TWI462240B - Apparatus and method for flipping the wafer - Google Patents

Description

Device and method for turning a wafer

The present invention relates to a process for an integrated circuit (IC), and more particularly to an apparatus and method for flipping a wafer.

Because the IC components fabricated on wafers such as germanium or gallium arsenide are extremely small in size and extremely fragile, the IC package is designed to protect the external components or environmental factors. Destroy and ensure the transmission of signals and energy. IC packaging begins after wafer fabrication, including all bonding between wafer bonding, circuit bonding, structural encapsulation and circuit board, system integration, and product completion. In the packaging process of different levels, turning the wafer is often one of the factors that cause the capacity to decline. For example, a wafer-level package in an IC package is a process in which a package is directly tested on a whole wafer after the wafer is manufactured, and then cut into a single wafer without being subjected to wire bonding and filling. Due to the process of cutting and the like, as shown in FIG. 1A, the wafer 10 after the wafer level packaging process is the side with the bump or the ball 12 facing upward, but in the subsequent What is needed in the program is that the opposite side is facing up, as shown in FIG. 1B, so that the wafer 10 is further turned over by a handler, which includes using a robot arm pair. The wafers are continuously moved up, down and down, which is very time consuming and is the bottleneck of the throughput. Moreover, the general pick-and-place machine only has the action of taking up and lowering, and if the flipping action is added, the mechanism and control of the robot arm become complicated.

Therefore, an apparatus and method for automatically turning a large number of wafers in a package of each level is desirable.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for turning a wafer over.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for automatically turning a large number of wafers in a package of each level.

According to the present invention, a device for flipping a wafer includes a first platform that can be opened and a second platform are connected to the flip shaft, and the first carrier carrying the wafer is placed on the first platform, and the first wafer is not loaded. The second carrier is placed face to face on the first carrier, and the second platform is flipped over the flipping shaft and the first platform and the second platform are flipped, thereby placing the wafer on the first carrier on the first On the second vehicle.

According to the present invention, a method of flipping a wafer includes placing a first carrier carrying a wafer on a first platform and a second carrier not loaded with a wafer on a first carrier, The upper second platform clamps the first carrier and the second carrier together with the first platform, and flips the first platform and the second platform to cause the wafer on the first carrier to be placed on the second On the carrier, the first platform is removed and removed from the first carrier.

2 is a carrier 14 used in a preferred embodiment having a plurality of slots 16 therein, each slot 16 for receiving a tray 24 of FIG. The tray 24 is a conventional technique having a plurality of grooves 26 therein, each of which is for placing a wafer. Depending on the size of the wafers of different levels, the design of the carrier 14 will be modified to accommodate trays of different sizes, as shown in partial enlarged view 18. Preferably, an elastic member is provided at the edge of the slot 16, for example The reed 20, to urge against the tray placed in the slot 16, assists in securing the tray on the one hand and the tray in the center of the slot 16 on the other hand; preferably, the carrier 14 has a locating aperture 22 in the corner thereof.

4A through 4B show the process of flipping the entire batch of wafers, some of which are omitted for the sake of brevity. Referring to FIG. 4A, the openable first platform 30 and the second platform 32 are connected to the flip shaft 28, and the flip shaft 28 includes a concentric first shaft and a second shaft, and the first shaft is coupled to one side of the first platform 30, The second shaft is coupled to one side of the second platform 32, and the first shaft and the second shaft are rotatable separately or simultaneously. The first carrier 34 and the second carrier 38 are both the carrier 14 of FIG. 2. The first carrier 34 has a plurality of trays 24 carrying wafers, and the second carrier 38 has the same number of trays 24 but is not loaded. Wafer. Step S1 places the first carrier 34 on the first platform 30, step S2 uses the jaws 36 to cover the second carrier 38 face to face on the first carrier 34, and step S3 rotates the second shaft to the second The platform 32 is configured to sandwich the first carrier 34 and the second carrier 38 together with the first platform 30. Referring to FIG. 4B, the step S4 simultaneously rotates the first shaft and the second shaft to flip the closed first platform 30 and The second platform 32 thus reverses the first carrier 34 and the second carrier 38 into upper and lower positions, so that the wafer on the first carrier 34 is inverted on the second carrier 38, and the first step is performed by the step S5. The shaft splits the first platform 30, and step S6 uses the jaws 36 to move the first carrier 34 away.

