Semiconductor device manufacturing: process – Semiconductor substrate dicing
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-26
2004-12-14
Niebling, John F. (Department: 2812)
Semiconductor device manufacturing: process
Semiconductor substrate dicing
C438S462000, C438S464000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06830989
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for handling arrayed components that feeds arrayed components composed of a plurality of components in array, and more particularly, relates to a method and apparatus for handling arrayed components including a feeding method and device of arrayed components, a transfer device with use of the feeding device, and a housing device. More specifically, the present invention relates to, for example, a method and device for feeding arrayed semiconductor elements so that a number of diced semiconductor elements arrayed in vertical and horizontal direction are picked up one by one, a transfer device for transferring picked-up semiconductor elements to other places, and a housing device for housing the picked-up semiconductor elements in various housing members in specified packing styles. One example of the semiconductor elements includes an individual IC chip separated by dicing from a semiconductor wafer with a plurality of integrated circuits formed.
BACKGROUND ART
A semiconductor wafer is fabricated to have a number of semiconductor elements arrayed in vertical and horizontal direction. Each semiconductor element is subjected to processings such as checking of defective products and marking thereof, and then separated by dicing processing for enabling individual handling. Each semiconductor element is arrayed orderly and densely on a dicing sheet. In order to ensure swift pickup of each of the semiconductor elements one by one for enabling various handling such as transfer to other places or housing, in the past as shown in
FIG. 18
, the semiconductor elements have been collectively handled by a supporting body
106
supporting the semiconductor elements with held on the dicing sheet. With a movement of the supporting body
106
at a specified position in X and Y two orthogonal array directions of each semiconductor element, the semiconductor elements are sequentially moved to a pickup position where a push-up pin is provided to aid pickup operation by pushing the semiconductor element up from the lower side, and after semiconductor elements are separated from each other through expanding of the dicing sheet and pushed up from the lower side by the push-up pin, the semiconductor elements are subjected to pickup operation by a component handling tool
103
.
Consequently, in pickup operation, one semiconductor element at the pickup position is in the state separated from other semiconductor elements and pushed up higher than other surrounding semiconductor elements, which enables the component handling tool
103
to sufficiently execute pickup operation such as suction targeting the sole semiconductor element without being bothered by surrounding semiconductor elements or causing displacement of surrounding semiconductor elements, thereby achieving swift and secure pickup of the semiconductor element.
The sizes of semiconductor wafers are becoming larger for further increase of efficiency in manufacturing and handling of semiconductor elements. Large wafer has a diameter as large as about 200 mm. In the future, there is expected a wafer having a diameter as large as about 300 mm. However, in manufacturing of semiconductor elements, since all individual diced semiconductor elements put on the supporting body
106
are handled with pickup operation in the above-stated method, a travel distance necessary for the supporting body
106
to bring all individual semiconductor elements to the position of the push-up pin provided in a specified position, i.e., the pickup position, corresponds to a diameter of a semiconductor wafer both in two X and Y directions, i.e., the size of a region that the supporting body
106
supports the semiconductor elements, the necessary plane space of which is twice the diameter of the semiconductor wafer both in X and Y directions as shown in FIG.
18
. As a result, an apparatus for handling semiconductor wafers having a large diameter and picking up diced semiconductor elements as shown above has larger plane space by necessity.
Larger-sized apparatuses cause not only increased cost of the apparatuses themselves, but also causes higher running cost in heating and electricity of a clean room in which the apparatuses are used, which, in one example, equals as high as 30 million yen a month in the case of a clean room with area of 600 m
2
, bringing about a serious new issue of increased occupied area of the apparatus.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and device for feeding arrayed components and a method and apparatus for handling arrayed components using the method and device for feeding arrayed components capable of handling all the arrayed components in pickup operation within a movement range of a supporting body against the size of a region for supporting arrayed components subject to pickup operation such as diced semiconductor elements smaller than that in the prior art.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is structured as described below.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for handling arrayed components that feeds the arrayed components arrayed in two component array directions, comprising: moving each component supported on a supporting body in a state of being arrayed in two orthogonal directions to a pickup position in sequence with a movement of the supporting body in the two component array directions, and making the components subjected to pickup operation by a component handling tool, wherein each unit region set by dividing a component supporting region of the supporting body about an approximately central position of the supporting body into a plurality of regions is positioned at a pickup standby position by rotation of the supporting body about the approximately central position of the supporting body in a switching manner; and
after each unit region is positioned at the pickup standby position, positioning each component in the positioned unit region to the pickup position in sequence with a movement of the supporting body in the two component array directions, and subjected to pickup operation in sequence.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for handling arrayed components that feeds the arrayed components arrayed in two component array directions as defined in Claim
1
, wherein the component is subjected to the pickup operation by the component handling tool with push-up operation by a push-up pin involved, and after each unit region is positioned at the pickup standby position, the component in the positioned unit region is moved to the pickup position in sequence with a relative movement of the supporting body, the pickup position, and the push-up pin in the two component array directions, and subjected to the pickup operation in sequence to feed the arrayed components arrayed in the two component array directions.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for handling arrayed components that feeds the arrayed components arrayed in two component array directions as defined in Claim
1
, wherein the component is subjected to the pickup operation by the component handling tool with push-up operation by a push-up pin involved, and when the component is subjected to the pick-up operation,
further comprising corresponding each unit region set by dividing a component supporting region of the supporting body about an approximately central position of the supporting body into a plurality of regions to the pickup position and the push-up pin, and
after the pickup position and the push-up pin are corresponded to each unit region, moving components in the unit region corresponding to the pickup position and the push-up pin in sequence to the pickup position with a relative movement of the pickup position and the push-up pin, and the supporting body in the two component array directions, and making the components subjected to pickup operation in sequence to feed the arra
Inutsuka Ryoji
Kanayama Shinji
Shida Satoshi
Shimizu Takashi
Takahashi Kenji
Niebling John F.
Roman Angel
LandOfFree
Method and apparatus for handling arrayed part does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method and apparatus for handling arrayed part, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and apparatus for handling arrayed part will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3324803