Method for sorting integrated circuit devices

• US 7,368,678 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2002
• Issued: 05/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Beffa, Raymond J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mackey; Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hageman; Mark
• Application Number:
  US10/218,380
• Publication Number:
  US 20020189981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,093 Days
• Field of Search: 209/571, 209/573, 324/158.1, 324/764
• US Class Current: 209/573
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/3412 according to a code applied to the object which indicates a property of the object, e.g. quality class, contents or incorrect indication sorting according to size measured by light-responsive means B07C5/10; sorting according to optical properties B07C5/342; for packages B65D79/02; for information carriers G06K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/344 according to electric or electromagnetic properties sorting according to size measured electrically or electronically B07C5/08; material testing by magnetic means G01N24/00, G01N27/00, by electrical means G01N27/00; electrical measuring devices in general G01R; coin testing G07D5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2851 Testing of integrated circuits [IC] G01R31/317 takes precedence; testing individual devices G01R31/26; testing printed circuits G01R31/2801
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/5444 for electrical read out
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/54473 for use after dicing

Abstract

A method for sorting integrated circuit (IC) devices of the type having a substantially unique identification (ID) code, such as a fuse ID, including automatically reading the ID code of each of the IC devices and sorting the IC devices in accordance with their automatically read ID codes, is disclosed.

Claims

1. A method in an integrated circuit process for determining at least one integrated circuit device in need of enhanced reliability testing from at least one group of integrated circuit devices undergoing test procedures, the integrated circuit devices of the at least one group each having a substantially unique identification code, the method comprising:

storing an enhanced reliability testing flag in connection with the substantially unique identification code of each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices in the at least one group indicating whether each integrated circuit device requires the enhanced reliability testing;

automatically reading the substantially unique identification code of each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices in the at least one group;

accessing the enhanced reliability testing flag stored in connection with each of the automatically read substantially unique identification codes of each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices in the at least one group having the substantially unique identification code thereof read;

sorting the integrated circuit devices in the at least one group in accordance with the enhanced reliability testing flag indicating the integrated circuit devices in the at least one group are in need of the enhanced reliability testing; and

performing testing of integrated circuit devices in the at least one group only in need of the enhanced reliability testing.

2. A method in an integrated circuit process for separating integrated circuit devices on one or more semiconductor wafers from a group of integrated circuit devices undergoing test procedures, to determine a need of any additional enhanced reliability testing, the integrated circuit devices each having a substantially unique identification code, the method comprising:

storing an enhanced reliability testing flag in connection with the substantially unique identification code of each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices from the group indicating whether each integrated circuit device requires the additional enhanced reliability testing;

automatically reading the substantially unique identification code of each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices from the group;

accessing the enhanced reliability testing flag stored in connection with each of the automatically read substantially unique identification codes of each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices from the group having the substantially unique identification code thereof read;

sorting the integrated circuit devices from the group in accordance with whether their enhanced reliability testing flag indicates the integrated circuit devices from the group come from a semiconductor wafer which is known as an unreliable semiconductor wafer; and

performing testing only of integrated circuit devices in need of the additional enhanced reliability testing.

3. A method for determining at least one integrated circuit device in need of enhanced reliability testing from at least one group of integrated circuit devices undergoing test procedures, the integrated circuit devices of the at least one group each having a substantially unique identification code, the method comprising:

storing an enhanced reliability testing flag in connection with the substantially unique identification code of the at least one integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices in the at least one group indicating whether the at least one integrated circuit device requires the enhanced reliability testing;

automatically reading the substantially unique identification code of the at least one integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices in the at least one group;

accessing the enhanced reliability testing flag stored in connection with the automatically read substantially unique identification codes of the at least one integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices in the at least one group having the substantially unique identification code thereof read;

sorting the integrated circuit devices in the at least one group in accordance with the enhanced reliability testing flag indicating the at least one integrated circuit device in the at least one group are in need of the enhanced reliability testing; and

performing testing of the at least one integrated circuit device in the at least one group only in need of the enhanced reliability testing.