Die attach area cut-on-fly method and apparatus

• US 20050284917A1
• Filed: 06/24/2005
• Published: 12/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS, INC. (CCL Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS, INC. (CCL Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Cote, Andre, Clare, Thomas J., Eckstein, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 7,709,294 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 228/170
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 20/004 Wire welding
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/32 Wires
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/40 Semiconductor devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07718 the record carrier being manufactured in a continuous process, e.g. using endless rolls
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07745 Mounting details of integrated circuit chips
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0775 arrangements for connecting the integrated circuit to the antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67132 Apparatus for placing on an insulating substrate, e.g. tape
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6677 for antenna, e.g. antenna included within housing of semiconductor device antennas per se H01Q
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05573 Single external layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16 of an individual bump connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/29075 Plural core members
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/2929 with a principal constituent of the material being a polymer, e.g. polyester, phenolic based polymer, epoxy
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/293 with a principal constituent of the material being a metal or a metalloid, e.g. boron [B], silicon [Si], germanium [Ge], arsenic [As], antimony [Sb], tellurium [Te] and polonium [Po], and alloys thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/75 Apparatus for connecting with bump connectors or layer connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/78 Apparatus for connecting with wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/81121 Active alignment, i.e. by apparatus steering, e.g. optical alignment using marks or sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/81801 Soldering or alloying
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/83851 being an anisotropic conductive adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/85 using a wire connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49855 : for flat-cards, e.g. credit cards cards per se G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/75 : Apparatus for connecting with bump connectors or layer connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/81 : using a bump connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/83 : using a layer connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 : Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00011 : Not relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 : the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01005 : Boron [B]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01006 : Carbon [C]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01013 : Aluminum [Al]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01029 : Copper [Cu]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01033 : Arsenic [As]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01046 : Palladium [Pd]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0105 : Tin [Sn]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01054 : Xenon [Xe]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01057 : Lanthanum [La]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01061 : Promethium [Pm]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01077 : Iridium [Ir]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01082 : Lead [Pb]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/014 : Solder alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/10253 : Silicon [Si]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12042 : LASER
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 : Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19043 : being a resistor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/12 : Surface bonding means and/or assembly means with cutting, punching, piercing, severing or tearing

Abstract

A method and apparatus for bonding integrated circuits uniquely suited to high volume tag production is described, where conductive material of a substrate at the die-attach-area is cut before an IC chip or transponder is placed on the conductive material over the cut and bonded. The apparatus performs the method of placing a first chip on a substrate having a conductive layer, measuring the location of the first chip on the substrate, cutting the conductive layer at a location of an expected subsequently placed chip to form a cut based on the measured location of the first chip, and placing the subsequently placed chip on the substrate over the cut.

Claims

1. A method for cutting a die attach area of a substrate, comprising:

determining a location of a first transponder on a substrate;

cutting the substrate at a location of an expected subsequently placed transponder to form a conductive gap based on the location of the first transponder; and

depositing the subsequently placed transponder on the substrate over the gap.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising welding the deposited transponder to the substrate.

3. A bonding machine, comprising:

a placement station that deposits transponders on a moving substrate;

a measuring station adjacent said placement station that determines a location of a deposited transponder placed on the substrate by said placement station; and

a cutting station adjacent said placement station and opposite said measuring station that cuts the substrate at a location of an expected subsequently placed transponder to form a conductive gap, the location of said gap being based on the measured location of the deposited transponder such that said placement station is adapted to place the expected subsequently placed transponder on the substrate over said gap.

4. The bonding machine of claim 3, further comprising a welding station that welds the deposited transponder to the substrate.

5. A method for cutting a die attach area of a substrate, comprising:

determining a location of a transponder deposited at the die attach area on a continuously forward moving substrate at a first time; and

cutting the continuously forward moving substrate at the attached transponder at a second time to form a conductive gap in the substrate in accordance with the determination.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising depositing the transponder on the substrate.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of determining includes registering a location of a flux at the die attach area.

8. A bonding machine, comprising:

a measuring station that registers a location of a transponder at a die attach area on a continuously moving substrate; and

a cutting station adjacent said measuring station that cuts the substrate at the transponder to form a conductive gap in the substrate, the location of said gap being based on the measured location of the transponder.

9. The bonding machine of claim 8, further comprising a placement station adjacent said measuring station that deposits the transponder on the continuously moving substrate.

10. The bonding machine of claim 8, wherein said measuring station registers the location of the transponder based on a location of a flux at the die attach area.

11. A method for cutting a die attach area of a substrate, comprising:

depositing a transponder at a die attach area of a moving substrate; and

while depositing the transponder at the die attach area, cutting the moving substrate at the die attach area to form a gap adjacent the transponder.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining an alignment of the deposited transponder on the moving substrate.

13. A bonding machine, comprising:

a placement station that deposits a transponder on a die attach area of a moving substrate; and

a cutting station adjacent the moving substrate and opposite said placement station that is adapted to cut the substrate at the die attach area to form a gap adjacent the transponder simultaneously with the deposit of the transponder on the die attach area.

14. The bonding machine of claim 13, further comprising a measuring station adjacent said placement station that determines an alignment of the deposited transponder on the continuously moving substrate.

15. The bonding machine of claim 13, wherein said gap forms an antenna for the transponder.

16. A method of applying respective transponders to at least one electrically conductive member to form a plurality of circuit components, said at least one electrically conductive member moving continuously down a path, each of said circuit components having a first conductive portion, a second conductive portion and a conductive gap between the first and second conductive portion, the transponder being arranged to be secured to the first and second conductive portion bridging the conductive gap therebetween, the method comprising:

determining the location of the conductive gap in one of the plurality of circuit components while the at least one electrically conductive member is moving down said path;

placing a respective transponder adjacent the conductive gap, while the at least one electrically conductive member is moving down said path, based on the determined location of said conductive gap; and

electrically coupling respective portions of each respective transponder to respective ones of the first and second conductive portions across the conductive gap to secure the respective transponder thereto.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the path comprises a portion of a high speed printing line.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising forming the conductive gap.

19. A bonding machine adapted to apply respective transponders to at least one electrically conductive member to form a plurality of circuit components, said at least one electrically conductive member moving continuously down a path, each of said circuit components having a first conductive portion, a second conductive portion and a conductive gap between the first and second conductive portions, said respective transponders being arranged to be secured to respective ones of said first and second conductive portions and bridging the conductive gap therebetween, comprising:

a measuring station that determines the location of the conductive gap in one of the plurality of circuit components while the at least one electrically conductive member is moving down said path;

a placement station that places a respective transponder adjacent the conductive gap while the at least one electrically conductive member is moving down said path based on the determined location of said gap from the measuring station, said placement station being adapted to electrically couple respective portions of each respective transponder to respective ones of the first and second conductive portions across the conductive gap to secure the respective transponder thereto.

20. The bonding machine of claim 19, wherein the path comprises a portion of a high speed printing line.