The embodiment of Figure 5 provides more detail in which the jaws 36, locating pins 48, press 50 and small cymbal 52 are omitted in the perspective view to avoid obscuring other components. The flipping device 40 can be coupled to the loader and the unloader before and after, and the first carrier 34 is sent to the first platform 30, and the second carrier 38 is removed from the second platform 32. This combination can achieve fully automated mass production. Uploaders and downloaders are devices conventional in the art. By driving the first and second axes of the flip shaft 28 by the drivers 42 and 44, respectively, the first platform 30 and the second platform 32 can be opened or closed as a book, as previously described. The first platform 30 and the second platform 32 each have a recess for the first carrier 34 and the second carrier 38. The jaws 36 are movable up and down and back and forth to place the second carrier 38 on the first carrier 34 on the first platform 30 and the first carrier 34 from the second carrier 34 on the second platform 32. Move up to the top of the first platform 30 for the next time the wafer is turned over as the second carrier. In one embodiment, the first platform 30 has a recess 46 with a movable locating pin 48 beneath it. When the first carrier 34 is on the first platform 30, the locating pin 48 is moved upwardly through the first platform 30. The upper opening 46 is placed against the outer edge of the first carrier 34. Then, the outer edge of the second carrier 38 will be placed against the first carrier 34 against the positioning pin 48 to align with each other. In another embodiment, the positioning pin 48 passes through the opening 46 on the first platform 30 and the positioning hole 22 on the first carrier 34. Then, the positioning hole 22 of the second carrier 38 will be aligned with the positioning pin 48. Covered on the first carrier 34 to align with each other. Preferably, when the locating pin 48 moves up through the escaping aperture 46, the first carrier 34 is pressed using the press 50 to avoid wafer displacement caused by the first carrier 34 bouncing. Preferably, when the second platform 32 is up, the positioning pin 48 is moved upward again through the opening 46 on the first platform 30 while pushing the outer edges of the first carrier 34 and the second carrier 38. Or the positioning holes 22 on the first carrier 34 and the second carrier 38 are simultaneously passed to confirm whether the first carrier 34 and the second carrier 38 are aligned with each other. Preferably, the rear of the second platform 32 has a small cymbal 52. After the first platform 30 and the second platform 32 are inverted, the first carrier 34 or the first platform 30 is tapped by the small cymbal 52 to assist the first carrier 34. The wafer is dropped onto the second carrier 38.

It can be seen from the process shown in the above embodiment that the carrier is reused by the jaws 36. When the wafer is turned over, the wafer on the first carrier 34 is transferred to the second carrier 38, and is The first carrier 34 that is emptied becomes the second carrier when the wafer is turned over the next time. Therefore, in mass production, the carrier carrying the wafer is continuously fed from the uploader to the first platform 30, and the downloader is continuously By removing the carrier carrying the wafer from the second stage 32, a large number of wafers can be quickly turned over.

