Apparatus and method for energy field assisted release of microelectronic devices from carrier structures

Abstract

The present application relates to apparatus and methods for energy field assisted release of microelectronic devices from carrier structures. A microelectronic device is picked up from a carrier structure while an energy field is applied to repel the microelectronic device from the carrier structure or to pull the carrier structure away from the microelectronic device. Particles are embedded in a material adhered to the microelectronic device and the energy field is a magnetic field to which the particles respond to generate a motive force on the microelectronic device or the carrier structure. Also disclosed is removal of a carrier wafer from a thinned device wafer prior to singulation of the device wafer.

Description

[0001] Priority requirements

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 161,561, filed on March 16, 2021, entitled “Apparatus and Methods for Energy Field-Assisted Release of Microelectronic Devices from Carrier Structures”. Technical Field

[0003] The embodiments disclosed herein relate to apparatuses and methods for assisting in the release of microelectronic devices from a carrier structure. More specifically, the embodiments disclosed herein relate to apparatuses and methods for using energy fields to enhance the release of microelectronic devices of varying sizes and configurations adhered to carrier structures such as carrier wafers and mounting films for removal of such devices during pick-and-place operations. Background Technology

[0004] As the performance of microelectronic devices and systems improves, there is a growing demand to enhance the performance of such devices, assemblies of such devices, and systems containing such assemblies, while maintaining or even reducing the form factors (e.g., length, width, and height) of the microelectronic device assemblies. This demand is typically, but not exclusively, associated with mobile systems (e.g., smartphones, tablets, laptops, and other compact, high-performance systems). To maintain or reduce the footprint and height of assemblies of microelectronic devices (e.g., semiconductor dies), three-dimensional (3D) assemblies of stacked devices equipped with so-called through-silicon vias (TSVs) for vertical electrical (e.g., signal, power, ground / bias) communication between the stacked devices have become more common. This combines reduced component thickness with the use of preformed and in-situ formed dielectric materials in the bonding lines (e.g., spaces between stacked devices) to reduce bonding line thickness while increasing bonding line uniformity. Such preformed dielectric materials include, for example, so-called nonconductive films (NCFs) and wafer-level underfill (WLUFs), terms which are often used interchangeably. In-situ formed dielectric materials can include silicon oxide as well as very thin polymers. While effectively reducing the height of 3D microelectronic device component assemblies, reducing the thickness of microelectronic devices (e.g., semiconductor dies) to about 50 μm or less increases device brittleness and susceptibility to microcracks and stress-induced cracking, such as compressive (e.g., shock) stresses from contact with processing equipment and tensile and bending stresses experienced, for example, during pick-up and placement operations using vacuum to pick up the microelectronic device from a support structure with a pick-up head or "pickup device". Non-limiting examples of microelectronic device assemblies include multiple stacks of thin microelectronic devices that may suffer stress-induced cracking, including semiconductor memory die assemblies, alone or in combination with other die functions (e.g., logic), including so-called high-bandwidth memory (HBMx), hybrid memory cubes (HMC), and chip-to-wafer (C2W) assemblies. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In one embodiment, the pickup and placement device includes: a carrier structure for supporting a sliced ​​microelectronic device thereon; a pickup tool including a pickup head movable above a corresponding position of the sliced ​​microelectronic device supported on the carrier structure; and an energy source located below the carrier structure, configured and positioned to emit an energy field substantially aligned with the pickup head to attract or repel material particles between the carrier structure and the sliced ​​microelectronic device supported thereon.

[0006] In one embodiment, a method includes: providing a carrier structure having a single microelectronic device adhered to its upper surface; positioning a pickup head of a pickup tool above the selected target microelectronic device on the carrier structure; and initiating upward pickup of the target microelectronic device using the pickup tool. Essentially simultaneously with initiating upward pickup, an energy source is activated to emit an energy field from below the carrier structure and substantially aligned with the pickup head to perform one of the following actions: upwardly repelling the target microelectronic device away from the carrier structure, or substantially attracting one or more portions of the carrier structure downwardly away from the microelectronic device from below the target microelectronic device.

[0007] In one embodiment, a method includes: using an adhesive film having embedded particles therein, adhering a device wafer to a carrier wafer via an active surface of a device wafer carrying an integrated circuit; thinning the device wafer from the back side; adhering the thinned device wafer to a carrier structure via the back side of the device wafer to form an assembly; applying an energy field near the assembly to cause the particles to exert an upward driving force to separate the carrier wafer from the device wafer, and removing the carrier wafer from the device wafer. Attached Figure Description

[0008] Figure 1 These are micrographs of an uneven die that has peeled off from the adhesive film during die pickup.

