Semiconductor packaging equipment

Abstract

The present invention provides a semiconductor packaging device, which includes a wire bonding chamber, a plastic encapsulation chamber and a transfer module; the transfer module is used to transfer wafers between the wire bonding chamber and the plastic encapsulation chamber. Through the optimized structural arrangement, the semiconductor packaging device of the present invention can realize continuous wire bonding and plastic encapsulation processes on the same device, which can greatly reduce the time required for process production and improve the equipment output rate; at the same time, the transfer process of the wafers does not require manual operation, which can not only effectively reduce the risks of wafer contamination and breakage, but also improve production efficiency and reduce production costs. Using the semiconductor packaging device of the present invention is conducive to the layout optimization in the packaging factory, conducive to improving the automation level of the production line, and helps to reduce production costs and avoid production accidents.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of semiconductor chip packaging, and particularly relates to a semiconductor packaging device. Background Art

[0002] Wire bonding and molding are both key processes in the semiconductor chip packaging process. Wire bonding is to complete the circuit connection between the chip and the packaging substrate or lead frame, etc., so that the chip can realize the function of electronic signal transmission; molding is to coat some structures on the surface of the wafer with organic materials such as epoxy resin, for example, coating the just-formed wire bonding structure to protect the wire bonding structure. In the prior art, the wire bonding process and the molding process are completed in different devices, and it is necessary for the operator to transfer the wafer that has completed the wire bonding process in the wire bonding device to the molding device for molding. This method has many problems. For example, since both the wire bonding process and the molding process are high-temperature processes, the wafer needs to be preheated before the wire bonding process; and after the wire bonding process is completed, the wafer usually needs to be cooled to room temperature before being transferred to avoid harm to the operator during the transfer of the high-temperature wafer. The too long cooling time of the wafer not only leads to a decrease in production efficiency, but also needs to be preheated before being transferred into the molding device for the molding process, resulting in low output rate of the molding device; secondly, since the transfer of the wafer depends on the manual operation of the operator, not only the production efficiency is low, but also the wafer is easily contaminated and damaged. In addition, too many wire bonding devices and molding devices lead to crowded space and low automation level in the semiconductor packaging factory, which is extremely likely to cause production accidents, and expanding the production space brings new problems such as increased production costs. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor packaging device, which is used to solve the problems in the prior art that due to the wire bonding device and the molding device being independent of each other, the output rate of the device is low, and the wafer needs to be transferred between the wire bonding device and the molding device through manual operation, resulting in low production efficiency, increased equipment input costs, and easy contamination and damage of the wafer, as well as the problems of increased production costs and potential production accidents caused by crowded space in the semiconductor factory.

[0004] To achieve the above purpose and other related purposes, the present invention provides a semiconductor packaging device, which includes a wire bonding chamber, a molding chamber and a transfer module; the transfer module is used to transfer the wafer between the wire bonding chamber and the molding chamber.

[0005] Optionally, when the wafer is taken out from the wire bonding chamber, it has a first temperature, and when the wafer is put into the molding chamber, it has a second temperature, and the difference between the first temperature and the second temperature is not greater than 20°C.

[0006] Optionally, the semiconductor packaging device further includes a transfer chamber, and the wafers that have completed the wire bonding process in the wire bonding chamber are transferred to the encapsulation chamber through the transfer of the transfer chamber.

[0007] Optionally, the transfer module includes a first transfer arm and a second transfer arm. The first transfer arm is used to transfer wafers between the wire bonding chamber and the transfer chamber, and the second transfer arm is used to transfer wafers between the transfer chamber and the encapsulation chamber.

[0008] Optionally, a heating unit is provided in the transfer chamber.

[0009] Optionally, the number of wire bonding chambers is greater than the number of encapsulation chambers.

[0010] Optionally, an isolation structure is provided between the wire bonding chamber and the encapsulation chamber.

[0011] Optionally, the semiconductor packaging device further includes a loading chamber, and the loading chamber is connected to the wire bonding chamber.

[0012] Optionally, the semiconductor packaging device further includes a transfer chamber, and the transfer chamber is connected to the encapsulation chamber.

[0013] In an alternative embodiment, the semiconductor packaging device further includes a housing, and the wire bonding chamber, the encapsulation chamber, and the transfer module are all located inside the housing.

[0014] In another alternative embodiment, the semiconductor packaging device further includes a housing, the transfer module is located inside the housing, and the wire bonding chamber and the encapsulation chamber are located outside the housing and are connected to the housing.

[0015] As described above, the semiconductor packaging device of the present invention can realize continuous wire bonding and encapsulation processes on the same device through optimized structural settings, which can greatly reduce the time required for process production and improve the equipment output rate. At the same time, the transfer process of the wafers does not require manual operation, which can not only effectively reduce the risk of wafer contamination and breakage, but also improve production efficiency and reduce production costs. Using the semiconductor packaging device of the present invention is beneficial to the layout optimization in the packaging factory, beneficial to improving the automation level of the production line, and helpful to reduce production costs and avoid production accidents. Description of the Drawings

[0016] Figure 1 It shows a schematic structural diagram of the semiconductor packaging device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 It shows a schematic structural diagram of the semiconductor packaging device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0018] Description of Component Labels

[0019] 11 Wire Bonding Chamber

[0020] 12 Encapsulation Chamber

[0021] 13 Transfer Module

[0022] 14 Intermediate Chamber

[0023] 15 Isolation Structure

[0024] 16 Loading Chamber

[0025] 17 Transfer Chamber

[0026] 18 Housing

[0027] 19 Controller Detailed Implementation Manner

[0028] The following uses specific specific examples to illustrate the implementation manners of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. The present invention can also be implemented or applied through other different specific implementation manners. Various details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0029] Please refer to Figures 1 to 2 . It should be noted that the diagrams provided in this embodiment only illustrate the basic concept of the present invention in a schematic manner. Therefore, only the components related to the present invention are shown in the diagrams, rather than being drawn according to the number, shape, and size of the components in actual implementation. The form, quantity, and ratio of each component in actual implementation can be arbitrarily changed, and the layout form of its components may also be more complex. And to make the diagrams as concise as possible, the same structures in the same diagram are not marked repeatedly in this specification.

[0030] Embodiment 1

[0031] As Figure 1 shown, the present invention provides a semiconductor packaging device. The semiconductor packaging device includes a wire bonding chamber 11, an encapsulation chamber 12, and a transfer module 13; the transfer module 13 is used to transfer wafers between the wire bonding chamber 11 and the encapsulation chamber 12. Through the optimized structural settings, the semiconductor packaging device of the present invention can realize continuous wire bonding and encapsulation processes on the same device, which can greatly reduce the time required for process production and improve the equipment output rate; at the same time, the transfer process of the wafers does not require manual operation, which can not only effectively reduce the risk of wafer contamination and breakage, but also improve production efficiency and reduce production costs.

[0032] The wire bonding process usually uses metal wires such as gold wires, copper wires, and aluminum wires to connect the contacts on the wafer to the pins of the external packaging substrate or lead frame, so that the chip can achieve the function of electronic signal transmission. The interface temperature between the chip and the wire during the wire bonding process is very important. Therefore, a heating device (not shown) is provided in the wire bonding chamber 11 to preheat the wafer before the wire bonding process. The heating device includes, but is not limited to, one or more of heating devices such as bulb heating and resistance wire heating. To accurately control the temperature during the wire bonding process, the wire bonding chamber 11 may further include a temperature control device connected to the heating device to control the required process temperature. A stage for carrying the wafer may also be provided in the wire bonding chamber 11, and the size of the stage matches the size of the wafer to be carried.