6A, 6B, and 6C are partial cross-sectional views of the embodiment of the present invention in the embodiment of the second carrier 38 when the second carrier 38 is placed over the first carrier 34. In FIG. 6A, the thickness of the tray 24 is comparable to the depth of the grooves 16 on the first carrier 34 and the second carrier 38, so that no gap is created between the trays 24. However, if the thickness of the tray 24 and the depth of the groove 16 are significantly different, a gap is formed between the trays 24, so that the wafer 10 is inclined when it is turned over, and even falls out of the groove 26, which affects the turning process. To solve this problem, the embodiment of Fig. 6B is provided with a recess 54 in the corner of the bottom of the slot 16, which is lowered using a pressure plate 58 having a pin 56 when the first carrier 34 and the second carrier 38 are stacked face to face. Moving, the pin 56 passes through the opening 54 to push the tray 24 down to eliminate the void 60. In an embodiment, the pressure plate 58 can be designed on the inside of the jaws 36. Figure 6C is another embodiment in which the bottom of the slot 16 in the carriers 34, 38 is provided with an elastic member 62 that pushes against the tray 24 to eliminate voids.

The above embodiment employs a carrier 14 carrying a tray 24 containing wafers. In other embodiments, the wafer can also be carried directly on the carrier.

Figure 7 is another embodiment of the present invention in which the inverting shaft 28 is instead disposed at a central position on both sides of the first platform 30 and the second platform 32 to reduce the rotation required for the turning shaft 28 to rotate. Moment. 8A to 8C show the process of flipping the entire batch of wafers in the embodiment of Fig. 7. For the sake of brevity, some details are omitted in the drawings. The process is similar to that of FIG. 4, in which the first carrier 34 has a plurality of trays 24 carrying wafers, and the second carrier 38 has the same number of trays 24 but no wafers. Step S11 uses the jaws 36 to place the first carrier 34 on the first platform 30, and the step S12 uses the jaws 36 to cover the second carrier 38 face to face on the first carrier 34, and then referring to FIG. 8B, step S13 The second platform 32 is clamped on the first platform 30 by using the clamping jaws 36, and the first carrier 34 and the second carrier 38 are clamped together with the first platform 30, and the step S14 is rotated to rotate the tilting shaft 28 to turn over the closed platform. a platform 30 and a second platform 32, so that the first carrier 34 and the second carrier 38 are inverted to be interchanged with the upper and lower positions, so that the wafer on the first carrier 34 is inverted on the second carrier 38, step S15 The first platform 30 is removed using the jaws 36. Finally, referring to Figure 8C, the step S16 uses the jaws 36 to move the first carrier 34 away, and the step S17 uses the jaws 36 to carry the second load of the wafer that has been turned over. The 38 is clamped away from the second platform 32.

The above description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention is intended to be illustrative, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. It is possible to make modifications or variations based on the above teachings or learning from the embodiments of the present invention. The embodiments are described and illustrated in the practical application by the skilled person in the various embodiments using the present invention. The technical idea of the present invention is determined by the following claims and their equals. .

10. . . Wafer level packaged wafer

12. . . Bump or ball

14. . . vehicle

16. . . groove

18. . . Partial enlargement

20. . . Reed

twenty two. . . Positioning hole

twenty four. . . tray

26. . . groove

28. . . Flip axis

30. . . First platform

32. . . Second platform

34. . . First vehicle

36. . . Jaws

38. . . Second vehicle

40. . . Turning device

42. . . driver

44. . . driver

46. . . Let open

48. . . Locating pin

50. . . Suppressor

52. . . Xiao Yan

54. . . Let open

56. . . pin

58. . . Press plate

60. . . Void

62. . . Elastic part

Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of a wafer of a wafer level package;

Figure 2 is an embodiment of a carrier of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a conventional tray;

4A and 4B are processes for turning a wafer over the surface of the present invention;

Figure 5 is an embodiment of a turning device of the present invention;

6A, 6B, and 6C are partial cross-sectional views of the embodiment of the present invention in the groove 16 when the second carrier 38 is placed face to face on the first carrier 34;

Figure 7 is another embodiment of the flipping device of the present invention;

8A through 8C are views showing the process of turning the wafer over in the embodiment of Fig. 7 of the present invention.

