Apparatus and methods for micro-transfer-printing

• US 9,358,775 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2015
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: X Display Company Technology Limited (Sensinnovat BVBA)
• Original Assignee: X-Celeprint Limited
• Inventors: Bower, Christopher, Meitl, Matthew, Gomez, David, Bonafede, Salvatore, Kneeburg, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Seven, Evren
• Application Number:
  US14/803,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20160020130A1
• Time in Patent Office: 323 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/00 Gripping heads and other end effectors grippers used in machine tools B23Q7/04; gripping members fitted on cranes B66C1/42, B66C1/44; gripping means used in the manufacture of semiconductors H01L21/68707; gripping means used for mounting electrical components H05K13/04
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 16/00 Transfer printing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 16/0046 with means for applying print under heat and pressure, e.g. using heat activable adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 16/006 Arrangements for moving, supporting or positioning the printing foil or band
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 16/0073 with means for printing on specific materials or products
• CPC Class Codes: B41K 3/04 and movable at right angles to the surface to be stamped
• CPC Class Codes: B41K 3/12 with curved stamping surface for stamping by rolling contact
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3065 Plasma etching; Reactive-ion etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/52 Mounting semiconductor bodies in containers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/565 Moulds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/568 Temporary substrate used as encapsulation process aid H01L21/4832 and H01L21/566 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67103 mainly by conduction
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/683 for supporting or gripping for conveying H01L21/677, for positioning, orientation or alignment H01L21/68
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6835 using temporarily an auxiliary support
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2221/68318 Auxiliary support including means facilitating the separation of a device or wafer from the auxiliary support
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2221/68354 used to support diced chips prior to mounting
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2221/68368 used in a transfer process involving at least two transfer steps, i.e. including an intermediate handle substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2221/68377 with parts of the auxiliary support remaining in the finished device
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2221/68381 Details of chemical or physical process used for separating the auxiliary support from a device or wafer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32245 : the item being metallic
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/75315 : Elastomer inlay
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/7598 : specially adapted for batch processes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/83 : using a layer connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/83001 : involving a temporary auxiliary member not forming part of the bonding apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/83011 : Chemical cleaning, e.g. etching, flux
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/83013 : Plasma cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/83024 : Applying flux to the bonding area
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/832 : Applying energy for connecting
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/83894 : Direct bonding, i.e. joining surfaces by means of intermolecular attracting interactions at their interfaces, e.g. covalent bonds, van der Waals forces
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/83895 : between electrically conductive surfaces, e.g. copper-copper direct bonding, surface activated bonding
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/95001 : involving a temporary auxiliary member not forming part of the bonding apparatus, e.g. removable or sacrificial coating, film or substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/95136 : involving guiding structures, e.g. shape matching, spacers or supporting members
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/97 : 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 23/293 : Organic, e.g. plastic
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3171 : the coating being directly applied to the semiconductor body, e.g. passivation layer H01L23/3178 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/75 : Apparatus for connecting with bump connectors or layer connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/83 : using a layer connector
• 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 25/50 : Multistep manufacturing processes of assemblies consisting of devices, each device being of a type provided for in group H01L27/00 or H01L29/00 H01L21/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/10253 : Silicon [Si]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1032 : III-V
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/10328 : Gallium antimonide [GaSb]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/10329 : Gallium arsenide [GaAs]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/10332 : Indium antimonide [InSb]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/10335 : Indium phosphide [InP]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/10336 : Aluminium gallium arsenide [AlGaAs]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/10337 : Indium gallium arsenide [InGaAs]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/10338 : Indium gallium phosphide [InGaP]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1034 : Aluminium indium antimonide [AlInSb]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1892 : methods involving the use of temporary, removable substrates

