Surface modification on plating-based Cu/Sn/0.7Cu lead-free copper pillars by using polishing

Thus far, no any effective countermeasure against plating-induced poor uniformity exists in the global packaging market. In this paper, we aim to develop an effective polishing process to improve the poor uniformity existing in advanced double-layer copper pillars. After polishing, the wafer and chip uniformities of copper pillars could be reduced from the original values of 6.8–3.5% and 2.9–0.9%; after reflow, the wafer and chip uniformities of copper pillars reached 3.0% and 1.7%. Excellent uniformity in copper pillars ensures accurate joints, good reliability, high yields, and flexible layouts.