PROCESS AND METHOD FOR CONTINUOUS, NON LOT-BASED INTEGRATED CIRCUIT MANUFACTURING

• US 20070239307A1
• Filed: 06/14/2007
• Published: 10/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gregory Barnett, Mark Jones
• Original Assignee: Gregory Barnett, Mark Jones
• Inventors: Jones, Mark, Barnett, Gregory
• Granted Patent: US 7,738,988 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/115
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/31718 Logistic aspects, e.g. binning, selection, sorting of devices under test, tester/handler interaction networks, Test management software, e.g. software for test statistics or test evaluation, yield analysis mechanical aspects G01R31/2808, G01R31/2851
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/128 the workpiece itself serves as a record carrier, e.g. by its form, by marks or codes on it
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31296 Identification, pallet object data and program code for station
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45026 Circuit board, pcb
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/006 Identification G06F11/2289 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/5444 for electrical read out
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0207 Geometrical layout of the components, e.g. computer aided design; custom LSI, semi-custom LSI, standard cell technique
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A method for continuous, non lot-based manufacturing of integrated circuit (IC) devices of the type to each have a unique fuse identification (ID) includes: reading the fuse ID of each of the IC devices; advancing multiple lots of the IC devices through, for example, a test step in the manufacturing process in a substantially continuous manner; generating data, such as test data, related to the advancement of each of the IC devices through the step in the process; and associating the data generated for each of the IC devices with the fuse ID of its associated IC device.

Claims

1. A method for tracking a device in a process comprising:

forming a unique identification code using a fuse in the device for reading the unique identification code of the device;

advancing the device through the manufacturing process;

generating data related to the advancement of the device through a portion of the manufacturing process; and

associating the data generated for the device with the unique identification code.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each integrated circuit device of the plurality of integrated circuit devices is programmed with at least one substantially unique, electrically retrievable identification code for the reading of the at least one identification code of each integrated circuit device of the plurality of integrated circuit devices comprising electrically retrieving the at least one substantially unique, electrically retrievable identification code of each integrated circuit device of the plurality of integrated circuit devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each integrated circuit device of the plurality of integrated circuit devices is programmed with at least one unique fuse identification code for the reading of the at least one identification code of each integrated circuit device of the plurality of integrated circuit devices comprising reading the at least one unique fuse identification code programmed into each integrated circuit device of the plurality of integrated circuit devices.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein advancing the plurality of integrated circuit devices through the manufacturing process includes advancing the plurality of integrated circuit devices through an assembly step.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein advancing the plurality of integrated circuit devices through the manufacturing process includes advancing the plurality of integrated circuit devices through a test procedure.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising reading the at least one identification code of each integrated circuit device of the plurality of integrated circuit devices occurs before advancing the plurality of integrated circuit devices through the manufacturing process.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein advancing the plurality of integrated circuit devices through the manufacturing process includes serially advancing each integrated circuit device of the plurality of integrated circuit devices through multiple machines associated with the manufacturing process.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein advancing the plurality of integrated circuit devices through the manufacturing process includes advancing the plurality of integrated circuit devices through parallel machines associated with the manufacturing process.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein generating data related to the advancement of each integrated circuit device of the plurality of integrated circuit devices through the at least a portion of the manufacturing process comprises generating data selected from a group consisting of processing equipment data, processing personnel data, processing set-up data, time and date data, yield data, and test data.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the at least one identification code of each integrated circuit device of the plurality of integrated circuit devices, the associating of data generated for each integrated circuit device of the plurality of integrated circuit devices with the at least one identification code of its associated integrated circuit device comprising storing the data generated for each integrated circuit device of the plurality of integrated circuit devices in association with the stored at least one identification code of its associated integrated circuit device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein each integrated circuit device of the plurality of integrated circuit devices has an associated lot identification code and the associating data generated for each integrated circuit device of the plurality of integrated circuit devices with the at least one identification code of its associated integrated circuit device comprising storing the data generated for each integrated circuit device of the plurality of integrated circuit devices in association with the lot identification code of its associated integrated circuit device.

12. A method for tracking a process using a device in the process comprising:

forming a unique identification code using a fuse in the device for reading the unique identification code of the device;

advancing the device through a first portion of the manufacturing process;

forming a unique identification code using a fuse in the device for reading the unique identification code of the device associated with the first portion of the manufacturing process;

advancing the device through a second portion of the manufacturing process;

forming a unique identification code using a fuse in the device for reading the unique identification code of the device associated with the second portion of the manufacturing process;

generating data related to the advancement of the device through the first portion and the second portion of the manufacturing process; and

associating the data generated for the device with the unique identification code for the first portion and the second portion of the manufacturing process.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein each integrated circuit device of the plurality of integrated circuit devices is programmed with at least one substantially unique, electrically retrievable identification code for the reading of the at least one identification code of each integrated circuit device of the plurality of integrated circuit devices comprising electrically retrieving the at least one substantially unique, electrically retrievable identification code of each integrated circuit device of the plurality of integrated circuit devices for advancing the plurality of integrated circuit devices through an assembly step.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein each integrated circuit device of the plurality of integrated circuit devices is programmed with at least one unique fuse identification code, the reading of the at least one identification code of each integrated circuit device of the plurality of integrated circuit devices comprising reading the at least one unique fuse identification code programmed into each integrated circuit device of the plurality of integrated circuit devices for advancing the plurality of integrated circuit devices through a test procedure.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein advancing the plurality of integrated circuit devices through the manufacturing process includes advancing the plurality of integrated circuit devices through one of an assembly step and a test procedure.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising reading the at least one identification code of each integrated circuit device of the plurality of integrated circuit devices occurs before advancing the plurality of integrated circuit devices through the manufacturing process wherein advancing the plurality of integrated circuit devices through the manufacturing process includes serially advancing each integrated circuit device of the plurality of integrated circuit devices through multiple machines associated with the manufacturing process.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein advancing the plurality of integrated circuit devices through the manufacturing process includes advancing the plurality of integrated circuit devices through parallel machines associated with the manufacturing process.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising storing the at least one identification code of each integrated circuit device of the plurality of integrated circuit devices for the associating the data generated for each integrated circuit device of the plurality of integrated circuit devices with the at least one identification code of its associated integrated circuit device comprising storing the data generated for each integrated circuit device of the plurality of integrated circuit devices in association with the stored at least one identification code of its associated integrated circuit device.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein each integrated circuit device of the plurality of integrated circuit devices has an associated lot identification code and the associating data generated for each integrated circuit device of the plurality of integrated circuit devices with the at least one identification code of its associated integrated circuit device comprising storing the data generated for each integrated circuit device of the plurality of integrated circuit devices in association with the lot identification code of its associated integrated circuit device.

20. A tracking method for at least one integrated circuit device comprising:

providing each integrated circuit device of a plurality of integrated circuit devices with at least one identification code;

reading the at least one identification code of each integrated circuit device of the plurality of integrated circuit devices;

advancing the plurality of integrated circuit devices through the manufacturing process in a substantially continuous manner;

generating data related to the advancement of each integrated circuit device of the plurality of integrated circuit devices through at least a portion of the manufacturing process; and

associating the data generated for each integrated circuit device of the plurality of integrated circuit devices with the at least one identification code for an associated integrated circuit device of the plurality of integrated circuit devices.