Inductive Heating of Microelectronic Components

Abstract

A method for heat-treating a plurality of microelectronic structures attached to a non-metallic substrate is disclosed. Each of the plurality of microelectronic structures is comprised of a metallic material, and ones of the plurality of metallic microelectronic structures are insulated from other ones of the plurality of microelectronic structures. An application of the method is for heat-treatment of resilient microstructures. The method comprises the steps of: (a) placing the non-metallic substrate and the plurality of microelectronic structures in an oscillating electromagnetic field, whereby the plurality of microelectronic structures are heated by the oscillating electromagnetic field and the non-metallic substrate is essentially not heated by the oscillating electromagnetic field; (b) maintaining the non-metallic substrate and the plurality of microelectronic structures in the oscillating electromagnetic field until each of the plurality of microelectronic structures obtains a defined heat-treatment temperature substantially greater than an ambient temperature; (c) removing the non-metallic substrate and the plurality of microelectronic structures from the oscillating electromagnetic field; and (d) cooling the plurality of microelectronic structures to the ambient temperature.

1 . A method for heat treating a plurality of resilient conductive interconnect structures, the method comprising: 
 providing a contactor comprising a substrate to which the plurality of resilient conductive interconnect structures are attached;    placing the contactor in an oscillating electromagnetic field, the oscillating electromagnetic field heating the resilient conductive interconnect structures without substantially heating the substrate; and    maintaining the contactor in the oscillating electromagnetic field until a substantially entire portion of each of the resilient conductive interconnect structures substantially obtains a defined heat-treatment temperature substantially greater than an ambient temperature for a predetermined period of time sufficient to permanently change a mechanical operating property of the resilient conductive interconnect structures    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the resilient conductive interconnect structures comprise a ferromagnetic material.  
   
   
       3 - 11 . (canceled)  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising measuring a temperature of the resilient conductive interconnect structures by applying a heat-indicating paint to the plurality of resilient conductive interconnect structures prior to the maintaining.  
   
   
       13 . (canceled)  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the maintaining the contactor in the oscillating electromagnetic field increases a yield strength of the resilient conductive interconnect structures.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the maintaining the contactor in the oscillating electromagnetic field increases a resistance to fatigue of the resilient conductive interconnect structures.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the maintaining the contactor in the oscillating electromagnetic field decreases a brittleness of the resilient conductive interconnect structures.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the maintaining the contactor in the oscillating electromagnetic field increases a hardness of the resilient conductive interconnect structures.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the maintaining the contactor in the oscillating electromagnetic field tempers the resilient conductive interconnect structures.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the maintaining the contactor in the oscillating electromagnetic field anneals the resilient conductive interconnect structures.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the maintaining the contactor in the oscillating electromagnetic field increases an elastic modulus of the resilient conductive interconnect structures.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the maintaining the contactor in the oscillating electromagnetic field increases a resistance to deformation of the resilient conductive interconnect structures.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the resilient conductive interconnect structures are springs, and the maintaining the contactor in the oscillating electromagnetic field increases a spring constant of the resilient conductive interconnect structures.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the contactor comprises an interposer and the plurality of resilient conductive interconnect structures are disposed on opposing sides of the substrate.  
   
   
       24 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the resilient conductive interconnect structures is attached to a terminal on the substrate and comprises a contact tip offset vertically and laterally from the terminal.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is non-magnetic.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the resilient conductive interconnect structures comprises a core structure and an overcoat structure coating the core structure, and the overcoat structure comprises a ferromagnetic material.