Universal wafer carrier for wafer level die burn-in

• US 20030206030A1
• Filed: 04/21/2003
• Published: 11/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/1990
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alan G. Wood, Tim J. Corbett
• Original Assignee: Alan G. Wood, Tim J. Corbett
• Inventors: Wood, Alan G., Corbett, Tim J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,167,012 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/755
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/0466 concerning contact pieces or mechanical details, e.g. hinges or cams; Shielding
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/0483 Sockets for un-leaded IC's having matrix type contact fields, e.g. BGA or PGA devices; Sockets for unpackaged, naked chips for IC's with connecting points around the edges only G01R1/0433
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/0491 for testing integrated circuits on wafers, e.g. wafer-level test cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/0735 arranged on a flexible frame or film
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 3/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture or maintenance of measuring instruments , e.g. of probe tips
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/28 Testing of electronic circuits, e.g. by signal tracer EMC, EMP or similar testing of electronic circuits G01R31/002; testing for short-circuits, discontinuities, leakage or incorrect line connection G01R31/50; checking computers or computer components G06F11/00; checking static stores for correct operation G11C29/00 ; testing receivers or transmitters of transmission systems H04B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2831 Testing of materials or semi-finished products, e.g. semiconductor wafers or substrates G01R31/318511 takes precedence; testing during manufacture H01L22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2855 Environmental, reliability or burn-in testing
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2863 Contacting devices, e.g. sockets, burn-in boards or mounting fixtures in general G01R1/04
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2867 Handlers or transport devices, e.g. loaders, carriers, trays
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2886 Features relating to contacting the IC under test, e.g. probe heads; chucks G01R31/2865 takes precedence, test connections, e.g. test sockets, or probes per se, G01R1/04 or G01R1/06
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2889 Interfaces, e.g. between probe and tester G01R31/31905 and G01R1/07364 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2893 Handling, conveying or loading, e.g. belts, boats, vacuum fingers G01R31/2867 takes precedence; handling semiconductor devices or wafers during manufacture or treatment H01L21/67
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/20 Sequence of activities consisting of a plurality of measurements, corrections, marking or sorting steps
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/22 Connection or disconnection of sub-entities or redundant parts of a device in response to a measurement testing and repair of stores after manufacture including at wafer scale G11C29/00; fuses per se H01L23/525
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16145 the bodies being stacked
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2225/06562 at least one device in the stack being rotated or offset
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/13 characterised by the shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/80 Methods for connecting semiconductor or other solid state bodies using means for bonding being attached to, or being formed on, the surface to be connected
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01005 Boron [B]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01006 : Carbon [C]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01033 : Arsenic [As]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01075 : Rhenium [Re]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01082 : Lead [Pb]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 : Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1433 : Application-specific integrated circuit [ASIC]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15151 : the die mounting substrate comprising an aperture, e.g. for underfilling, outgassing, window type wire connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0133 : Elastomeric or compliant polymer
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0347 : Overplating, e.g. for reinforcing conductors or bumps; Plating over filled vias
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0367 : Metallic bump or raised conductor not used as solder bump
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0394 : Conductor crossing over a hole in the substrate or a gap between two separate substrate parts
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09481 : Via in pad; Pad over filled via
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09563 : Metal filled via
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0307 : Providing micro- or nanometer scale roughness on a metal surface, e.g. by plating of nodules or dendrites
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0723 : Electroplating, e.g. finish plating
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0058 : Laminating printed circuit boards onto other substrates, e.g. metallic substrates H05K1/0281 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0067 : onto an inorganic, non-metallic substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4007 : Surface contacts, e.g. bumps H05K3/4092 takes precedence; deposition of finish layers on pads H05K3/24; forming solder bumps H05K3/3457
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/423 : characterised by electroplating method

Abstract

A reusable burn-in/test fixture for testing unsingulated dice on a semiconductor wafer consists of two halves. The first half of the test fixture is a wafer cavity plate for receiving the wafer, and the second half establishes electrical communication between the wafer and electrical test equipment. A rigid substrate has conductors thereon which establish electrical contact with the wafer. The test fixture need not be opened until the burn-in and electrical test are completed. After burn-in stress and electrical test, it is possible to establish interconnection between the single die or separate and package dice into discrete parts, arrays or clusters, either as singulated parts or as arrays.

Claims

1. A reusable apparatus for performing at least one operation for a wafer having at least portions of a plurality of semiconductor dice thereon comprising:

a first rigid support member for receiving said wafer form having a predetermined orientation, the first rigid support member having a plurality of contact members thereon and having a plurality of electrical connectors connected to the contact members for establishing communication with circuitry used in said operation;

a second rigid support member for selectively engaging the first rigid support member to retain said wafer therebetween, one of the first rigid support member and the second rigid support member including a cavity for retaining said wafer therein during said operation; and

a biasing assembly including a single floating platform having an area substantially sized for the single cavity, the biasing assembly mounted to one of the first rigid support member and second rigid support member, the biasing assembly having a shape for uniformly biasing portions of said wafer against the contact members.

2. The reusable apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least portions of the plurality of semiconductor dice comprise a plurality of semiconductor dice in wafer form.

3. The reusable apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least portions of the plurality of semiconductor dice comprises a semiconductor die cluster in wafer form.

4. The reusable apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the biasing assembly comprises the single floating platform in contact with an elastomeric polymer member.

5. The reusable apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising aligning devices for aligning the first rigid support member with the second rigid support member.

6. A reusable wafer apparatus for use in an operation comprising:

a first rigid support member and a second rigid support member for receiving a plurality of semiconductor dice on a wafer therebetween, one of the first rigid support member and second rigid support member including a single cavity having substantially the same shape as the wafer for retaining said plurality of semiconductor dice on a wafer therein during said operation;

a plurality of contact members formed on the first rigid support member for communicating with electrical connectors for connecting to external circuitry for said operation;

a single biasing assembly including a single floating platform having a preselected area substantially sized to correspond with the single cavity and an elastomeric member disposed on the second rigid support member, the single biasing assembly sized for uniformly biasing said wafer towards the contact members, the single floating platform directly supporting the wafer having the elastomeric member sandwiched between the single floating platform and the second rigid support member.

7. The reusable apparatus as claimed in claim 6, further comprising an alignment device for aligning the first rigid support member and the second rigid support member with one another.

8. The reusable apparatus as claimed in claim 6, further comprising an alignment device including a dowel on one of the first rigid support member and second rigid support member and a corresponding opening on the other of the first rigid support member and the second rigid support member.