Apparatus and method for predetermined component placement to a target platform

• US 20110212549A1
• Filed: 05/13/2010
• Published: 09/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kong C. Chen
• Original Assignee: Kong C. Chen
• Inventors: Chen, Kong C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,536,572 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/15
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/32 Additional lead-in metallisation on a device or substrate, e.g. additional pads or pad portions, lines in the scribe line, sacrificed conductors arrangements for conducting electric current to or from the solid state body in operation H01L23/48
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/5444 for electrical read out
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/5448 Located on chip prior to dicing and remaining on chip after dicing
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16 of an individual bump connector
• 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 23/544 Marks applied to semiconductor devices or parts, e.g. registration marks, alignment structures, wafer maps test patterns for characterising or monitoring manufacturing processes H01L22/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/81 using a bump 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 2924/01005 Boron [B]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01006 Carbon [C]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01013 Aluminum [Al]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01023 Vanadium [V]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01033 Arsenic [As]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01038 Strontium [Sr]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01075 Rhenium [Re]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01082 Lead [Pb]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/014 Solder alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12041 LED
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12042 LASER
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 : Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19041 : being a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19043 : being a resistor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30105 : Capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/351 : Thermal stress
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49004 : including measuring or testing of device or component part
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49778 : with aligning, guiding, or instruction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53261 : Means to align and advance work part

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to assembly techniques. According to the present invention, the alignment and probing techniques to improve the accuracy of component placement in assembly are described. More particularly, the invention includes methods and structures to detect and improve the component placement accuracy on a target platform by incorporating alignment marks on component and reference marks on target platform under various probing techniques. A set of sensors grouped in any array to form a multiple-sensor probe can detect the deviation of displaced components in assembly.

Claims

1. A method of aligning electrical contacts of a second electronic circuit or assembly with electrical contacts of a first electronic circuit or assembly, the second electronic circuit or assembly and the first electronic circuit or assembly each being provided with one or more alignment features, the method comprising:

placing electrical contacts of the second electronic circuit or assembly in contact or near contact with electrical contacts of the first electronic circuit or assembly; and

during said contact or near contact, electrically or optically sensing an alignment condition of alignment features of the second electronic circuit or assembly and alignment features of the first electronic circuit or assembly;

during said sensing, obtaining and storing sensing information; and

analyzing said sensing information to determine a movement to be caused between the second electronic circuit or assembly and the first electronic circuit or assembly to achieve an improved alignment condition;

wherein at least one of the first electronic circuit or assembly and the second electronic circuit or assembly comprises a singulated integrated circuit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each alignment feature comprises a plurality of alignment elements, and wherein the sensing information represents alignment or non-alignment of each respective alignment element.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein an alignment feature of each of the second electronic circuit or assembly and the first electronic circuit or assembly comprises a plurality of alignment elements, the method comprising using a probe arrangement to electrically sense an alignment condition of alignment elements of an alignment feature of the second electronic circuit or assembly and alignment elements of an alignment feature of the first electronic circuit or assembly.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second electronic circuit or assembly and the first electronic circuit or assembly are each provided with multiple alignment features, the method comprising electrically or optically sensing an alignment condition of multiple alignment features of the second electronic circuit or assembly and multiple alignment features of the first electronic circuit or assembly.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein each of said multiple alignment features comprises a plurality of alignment elements.

6. The method of claim 3, comprising, following said sensing, moving the second electronic circuit or assembly to achieve an improved alignment condition.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the improved alignment condition achieves reduced offset error.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the improved alignment condition achieves reduced rotational error.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the improved alignment condition achieves both reduced offset error and reduced rotational error.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein the probe arrangement comprises a plurality of sensor elements, the method comprising dynamically configuring the probe arrangement to select a subset of the sensor elements for sensing the alignment condition.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein the probe arrangement comprises a plurality of sensor elements, the method comprising dynamically configuring the probe arrangement to group different sensor elements of the probe arrangement for purposes of sensing the alignment condition.

12. The method of claim 3, comprising:

holding the first electronic circuit or assembly stationary; and

prior to using the probe arrangement to electrically sense an alignment condition, aligning the probe arrangement in relation to the first electronic circuit or assembly.

13. The method of claim 1, comprising applying an electrical or optical stimulus to an alignment feature, wherein the probe arrangement is used to electrically or optically sense presence or absence of the electrical or optical stimulus.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the probe arrangement performs resistive sensing.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the probe arrangement performs capacitive sensing.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the probe arrangement performs optical sensing.

17. The method of claim 13, comprising applying an electrical or optical stimulus in parallel to multiple alignment features.

18. The method of claim 13, comprising applying an electrical stimulus in series to multiple alignment features.

19. The method of claim 1, comprising prestoring in a placement equipment database dimensional information pertaining to an alignment feature.

20. The method of claim 1, comprising deriving dimensional information pertaining to an alignment feature using a probe.