Alignment and orientation features for a semiconductor package

• US 6,577,019 B1
• Filed: 01/21/2000
• Issued: 06/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Roberts, Stuart L., Reeder, William J., Mess, Leonard E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fahmy, Wael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ha, Nathan W.
• Application Number:
  US09/489,998
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 257/668, 257/797, 257/678, 438/118, 438/401
• US Class Current: 257/797
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/54473 for use after dicing
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05554 being square
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05599 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45099 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48247 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49113 the connectors connecting different bonding areas on the semiconductor or solid-state body to a common bonding area outside the body, e.g. converging wires
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49171 Fan-out arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49503 characterised by the die pad
• 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 24/48 of an individual wire connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/49 of a plurality of wire connectors
• 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 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01029 Copper [Cu]
• 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

Abstract

A semiconductor device formed by an automated wire bonding system. The semiconductor device comprises a lead frame having a plurality of lead fingers and a die paddle, and a semiconductor die mounted to the die paddle. The die paddle comprises a plurality of eyepoint features that extend from the die. The die comprises a first plurality of bonding pads and the lead fingers comprise a second plurality of bonding pads. The first and second bonding pads are interconnected by a plurality of connecting wires which are installed by the automated wire bonding system. The wire bonding system obtains an image of the lead frame and identifies the eyepoint features of the die paddle within the image so as to more accurately determine the positions of the second wire bonding pads of the lead frame with respect to the wire bonding system

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a semiconductor die having a first plurality of bonding pads disposed along a surface of the die;

a lead frame layer comprising a die paddle for supporting the semiconductor die, and a plurality of lead fingers extending from the lead frame layer having a second plurality of bonding pads formed thereon, the die paddle comprising a mounting region, wherein the semiconductor die is mounted adjacent the mounting region of the die paddle so that the die is secured to the die paddle;

at least one eyepoint feature that is internally formed as part of the mounting region and extends outwardly from the mounting region of the die paddle so that the eyepoint features and the second bonding pads align with respect to the lead frame layer, wherein the at least one eyepoint feature defines a straight edge and a curved edge that intersect at a point and is visible when the die is being mounted to the mounting region to thereby facilitate registration; and

plurality of connecting wires that extend between the first and second bonding pads so as to provide electrically conducting paths therebetween.

2. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein semiconductor device further comprises at least one triangular eyepoint feature that extends outwardly from the mounting region of the die paddle, and wherein the at least one triangular eyepoint feature comprises a first and second edge that extend toward each other so as to form a sharp point.

3. The semiconductor device of claim 2, wherein the at least one eyepoint features comprises a first and second edge that extend toward each other so as to form a sharp point.

4. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the at least one eyepoint feature comprises a plurality of eyepoint features each of the plurality of eyepoint features comprising a first edge that extends toward a second edge in a perpendicular manner so as to form a sharp point, each of the plurality of eyepoint features further comprising a third edge extending toward the second edge in a curved manner so as to form a rounded section.

5. The semiconductor device of claim 4, wherein the plurality of eyepoint features are disposed in an asymmetrical manner.

6. A wire bonding system for wire bonding between a first plurality of bonding pads located on a surface of a die positioned on a die paddle of a lead frame and a second plurality of bonding pads located on lead fingers of the lead frame, wherein the lead frame further comprises a plurality of eyepoint features that are positioned within the lead frame and extend outwardly from the die paddle, the system comprising:

an imaging device that obtains an image of the lead frame;

a processor that receives the obtained image from the imaging device and evaluates the received image to determine the location of the plurality of eyepoint features that are positioned within the lead frame and extend outwardly from the die paddle of the lead frame, wherein the eyepoint features and the second bonding pads align with respect to the lead frame, and wherein the processor further determines the relative location of the second plurality of bonding pads from the determined location of the plurality of eyepoint features; and

a wire bonding device that receives signals from the processor and attaches wire bonds between the first plurality of bonding pads and the second plurality of bonding pads as located by the processor from the image obtained by the imaging device.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a memory for storing the image provided by the imaging device, the memory communicating with the processor.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a user input device for entering configuration data, the user input device communicating with the processor, the configuration data defining the configuration of the at least one eyepoint feature.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the wire bonding device attaches each of the wire bonds by first starting at the first plurality of bonding pads and then ending at the second plurality of bonding pads.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one eyepoint feature comprises a first edge that perpendicularly extends from the lateral edges of the mounting region, a second edge that perpendicularly extends from the first edge so as to provide a right angled corner where the first and second edges join together, a third edge that extends from the lateral edges of the mounting region in a perpendicular manner toward the second edge in a gradual manner so as to form a curved region, a first width extending from the first edge to the third edge, and a second width extending from the lateral edges of the mounting region to the second edge.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one eyepoint feature outwardly extends from the center of the lateral edges of the mounting region of the die paddle and has a pointed shape so as to resemble an arrow.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein the eyepoint feature comprises a first edge that diagonally extends from the lateral edges of the mounting region and a second edge that extends from the first edge at a sharp point toward the lateral edge of the mounting region in a diagonal manner.

13. A lead frame comprising:

a die paddle having a plurality of outer lateral edges, wherein the die paddle is adapted to receive a semiconductor die having a first plurality of bonding locations;

a plurality of lead fingers extending from the lead frame substantially coplanar to the die paddle and defining second bonding locations to which wire bonds are to be bonded in a desired pattern between the first plurality of bonding locations and a second plurality of bonding locations; and

a plurality of first eyepoint features that are internally formed as part of the die paddle on at least one of the outer lateral edges of the die paddle and extend outwardly from the die paddle coplanar to the second bonding locations so as to be visible when the die is being mounted on the die paddle to thereby facilitate registration, wherein the first eyepoint features each define a first edge that perpendicularly extends from the lateral edge and a second edge that extends toward the first edge in a curved manner from the lateral edge so as to form a rounded section, and wherein the first eyepoint features are fixedly positioned with respect to the second bonding locations so that the first eyepoint features provide a point of reference from which the relative location of each of the second bonding locations with respect to an origin can be determined.

14. The lead frame of claim 13, wherein the lead frame further comprises at least one second eyepoint feature that extends from at least one lateral edge of the die paddle.

15. The lead frame of claim 14, wherein the at least one second eyepoint feature comprises a first and second edge that extend toward each other so as to form a sharp point.

16. A lead frame comprising:

a die paddle having a plurality of outer lateral edges, wherein the die paddle is adapted to receive a semiconductor die;

a plurality of lead fingers; and

a first orientation indicator that is internally formed as part of the die paddle on a lateral edge of the die paddle so as to be visible when the die is mounted on the die paddle so as to facilitate registration, wherein the first orientation indicator extends in a direction corresponding to the orientation of the lead frame so as to be substantially coplanar to the lead fingers and defines a straight edge that extends toward a curved edge in a perpendicular manner so as to form a sharp point, the curved edge extending toward the first edge in a curved manner so as to form a rounded section, the first orientation indicator enabling a human observer to visually determine the orientation of the lead frame by observing the direction of extension of the first orientation indicator.

17. The lead frame of claim 16, wherein the lead frame further comprises a second orientation indicator formed on at least one outer lateral edge of the die paddle so as to be visible when the die is mounted on the die paddle, and wherein the second orientation indicator comprises a first and second edge that extend toward each other so as to form an arrow.

18. A wire bonding system for wire bonding between a first plurality of bonding pads located on a surface of a die positioned on a die paddle of a lead frame and a second plurality of bonding pads located on lead fingers of a lead frame, the system comprising:

an imaging device that obtains an image of the lead frame;

a mounting region on the die paddle having longitudinal and lateral side edges, which form a substantially rectangular shape for supporting the die;

at least one eyepoint feature that is internally formed as part of the mounting region and extends outwardly from the mounting region of the die paddle so as to be substantially coplanar to the second plurality of bonding pads and so as to be visible when the die is being mounted to the mounting region to thereby facilitate registration, wherein the eyepoint feature comprises a first edge that perpendicularly extends from at least one lateral side edge, a second edge that extends from the at least one lateral side edge in a perpendicular manner toward the first edge in a gradual manner so as to form a curved region, a first width extending from the first edge to the second edge, and a second width extending from the at least one lateral side edge of the mounting region to the second edge;

a processor that receives the obtained image from the imaging device and evaluates the received image to determine the location of the at least one eyepoint feature including the position of the curved region with respect to the mounting region, wherein the processor further determines the relative location of the second plurality of bonding pads from the determined location of the at least one eyepoint feature; and

a wire bonding device that receives signals from the processor and attaches wire bonds between the first plurality of bonding pads and the second plurality of bonding pads as located by the processor from the image obtained by the imaging device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one eyepoint feature comprises a plurality of eyepoint features, and wherein the plurality of eyepoint features as a group are arranged in an asymmetrical manner.