[0033] The plastic encapsulation process usually uses methods such as compression molding, transfer molding, liquid sealing molding, molding underfill, capillary underfill, vacuum lamination, and spin coating to coat materials such as polyimide layers, silicone layers, epoxy resin layers, curable polymer-based material layers, and curable resin-based material layers on the surface of the structure to be plastic encapsulated to protect the device, etc. For example, the wire bonding of the wafer needs to be plastic encapsulated to fix and protect the wire bonding, etc. The wafer also needs to be heated before plastic encapsulation. Therefore, a heating device can also be provided in the plastic encapsulation chamber 12, and a temperature control device connected to the heating device can also be provided. A stage for carrying the wafer can be provided in the plastic encapsulation chamber 12, and the stage can be connected to a rotating device to drive the wafer to rotate during the plastic encapsulation process to make the plastic encapsulation material coated more evenly.

[0034] In traditional packaging methods, since the wire bonding equipment and the plastic encapsulation equipment are completely independent of each other and are usually distributed in different spaces of the packaging factory, the wafers that have completed the wire bonding process need to be manually moved by operators to the plastic encapsulation equipment. To avoid harm to operators caused by high-temperature wafers and to avoid defects such as deformation and contamination of high-temperature wafers during transportation, the wafers usually need to be cooled in the equipment after completing the wire bonding process in the wire bonding equipment, resulting in an overly long time occupied by the wafers in the wire bonding equipment and a very low output rate of the wire bonding equipment. To meet the production capacity requirements, the packaging factory has to increase the number of equipment, which not only leads to a sharp increase in equipment costs, but also makes the factory space crowded and complex due to excessive equipment, posing a great potential safety hazard. On the other hand, preheating before plastic encapsulation also causes problems such as a decrease in the output rate of the plastic encapsulation equipment and an increase in production costs. Especially as the wafer size gets larger and the packaging levels increase, a single wafer may need to go through multiple wire bonding and plastic encapsulation processes, making the aforementioned problems more prominent, and the present invention proposes improvement measures for this. With the semiconductor packaging equipment of the present invention, the high-temperature wafers that have completed the wire bonding process in the wire bonding chamber do not need to go through a cooling process (therefore, there is no need to configure a cooling device in the wire bonding chamber, and the equipment structure can be simplified), and can be transferred to the plastic encapsulation chamber through the transfer module for direct plastic encapsulation. Not only is the time that the wafers stay in the wire bonding chamber greatly reduced (in the prior art, when the wafers are cooled naturally in the wire bonding equipment, the cooling time needs to be more than 10 minutes, and even for rapid cooling, it takes 5 - 6 minutes, and during the cooling process, due to thermal expansion and contraction, it is easy to cause defects or even fragmentation of the devices on the wafers), but also because the distance between the wire bonding chamber 11 and the plastic encapsulation chamber 12 is very close, the transfer time is short, and the temperature drop of the wafers during transportation is very small. When the wafers are taken out from the wire bonding chamber 11, they have a first temperature, for example, 130 - 160 °C. When the wafers are put into the plastic encapsulation chamber 12, they have a second temperature, and the difference between the first temperature and the second temperature is not greater than 20 °C. And the inventor has found through multiple experiments that this temperature difference is usually within 10 °C, that is, the temperature of the wafers when they reach the plastic encapsulation chamber 12 can be maintained above 100 °C. Therefore, the plastic encapsulation process temperature (for example, 150 - 175 °C) can be reached after a short heating time. Since the time required for preheating in the plastic encapsulation process is greatly reduced, the time that the wafers stay in the plastic encapsulation chamber is also greatly reduced, which can significantly improve the equipment output rate and reduce production costs. At the same time, since the wafers are transferred inside the equipment, it can effectively reduce the pollution of the external environment and improve the production yield. The transfer of the wafers realizes complete automation without manual operation, which helps to reduce the risk of wafer fragmentation.

[0035] As an example, the wire bonding chamber 11 and the plastic encapsulation chamber 12 can both be single-chip process treatment chambers. The number of the wire bonding chambers 11 and the number of the plastic encapsulation chambers 12 can be set as required and can be the same or different. Considering that the time required for the wire bonding process is usually longer than that required for the plastic encapsulation process, in this embodiment, the number of the wire bonding chambers 11 is greater than the number of the plastic encapsulation chambers 12, that is, a single plastic encapsulation chamber 12 can correspond to multiple wire bonding chambers 11 at the same time. For example, the ratio of the number of the wire bonding chambers 11 to the number of the plastic encapsulation chambers 12 is 3:1. Of course, in other examples, according to different needs, the number of the wire bonding chambers 11 and the number of the plastic encapsulation chambers 12 can also be configured in other ratios, which is not strictly limited in this embodiment. When the number of the wire bonding chambers 11 is greater than the number of the plastic encapsulation chambers 12, in order to improve the turnover rate of the chambers, as an example, the semiconductor packaging equipment further includes a transfer chamber 14. The wafers that have completed the wire bonding process in the wire bonding chamber 11 are transferred to the plastic encapsulation chamber 12 through the transfer of the transfer chamber 14. The specific position of the transfer chamber 14 can be set as required to facilitate the transfer of the wafers. For example, it is set between the wire bonding chamber 11 and the plastic encapsulation chamber 12, and multiple wire bonding chambers 11 can be arranged around the transfer chamber 14.

[0036] The transfer module 13 can be any structure suitable for transfer, such as a robotic arm. When there are multiple wire bonding chambers 11, for the convenience of wafer transfer, as an example, the transfer module 13 includes a first transfer arm and a second transfer arm. The first transfer arm is used to transfer wafers between the wire bonding chamber 11 and the transfer chamber 14 (usually from the wire bonding chamber 11 to the transfer chamber 14), and the second transfer arm is used to transfer wafers between the transfer chamber 14 and the plastic encapsulation chamber 12 (usually from the transfer to the wire bonding chamber 11). In this way, the transfer distance of the transfer module 13 can be minimized, the transfer time can be saved, and the working efficiency can be improved.

[0037] In one example, a heating unit is provided in the transfer chamber 14. The heating unit can be a resistance heater. For example, a stage for carrying wafers can be provided in the transfer chamber 14, and the resistance heater can be provided inside or on the surface of the stage. Moreover, a temperature control device connected to the heating unit can be further provided. The transfer chamber 14 can be further provided with a heat preservation and heat insulation unit to keep the wafers at a suitable temperature in the transfer chamber 14, ensuring that the temperature requirements for the subsequent plastic encapsulation process are met. Thereby, the turnover rate of the plastic encapsulation chamber 12 can be further improved, and the equipment output rate can be increased.

[0038] To improve the cleanliness during the encapsulation process, as an example, the semiconductor encapsulation equipment further includes a housing 18, and the wire bonding chamber 11, the plastic encapsulation chamber 12, and the transfer module 13 are all located inside the housing 18. The wire bonding chamber 11 and the plastic encapsulation chamber 12 have their own independent cavities, so the wire bonding chamber 11 and the plastic encapsulation chamber 12 can be directly placed inside the housing 18. In another example, an isolation structure 15 is provided between the wire bonding chamber 11 and the plastic encapsulation chamber 12. The isolation structure 15 can be a vacuum valve, which is opened when a wafer needs to be transferred and closed after the wafer transfer is completed. The aforementioned first transfer arm and the wire bonding chamber 11 are located in the same space, and the second transfer arm and the plastic encapsulation chamber 12 are located in the same space. The transfer chamber 14 can be located in the same space as the wire bonding chamber 11. The isolation structure 15 is used to avoid mutual interference between the wire bonding chamber 11 and the plastic encapsulation chamber 12, further improving the production yield. The specific shape of the housing 18 can be determined according to the layout in the factory. For example, it is rectangular, and its size should be suitable for accommodating all the modules of the entire semiconductor encapsulation equipment. A personnel access passage can be provided on the side of the housing 18. Moreover, to further improve the cleanliness, a filtering device can also be provided on the housing 18. The filtering device can be connected to the central purification system in the semiconductor encapsulation factory to further purify the purified gas from the factory end, so as to form an ultra-clean process space inside the housing 18. This can greatly reduce the particle contamination of the wafer during the transfer process and contribute to the improvement of the production yield.

