Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Methods – Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-14
2001-06-19
Mayes, Curtis (Department: 1734)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Methods
Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
C156S230000, C156S235000, C156S345420, C156S541000, C156S583200, C029S426300, C029S426500, C029S426600, C029S742000, C029S743000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06248201
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for use in chip processing. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for efficiently and safely transferring semiconductor chips from an input location to an output location.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Semiconductor chips are routinely manufactured and coated in one or more locations and then transferred to transportation structures for transport to a distant location for incorporation into electronic packages or devices. Semiconductor chips are formed from wafers. If the semiconductor chips are laser emitters, the completed wafers are scribed and broken into laser bars. The edges of the laser bars are then coated with a dielectric, semi-reflective coating, usually accomplished in an evaporator. The coated bars are then unloaded into waffle packs or onto an adhesive tape. The bars are then electrically tested and then reloaded into the waffle packs or onto the tape. Then the bars are scribed and broken into individual chips. The chips are then placed on an adhesive tape for inspection in an inspection machine, usually with the p contact side facing up. Generally, the adhesive tape is mounted on a supporting hoop.
The hoop is mounted, with the p-contact side of the chips facing up, in a pick and place machine. The pick and place machine is indexed to the first chip. The p-contact side of that chip is inspected on the hoop by an overhead camera looking downwardly. A vacuum collet then picks up the chip and moves it over an upwardly looking camera to inspect the n-contact side. Good chips, namely those chips that pass these two visual inspections of the n- and p-contact sides, are placed in a waffle pack with the p-contact side facing up.
Generally, chips are processed with the p contact facing up. Oftentimes, customers of such chips have a bonding orientation which is p contact down. Thus, each of the chips must be flipped over. It is impractical to flip each chip individually. As noted above, pick and place equipment lodges the chips in a waffle pack. To flip the chips, a second waffle pack is placed in a mirror relationship with the first waffle pack and the waffle packs are flipped to obtain the proper orientation, as shown in
FIGS. 12-15
.
Specifically, as shown in
FIG. 12
, a waffle pack
100
, having a top side
102
and a bottom side
104
, includes a plurality of recessed portions into which chips
40
are placed. The chips
40
have a p contact side
42
and an n contact side
44
, and are placed in the recessed portions with the p contact side
42
facing upwardly. A second waffle pack
110
, having a top side
112
and a bottom side
114
, is positioned over the first waffle pack
100
(
FIG. 13
) such that the top sides
102
,
112
face one another. A piece of adhesive
120
may be placed between the waffle packs
100
,
110
.
A vacuum may be introduced to the waffle pack
100
in the direction of arrows J. The vacuum creates a pulling force on the adhesive
120
such that the surface
122
of the adhesive
120
comes in contact with and adheres to the semiconductor chips
40
. With reference to
FIG. 14
, after the vacuum has caused the chips
40
to adhere to the adhesive
120
, the second carrier
110
is moved away from the carrier
100
in the direction of arrows H. With reference to
FIG. 15
, the second carrier
110
is re-inverted such that the semiconductor chips
40
are positioned above the surface
122
of the adhesive
120
with the n contact side
44
up.
Alternatively, the waffle packs
100
,
110
without the interspersed adhesive
120
can be flipped, thereby causing the chips
40
to move by gravity into residence in the recessed portions of the waffle pack
110
with the n contact side
44
up.
Waffle pack flipping has deficiencies, including spillage of chips and the need for additional manipulation of the chips within the waffle pack, such as, for example, with tweezers or sharpened prods.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention addresses and overcomes the above-noted deficiencies by providing a semiconductor chip transferring apparatus having a movable element, a support structure having adhesive on a lower surface thereof, and first and second transport assemblies. The first transport assembly is positioned beneath the support structure and has at least one arm rotatable around a first axis. The movable element moves at least part of the support structure containing a chip to transfer the chip to the arm. The second transport assembly is in rotatable connection with the first transport assembly and has at least one arm extending downwardly and rotatable around a second axis. The first transport assembly rotates a chip transferred from the support structure to the second transport assembly which, in turn, transports it to an output container.
The present invention further overcomes the deficiencies found in known methodologies by providing a method of transferring semiconductor chips. The method includes the steps of moving a transfer element into contact with a first side of a flexible film having at least one semiconductor chip adhered to a second side of said flexible film. The transfer element flexes the film and moves the chip. Further, the moved chip is received from the film on a first transport assembly and transferred to a second transport assembly which transfers the chip to an output container.
The method and apparatus, in transferring and transporting the chip causes a first side which is supported by the support structure and a second side which is unsupported to be placed in the container with the first side unsupported and the second side supported by the container.
These and other features and advantages of the invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description of the invention which is provided in connection with the accompanying drawings.
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Boyd, IV John E.
Drummond Patrick J.
Haggar Jonathan V.
Rizzo John S.
Dickstein , Shapiro, Morin & Oshinsky, LLP
Lucent Technologies - Inc.
Mayes Curtis
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