Metal working – Method of mechanical manufacture – Electrical device making
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-16
2001-12-25
Arbes, Carl J. (Department: 3729)
Metal working
Method of mechanical manufacture
Electrical device making
C029S840000, C029S740000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06332268
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for mounting IC chips and a tape-shaped supporting member used in the same. In particular, a pre-mount process such as bump formation on the IC chip, leveling of bump heights, processing of inspecting for good bump formation, etc. while the IC chip is held to the tape-shaped supporting member, is conducted before each IC chip is mounted.
BACKGROUND ART
Conventionally, IC chips are transferred to a pre-mount process while stored as a wafer in a wafer storage case or accommodated in recesses of a tray after being taken out of the wafer. In the pre-mount process, bumps are formed to the IC chips taken outside one by one from the wafer or tray, the heights of the bumps are leveled, the formation of the bumps is inspected, and finally the IC chips are returned to the wafer storage case or tray to be transferred to a mount process. Again the IC chips are sequentially taken out one by one from the wafer storage case or tray and mounted to a board in the mount process.
In the above-described structure, the IC chips are taken out from the tray, a predetermined pre-mount processing is performed on the IC chip, the IC chips are stored again in the tray or the like, and further caught outside from the tray or the like in the mount process. The IC chips are often damaged when taken out of the tray or returned to the tray. Although the IC chips are naturally easy to damage and, therefore, it is preferable not to touch them, the conventional arrangement requires frequent movement of the IC chips. As such, a method enabling handling of the IC chips without touching them much in the premount process, etc. is necessary.
The present invention is devised to solve the above-described issue, and has for its object to provide a method and an apparatus for mounting IC chips, and a tape-shaped supporting member used in the same. The IC chips can be subjected to a pre-mount process, etc. without being taken out of a storage member up to a mount process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accomplishing this and other objects, the present invention is constituted so that IC chips are subjected to a pre-mount process while being held in a tape-shaped supporting member (i.e., a support tape member) as a storing member without being taken out from the tape-shaped supporting member.
According to the constitution, in the pre-mount process, a pre-mount treatment such as a bump formation process and the like is carried out without taking out the IC chips from the tape-shaped supporting member.
In other words, the IC chips are kept in the tape-shaped supporting member, whereby the IC chips are surely prevented from being damaged, as will be caused when the IC chips were taken outside from and returned to a tape-shaped supporting member before a mount process. At the same time, an apparatus for taking out and returning the IC chips to the tape-shaped supporting member can be eliminated, and a process for taking out and returning the IC chips to the tape-shaped supporting member can be eliminated so that a cycle time of the whole mount process for the IC chips can be shortened.
In the conventional constitution wherein the IC chips are accommodated in the tray, the accommodation recess of the tray is formed in size to conform to the IC chip to avoid an unexpected movement of the IC chip therein. In other words, the tray of a corresponding size should be prepared when the IC chip is changed in size. According to the present invention, when the tape-shaped supporting member has a metallic layer, an opening formed in the metallic layer of the tape-shaped supporting member is set to be not smaller than the maximum size of various IC chips. Therefore, one kind of the tape-shaped supporting member is sufficient for IC chips of any size and has general versatility. The tape-shaped supporting member without the metallic layer can provide the above general versatility as it is. The issue inherent in the prior art can be thus eliminated.
Even when the opening is larger than the IC chip, an adhesive layer of the tape-shaped supporting member for general purpose use prevents the IC chip from unexpectedly moving inside the opening and being damaged.
A suction pressure to the IC chip when the IC chip is small decreases in each process due to a reduced number of vacuum suction holes facing the IC chip through which the IC chip is sucked, resulting in a problem. An increase in adhesion of the adhesive layer of the tape-shaped supporting member can compensate for the insufficient suction pressure.
If the IC chip itself warps, bumps are apt to be irregularly leveled in the pre-mount process in the prior art. However, if the bumps are leveled while the IC chip is held to the tape-shaped supporting member, the warp of the IC chip can be absorbed by a base film of the tape-shaped supporting member when a press force is applied to the tape-shaped supporting member and the IC chip during the leveling operation. Accuracy in leveling can be accordingly further improved.
Further, a devised arrangement of integrally taking out a part of the tape-shaped supporting member and IC chip from the tape-shaped supporting member can form a good junction in a bump bonding process as an example of the pre-mount process, and also effectively prevents the IC chip from being damaged when the IC chip is taken outside from the tape-shaped supporting member.
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Higashi Kazushi
Imanishi Makoto
Kanayama Shinji
Kitayama Yoshifumi
Kumagai Koichi
Arbes Carl J.
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Wenderoth , Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.
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