[0039] As an example, the semiconductor encapsulation equipment further includes a loading chamber 16, and the loading chamber 16 is connected to the wire bonding chamber 11. The loading chamber 16 can be used to place a wafer cassette containing multiple wafers, such as a FOUP (front opening unified pod). The wafer cassette containing multiple wafers is transferred from the previous process section to the wire bonding chamber 11 through the loading chamber 16 for the wire bonding process.

[0040] As an example, the semiconductor encapsulation equipment further includes a transfer chamber 17, and the transfer chamber 17 is connected to the plastic encapsulation chamber 12. The transfer chamber 17 can also place a wafer cassette. The wafers that have completed the plastic encapsulation process are transferred into the wafer cassette. When the number of wafers loaded in the wafer cassette reaches a certain amount, the wafer cassette together with the wafers is transferred to the next process section, which is beneficial to reducing the wafer transfer workload and is beneficial to the optimization of the production process and the improvement of production efficiency.

[0041] The wire bonding chamber 11, the transfer module 13, and the encapsulation chamber 12 can be uniformly connected to a central controller 19, such as a computer. The central controller 19 controls the operations of each module according to the process production parameters (recipe) to further improve the automation level of the semiconductor packaging equipment and increase the production efficiency.

[0042] The process of packaging using the semiconductor packaging equipment of this embodiment is as follows: The wafer is transferred to the wire bonding chamber 11 (in the case where the loading chamber 16 is provided, the wafer is loaded into a wafer cassette and uniformly transferred to the loading chamber 16, and then transferred from the loading chamber 16 to the wire bonding chamber 11 for the wire bonding process). After preheating, the wire bonding process is carried out. After the wire bonding process is completed, there is no need to cool down, and it is directly transferred by the transfer module 13 to the encapsulation chamber 12 for encapsulation (in the case where the transfer chamber 14 is provided, it is first transferred to the transfer chamber 14 and then transferred from the transfer chamber 14 to the encapsulation chamber 12). Of course, this operation process is only exemplary and can be adjusted according to needs, and is not limited in this embodiment.

[0043] When using the semiconductor packaging equipment of the present invention for packaging operations, the transfer of the wafer is fully automated, which can effectively reduce the risk of wafer contamination and fragmentation. Moreover, there is no need to cool down after wire bonding, and the preheating time before the encapsulation process can also be greatly reduced. The residence time of the wafer in the wire bonding chamber and the encapsulation chamber can be greatly shortened, significantly improving the chamber turnover rate and the output rate of the entire semiconductor packaging equipment, reducing the equipment investment cost of the semiconductor packaging factory. At the same time, the semiconductor packaging equipment of the present invention can reduce the amount of equipment used due to the increased output rate of the equipment, so it can greatly reduce the space occupied by the equipment, which is beneficial to the layout optimization in the factory, beneficial to improving the automation level of the production line, helpful to reduce production costs and avoid production accidents. The semiconductor packaging equipment of the present invention is particularly suitable for large-size wafer-level packaging, such as 8-inch, 12-inch, and future 18-inch wafer-level packaging, which can significantly improve production efficiency, improve production yield, and reduce production costs.

