Method of efficiently laser marking singulated semiconductor devices
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An laser marking apparatus for singulated articles, comprising:
- at least two article suppliers configured to supply singulated articles to laterally adjacent locations within a marking field for marking;
a laser located proximate the marking field and configured to project a laser beam for marking the singulated articles; and
a controller associated with the laser and adapted to;
cause each of the at least two article suppliers to selectively arrest movement of the singulated articles to accumulate groups of singulated articles at each of the laterally adjacent locations within the marking field; and
direct the laser beam toward a first group of singulated articles at one of the laterally adjacent locations to sequentially mark each of the articles of the first group and to subsequently direct the laser beam toward a second group of singulated articles at another of the laterally adjacent locations to sequentially mark each of the articles of the second group.
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Abstract
A laser marking apparatus and method for marking the surface of a singulated article such as a semiconductor chip are described herein. Semiconductor chips are fed along inclined, parallel tracks to a laser marking field where they are subsequently marked by a laser beam. As the laser beam is marking chips associated with one track, chips associated with other tracks that have already been marked are replaced by unmarked chips. In this manner, the laser is continually being used to mark semiconductor chips without having to wait for unmarked chips to move to the marking location.
100 Citations
34 Claims
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1. An laser marking apparatus for singulated articles, comprising:
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at least two article suppliers configured to supply singulated articles to laterally adjacent locations within a marking field for marking; a laser located proximate the marking field and configured to project a laser beam for marking the singulated articles; and a controller associated with the laser and adapted to; cause each of the at least two article suppliers to selectively arrest movement of the singulated articles to accumulate groups of singulated articles at each of the laterally adjacent locations within the marking field; and direct the laser beam toward a first group of singulated articles at one of the laterally adjacent locations to sequentially mark each of the articles of the first group and to subsequently direct the laser beam toward a second group of singulated articles at another of the laterally adjacent locations to sequentially mark each of the articles of the second group. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. An apparatus for laser marking a singulated article comprising:
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at least two article suppliers disposed at an angle to the horizontal, each of the at least two article suppliers configured to supply singulated articles under gravity to laterally adjacent locations within a marking field for marking; a laser located proximate the marking field and configured to project a laser beam for marking the singulated articles; a controller associated with the laser and adapted to; cause each of the at least two article suppliers to selectively arrest gravity-induced movement of the singulated articles to accumulate groups of singulated articles at each of the laterally adjacent locations within the marking field; direct the laser beam toward a first group of singulated articles at one of the laterally adjacent locations to sequentially mark each of the articles of the second group and to subsequently direct the laser beam toward a second group of singulated articles at another of the laterally adjacent locations to sequentially mark each of the articles of the second group. - View Dependent Claims (33)
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34. An apparatus for laser marking singulated articles comprising:
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at least two article suppliers configured to supply singulated articles to laterally adjacent locations within a marking field for marking; a laser located proximate the marking field and configured to project a laser beam for marking the singulated articles; and a controller associated with the laser and adapted to; control a flow of articles on each of the at least two article suppliers such that each article arrives at each of the laterally adjacent locations within the marking field independent of each other article; detect when a predetermined number, greater than one, of articles is present at one of the laterally adjacent locations; and selectively cause the laser to mark all of the articles at the one of the laterally adjacent location.
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Specification