Patent Application
20240213211
The present invention relates to a storage container, a processing apparatus, a bonding apparatus, a processing method, and a bonding method.
There is a bonding method of bonding a die to a bonding target after the target bonding surface of the die is processed. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-255691 discloses a semiconductor chip storage case including a storage unit configured to store a semiconductor chip, and a storage lid configured to cover the storage unit. The bottom surface of the storage unit is tapered, one end of a suction hole is connected to the bottom surface of the storage unit, and an opening/closing valve is provided at the other end of the suction hole.
Consider a case where the semiconductor storage case described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-255691 is applied to a bonding method. Normally, in a case where the upper surface of the semiconductor chip stored in the semiconductor storage case is processed, and then, the upper surface is bonded as a target bonding surface to a bonding target, a mechanism for operating the semiconductor chip contacts the target bonding surface after the process of the target bonding surface. Also, when bonding the lower surface of the semiconductor chip stored in the semiconductor storage case as the target bonding surface to the bonding target, the target bonding surface cannot be processed in a state in which the semiconductor chip is stored in the semiconductor storage case.
The present invention provides a technique advantageous in processing a target bonding surface and bonding the target bonding surface to a bonding target without making a member contact the processed target bonding surface.
One of aspects of the present invention provides a storage container for storing a die, comprising: a main body including a first through hole and a second through hole; a first lid that is attachable to the main body to cover the first through hole; and a second lid that is attachable to the main body to cover the second through hole, wherein the die is removed/inserted from/into the main body via the first through hole, and the second through hole is configured to process the die via the second through hole.
Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.
Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note, the following embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention. Multiple features are described in the embodiments, but limitation is not made to an invention that requires all such features, and multiple such features may be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the same or similar configurations, and redundant description thereof is omitted.
A storage container according to the present disclosure can be used in a bonding method for, for example, bonding a die to one or a plurality of locations of a bonding target. The bonding target can be, for example, a wafer on which semiconductor devices are manufactured. The bonding target may be, for example, a silicon wafer, a silicon wafer on which wiring paths are formed, a glass wafer, a glass panel on which wiring paths are formed, an organic panel (PCB) on which wiring paths are formed, or a metal panel. The wafer on which semiconductor devices are manufactured may be a wafer to which a die on which a semiconductor device is manufactured is already bonded. The die can be, for example, a chip obtained by dicing semiconductor devices. The die may be, for example, a stack of a plurality of dies, a small piece of a material, an optical element, a MEMS, or a structure. The bonding method is not limited to a specific bonding method. For example, bonding may be bonding using an adhesive, temporary bonding using a temporary adhesive, bonding by hybrid bonding, atomic diffusion bonding, vacuum bonding, or bump bonding, and various kinds of temporary bonding and permanent bonding methods can be used.
Industrial application examples will be described. The first application example is manufacturing of a stacked memory. In application to manufacturing of a stacked memory, the bonding target can be a wafer on which a memory serving as a semiconductor device is formed, and the die can be a memory die. For example, in a case where a stacked structure including eight layers is formed by repeating bonding, in bonding of the eighth layer, the bonding target can be a substrate with six layers of memory dies already bonded to a wafer. The final layer can be, for example, a driver die for driving the memory.
The second application example is heterogeneous integration of a processor. The mainstream of conventional processors is a SoC in which a logic circuit and an SRAM are formed in one semiconductor element. To the contrary, in heterogeneous integration, separate wafers are created by applying a process optimal for each element and bonded to manufacture a processor. This can implement cost reduction and yield improvement of processors. In application to heterogeneous integration, the bonding target can be a wafer on which a logic device serving as a semiconductor device is formed, and a die can be a die such as an SRAM, an antenna, or a driver separated after probing. Normally, since different dies are sequentially bonded, bonded objects on the bonding target sequentially increase. For example, in a case where bonding is started from an SRAM, when bonding an element next to the SRAM, the bonding target is a logic wafer to which the SRAM is bonded. When bonding a plurality of dies, as for the order of bonding, bonding is preferably started from a thin die such that a bonding head does not interfere with a bonded die.
