Systems and methods for forming apertures in microfeature workpieces

• US 10,010,977 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2016
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Watkins, Charles M., Hiatt, William M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Heinrich, Samuel M
• Application Number:
  US15/276,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20170008129A1
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 2191217, 21912171, 21912161, 21912181-12183
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/40 Semiconductor devices
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/50 Inorganic material, e.g. metals, not provided for in B23K2103/02 – B23K2103/26
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/56 semiconducting semiconducting devices B23K2101/40
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/03 Observing, e.g. monitoring, the workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0342 Observing magnetic fields related to the workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/361 for deburring or mechanical trimming B23K26/351 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/362 Laser etching
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/38 by boring or cutting
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/382 by boring
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/40 taking account of the properties of the material involved
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/486 Via connections through the substrate with or without pins
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76898 formed through a semiconductor substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/163 Monitoring a manufacturing process
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0026 by laser ablation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49165 by forming conductive walled aperture in base

Abstract

Systems and methods for forming apertures in microfeature workpieces are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method includes directing a laser beam toward a microfeature workpiece to form an aperture and sensing the laser beam pass through the microfeature workpiece in real time. The method can further include determining a number of pulses of the laser beam and/or an elapsed time to form the aperture and controlling the laser beam based on the determined number of pulses and/or the determined elapsed time to form a second aperture in the microfeature workpiece.

Claims

1. A system for forming an aperture in a microfeature workpiece, the system comprising:

a laser configured to produce a laser beam along a beam path;

an electromagnetic radiation sensor positioned along the beam path to sense the laser beam;

a workpiece carrier configured to selectively position the microfeature workpiece in the beam path before the electromagnetic radiation sensor; and

a controller operably coupled to the laser, the electromagnetic radiation sensor, and the workpiece carrier, the controller being configured to direct the laser beam toward the microfeature workpiece to form a first aperture, determine the number of laser pulses and/or elapsed time to form the first aperture by sensing when the laser beam passes through the microfeature workpiece in real time using the electromagnetic radiation sensor, move the microfeature workpiece to align the beam path with a location for a second aperture using the workpiece carrier, and direct the laser beam toward the microfeature workpiece to form the second aperture based on the determined number of pulses and/or the determined elapsed time to form the first aperture in the workpiece.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the microfeature workpiece includes a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface; and

the workpiece carrier is configured to carry the microfeature workpiece without contacting a center region of the first surface and a center region of the second surface of the microfeature workpiece.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the workpiece carrier is configured to engage a perimeter region of the microfeature workpiece to support the workpiece.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller determines when the first aperture is formed by determining the number of pulses of the laser beam and/or the elapsed time to form the first aperture.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the first aperture is a test aperture, and wherein the controller comprises a computer-readable medium containing instructions to (a) determine the number of pulses of the laser beam and/or the elapsed time to form the test aperture, and (b) control the laser beam based on the determined number of pulses and/or the determined elapsed time to form a plurality of the second apertures in the microfeature workpiece.

6. A system for forming a plurality of production apertures in a microfeature workpiece, the system comprising:

a laser configured to produce a laser beam along a beam path;

an electromagnetic radiation sensor positioned along the beam path to sense the laser beam;

a workpiece carrier configured to selectively position the microfeature workpiece in the beam path before the electromagnetic radiation sensor; and

a controller operably coupled to the laser, the electromagnetic radiation sensor, and the workpiece carrier, the controller having a computer-readable medium containing instructions to perform a method comprising—

ablating the microfeature workpiece by directing pulses of a laser beam to form a test aperture in the microfeature workpiece;

determining a number of pulses of the laser beam and/or an elapsed time to form the test aperture; and

controlling the laser beam based on the determined number of pulses and/or the determined elapsed time to form the plurality of production apertures in the microfeature workpiece.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein:

the microfeature workpiece includes a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface; and

the workpiece carrier is configured to carry the microfeature workpiece without contacting a center region of the first surface and a center region of the second surface of the microfeature workpiece.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the workpiece carrier is configured to engage a perimeter region of the microfeature workpiece to support the workpiece.