Molded chip fabrication method

• US 7,915,085 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2003
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Creeled Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tarsa, Eric J., Leung, Michael S., Ibbetson, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Fahmy; Wael M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kalam; Abul
• Application Number:
  US10/666,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20050062140A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,749 Days
• Field of Search: 438/22, 438 24- 26, 438/28, 438/33, 438/126, 438110-112, 438/125, 438/64, 438/68, 438/127, 257 99-100, 257 81- 82, 313/485, 313/493, 313/498, 313/501, 313502-503
• US Class Current: 438/110
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/565 Moulds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/2518 being disposed on at least two different sides of the body, e.g. dual array
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/96 the devices being encapsulated in a common layer, e.g. neo-wafer or pseudo-wafer, said common layer being separable into individual assemblies after connecting
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/15 including semiconductor components having potential barriers, specially adapted for light emission
• 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 2924/12041 LED
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1815 Shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2933/0041 relating to wavelength conversion elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/50 Wavelength conversion elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/504 Elements with two or more wavelength conversion materials

Abstract

A method and apparatus for coating a plurality of semiconductor devices that is particularly adapted to coating LEDs with a coating material containing conversion particles. One method according to the invention comprises providing a mold with a formation cavity. A plurality of semiconductor devices are mounted within the mold formation cavity and a curable coating material is injected or otherwise introduced into the mold to fill the mold formation cavity and at least partially cover the semiconductor devices. The coating material is cured so that the semiconductor devices are at least partially embedded in the cured coating material. The cured coating material with the embedded semiconductor devices is removed from the formation cavity. The semiconductor devices are separated so that each is at least partially covered by a layer of the cured coating material. One embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention for coating a plurality of semiconductor devices comprises a mold housing having a formation cavity arranged to hold semiconductor devices. The formation cavity is also arranged so that a curable coating material can be injected into and fills the formation cavity to at least partially covering the semiconductor devices.

Claims

1. A method for coating a plurality of semiconductor devices, comprising:

providing a mold with a formation cavity for holding a plurality of semiconductor devices, said formation cavity at least partially defined by opposing rigid upper and lower sections of said mold;

mounting a plurality of semiconductor devices within said mold formation cavity to at least one of said upper and lower sections with a film between said semiconductor devices and said upper and lower sections, each of said semiconductor devices being separately mounted in a pattern within said formation cavity by using a removable template comprising openings corresponding to desired locations of said semiconductor devices;

injecting or otherwise introducing curable coating material into said mold to fill said mold formation cavity and at least partially cover said semiconductor devices and contacting said film, said curable coating material comprising at least one phosphor;

curing or otherwise treating said coating material so that said semiconductor devices are at least partially embedded in said cured coating material; and

removing said cured or treated coating material with said embedded semiconductor devices from said formation cavity by releasing said film and said upper and lower sections from said coating material and said semiconductor devices leaving said coating material uncovered.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising separating said embedded semiconductor devices so that each is at least partially covered by a layer of said cured or treated coating material.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said upper and lower sections provide opposing parallel surfaces, said semiconductor devices arranged on one or both of said opposing parallel surfaces.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said curing or otherwise treating said coating material comprises one of the methods from the group comprising heat curing, optical curing or room temperature curing.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said semiconductor devices are separated by dicing or scribe and break.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the said semiconductor devices are separated such that said layer of cured or otherwise treated coating material conforms to the shape of said semiconductor device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of semiconductor devices comprise light emitting diodes (LEDs).

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said curable coating material comprises a matrix material containing light conversion particles.

9. The method of claim 1, said plurality of semiconductor devices comprising contacts, with one of said contacts covered by said film.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said removing of said cured or treated coating material leaves said contacts uncovered by said coating material.

11. A method for coating a plurality of semiconductor devices, comprising:

providing a mold with a formation cavity for holding a plurality of semiconductor devices, said formation cavity at least partially defined by opposing rigid upper and lower sections of said mold;

mounting a plurality of semiconductor devices within said mold formation cavity to said lower section with a film between said semiconductor devices and said lower section, each of said semiconductor devices being separately mounted in a pattern within said formation cavity by using a removable template comprising openings corresponding to desired locations of said semiconductor devices and provided with a space between respective tops of said semiconductor devices and said rigid upper section to receive a curable coating material;

injecting or otherwise introducing said curable coating material into said mold to fill said mold formation cavity and at least partially cover said semiconductor devices and contacting said film;

curing or otherwise treating said coating material so that said semiconductor devices are at least partially embedded in said cured coating material; and

removing said cured or treated coating material with said embedded semiconductor devices from said formation cavity by releasing said film and said upper and lower sections from said coating material and said semiconductor devices leaving said coating material uncovered.