Wafer scale image sensor package fabrication method

• US 6,503,780 B1
• Filed: 07/05/2000
• Issued: 01/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Amkor Technology Singapore Holding Pte., Ltd. (Amkor Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Amkor Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Glenn, Thomas P., Webster, Steven, Arellano, Tony
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelms, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Dung Anh
• Application Number:
  US09/610,309
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 438/116, 438/48, 438/49, 438/22, 438/70, 438/64-65, 257/431-435, 257/291
• US Class Current: 438/116
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32245 the item being metallic
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48227 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48247 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/73 Means for bonding being of different types provided for in two or more of groups H01L24/10, H01L24/18, H01L24/26, H01L24/34, H01L24/42, H01L24/50, H01L24/63, H01L24/71
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14618 Containers
• 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 2924/00012 Relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/10253 Silicon [Si]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12041 LED
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15311 being a ball array, e.g. BGA

Abstract

To form an image sensor package, a series of shallow cuts are made in an interior surface of a window sheet having a plurality of windows. A window support layer is formed on an upper surface of a wafer having a plurality of image sensors. The interior surface of the window sheet is pressed into the window support layer such that the windows are above active areas of the image sensors. The shallow cuts in combination with the window support layer define cavities above bond pads of the image sensors. The window sheet is cut from an exterior surface directly opposite of the cavities above the bond pads to singulating the windows from one another. The wafer is then singulated to form a plurality of image sensor packages.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

forming a window support layer on a first surface of an image sensor substrate comprising a first image sensor, said window support layer covering an active area of said first image sensor; and

pressing a first surface of a window sheet into said window support layer such that a first window of said window sheet is above said active area.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said forming comprises spin coating a bonding material on said first surface of said image sensor substrate.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said first surface of said window sheet is pressed into said window support layer while said window support layer is wet.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising setting up said window support layer.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said setting up comprises curing, gelling, or making tacky said window support layer.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising scoring said first surface of said window sheet with a cut.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said cut is a rectangular groove.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said cut and said window support layer define a cavity.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said cavity is above a bond pad of said first image sensor.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising cutting said window sheet from a second surface of said window sheet, said window sheet being cut directly opposite of said cavity.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said cutting comprises cutting through said window sheet to said cavity.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said cutting is performed with a sawbdade.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said cut has a first width and said sawblade has a second width.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said first width is equal to said second width.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said second width is greater than said first width.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising singulating said first window from said window sheet.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising selectively removing said window support layer using said first window as an etch mask.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said window support layer covers a first bond pad of said first image sensor, said selectively removing exposing said first bond pad.

19. A method comprising:

entirely coating a first surface comprising an active area and a bond pad of an image sensor with a bonding material to form a window support layer;

supporting a window above said active area with said window support layer; and

setting up said window support layer.

20. The method of claims 19 wherein said entirely coating comprises spin coating said bonding material.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein said supporting comprises pressing a first surface of said window into said window support layer.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said pressing is performed while said window support layer is wet.

23. The method of claim 19 further comprising removing said window support layer above said bond pad.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said removing comprises using said window as an etch mask for said window support layer.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein a remaining portion of said window support layer comprises a window support.

26. A method comprising:

forming a window support layer on a first surface of an image sensor substrate comprising a first image sensor and a second image sensor, said window support layer covering an active area of said first image sensor and an active area of said second image sensor;

defining a first window and a second window of a window sheet by a first cut in a first surface of said window sheet;

pressing said first surface of said window sheet into said window support layer such that said first window is above said active area of said first image sensor and said second window is above said active area of said second image sensor, wherein said window support layer and said first cut define a cavity above a bond pad of said first image sensor and above a bond pad of said second image sensor;

setting up said window support layer; and

cutting from a second surface of said window sheet to said cavity to singulate said first window from said second window.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein said cavity prevents damage to said bond pad of said first image sensor and to said bond pad of said second image sensor.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein said cutting is performed with a sawblade.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein a width of said first cut is equal to a width of said sawblade.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein a width of said first cut is less than a width of said sawblade.

31. The method of claim 26 further comprising removing said window support layer above said bond pad of said first image sensor and above said bond pad of said second image senosor.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein said removing comprises using said first window and said second window as etch masks for said window support layer.