28. . . Flip axis

30. . . First platform

32. . . Second platform

34. . . First vehicle

36. . . Jaws

38. . . Second vehicle

Claims (20)

A device for flipping a wafer, comprising: a first platform and a second platform that are openable; a first carrier carrying the wafer, placed on the first platform; and a second carrier not carrying the wafer, face to face Covering the first carrier; and flipping the shaft, connecting the first platform and the second platform, and flipping the first platform and the second platform when the first platform and the second platform are closed The wafer on the first carrier is placed on the second carrier. The device of claim 1, wherein the first carrier and the second carrier have a tray carrying the wafer. The device of claim 2, wherein the first carrier and the second carrier have slots on the tray to accommodate the tray. The device of claim 3, wherein the first carrier and the second carrier have elastic members on the edge of the slot to push against the tray. The device of claim 3, wherein the bottom of the slot has an opening, and the device further comprises a pressure plate having a pin, and the second carrier is controlled to move downward when placed on the first carrier, The pin passes through the tray for pushing the opening to the second carrier to eliminate the gap between the first carrier and the tray of the second carrier. The device of claim 3, wherein the first carrier and the second carrier have elastic members on the bottom of the slot to push against the tray. The device of claim 1, wherein the inverting shaft comprises a first shaft and a second shaft that are coaxial with the first shaft, the first shaft is coupled to a side of the first platform, and the second shaft is coupled to a side of the second platform, The first shaft and the second shaft are rotatable separately or simultaneously. The device of claim 1, further comprising a jaw, the second carrier being controlled to be placed on the first carrier, or the first carrier being removed from the second carrier. The device of claim 1, wherein the first platform has a reaming hole, and the device further comprises a movable positioning pin, and the first wearing device is attached to the first platform when the first wearing device is attached to the first platform The outer edge of the first carrier has the outer edge of the second carrier attached to the first carrier against the locating pin to align with each other. The device of claim 1, wherein the first platform has an opening and the first carrier and the second carrier each have a positioning hole, and the device further comprises a movable positioning pin, wherein the first wearing device is And the positioning hole of the first carrier is aligned with the positioning hole of the second carrier, and the positioning pin of the second carrier is aligned with the positioning pin on the first carrier. A carrier and the second carrier are aligned with each other. The device of claim 9 or 10, further comprising a presser for pressing the first carrier with the presser when the locating pin passes through the venting opening to avoid bounce of the first carrier. The device of claim 9 or 10, wherein the positioning pin passes through the opening hole again when the first platform and the second platform are closed to confirm whether the first carrier and the second carrier are mutually alignment. The device of claim 1, further comprising a small device, after flipping the first platform and the second platform, tapping the first carrier or the first platform to help the wafer on the first carrier drop the first On the second vehicle. The device of claim 1, wherein the inverting shaft is disposed at a center position of both sides of the first platform and the second platform. A method of flipping a wafer, comprising: (A) placing a first carrier carrying a wafer on a first platform; (B) covering a second carrier not loaded with a wafer face to face in the first load (C) the second platform is configured to clamp the first carrier and the second carrier together with the first platform; (D) flipping the first platform and the second platform to make the first The wafer on the carrier is placed on the second carrier; (E) the first platform is removed; and (F) the first carrier is removed. The method of claim 15, further comprising a venting hole passing through the first platform between the steps A and B for locating the outer edge of the first carrier, and allowing the second carrier The outer edge of the locating pin is attached to the first carrier to align with each other. The method of claim 15, further comprising: between the steps A and B, the positioning pin passes through the positioning hole of the first platform and the positioning hole of the first carrier, and the positioning hole on the second carrier The locating pin is aligned on the first carrier to align with each other. The method of claim 16 or 17, further comprising pressing the first carrier with a presser when the positioning pin passes through the opening hole to avoid jumping of the first carrier. The method of claim 16 or 17, further comprising, at step C, passing through the access opening again to confirm whether the first carrier and the second carrier are aligned with each other. The method of claim 15, further comprising striking the first platform between steps D and E to help the wafer on the first carrier drop onto the second carrier.