[0044] Embodiment 2

[0045] As Figure 2As shown, the present invention also provides a semiconductor packaging device with another structure. The main difference between the semiconductor packaging device of this embodiment and that of the first embodiment is that in the first embodiment, the wire bonding chamber 11, the plastic encapsulation chamber 12, and the transfer module 13 are all located within the housing 18; while in this embodiment, the semiconductor packaging device also includes a housing 18, but in this embodiment, only the transfer module 13 is located within the housing 18, and the wire bonding chamber 11 and the plastic encapsulation chamber 12 are both located outside the housing 18 and are connected to the housing 18, that is, both the wire bonding chamber 11 and the plastic encapsulation chamber 12 are in single-sided contact with the housing 18, and this contact surface is usually the surface where the wafer inlet and outlet channels are located. The semiconductor packaging device of this embodiment can also be further provided with a transfer chamber and a loading chamber (not shown). The loading chamber is located outside the housing and is connected to the housing, and the transfer chamber can be located outside the housing or within the housing, and this is not strictly limited in this embodiment. In addition, the specific settings of each module in this embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment. For details, please refer to the description of the first embodiment and will not be elaborated here for the sake of brevity. By using the semiconductor packaging device of this embodiment, the connection between each module is closer, which is helpful for equipment management in the factory.

[0046] In summary, the present invention provides a semiconductor packaging device, which includes a wire bonding chamber, a plastic encapsulation chamber, and a transfer module; the transfer module is used to transfer wafers between the wire bonding chamber and the plastic encapsulation chamber. Through the optimized structural settings, the semiconductor packaging device of the present invention can realize the continuous wire bonding and plastic encapsulation processes on the same device, which can greatly reduce the time required for process production and improve the equipment output rate; at the same time, the wafer transfer process does not require manual operation, which can not only effectively reduce the risk of wafer contamination and breakage, but also improve production efficiency and reduce production costs. By using the semiconductor packaging device of the present invention, it is beneficial to optimize the layout in the packaging factory, improve the automation level of the production line, help reduce production costs and avoid production accidents. Therefore, the present invention effectively overcomes various disadvantages in the prior art and has high industrial utilization value.

[0047] The above embodiments are only illustrative of the principles and effects of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any person familiar with this technology can modify or change the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or changes completed by those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field without departing from the spirit and technical idea disclosed by the present invention should still be covered by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A semiconductor packaging device, characterized in that, Comprising: Wire bonding chamber; Plastic encapsulation chamber; Transfer module for transferring wafers between the wire bonding chamber and the plastic encapsulation chamber; Transfer chamber, wafers that have completed the wire bonding process in the wire bonding chamber are transferred to the plastic encapsulation chamber via the transfer chamber, and a heating unit is provided in the transfer chamber; Housing, the wire bonding chamber, the plastic encapsulation chamber and the transfer module are all located within the housing.

2. The semiconductor packaging device according to claim 1, wherein: When the wafer is taken out from the wire bonding chamber, it has a first temperature, and when the wafer is placed into the plastic encapsulation chamber, it has a second temperature, and the difference between the first temperature and the second temperature is not greater than 20°C.

3. The semiconductor packaging device according to claim 1, wherein: The transfer module includes a first transfer arm and a second transfer arm, the first transfer arm is used for transferring wafers between the wire bonding chamber and the transfer chamber, and the second transfer arm is used for transferring wafers between the transfer chamber and the plastic encapsulation chamber.

4. The semiconductor packaging device according to claim 1, wherein: The number of wire bonding chambers is greater than the number of plastic encapsulation chambers.

5. The semiconductor packaging device according to claim 1, wherein: An isolation structure is provided between the wire bonding chamber and the plastic encapsulation chamber.

6. The semiconductor packaging device according to claim 1, wherein: The semiconductor packaging device further includes a loading chamber and a transfer chamber, the loading chamber is connected to the wire bonding chamber, and the transfer chamber is connected to the plastic encapsulation chamber.

7. A semiconductor packaging device, characterized in that, Comprising: Wire bonding chamber; Plastic encapsulation chamber; Transfer module for transferring wafers between the wire bonding chamber and the plastic encapsulation chamber; Transfer chamber, wafers that have completed the wire bonding process in the wire bonding chamber are transferred to the plastic encapsulation chamber via the transfer chamber, and a heating unit is provided in the transfer chamber; Housing, the transfer module is located within the housing, and the wire bonding chamber and the plastic encapsulation chamber are located outside the housing and are connected to the housing.

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