantial,” “approximately,” and “about” are used to denote and account for small variations. For example, when used in conjunction with a numerical value, the terms can refer to a range of variation of less than or equal to ±10% of that numerical value, such as less than or equal to ±5%, less than or equal to ±4%, less than or equal to ±3%, less than or equal to ±2%, less than or equal to ±1%, less than or equal to ±0.5%, less than or equal to ±0.1%, or less than or equal to ±0.05%. As another example, a thickness of a film or a layer being “substantially uniform” can refer to a standard deviation of less than or equal to ±10% of an average thickness of the film or the layer, such as less than or equal to ±5%, less than or equal to ±4%, less than or equal to ±3%, less than or equal to ±2%, less than or equal to ±1%, less than or equal to ±0.5%, less than or equal to ±0.1%, or less than or equal to ±0.05%. The term “substantially coplanar” can refer to two surfaces within micrometers (μm) of lying along a same plane, such as within 40 μm, within 30 μm, within 20 μm, within 10 μm, or within 1 μm of lying along the same plane. Two surfaces or components can be deemed to be “substantially perpendicular” if an angle therebetween is, for example, 90°±10°, such as ±5°, ±4°, ±3°, ±2°, ±1°, ±0.5°, ±0.1°, or ±0.05°. When used in conjunction with an event or circumstance, the terms “substantially,” “substantial,” “approximately,” and “about” can refer to instances in which the event or circumstance occurs precisely, as well as instances in which the event or circumstance occurs to a close approximation.

In the description of some embodiments, a component provided “on” another component can encompass cases where the former component is directly on (e.g., in physical contact with) the latter component, as well as cases where one or more intervening components are located between the former component and the latter component.

Additionally, amounts, ratios, and other numerical values are sometimes presented herein in a range format. It can be understood that such range formats are used for convenience and brevity, and should be understood flexibly to include not only numerical values explicitly specified as limits of a range, but also all individual numerical values or sub-ranges encompassed within that range as if each numerical value and sub-range is explicitly specified.

While the present disclosure has been described and illustrated with reference to specific embodiments thereof, these descriptions and illustrations do not limit the present disclosure. It can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made, and equivalent elements may be substituted within the embodiments without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims. The illustrations may not necessarily be drawn to scale. There may be distinctions between the artistic renditions in the present disclosure and the actual apparatus, due to variables in manufacturing processes and such. There may be other embodiments of the present disclosure which are not specifically illustrated. The specification and drawings are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation, material, composition of matter, method, or process to the objective, spirit and scope of the present disclosure. All such modifications are intended to be within the scope of the claims appended hereto. While the methods disclosed herein have been described with reference to particular operations performed in a particular order, it can be understood that these operations may be combined, sub-divided, or re-ordered to form an equivalent method without departing from the teachings of the present disclosure. Therefore, unless specifically indicated herein, the order and grouping of the operations are not limitations of the present disclosure.