US 8,801,352 B2Granted

Pick and place tape release for thin semiconductor dies

AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation

InventorBucknell C. Webb

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Abstract

Pick and place tape release techniques and tools that allow thin, fragile semiconductor dies to be removed from wafer tape with reduced tape release forces applied to the semiconductor dies. For example, a method for removing semiconductor die from wafer tape includes mounting a wafer ring having wafer tape and one or more dies attached to the wafer tape, and aligning an ejector pin assembly under a target die to be removed from the wafer tape. The ejector pin assembly includes a vacuum housing, an ejector pin, a suction plate, and an aperture formed in the suction plate in alignment with the ejector pin. A vacuum is generated in the vacuum housing to draw the tape against a surface of the suction plate. The ejector pin is extended through the vacuum housing out from the aperture of the suction plate to push against a backside of the target die and release the tape from the backside of the target die, and as the tape is released from the backside of the target die, the tape is drawn down against the suction plate by suction force of the vacuum.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method for removing semiconductor die from wafer tape, comprising:

mounting a wafer ring to a mounting frame, the wafer ring having wafer tape and one or more dies attached to the wafer tape;
aligning an ejector pin assembly under a target die of the one or more dies to be removed from the wafer tape, the ejector pin assembly comprising a vacuum housing, an ejector pin, an ejector pin housing having an activation mechanism to extend the ejector pin out from the ejector pin housing, a suction plate, and an aperture formed in the suction plate in alignment with the ejector pin;
generating a vacuum in the vacuum housing to draw the tape against a surface of the suction plate via a suction force applied through the aperture;
and
extending the ejector pin out from the ejector pin housing through the vacuum housing and through the aperture of the suction plate to push against a portion of the wafer tape at a backside of the target die and push said portion of the wafer tape and said target die away from the suction plate, wherein the vacuum force is maintained through the aperture while the ejector pin extends through the aperture to draw the wafer tape toward the suction plate by the suction force of the vacuum applied through the aperture to pull said portion of the wafer tape from the backside of the target die and release said portion of the wafer tape from the backside of the target die while the ejector pin continues to extend and push against the backside of the target die.

2 more elements

A pick and place tape release tool, comprising:

a mounting frame to securely mount a wafer ring having wafer tape and one or more dies attached to the wafer tape;
and
an ejector pin assembly, comprising:
a vacuum housing;
an ejector pin, and an ejector pin housing having an activation mechanism to extend the ejector pin out from the ejector pin housing;
a suction plate disposed on a top side of the vacuum housing;
an aperture formed in the suction plate in alignment with the ejector pin;
and
a vacuum mechanism to apply a vacuum within the vacuum housing and generate a suction force through the aperture of the suction,
wherein the ejector pin assembly operates by extending the ejector pin out from the ejector pin housing through the vacuum housing and through the aperture of the suction plate to push against a portion of the wafer tape at a backside of a target die of the one or more dies adhered to said portion of the wafer tape, and push said portion of the wafer tape and said target die away from the suction plate, wherein the vacuum force is maintained through the aperture while the ejector pin extends through the aperture to draw said portion of the wafer tape toward the suction plate by the suction force of the vacuum applied through the aperture to pull said portion of the wafer tape from the backside of the target die and release said portion of the wafer tape from the backside of the target die while the ejector pin continues to extend and push against the backside of the target die.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.