# US 12,005,481 B2 · Systems for improved efficiency of ball mount cleaning and methods for using the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,005,481 B2 - Document ID: US12005481B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/723,982 - Filed: 2022-04-19 - Published: 2023-10-19 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2022-04-19 - Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited - Inventors: Ying-Hao Wang; Chien-Lung Chen; Chia-Han Chuang; Jhe-Hong Wang; Chien-Chi Tzeng - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12005481B2 ## CPC - B08B 3/022: {Cleaning travelling work (B08B3/042 takes precedence)} - B05B 1/005: {Nozzles or other outlets specially adapted for discharging one or more gases} - B05B 1/205: {characterised by the longitudinal shape of the elongated body} - B05B 15/68: Arrangements for adjusting the position of spray heads (B05B15/628, B05B15/652, B05B15/656 take precedence) - B08B 5/02: Cleaning by the force of jets, e.g. blowing-out cavities {(airguns or nozzles per se B05B1/005)} - H10P 72/0414: {using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles} - H10P 72/3202: {Mechanical details, e.g. rollers or belts} - H10W 70/097: {Cleaning} - B05B 1/044: {Slits, e.g. narrow openings defined by two straight and parallel lips; Elongated outlets for producing very wide discharges, e.g. fluid curtains (B05B1/046 takes precedence)} - B05B 9/035: {to several spraying apparatus (B05B9/0423 takes precedence)} - B05B 13/0221: {characterised by the means for moving or conveying the objects or other work, e.g. conveyor belts (B05B13/0207 takes precedence; conveyors in general B65G)} - H10W 40/22: characterised by their shape, e.g. having conical or cylindrical projections - H10W 90/00: Package configurations - H10W 90/701: {characterised by the relative positions of pads or connectors relative to package parts} - B08B: CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL - B05B: SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES (spray-mixers with nozzles B01F25/72; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by spraying B05D) - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract An embodiment system, configured to clean a semiconductor package assembly, may include a sprayer device including a plurality of nozzles configured to direct a pressurized cleaning fluid toward the semiconductor package assembly; a conveyor configured to move the semiconductor package assembly relative to the sprayer device along a first direction; and a dryer spatially displaced from the sprayer device and configured to direct a pressurized gas flow toward the semiconductor package assembly to remove cleaning fluid introduced by the sprayer device. Each of the plurality of nozzles may be displaced from one another along a second direction to thereby generate respective separate spray distribution patterns. Adjacent nozzles may be further displaced from one another along a third direction to thereby a reduce an overlap of adjacent spray distribution patterns relative to a configuration in which the adjacent nozzles are not displaced from one another along the third direction. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of cleaning a semiconductor package assembly, comprising: moving the semiconductor package assembly along a first direction relative to a sprayer device and a dryer using a conveyor, wherein the sprayer device and the dryer are spatially displaced relative to one another along the first direction such that the semiconductor package assembly moves past the sprayer device before moving past the dryer; directing a pressurized cleaning fluid toward the semiconductor package assembly to thereby clean the semiconductor package assembly, using the sprayer device, while the semiconductor package assembly moves past the sprayer device; and directing a pressured gas flow toward the semiconductor package assembly, using the dryer, while the semiconductor package assembly moves past the dryer, wherein directing the pressurized cleaning fluid toward the semiconductor package assembly further comprises: generating a plurality of spray distribution patterns by the sprayer device that comprises a plurality of fluidic nozzles that are attached to a fluidic conduit, which comprises a longitudinal axis, such that the plurality of fluidic nozzles forms a linear array of nozzles comprising a uniform spacing between neighboring nozzles along a second direction that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fluidic conduit and a non-uniform spacing of the neighboring nozzles along a third direction perpendicular to the second direction, the non-uniform spacing comprising alternating displacements of the neighboring nozzles along the third direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein generating the plurality of spray distribution patterns further comprises: generating each of the plurality of spray distribution patterns using a fluidic nozzle from the plurality of fluidic nozzles, the fluidic nozzle having an asymmetric shape such that each spray distribution pattern has a first spatial extent along the first direction that is less than a second spatial extent along the second direction, and such that the second spatial extent of each spray distribution pattern subtends an angle that is in a range from approximately 95 degrees to approximately 110 degrees. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein directing the pressured gas flow toward the semiconductor package assembly further comprises: generating, using a jet air knife, the pressured gas flow having a pressure in a range from approximately 0.02 MPa to approximately 0.08 MPa at a distance from the semiconductor package assembly that is in a range from approximately 0 mm to approximately 20 mm. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein directing the pressured gas flow toward the semiconductor package assembly further comprises: adjusting a position or angle of a gas nozzle of the jet air knife by performing one or more operations comprising: rotating the gas nozzle about an axis parallel to the second direction; and adjusting the position of the gas nozzle along the second direction or along the third direction that is perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction. ### Claim 5 A method of cleaning a semiconductor package assembly, comprising: generating a plurality of spray distribution patterns of a pressurized cleaning fluid, each spray distribution pattern having a first spatial extent along a first direction that is less than a second spatial extent along a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the plurality of spray distribution patterns forms a linear array of spray distribution patterns comprising a uniform spacing between neighboring spray distribution patterns along the second direction and a non-uniform spacing of the neighboring spray distribution patterns along the first direction comprising alternating displacements of the neighboring spray distribution patterns along the first direction; and directing the plurality of spray distribution patterns toward the semiconductor package assembly to thereby clean the semiconductor package assembly. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, further comprising moving the semiconductor package assembly along the first direction relative to the plurality of spray distribution patterns. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein generating the plurality of spray distribution patterns further comprises providing the cleaning fluid to a plurality of fluidic nozzles that are displaced from one another along the second direction and adjacent nozzles are further displaced from one another along the first direction. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein generating the plurality of spray distribution patterns further comprises providing the cleaning fluid to a plurality of fluidic nozzles that each have asymmetric shape such that each spray distribution pattern has the first spatial extent along the first direction that is less than the second spatial extent along the second direction. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein generating the plurality of spray distribution patterns further comprises generating each of the plurality of spray distribution patterns to subtend angle that is in a range from approximately 95 degrees to approximately 110 degrees. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein directing the plurality of spray distribution patterns toward the semiconductor package assembly further comprises: generating the plurality of spray distribution patterns using a plurality of nozzles that are positioned within a distance of between 0 mm and 50 mm from a surface of the semiconductor package assembly. ### Claim 11 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein directing the plurality of spray distribution patterns toward the semiconductor package assembly further comprises: generating the plurality of spray distribution patterns to have a flow rate of pressurized cleaning fluid that is a range from approximately 4 liters/min to approximately 6 liters/minute. ### Claim 12 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein generating the plurality of spray distribution patterns further comprises: providing the cleaning fluid to a first plurality of nozzles that are aligned with one another along a radial direction of a fluidic conduit to which the first plurality of nozzles are attached and displaced from one another along a longitudinal axis of the fluidic conduit; and providing the cleaning fluid to a second plurality of nozzles that are located between adjacent ones of the first plurality of nozzles and are displaced along a direction perpendicular to the radial direction relative to the first plurality of nozzles. ### Claim 13 A method of cleaning a semiconductor package assembly, comprising: directing a pressurized cleaning fluid toward the semiconductor package assembly to thereby clean the semiconductor package assembly using a sprayer device comprising a linear array of nozzles having a uniform spacing between neighboring nozzles along a second direction, which is parallel to a longitudinal axis of a fluidic conduit to which the linear array of nozzles is attached, and a non-uniform spacing of the neighboring nozzles along a first direction that is perpendicular to the second direction, the non-uniform spacing comprising alternating displacements of the neighboring nozzles along the first direction; and directing a pressurized gas flow toward the semiconductor package assembly using a dryer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein directing the pressurized cleaning fluid toward the semiconductor package assembly further comprises positioning the linear array of nozzles within a distance of between 0 mm and 50 mm from a surface of the semiconductor package assembly. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein directing the pressurized cleaning fluid toward the semiconductor package assembly further comprises generating a spray distribution pattern to subtend angle that is in a range from approximately 95 degrees to approximately 110 degrees. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein directing the pressurized cleaning fluid toward the semiconductor package assembly further comprises: generating a spray distribution pattern to have a flow rate of the pressurized cleaning fluid that is a range from approximately 4 liters/min to approximately 6 liters/minute. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein directing the pressurized gas flow toward the semiconductor package assembly further comprises generating the pressurized gas flow to have pressure between 0.02 MPa to 0.08 MPa at a distance from the semiconductor package assembly that is between 0 mm and 20 mm. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising moving the semiconductor package assembly along the first direction relative to the sprayer device and the dryer using a conveyor. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein directing the pressurized cleaning fluid toward the semiconductor package assembly further comprises generating a spray distribution pattern that has a first spatial extent along the first direction that is less than a second spatial extent along the second direction. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein directing the pressurized gas flow toward the semiconductor package assembly further comprises: adjusting a position or angle of a gas nozzle of the dryer by performing one or more operations comprising: rotating the gas nozzle about an axis parallel to the second direction; or adjusting the position of the gas nozzle along the second direction or along a third direction that is perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction.