US-12628610-B2 - Integrated semiconductor die vessel processing workstations

Abstract

In certain embodiments, a workstation includes: a cleaning station configured to clean a die vessel, wherein the die vessel is configured to secure a semiconductor die; an inspection station configured to inspect the die vessel after cleaning to determine whether the die vessel is identified as passing inspection; and a conveyor configured to move the die vessel between the cleaning station and the inspection station.

Inventors

• Tsung-Sheng Kuo
• Guan-Wei Huang
• Chih-Hung Huang
• Yang-Ann Chu
• Hsu-Shui Liu
• Jiun-Rong Pai

Assignees

• TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20240725

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A method, comprising: receiving a die vessel at a disassembly station; determining whether the die vessel comprises a first type of die vessel or a second type of die vessel; and disassembling multiple parts of the die vessel when the die vessel is determined to be the first type of die vessel, wherein the determining comprises measuring a weight of the die vessel using a weight sensor located at the disassembly station, and wherein the disassembly station determines whether the die vessel comprises the first or second type of die vessel based on an output of the weight sensor.
2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: inspecting the die vessel to determine whether the die vessel includes at least one of correct dimensions or expected surface features based on the determined type of die vessel; determining the die vessel as passing inspection in response to determining that the die vessel includes at least one of correct dimensions or expected surface features; and moving the die vessel to a pass output port or a fail output port based on whether the die vessel is identified as passing an inspection.
3. 3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the pass output port interfaces with an automated material handling system.
4. 4 . The method of claim 2 , further wherein inspecting the die vessel further comprises determining whether the die vessel comprises one or more expected parts, and further wherein determining the die vessel as passing inspection in response determining that the die vessel comprises one or more expected parts.
5. 5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising assembling the multiple parts after the inspection of the die vessel when the die vessel is determined to comprise the first type of die vessel.
6. 6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising drying the multiple parts.
7. 7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising moving the one or more parts of the die vessel from the disassembly station, to a cleaning station, to the drying station, to the inspection station and to the assembly station.
8. 8 . A method, comprising: securing a semiconductor die in a die vessel; receiving the die vessel at a disassembly station; determining whether the die vessel comprises a first type of die vessel or a second type of die vessel; disassembling multiple parts of the die vessel when the die vessel is determined to be the first type of die vessel; and moving the one or more parts of the die vessel between the disassembly station and a pass output port or a fail output port based on whether the one or more parts of the die vessel is identified as passing an inspection when the die vessel comprises either the first type of die vessel or the second type of die vessel, wherein the determining comprises measuring a weight of the die vessel using a weight sensor located at the disassembly station, and wherein the disassembly station determines whether the die vessel comprises the first or second type of die vessel based on an output of the weight sensor.
9. 9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising inspecting the die vessel to determine a distance between two pins on the die vessel.
10. 10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein moving the die vessel to the fail output port is performed in response to the distance between the two pins not being a predetermined distance apart.
11. 11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising inspecting the die vessel for warpage.
12. 12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the moving the die vessel to the fail output port is in response to the warpage being at or more than a predetermined threshold across the die vessel.
13. 13 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising cleaning the one or more parts of the die vessel before inspection by an inspection station.
14. 14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the moving is performed by a conveyor belt.
15. 15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the conveyor belt comprises a cleaning station portion and an inspection station portion that are physically separated from each other.
16. 16 . A method, comprising: receiving a die vessel at a disassembly station configured to receive a die vessel; determining whether the die vessel comprises a first type of die vessel or a second type of die vessel, wherein the determining comprises measuring a weight of the die vessel using a weight sensor located at the disassembly station, and wherein the disassembly station determines whether the die vessel comprises the first or second type of die vessel based on an output of the weight sensor; disassembling multiple parts of the die vessel when the die vessel comprises the first type of die vessel; cleaning one or more parts of the die vessel; inspecting the one or more parts of the die vessel after cleaning to determine whether the die vessel is identified as passing inspection; and moving the one or more parts of the die vessel between the disassembly station, the cleaning station and the inspection station.
17. 17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising moving the one or more parts of the die vessel to a pass output port or a fail output port based on whether the one or more parts of the die vessel is identified as passing inspection.
18. 18 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising: assembling the multiple parts after inspection of the die vessel when the die vessel is determined to comprise the first type of die vessel; drying the one or more parts of the die vessel; and moving the one or more parts of the die vessel from the disassembly station, to the cleaning station, to the drying station, to the inspection station and to the assembly station.
19. 19 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising capturing an image of the die vessel.
20. 20 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the moving performed by a conveyor belt.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/222,328, filed Jul. 14, 2023, which is a continuation of U.S. Patent Application No. 17/874, 174, filed Jul. 26, 2022, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,721,572, which is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/518,352, filed Jul. 22, 2019, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,488,848, which claims priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/712,656, filed on Jul. 31, 2018, the contents of each are incorporated by reference in their entireties. BACKGROUND Modern manufacturing processes are highly automated to manipulate materials and devices and create a finished product. However, quality control, packaging, and maintenance processes often rely on human skill, knowledge and expertise for processing and inspection of the manufactured product both during manufacture and as a finished product. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Aspects of the present disclosure are best understood from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying figures. It is noted that various features are not necessarily drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions and geometries of the various features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity of discussion. FIG. 1A is a flowchart of an integrated semiconductor die vessel workstation process 100, in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 1B is a block diagram of various functional modules of an integrated semiconductor die vessel workstation functional module, in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 2A is a diagram of an integrated semiconductor die vessel workstation, in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 2B is a perspective view illustration of a processing stations part of the semiconductor die vessel workstation, in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 3 is an illustration of stations aligned with each other such that the parts of the conveyor system are capable of conveying a die vessel from one station to another, in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 4A is an illustration of an jig when assembled, in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 4B is an illustration of the jig when disassembled, in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 5A is an illustration of how cleaning is performed by a cleaning station, in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 5B is an illustration of how drying is performed by a drying station, in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 6A is an illustration of an image sensor configured to produce image data characterizing a bottom plate of a die vessel, in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 6B is an illustration of one of the concave receptacles with pins, in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 6C is an illustration of a line image sensor configured to produce image data characterizing a bottom plate 52 of a die vessel, in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a bottom plate of a die vessel, in accordance with some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS The following disclosure describes various exemplary embodiments for implementing different features of the subject matter. Specific examples of components and arrangements are described below to simplify the present disclosure. These are, of course, merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. For example, it will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected to” or “coupled to” another element, it may be directly connected to or coupled to the other element, or one or more intervening elements may be present. In addition, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed. Further, spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. The spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. The apparatus may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein may likewise be interpreted accordingly. Systems and methods in accordance with various embodiments are directed to an automated and integrated semiconductor die vessel processing workstation (e.g., platform) for cleaning and inspection. Typically, die vessels are manually inspected for defects and manually cleaned. Die vessels are containers or vessels for securing semiconductor dies in transport. Semiconductor dies, also referred to more simply as dies, may be singulated chips or dies from a semiconductor wafer. However, in various embodiments, a