Abstract

In an aspect, a system and method for assembling a semiconductor device on a receiving surface of a destination substrate is disclosed. In another aspect, a system and method for assembling a semiconductor device on a destination substrate with topographic features is disclosed. In another aspect, a gravity-assisted separation system and method for printing semiconductor device is disclosed. In another aspect, various features of a transfer device for printing semiconductor devices are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for assembling a plurality of semiconductor devices on a receiving surface of a destination substrate, the method comprising:

providing the plurality of semiconductor devices formed on a native substrate with a polymer layer disposed on a top surface of the semiconductor devices;

contacting the polymer layer on each semiconductor device with a respective post of a plurality of posts of a conformable transfer device, each post having a contact surface corresponding to one of the semiconductor devices, wherein contact between the contact surface of each post and the corresponding polymer layer on each semiconductor device at least temporarily binds each semiconductor device to one of the corresponding posts of the conformable transfer device;

separating the semiconductor devices from the native substrate so that the semiconductor device is disposed on the contact surface of a corresponding post of the conformable transfer device and is released from the native substrate;

contacting the semiconductor devices disposed on the contact surfaces to the posts to the receiving surface of the destination substrate;

after contacting the semiconductor devices to the receiving surface of the destination substrate, heating, by a heating element, the polymer layer, thereby reducing the adhesion between the polymer layer and the contact surfaces; and

separating the contact surfaces of the posts of the conformable transfer device from the semiconductor devices so that the semiconductor devices are transferred onto the receiving surface, thereby assembling the semiconductor devices on the receiving surface of the destination substrate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the heating element is a hotplate.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the heating element is disposed on a side of the destination substrate opposite the semiconductor device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination substrate is non-native to the semiconductor devices.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising:

after heating the polymer layer, removing, at least in part, the polymer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein heat from the heating element reduces a viscosity of the polymer layer and causes the polymer layer to flow.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer layer is disposed on the top surface of the semiconductor device and one or more sides of the semiconductor device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer layer encapsulates at least a portion of the printable semiconductor on the native substrate.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving surface of the destination substrate comprises a non-planar topographical surface.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination substrate is a member selected from the group consisting of polymer, plastic, resin, polyimide, PEN, PET, metal, metal foil, glass, a semiconductor, and sapphire.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination substrate has a transparency greater than or equal to 50%, 80%, 90%, or 95% for visible light.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the native substrate comprises a member selected form the group consisting of inorganic semiconductor material, single crystalline silicon wafers, silicon on insulator wafers, polycrystalline silicon wafers, GaAs wafers, Si (1 1 1), InAlP, InP, GaAs, InGaAs, AlGaAs, GaSb, GaAlSb, AlSb, InSb, InGaAlSbAs, InAlSb, and InGaP.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer layer is in contact with the receiving surface of the destination substrate after contacting the semiconductor devices to the receiving surface of the destination substrate.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer layer forms a portion of an anchor or tether.

13. A method for assembling a semiconductor device on a receiving surface of a destination substrate, the method comprising:

providing the semiconductor device formed on a native substrate, the semiconductor device comprising a metal backside surface;

contacting a top surface of the semiconductor device with a conformable transfer device having a contact surface, wherein contact between the contact surface and the semiconductor device at least temporarily binds the semiconductor device to the conformable transfer device;

separating the semiconductor device from the native substrate so that the contact surface of the conformable transfer device has the semiconductor device disposed thereon with the semiconductor device released from the native substrate;

contacting the semiconductor device disposed on the contact surface with the receiving surface of the destination substrate, wherein the receiving surface comprises a conductive flux layer on a metal pad disposed on the destination substrate;

separating the contact surface of the conformable transfer device from the semiconductor device, thereby assembling the semiconductor device on the receiving surface of the destination substrate such that the metal backside surface of the semiconductor device at least partially contacts the flux layer; and

exposing the flux layer to heat, thereby securing the metal backside surface to the metal pad and forming an electrical connection between the metal backside and the metal pad.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein thermally treating the flux layer comprises exposing the flux layer to heat.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the flux layer is exposed to heat using a heating element.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the heating element is a hotplate.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the heating element is disposed on a side of the destination substrate opposite the printable semiconductor device.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein providing the semiconductor device formed on the native substrate comprises providing the semiconductor device formed on the native substrate with a polymer layer disposed on a top surface of the semiconductor device.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the destination substrate is a member selected from the group consisting of polymer, plastic, resin, polyimide, PEN, PET, metal, metal foil, glass, a semiconductor, and sapphire.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the destination substrate has a transparency greater than or equal to 50%, 80%, 90%, or 95% for visible light.