# US 12,009,337 B2 · Bonding tool and bonding method thereof

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- Number: US 12,009,337 B2
- Document ID: US12009337B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/672,285
- Filed: 2022-02-15
- Published: 2023-02-02
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2021-07-30
- Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd.
- Inventors: Chih-Yuan Chiu; Shih-Yen Chen; Chi-Chun Peng; Hong-Kun Chen; Hui-Ting Lin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12009337B2

## CPC

- H10W 72/011: {Apparatus therefor}
- H10P 72/78: using vacuum or suction, e.g. Bernoulli chucks
- H10W 72/019: {of bond pads}
- H10W 72/0198: {batch processes}
- H10W 72/0711: {Apparatus therefor}
- H10W 72/07141: {Means for applying energy, e.g. ovens or lasers}
- H10W 72/07178: {Means for aligning}
- H10W 72/07183: {Means for monitoring}
- H10W 80/037: {by mechanical treatment, e.g. by cutting, pressing or stamping}
- H10W 80/102: {Controlling the environment during the bonding, e.g. the temperature or pressure}
- H10W 80/163: {using active alignment, e.g. detecting marks and correcting position}
- H10W 80/301: {Bonding techniques, e.g. hybrid bonding}
- H10W 80/333: {Compression bonding}
- H10W 90/792: {between multiple chips}
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A bonding tool and a bonding method are provided. The method includes attaching a semiconductor die to a bonding tool having a first surface, wherein the bonding tool comprises a bending member movably arranged in a trench of the bonding tool, and the bending member protrudes from the first surface and bends the semiconductor die; moving the semiconductor die toward a semiconductor wafer to cause a retraction of the bending member and a partial bonding at a portion of the semiconductor die and the semiconductor wafer; and causing a full bonding between the semiconductor die and the semiconductor wafer subsequent to the partial bonding.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, comprising:
attaching a semiconductor die to a bonding tool having a first surface, wherein the bonding tool comprises a vacuum hole and a bending member movably arranged in a trench of the bonding tool, wherein the vacuum hole provides a vacuum force to hold a periphery region of the semiconductor die, and the bending member protrudes from the first surface by a first length and bends the semiconductor die;
aligning the semiconductor die with a semiconductor wafer below the semiconductor die;
moving the semiconductor die toward the semiconductor wafer to cause a retraction of the bending member and a partial bonding at a portion of the semiconductor die and the semiconductor wafer, the portion overlapping the bending member from a top-view perspective, wherein the bending member retracted in the trench has a second length less than the first length;
causing a full bonding between the semiconductor die and the semiconductor wafer subsequent to the partial bonding while keeping the vacuum force to hold the semiconductor die at the same time; and
releasing the semiconductor die from the bonding tool by removing the vacuum force subsequent to the full bonding.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the portion of the semiconductor die is a central portion of the semiconductor die.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the bending member is deformed by the retraction to extend laterally in the trench during the partial bonding.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the bending member is substantially level with the first surface after the full bonding.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor die is substantially flat during or after the full bonding.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring a pressure between the semiconductor die and the semiconductor wafer during the partial bonding.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, further comprising stopping the partial bonding in response to the pressure exceeding a predetermined range.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the bending member includes an elastic plunger device.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring a sensing current associated with a bonding pressure between the semiconductor die and the semiconductor wafer during the partial bonding.

### Claim 10

A method, comprising:
receiving a bonding tool having a first surface and a bending member protruding from the first surface;
causing a semiconductor die to deflect by contacting the bending member with the semiconductor die and applying a vacuum force to hold a periphery region of the semiconductor die;
moving the semiconductor die toward a semiconductor wafer, wherein the semiconductor wafer has a flat surface facing the semiconductor die;
contacting the semiconductor die with the semiconductor wafer while the semiconductor die is deflected and the semiconductor wafer is substantially flat, the contacting of the semiconductor die with the semiconductor wafer causing the bending member to retract toward the first surface;
causing a full bonding between the semiconductor die and the semiconductor wafer while keeping the vacuum force to hole the semiconductor die at the same time; and
releasing the semiconductor die from the bonding tool by removing the vacuum force subsequent to the full bonding.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the bonding tool includes a trench and the bending member is partially disposed in the trench before the bonding.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the bending member is completely disposed in the trench during the bonding.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the bending member is restored to an initial form after the releasing.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
monitoring a bonding profile to detect whether a bonding failure occurs.

### Claim 15

A method, comprising:
receiving a bonding tool comprising a bending member and a wafer chuck, wherein the wafer chuck comprises a trench and a plurality of vacuum holes, and the bending member is movably arranged in the trench and protrudes from a first surface of the bonding tool by a first distance;
attaching a semiconductor die to the bonding tool by exerting a vacuum force through the plurality of vacuum holes, wherein the semiconductor die is deformed by a protrusion of bending member and the vacuum force from the bonding tool;
contacting the semiconductor die to a semiconductor wafer while the semiconductor die is deflected and the semiconductor wafer is substantially flat to push the bending member into a retracted position, wherein the bending member in the retracted position protrudes from the first surface of the bonding tool by a second distance, wherein the second distance is less than the first distance;
causing a full bonding between the semiconductor die and the semiconductor wafer while keeping the vacuum force to hold the semiconductor die at the same time; and
releasing the semiconductor die from the bonding tool by removing the vacuum force subsequent to the full bonding.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein a top surface of the bending member is substantially level with the first surface during the full bonding.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising:
applying a bonding pressure between the semiconductor die and the semiconductor wafer once the semiconductor die and the semiconductor wafer are in full contact.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of vacuum holes are laterally surround the trench.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the bending member protrudes from the first surface of the bonding tool by the first distance after the semiconductor die is released from the bonding tool.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising monitoring a bonding profile of the semiconductor die and the semiconductor wafer to detect whether a bonding failure occurs.