Descriptor for identifying a defective die site

• US 7,255,273 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2003
• Issued: 08/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Rumsey, Brad D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Ahshik
• Application Number:
  US10/637,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20040026515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,469 Days
• Field of Search: 235/454, 235/492, 235/449, 235/462.01, 257431-435, 257/678, 702/35, 702/36, 438 14- 17
• US Class Current: 235/449
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67282 Marking devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67288 Monitoring of warpage, curvature, damage, defects or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/5442 comprising non digital, non alphanumeric information, e.g. symbols
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/54473 for use after dicing
• 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 24/97 the devices being connected to a common substrate, e.g. interposer, said common substrate being separable into individual assemblies after connecting
• 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 2924/12042 LASER
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 Integrated circuits

Abstract

The present invention relates to the marking and identification of defective die sites on a mounting substrate. A mounting substrate is provided which is inspected and tested for visual and electrical defects. Information relating to the functionality and/or various defects of one or more die sites is then encoded in the form of a designator placed on the substrate. The information encoded on the designator may then be read or scanned by, for example, computer-driven video equipment and used in a die-attach process to discriminately place semiconductor dice only on known good die sites. Embodiments of the designator include information encoded in the form of a bar code, a series of identifying marks, a strip of magnetic tape or a computerized map of a mounting substrate. Correlated data regarding die site functionality can then be electronically transferred to a die-bonding apparatus.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a substrate having at least one semiconductor die site configured for mounting at least one semiconductor die thereon; and

a designator on a surface of the substrate including encoded information relating to at least one defect in the at least one semiconductor die site, wherein the designator comprises a magnetic strip adhered to the surface of the substrate.

2. The substrate according to claim 1, wherein the designator further comprises at least one mark selected from the group consisting of alphanumeric characters, symbols, colors, binary sequences and combinations thereof.

3. The substrate according to claim 1, wherein the designator further comprises a bar code.

4. An apparatus, comprising:

a substrate having at least one semiconductor die site configured for mounting at least one semiconductor die thereon; and

a designator on a surface of the substrate including encoded information relating to at least one defect in the at least one semiconductor die site wherein the designator comprises marks formed in the surface of the substrate with optical energy.

5. The substrate according to claim 4, wherein the marks formed in the surface of the substrate with optical energy extend a microscopic depth into the surface of the substrate to be readable with surface holography.

6. The substrate according to claim 4, further comprising:

a material resistant to releasing volatile materials coating at least part of the surface of the substrate.