# US 2021/0242085 A1 · Automated transfer and drying tool for process chamber > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0242085 A1 - Document ID: US20210242085A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/236,276 - Filed: 2021-04-21 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2017-09-29 - Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Tsung-Sheng Kuo; Hsu-Shui Liu; Jiun-Rong Pai; Shou-Wen Kuo; Yang-Ann Chu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210242085A1 ## CPC - H10P 54/00: Cutting or separating of wafers, substrates or parts of devices - B28D 5/0017: {using moving tools} - B28D 7/04: for supporting or holding work {or conveying or discharging work (B28D1/047, B28D5/0041, B28D5/0052 take precedence)} - H10P 70/30: {Cleaning after the substrates have been singulated} - H10P 72/0408: {for drying} - H10P 72/0428: {Apparatus for mechanical treatment or grinding or cutting} - H10P 72/0456: {in-line arrangement} - H10P 72/0616: {Monitoring of warpages, curvatures, damages, defects or the like} - H10P 74/203: {Structural properties, e.g. testing or measuring thicknesses, line widths, warpage, bond strengths or physical defects} - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - B28D: WORKING STONE OR STONE-LIKE MATERIALS ## Abstract Some embodiments relate to a processing tool for processing a singulated semiconductor die. The tool includes an evaluation unit, a drying unit, and a die wipe station. The evaluation unit is configured to subject the singulated semiconductor die to a liquid to detect flaws in the singulated semiconductor die. The drying unit is configured to dry the liquid from a frontside of the singulated semiconductor die. The die wipe station includes an absorptive drying structure configured to absorb the liquid from a backside of the singulated semiconductor die after the drying unit has dried the liquid from the frontside of the singulated semiconductor die. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A processing tool for processing a singulated semiconductor die, comprising: an evaluation unit configured to subject the singulated semiconductor die to a liquid; a drying unit configured to dry the liquid from a frontside of the singulated semiconductor die; and a die wipe station downstream of the drying unit and comprising an absorptive drying structure configured to absorb liquid from a backside of the singulated semiconductor die. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The processing tool of claim 1, wherein the die wipe station comprises: a plate having a central plate region and a peripheral plate region, wherein outer sidewalls extend upwardly from the peripheral plate region such that an upper surface of the central plate region is recessed relative to upper regions of the outer sidewalls; and a cloth or sponge corresponding to the absorptive drying structure and arranged on the central plate region and laterally confined by the outer sidewalls. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The processing tool of claim 2, wherein the die wipe station comprises: a support structure having a substantially planar surface configured to receive a die tray and a plurality of legs supporting the substantially planar surface; and wherein an outer edge of the peripheral plate region meets an outer edge of the substantially planar surface. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The processing tool of claim 1, wherein the evaluation unit comprises: a tank configured to house the liquid such that the singulated semiconductor die can be received in the tank and immersed in the liquid; a sonic or ultrasonic energy generator configured to generate a pressure wave though the liquid to impact the singulated semiconductor die; and evaluation logic configured to receive a reflected pressure wave that is based on interaction of the pressure wave with the singulated semiconductor die, and further configured to detect flaws in the singulated semiconductor die based on the reflected pressure wave. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The processing tool of claim 1, further comprising: a multi-axis robot configured to pick-up the singulated semiconductor die after the singulated semiconductor die has been processed by the evaluation unit, and configured to transfer the singulated semiconductor die to the drying unit, and further configured to transfer the singulated semiconductor die from the drying unit to the die wipe station. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The processing tool of claim 5, wherein the multi-axis robot is configured to transfer the singulated semiconductor die to the die wipe station to dry the backside of the singulated semiconductor die via the absorptive drying structure after the liquid has been dried from the frontside of the singulated semiconductor die. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The processing tool of claim 1, wherein the drying unit and the die wipe station are enclosed in a first chamber, and the evaluation unit is enclosed in a second chamber that is operably coupled to the first chamber via a transfer port extending between a sidewall of the first chamber and a sidewall of the second chamber. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The processing tool of claim 1, wherein the drying unit comprises: a die tray, which has a plurality of depressions each suited to retain an individual singulated semiconductor die; a transfer track configured to slideably transfer the die tray from a loading position on the transfer track to a drying position on the transfer track; and a wind knife disposed over the transfer track and configured to blow liquid off upper surfaces of the individual singulated semiconductor die as the die tray is slidably transferring from the loading position on the transfer track to the drying position on the transfer track. ### Claim 9 An integrated chip processing tool for processing a singulated semiconductor die, comprising: a processing tool comprising: a first housing that surrounds a first chamber; an evaluation unit disposed within the first chamber and configured to subject the singulated semiconductor die to a liquid; an automated transfer and drying tool comprising: a second housing that surrounds a second chamber; a multi-axis robot configured to pick-up the singulated semiconductor die, and transfer the singulated semiconductor die from the second chamber to the first chamber for processing of the singulated semiconductor die by the evaluation unit, and further configured to, after the singulated semiconductor die has been processed by the evaluation unit, transfer the singulated semiconductor die to a drying unit configured to dry an upper surface of the singulated semiconductor die. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The integrated chip processing tool of claim 9, wherein the multi-axis robot is further configured to, after the upper of the singulated semiconductor die has been dried, transfer the singulated semiconductor die to a die wipe station in the first chamber where a backside of the singulated semiconductor die is dried. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The integrated chip processing tool of claim 10, wherein the die wipe station comprises: a support structure have a substantially planar surface on which a die tray is received and a plurality of legs supporting the substantially planar surface; and a plate-like structure on an edge of the substantially planar surface, the plate-like structure having a depression that is laterally bound by a sidewall, wherein the depression is sized to retain a single singulated semiconductor die and wherein a lower surface of the plate-like structure includes an opening in a bottom portion of the depression. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The integrated chip processing tool of claim 9, wherein the automated transfer and drying tool comprises: a die tray, which has a plurality of depressions each suited to retain an individual singulated semiconductor die; a transfer track configured to slideably transfer the die tray from a loading position on the transfer track to a drying position on the transfer track; and a wind knife disposed over the transfer track and configured to blow liquid off upper surfaces of the die when the die are retained within the die tray as the die tray is slidably transferring the die from the loading position on the transfer track to the drying position on the transfer track. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The integrated chip processing tool of claim 9, wherein the evaluation unit comprises: a tank configured to house the liquid such that the singulated semiconductor die can be received in the tank and immersed in the liquid; a sonic energy generator configured to generate a pressure wave though the liquid to impact the singulated semiconductor die; and evaluation logic configured to receive a reflected pressure wave that is based on interaction of the pressure wave with the singulated semiconductor die, and further configured to detect flaws in the singulated semiconductor die based on the reflected pressure wave. ### Claim 14 A tool assembly, comprising: a first integrated circuit processing tool including a first housing that surrounds a first inner chamber of the first integrated circuit processing tool; an evaluation unit disposed within the first housing, the evaluation unit configured to subject an upper surface and a lower surface of a singulated semiconductor die to a liquid; a second integrated circuit processing tool including a second housing that surrounds a second inner chamber of the second integrated circuit processing tool, wherein the second inner chamber retains a die wipe station configured to dry only the-lower surface of the singulated semiconductor die. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The tool assembly of claim 14, further comprising: a transfer assembly configured to transfer the singulated semiconductor die from the first inner chamber to the second inner chamber such that the die wipe station can dry the liquid present on lower surface of the singulated semiconductor die; wherein the transfer assembly is configured to retain the singulated semiconductor die on a first die tray with a plurality of other singulated semiconductor die and pass the first die tray from the first inner chamber to the second inner chamber. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The tool assembly of claim 15, further comprising: a loading/unloading station in the second housing, the loading/unloading station configured to retain multiple die trays stacked over one another; a conveyor configured to transfer the first die tray from the loading/unloading station to a die tray station in the second housing; and a pick and place robotic assembly configured to transfer the singulated semiconductor die and the plurality of other singulated semiconductor die from the die tray station to a scanning acoustic microscope where the scanning acoustic microscopy is performed. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The tool assembly of claim 14, further comprising: a drying station enclosed in the second inner chamber; wherein the evaluation unit is enclosed in the first inner chamber, wherein the first inner chamber is operably coupled to the second inner chamber via a transfer port extending between a sidewall of the first inner chamber and a sidewall of the second inner chamber. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The tool assembly of claim 14, wherein the die wipe station comprises: a plate having a central plate region and a peripheral plate region, wherein outer sidewalls extend upwardly from the peripheral plate region such that an upper surface of the central plate region is recessed relative to upper regions of the outer sidewalls; and an absorptive drying structure arranged on the central plate region and laterally confined by the outer sidewalls. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The tool assembly of claim 18, wherein the die wipe station further comprises: a support structure having a substantially planar surface configured to receive a die tray and a plurality of legs supporting the substantially planar surface; and wherein an outer edge of the peripheral plate region meets an outer edge of the substantially planar surface. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The tool assembly of claim 17, wherein the drying station comprises: a transfer track configured to slideably transfer a die tray, which retains the singulated semiconductor die, from a loading position on the transfer track to a drying position on the transfer track; and a wind knife disposed over the transfer track and configured to blow the liquid off an upper surface of the singulated semiconductor die when the singulated semiconductor die is retained within the die tray.