IMAGER DIE PACKAGE AND METHODS OF PACKAGING AN IMAGER DIE ON A TEMPORARY CARRIER

• US 20090068798A1
• Filed: 09/07/2007
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Farnworth, Warren M., Oliver, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 7,923,298 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/127
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/56 Encapsulations, e.g. encapsulation layers, coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/13 of an individual bump connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14618 Containers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14625 Optical elements or arrangements associated with the device
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14627 Microlenses
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14632 Wafer-level processed structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14634 Assemblies, i.e. Hybrid structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14636 Interconnect structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14685 Process for coatings or optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14687 Wafer level processing
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1469 Assemblies, i.e. hybrid integration
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0203 Containers; Encapsulations , e.g. encapsulation of photodiodesfor photovoltaic devices H01L31/048; for organic photosensitive devices H10K30/80
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0232 Optical elements or arrangements associated with the device H01L31/0236 takes precedence; for photovoltaic cells H01L31/054; for photovoltaic modules H02S40/20

Abstract

Methods for fabricating an imager die package and resulting die packages are disclosed. An imager die packaging process may include dicing through a fabrication substrate comprising a plurality of imager die. Thereafter, known good die (KGD) qualified from the imager die are repopulated, face down on a high temperature-compatible temporary carrier, the KGD on the temporary carrier are encapsulated and thereafter removed as a reconstructed wafer from the temporary carrier. Furthermore, a first plurality of discrete conductive elements on a back side of the reconstructed wafer may be partially exposed and, optionally, a second plurality of discrete conductive elements may be applied to the first plurality of discrete conductive elements. The encapsulated KGD are then singulated.

Claims

1. A method of packaging an imager die, comprising:

positioning at least one optical element over at least one image sensor of at least one imager die of a plurality of imager dice carried by a fabrication substrate;

singulating the imager dice from other imager dice;

securing a plurality of imager dice to a temporary carrier with optical elements over the plurality of imager dice secured to or positioned adjacent to the temporary carrier;

at least partially encapsulating the plurality of imager dice on the temporary carrier to form a reconstructed wafer; and

singulating at least partially encapsulated imager dice from the reconstructed wafer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning at least one optical element comprises positioning at least one of a transparent layer and a substrate carrying a plurality of lenses over the fabrication substrate.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein singulating the plurality of imager dice includes forming cuts in the transparent layer or the substrate carrying the plurality of lenses with surfaces of the cuts extend laterally over at least portions of the plurality of imager dice.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein singulating the plurality of imager dice includes forming cuts with laterally extending surfaces that extend substantially to an outer periphery of an image sensor of at least one imager die of the plurality of imager dice.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein singulating the known good dice includes forming cuts that are beveled.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein singulating the known good dice comprises forming cuts with an upper region that is wider than a lower region thereof.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein at least partially encapsulating includes introducing opaque encapsulant material over the laterally extending surfaces of the cuts.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

testing the plurality of imager die to ascertain known good dice.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein positioning at least one optical element comprises positioning individual known good optical elements only over known good dice.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

preventing encapsulant from covering at least end portions of discrete conductive elements protruding from the plurality of imager dice.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein preventing comprises receiving at least the end portions of the discrete conductive elements within a compressible, conformable element before at least partially encapsulating the plurality of imager dice.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at least partially exposing portions of discrete conductive elements embedded within encapsulant.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising disposing a second plurality of discrete conductive elements on the at least partially exposed portions of the discrete conductive elements.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

removing the reconstructed wafer from the temporary carrier.

15. An imager die package, comprising:

an imager die comprising an image sensor on an active surface of the imager die;

at least one contact on a back side of the imager die;

an optical element over the image sensor; and

an encapsulant surrounding the imager die and including an lateral light blocking element that extends laterally over a portion of the active surface of the imager die.

16. The imager die package of claim 15, wherein the encapsulant covers the back side of the imager die.

17. The imager die package of claim 16, wherein at least one discrete conductive element protruding from the at least one contact includes an end protruding from the encapsulant.

18. The imager die package of claim 16, wherein at least one discrete conductive element protruding from the at least one contact is completely surrounded by encapsulant.

19. The imager die package of claim 18, wherein an end of the at least one discrete conductive element is substantially coplanar with a surface of the encapsulant.

20. The imager die package of claim 18, further comprising:

at least another discrete conductive element aligned with, contacting, and protruding from the at least one discrete conductive element and protruding from the encapsulant.

21. The imager die package of claim 15, wherein the lateral light blocking element extends laterally substantially to a location above an outer periphery of the imager sensor.

22. The imager die package of claim 15, wherein the optical element comprises a layer of transparent material with a beveled or notched edge and the lateral light blocking element comprises encapsulant covering surfaces of the beveled or notched edge that are at least partially laterally extending.

23. A film frame tape, comprising:

a substantially planar substrate; and

an ultraviolet-sensitive adhesive material on the substantially planar substrate, the ultraviolet-sensitive adhesive material being configured to release an adhered object upon exposure of the ultraviolet-sensitive adhesive material to ultraviolet radiation.

24. The film frame tape of claim 23, wherein the substrate comprises polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

25. An electronic device, comprising:

a processor-based device; and

an imager die package operably coupled to the processor-based device and comprising;

an imager die comprising an image sensor on an active surface of the imager die;

at least one contact on a back side of the imager die;

an optical element over the image sensor; and

an encapsulant surrounding the imager die and including an lateral light blocking element that extends laterally over a portion of the active surface of the imager die.

26. A collection of known good imagers, comprising:

a plurality of imagers residing in a single plane;

optical elements over image sensors of the plurality of imagers; and

encapsulant between adjacent imagers and securing the plurality of imagers to each other.

27. The collection of claim 26, wherein the plurality of imagers consists of known good imagers.

28. The collection of claim 27, wherein the optical elements comprise lenses.

29. The collection of claim 28, wherein the lenses consist of known good lenses.

30. The collection of claim 26, wherein encapsulant extends at least partially laterally over active surfaces of the plurality of imagers.

31. The collection of claim 30, wherein encapsulant extends laterally, substantially to an outer periphery of an imager sensor of each imager of the plurality of imagers.

32. An imager process assembly, comprising:

a carrier; and

a plurality of imager assemblies secured to the carrier, each imager assembly including;

an imager die including an image sensor at an active surface of the imager die; and

an optical element over the image sensor, the optical element being secured to or positioned adjacent to the carrier.

33. The imager process assembly of claim 32, wherein the carrier comprises a polyethylene terephthalate film with an adhesive on a surface thereof, the adhesive comprising an ultraviolet-sensitive material that will release the plurality of imager assemblies when exposed to ultraviolet radiation.

34. The imager process assembly of claim 32, further comprising encapsulant between adjacent imager assemblies of the plurality of imager assemblies.

35. The imager process assembly of claim 35, wherein encapsulant extends to locations that are laterally over an active surface of each imager die of the plurality of imager assemblies.

36. A method of packaging an imager die, comprising:

dicing through a thickness of a fabrication substrate between adjacent imager die of a plurality of imager dice carried by the fabrication substrate to form a plurality of individual imager die;

securing a plurality of known good imager die qualified from the plurality of individual imager die to a temporary carrier;

encapsulating at least partially the plurality of known good die on the temporary carrier to form a reconstructed wafer; and

singulating the at least partially encapsulated plurality of known good die from the reconstructed wafer.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising positioning at least one optical element over the at least one imager die of a plurality of imager dice carried by the fabrication substrate prior to dicing through a thickness of the fabrication substrate.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein positioning at least one optical element over the at least one imager die comprises attaching the at least one optical element to a plurality of standoffs secured to the fabrication substrate.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein securing a plurality of known good imager die qualified from the plurality of individual imager die to a temporary carrier comprises securing a plurality of known good imager die qualified from the plurality of individual imager die to one of a film frame tape and a glass carrier.

40. The method of claim 36, wherein encapsulating at least partially the plurality of known good die comprises encapsulating at least partially the plurality of known good die with a molding process.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein encapsulating at least partially the plurality of known good die with a molding process comprises encapsulating at least partially the plurality of known good die with one of a injection molding process, a transfer molding process, and a compression molding process.

42. The method of claim 36, wherein encapsulating at least partially the plurality of known good die comprises forming at least one lateral light blocking element extending laterally over a portion of an active surface of each known good die.

43. The method of claim 36, wherein encapsulating at least partially the plurality of known good die comprises encapsulating at least partially the plurality of known good die with a dam and fill process.

44. A method of packaging an imager die, comprising:

attaching at least one optical element over an active surface of a wafer including a plurality of imager dice, each imager die positioned on the active surface;

dicing the wafer between adjacent imager die resulting in a plurality of individual imager die;

securing at least one imager die of the plurality of individual imager die to a temporary carrier;

forming a reconstructed wafer by at least partially encapsulating the at least one imager die on the temporary carrier; and

singulating the at least partially encapsulated at least one imager die from the reconstructed wafer.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein attaching at least one optical element over an active surface of a wafer comprises attaching one of a lens and a glass layer over an active surface of a wafer.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein attaching at least one optical element over an active surface of a wafer comprises attaching at least one optical element over an active surface of a through wafer interconnect (TWI) wafer.