Method for sorting integrated circuit devices

• US 7,682,847 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2008
• Issued: 03/23/2010
• 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): Lebentritt; Michael S
• Application Number:
  US12/248,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20090060703A1
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 438/9, 438/17, 438/18, 438/706, 438/709, 438/710, 438/725, 438/780, 257/E21.528
• US Class Current: 438/17
• 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
• 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 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 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

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 for testing different fabrication process recipes, the method comprising:

fabricating at least one integrated circuit device using a control recipe on at least one wafer of a plurality of wafers;

fabricating at least another integrated circuit device using another control recipe on at least another wafer of the plurality of wafers;

programming each of the at least one integrated circuit device and the at least another integrated circuit device with a respective identification that specifies a corresponding wafer of the plurality of wafers used during fabrication of a corresponding integrated circuit device; and

testing the at least one integrated circuit device fabricated in accordance with a control recipe and testing the at least another integrated circuit device fabricated in accordance with another control recipe other than the control recipe in a same procedure, test data generated for the at least one integrated circuit device fabricated in accordance with a control recipe associated with its respective identification and test data generated for the at least another integrated circuit device fabricated in accordance with another control recipe associated with its respective identification.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein testing comprises reading the respective identification of each of the at least one integrated circuit device and the at least another integrated circuit device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the reading comprises automatically reading the respective identification of each of the at least one integrated circuit device and the at least another integrated circuit device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the reading comprises optically reading the respective identification of each of the at least one integrated circuit device and the at least another integrated circuit device.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the reading comprises electronically reading the respective identification of each of the at least one integrated circuit device and the at least another integrated circuit device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing the generated test data to determine any differences in test results between the control recipe and the another control recipe.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing the generated test data to determine an integrated circuit device for shipment.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising sorting each of the at least one and the at least another integrated circuit devices.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein fabricating at least one integrated circuit device in accordance with a control recipe comprises fabricating at least one integrated circuit device in accordance with a normal control recipe.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wafers comprises a lot of wafers.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the another control recipe comprises a test control recipe.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective identification of each of the at least one integrated circuit device and the at least another integrated circuit device comprises a fuse identification.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective identification of each of the at least one integrated circuit device and the at least another integrated circuit device comprises a unique identification to each of the at least one integrated circuit device and the at least another integrated circuit device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective identification of each of the at least one integrated circuit device and the at least another integrated circuit device comprises an identification indicating at least one of a wafer lot, a date of fabrication, a wafer, a location on the wafer, and a fabrication facility.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the test data includes at least one of data identifying testing equipment that tested each of the at least one integrated circuit device and the at least another integrated circuit device, operating personnel who operated the testing equipment, a set-up of the testing equipment when each of the at least one integrated circuit device and the at least another integrated circuit device was tested, data indicating a time and date each of the at least one integrated circuit device and the at least another integrated circuit device was tested, the yield of shippable integrated circuit devices through testing, and test results for each of the at least one integrated circuit device and the at least another integrated circuit device from various stages of testing.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein programming comprises permanently storing a program in each of the at least one integrated circuit device and the at least another integrated circuit device.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising assembling at least one integrated circuit device fabricated in accordance with a control recipe into a corresponding device and assembling the at least another integrated circuit device fabricated in accordance with another control recipe into a corresponding device.

18. The method of claim 3, wherein automatically reading the respective identification of each of the at least one integrated circuit device and the at least another integrated circuit device comprises accessing data indicating each of the at least one integrated circuit device and the at least another integrated circuit device is from one of a control group, a Special Work Request (SWR) group, and a deviation lot, wherein the step of sorting each of the at least one and the at least another integrated circuit devices in accordance with the accessed data comprises sorting each of the at least one and the at least another integrated circuit devices in accordance with their being from one of a control group, an SWR group, and a deviation lot.

19. The method of claim 3, wherein automatically reading the respective identification of each of the at least one integrated circuit device and the at least another integrated circuit device comprises accessing data indicating at least one integrated circuit device should undergo different testing than another integrated circuit device, and sorting each of the at least one and the at least another integrated circuit devices in accordance with the accessed data comprises sorting each of the at least one and the at least another integrated circuit devices in accordance with the different testing it is indicated they should undergo.

20. The method of claim 3, wherein each of the at least one and the at least another integrated circuit devices has an associated lot identification, and accessing data associated with each of the automatically read integrated circuit devices comprises accessing data associated with the lot identification of each of the at least one integrated circuit device and the at least another integrated circuit device associated with each of the automatically read identification.