Electronic die positioning device and method
AssigneeUltra Tec Manufacturing, Inc.
InventorsJoseph Rubin, Timothy A. Hazeldine
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An autocollimator is relied upon to orient an electronic die such that its frontside is parallel to a polishing surface. The polishing device is configured such that a beam of light that is projected by the autocollimator is able to reflect off of the backside surface of the die. Measurement off of the backside surface allows the die's parallelism relative to the polishing surface to be established without removing the die from the polishing surface and allows the die's orientation to be monitored and adjusted while the frontside is being deprocessed.
Claims20
An apparatus for deprocessing the frontside of a semiconductor die, comprising:
- a polishing surface defining a plane;
- an autocollimator capable of aiming a beam of light toward said polishing surface such that said beam is perpendicular to said polishing surface;
- and
- a sample holder configured for supporting a semiconductor die having a frontside surface and a backside surface so as to allow its frontside surface to engage said polishing surface while the backside surface of such die is exposed to said beam, wherein said holder is tilt adjustable so as to enable the backside surface of such die to assume an orientation that is perpendicular to said beam and wherein said holder is movable relative to said polishing surface so as to enable the frontside surface of said die to engage said polishing surface while its backside surface is supported in said perpendicular orientation.
A method for deprocessing the frontside of an electronic die having a frontside surface and a backside surface, comprising:
- providing a planar polishing surface;
- providing an autocollimator configured for projecting a beam of light;
- projecting said beam toward said polishing surface so as to be perpendicular to said polishing surface;
- supporting an electronic die such that its backside surface intercepts said beam;
- causing said die to assume an orientation wherein its backside surface is perpendicular to said beam;
- causing the frontside surface of said die to engage said polishing surface while the backside surface is in said perpendicular orientation;
- and
- inducing relative movement between said polishing surface and the die to thereby cause the frontside of the die to become deprocessed.
A method for deprocessing the frontside of an electronic die, comprising:
- providing a planar polishing surface;
- providing an autocollimator configured for projecting a beam of light, receiving a reflection thereof and comparing the alignment of the projected and reflected beams;
- projecting said beam of light toward the polishing surface and aiming said beam such that the reflected beam is collinear with the projected beam;
- positioning an electronic die, having a frontside surface and a backside surface, in said projected beam such that said beam is reflected off of the backside surface of said die;
- orienting said die so as to assume an orientation wherein such reflected beam is collinear with said projected beam;
- causing the frontside surface of the die to engage said polishing surface while in said orientation;
- and
- inducing relative movement between said polishing surface and the die to thereby cause the frontside of the die to become deprocessed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.