The third application example is 2.5D bonding using a silicon interposer. The silicon interposer is a silicon wafer on which wiring paths are formed. The 2.5D bonding is a method of bonding separated dies and electrically connecting the dies using the silicon interposer. In application to die bonding to the silicon interposer, the present disclosure is applied using a silicon wafer on which wiring paths are formed as the bonding target. Normally, since a plurality of types of dies are bonded to the silicon interposer, the bonding target includes even a silicon interposer to which several dies are already bonded. When bonding a plurality of dies, as for the order of bonding, bonding is preferably started from a thin die such that a bonding head does not interfere with a bonded die.
The fourth application example is 2.1D bonding using an organic interposer or a glass interposer. The organic interposer is an organic panel (a PCB substrate or a CCL substrate) used as a package substrate, on which wiring paths are formed. The glass interposer is a glass panel on which wiring paths are formed. The 2.1D bonding is a method of bonding separated dies to the organic interposer or the glass interposer, and electrically bonding the dies by the wiring paths on the interposer. In application to die bonding to the organic interposer, the bonding target is an organic panel on which wiring paths are formed. In application to die bonding to the glass interposer, the bonding target is a glass panel on which wiring paths are formed. Normally, since a plurality of types of dies are bonded to the organic interposer or the glass interposer, the bonding target includes even an organic interposer or a glass interposer to which several dies are already bonded. When bonding a plurality of dies, as for the order of bonding, bonding is preferably started from a thin die such that a bonding head does not interfere with a bonded die.
The fifth application example is temporary bonding in a fan-out package manufacturing process. A fan-out wafer-level package formed by reconstructing and packaging separated dies into a wafer shape using a mold resin or a fan-out panel-level package formed by reconstructing and packaging separated dies into a panel shape can be applied as an advanced package to semiconductor manufacturing. In packaging, rewirings from the dies to bumps are formed, or rewirings that bond different types of dies are formed on a molded reconstructed substrate. If the die array accuracy is low, when transferring the rewiring pattern using a step-and-repeat exposure apparatus, it is impossible to accurately align the rewiring pattern to the dies. For this reason, the dies are required to be arrayed accurately. In application to the fan-out package manufacturing process, the bonding target can be a metal panel. According to the present disclosure, the separated dies may temporarily be bonded to the metal panel by a temporary adhesive. After that, the dies are molded into a wafer shape or a panel shape by a molding apparatus, and peeled from the metal panel after molding, thereby manufacturing a reconstructed wafer or a reconstructed panel. If the present disclosure is applied to this bonding, the bonding position can be adjusted to correct array deformation caused by the molding process.
The sixth application example is heterogeneous substrate bonding. For example, in an infrared image sensor, InGaAs is known as a high-sensitivity material. There has been proposed manufacturing a high-sensitivity high-speed infrared image sensor by using InGaAs for a sensor unit configured to receive light and using silicon capable of implementing high-speed processing for a logic circuit configured to extract data. However, from InGaAs crystal, only wafers whose diameter is as small as 4 inches are mass-produced, which is smaller than a mainstream 300-mm silicon wafer. Hence, there has been proposed a method of bonding a separated die of InGaAs to a 300-mm silicon wafer on which a logic circuit is formed. The present disclosure can also be applied to heterogeneous substrate bonding of bonding substrates made of different materials and having different sizes. In application of the present disclosure to heterogeneous substrate bonding, the bonding target is a substrate with a large diameter such as a silicon wafer, and the separated die is a small piece of a material such as InGaAs. The small piece of the material is a slice of a crystal and is preferably cut into a rectangular shape.
In the following description, directions are indicated by an XYZ coordinate system. Directions parallel to X-, Y-, and Z-axes are X, Y, and Z directions, respectively. The X, Y, and Z directions are directions orthogonal to each other or directions crossing each other.
The storage container C can include a first lid 20 attachable to the main body 10 to cover the first through hole PH1. The first through hole PH1 can be released by opening the first lid 20 or detaching the first lid 20 from the main body 10. In a state in which the first through hole PH1 is released, one or a plurality of dies 4 can be arranged in the holder 12 of the main body 10 via the first through hole PH1. The storage container C further includes a pressing portion 22 configured to press one or a plurality of dies against the holder 12 or the main body 10 in a state in which the first lid 20 is attached to the main body 10. The first lid 20 can be locked or fixed to the main body 10 by a lock portion such as a claw. In a state in which the first lid 20 is attached to the main body 10, the die 4 can be sandwiched between the pressing portion 22 and the holder 12. The pressing portion 22 can be formed by a stretchable member or an elastically deformable member.
The storage container C can include a second lid 30 attachable to the main body 10 to cover the one or the plurality of second through holes PH2. The one or the plurality of second through holes PH2 can be released by opening the second lid 30 or detaching the second lid 30 from the main body 10. The second through hole PH2 can be configured to allow the one or the plurality of dies 4 held by the holder 12 to be processed via the one or the plurality of second through holes PH2.
The holder 12 can include one or a plurality of regulating portions 14 that regulate the positions of the one or the plurality of dies 4. The holder 12 includes a first surface 16 that faces the first lid 20 in a state in which the first lid 20 is attached to the main body 10, and each of the one or the plurality of regulating portions 14 is a tapered portion tilted with respect to the first surface 16. Alternatively, each of the plurality of regulating portions can be formed by one or a plurality of projections projecting from the first surface 16. The regulating portions 14 may be projections arranged to surround the whole circumference of the die 4 or may be a plurality of projections arranged apart from each other to surround the die 4. The components forming the storage container C, for example, the main body 10, the first lid 20 and the second lid 30, the pressing portion 22, and the regulating portions 14 are preferably formed not to generate foreign substances and impurities.
The storage container C can have readable identification information. The identification information can include at least one of information used to identify the storage container C itself and information used to identify the die 4 stored in the container C. The identification information can be rewritable information, and the storage container C can include a nonvolatile memory for holding the identification information.
The storage container C to which the die 4 is to be transferred can be loaded, as empty, into the transfer apparatus 50, and the first lid 20 can be unlocked by an operation mechanism 54 to release the first through hole PH1 of the main body 10. If the storage container C includes the first fixing mechanism L1 described with reference to
After that, the transfer head 53 arranges or transfers the die 4 into the first through hole PH1 of the main body 10 via the first through hole PH1 of the main body 10 of the storage container C. After that, the operation mechanism 54 operates the first lid 20 to close the first through hole PH1 of the main body 10, thereby locking the first lid 20. If the storage container C includes the first fixing mechanism L1 described with reference to
If the dies 4 on the dicing frame 40 run out during a series of transfer processes, the dicing frame 40 can be exchanged. The dies 4 can be inspected in advance, and only Known Good Dies (KGDs) can be transferred to the storage container C. After the die 4 is transferred to or stored in the storage container C, it is inspected whether the transfer or storage is correctly done, and the result can be notified to a management apparatus. Since cutting powder may stick when picking up the die 4 from the dicing frame 40, the die 4 may be washed before it is transferred to the storage container C.
The processing apparatus 60 includes a processor 61. The processor 61 processes, via the second through hole PH2, the die 4 held by the storage container C. The process of the die 4 by the processor 61 can include at least one of, for example, a process of activating the surface (target bonding surface) of the die 4, a process of washing the surface of the die 4, and a process of making the surface of the die 4 hydrophilic. The process of activating the surface of the die 4 can include, for example, a process of irradiating the surface of the die 4 with plasma. The process of washing the surface of the die 4 can include, for example, a process of washing the surface of the die 4 using a surfactant, a fluid, pure water, or the like. The process of making the surface of the die 4 hydrophilic can include, for example, a process of providing a hydroxyl group to the surface of the die 4.
After the process of the die 4 is ended, the operation mechanism 62 operates the second lid 30 to close the second through hole PH2 of the main body 10, thereby locking the second lid 30. If the storage container C includes the second fixing mechanism L2 described with reference to
The process of the die 4 stored in the storage container C may be executed by a plurality of processing apparatuses. During the release of the second lid 30, the space where the plurality of processing apparatuses are arranged is preferably maintained in a state in which the washing degree is high, for example, at a cleanliness of about class 1 such that no foreign substance stick to the surface (target bonding surface) of the die 4.
A processing method of processing the die by the processing apparatus 60 can include a release step of releasing the second lid 30 of the storage container C, a processing step of processing, via the second through hole PH2, the die 4 held by the storage container C, and a closing step of closing the second lid 30. The processing step can include at least one of a process of activating the surface of the die 4, a process of washing the surface, and a process of making the surface hydrophilic.
The bonding apparatus 70 can include a stage 71 and a stage driving mechanism that drives the stage 71. The stage driving mechanism can drive the stage 71 concerning, for example, a total of six axes including the X-axis, the Y-axis, the Z-axis, and rotations about these axes. The bonding apparatus 70 can include a measuring device 72 that measures the position and rotation of the stage 71. The bonding apparatus 70 can be configured to perform feedback control of the position and rotation of the stage 71 based on the output of the measuring device 72.
The stage 71 can be configured to hold the storage container C and the wafer 73. The storage container C can be loaded into the bonding apparatus 70 and, after the first lid 20 is detached from the main body 10 by the opening/closing mechanism 79, arranged on the stage 71. Alternatively, after the storage container C is loaded into the bonding apparatus 70 and arranged on the stage 71, the first lid 20 can be detached from the main body 10 by the opening/closing mechanism 79. If the storage container C includes the first fixing mechanism L1 described with reference to
The die 4 held by the main body 10 of the storage container C can be held by the bonding head 74 and extracted from the storage container C via the first through hole PH1. At this time, the bonding head 74 may be moved up and down, or the stage 71 that can be accurately positioned may be moved up and down. A wafer observation camera 75 observes the wafer 73 that is the bonding target loaded onto the stage 71 while moving the stage 71, thereby correctly obtaining the position of a target bonding location. As for the die 4 held by the bonding head 74, the stage 71 is driven such that the bonding head 74 is located immediately above a chip observation camera 76, thereby correctly obtaining the position of the die 4 on the bonding head 74.
Based on the position of the target bonding location of the wafer 73 and the position of the die 4 held by the bonding head 74, the die 4 is correctly bonded to the target bonding location of the wafer 73, as shown in
The inspection result of semiconductor elements formed on the wafer 73 is provided to the bonding apparatus 70 via a network, a die determined as non-defective can be bonded to a semiconductor element determined as non-defective. In a process after this, if all semiconductor elements need to have dies bonded thereto, a die determined as defective may be bonded to a semiconductor element determined as defective. In this example, one storage container C is arranged on the stage 71. However, a plurality of storage containers C may be arranged on the stage 71. A stage for holding the storage container C may be provided independently of the stage for holding the wafer 73. If a foreign substance sticks to the bonding surface of the die, a bonding failure occurs. Hence, the region where the die is extracted from the storage container C and handled in the bonding apparatus 70, can be maintained in a state in which the washing degree is high, for example, at a cleanliness of about class 1. The wafer 73 with the dies bonded to all target bonding locations is unloaded from the bonding apparatus 70, and post-processes such as annealing, dicing, test, and resin encapsulation can be performed.
The bonding apparatus 70 may be configured to align the wafer 73 and the die 4 by transmissive observation in a state in which these are overlaid. A position observation mark may be provided on the target bonding surface of the die 4, and the position of the die 4 may be measured by observing this. Immediately before bonding, a camera for observing the die 4 and the wafer 73 may be inserted between these, and alignment may be performed using the camera.
A bonding method of bonding the die 4 to a bonding target by the bonding apparatus 70 can include a release step of releasing the first lid of the storage container C, and an extraction step of extracting the die 4 held by the storage container C from the storage container C via the first through hole PH1. The bonding method can also include a bonding step of bonding the die 4 extracted from the storage container C to the bonding target.
Alternatively, a bonding method according to an embodiment can include a release step of releasing the second lid 30 of the storage container C, a processing step of processing, via the second through hole PH2, the die 4 held by the storage container C, and a closing step of closing the second lid 30. The processing step can include at least one of a process of activating the surface of the die 4, a process of washing the surface, and a process of making the surface hydrophilic. The bonding method can also include a transfer step of transferring the storage container C to the bonding apparatus. The bonding method can also include a release step of releasing the first lid 20 of the storage container C, an extraction step of extracting the die 4 held by the storage container C from the storage container C via the first through hole PH1, and a bonding step of bonding the die 4 extracted from the storage container C to the bonding target.
The second embodiment will be described below. Matters that are not mentioned as the second embodiment can comply with the first embodiment.
The storage container C to which the die 4 is to be transferred can be loaded, as empty, into the transfer apparatus 50 and turned upside down in the transfer apparatus 50. Alternatively, the storage container C in an inverted state may be loaded into the transfer apparatus 50. In the storage container C, the first lid 20 is unlocked by an operation mechanism 55 to release a first through hole PH1 of a main body 10.
In the transfer apparatus 50, a temporary adhesive can be applied to the first lid 20 by an application mechanism (not shown) to form the temporary adhesive layer 23. After that, the die 4 picked up by the pickup head 52 is arranged on the temporary adhesive layer 23 and temporarily adhered to the first lid 20 by the temporary adhesive layer 23. Then, after all dies 4 are temporarily adhered to the first lid 20 by the temporary adhesive layer 23, the operation mechanism 55 operates the first lid 20 to close the first through hole PH1 of the main body 10, thereby locking the first lid 20.
A processing apparatus 60 can process the die 4 held by the storage container C in accordance with the first embodiment.
A bonding apparatus 70 can include a peeling portion configured to peel the die 4 temporarily adhered to the first lid 20 by the temporary adhesive layer 23, in addition to the configuration of the first embodiment. For example, if the temporary adhesive layer 23 is formed by an ultraviolet peelable temporary adhesive, the peeling portion can be configured to irradiate the temporary adhesive layer 23 with ultraviolet rays. For example, if the temporary adhesive layer 23 is formed by a heat peelable temporary adhesive, the peeling portion can be configured to apply heat to the temporary adhesive layer 23. For example, if the temporary adhesive layer 23 is formed by a temporary adhesive that is peeled by an impact, the peeling portion can be configured to apply an impact to the temporary adhesive layer 23.
The third embodiment will be described below. Matters that are not mentioned as the third embodiment can comply with the first embodiment.
The storage container C to which the die 4 is to be transferred can be loaded, as empty, into the transfer apparatus 50 and turned upside down in the transfer apparatus 50. Alternatively, the storage container C in an inverted state may be loaded into the transfer apparatus 50. In the storage container C, the first lid 20 is unlocked by an operation mechanism 55 to release a first through hole PH1 of a main body 10.
The operation mechanism 55 can hold or arrange the first lid 20 with the vacuum suction surface or the suction pad 26 facing up. After that, the die 4 picked up by the pickup head 52 can be arranged on the vacuum suction surface or the suction pad 26 of the first lid, vacuum-sucked to the first lid 20 by the vacuum suction unit 25, and held by the first lid 20. Then, after all dies 4 are held by the first lid 20 by vacuum suction, the operation mechanism 55 operates the first lid 20 to close the first through hole PH1 of the main body 10, thereby locking the first lid 20. The die 4 may be sandwiched by the suction pad 26 and the main body 10 and held.
A processing apparatus 60 can process the die 4 held by the storage container C in accordance with the first embodiment. A bonding apparatus 70 may include a controller that controls the vacuum suction unit 25, in addition to the configuration of the first embodiment.
While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.
This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-204637, filed Dec. 21, 2022, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-204637 | Dec 2022 | JP | national |
