New interconnection techniques for multichip and hybrid integrated circuits

The semiconductor circuit chip is a fully functional device of incredibly low cost and very high reliability up to the stage where the external contacts are made. It is the subsequent processes which largely determine the cost and reliability of the device. Systems using chips in individual encapsulations, interconnected by conventional means, do not necessarily make full use of the advantages of integrated circuits. By using subsystems containing several chips the cost can be reduced at the same time as giving greater circuit design flexibility. Some new methods of interconnecting the electrodes on separate semiconductor substrates are described. It is shown how these methods can also be used for hybrid systems, e.g., where semiconductor circuits are used on thin film circuits without separate encapsulation.