[0009] Figure 2 These are micrographs of broken dies from the mounting film of unsuccessful die pickups.

[0010] Figure 3 These are micrographs of stress-induced cracks in a semiconductor die;

[0011] Figures 4A to 4D An embodiment of the method and apparatus according to the present disclosure is illustrated schematically, the method and apparatus being used to prepare a wafer for dicing, dicing the wafer into semiconductor dies, and during die pick-up, using an energy field released from a mounting film to assist the die in picking up semiconductor dies from the diced wafer;

[0012] Figures 5A to 5C Another embodiment of the method and apparatus according to the present disclosure is illustrated schematically, the method and apparatus being used to prepare a wafer for dicing, dicing the wafer into semiconductor dies, and during die pick-up, using an energy field released from a mounting film to assist the die in picking up semiconductor dies from the diced wafer;

[0013] Figures 6A to 6C An embodiment of a method and apparatus according to the present disclosure for the assisted release of a carrier wafer from a device wafer energy field after device wafer thinning is schematically illustrated.

[0014] Figure 7 This is a perspective view of a reel carrying semiconductor dies in a cavity configured according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure for energy field-assisted release of dies during die pickup;

[0015] Figure 8A , 8B And 8C is suitable for combination in Figure 7 Cross-sectional views of different embodiments of the type of recess in the strip used for energy field-assisted release of the semiconductor die during die pickup;

[0016] Figure 9 This is a schematic side view of a device used to clean and release semiconductor dies from a carrier structure during die pick-up;

[0017] Figure 10A and 10B A method and apparatus for energy field-assisted die pickup from a carrier structure is schematically illustrated, the carrier structure employing magnetic shape memory particles embedded in an adhesive film, onto which diced semiconductor dies are adhered.

[0018] Figure 11A and 11B A method and apparatus for energy field-assisted die pickup from a carrier structure are schematically illustrated, the carrier structure employing magnetized pin elements embedded in an adhesive film on the carrier structure, and single-cut semiconductor dies being adhered to the adhesive film;

[0019] Figure 12 and 13 The diagram schematically shows a top front view of a segment of an adhesive film that can be adhered to a carrier structure of a semiconductor die, illustrating... Figure 10A and 10B Magnetic shape memory alloy particles and in Figure 11A and 11B Different instances of magnetized particles in the form of pin elements in the adhesive film used in the methods and devices;

[0020] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of a movable support plate positioned below the target die and aligned with the pickup head during die pickup, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The support plate is used to enhance the release of the adhesive film of the mounting membrane from the energy field of the target die.

[0021] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of a portion of a wafer-level support plate according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the wafer-level support plate being located below a target die for die pickup, the support plate being used to enhance the adhesion of the mounting film from the energy field of the target die; Detailed Implementation

[0022] Apparatus and methods for the assisted release of microelectronic devices in the form of semiconductor wafers and semiconductor dies from a carrier structure via an energy field are disclosed. These apparatus and methods are particularly suitable for releasing and removing very thin semiconductor dies and wafers adhered to a carrier structure, significantly reducing the likelihood of damage during the removal process.

[0023] The following description provides specific details, such as dimensions, shapes, material composition, and orientations, to provide a comprehensive description of embodiments of this disclosure. However, those skilled in the art will understand and appreciate that embodiments of this disclosure can be practiced without employing these specific details, as they can be practiced in conjunction with conventional manufacturing techniques used in industry. Furthermore, the description provided below may not form a complete process flow for releasing microelectronic devices from various carrier structures and for various purposes, such as removing thinned semiconductor wafers adhered to a carrier wafer and removing thinned semiconductor dies adhered to a carrier wafer or mounting film in the context of pick-and-place operations. Only those process actions and structures necessary for understanding embodiments of this disclosure are described in detail below. Additional actions for forming microelectronic devices manipulated as described herein and undergoing further processing actions to form microelectronic component assemblies, packages, and systems can be performed using conventional manufacturing processes.

[0024] Now for reference Figure 1 and 2As a specific background to embodiments of this disclosure, and as stated above, as package size requirements (i.e., form factor) become smaller, not only must the footprint of each microelectronic device (e.g., semiconductor die and wafer from which single semiconductor dies are cut) in an assembly of stacked microelectronic devices be reduced, but their thickness must also be reduced. As known to those skilled in the art, semiconductor (e.g., silicon) wafers exhibiting an initial thickness, for example, between about 600 μm and about 775 μm, are processed to form integrated circuits on their so-called active surfaces, and subsequently significantly thinned from their back side to meet the aforementioned form factor requirements. Semiconductor wafers producing single semiconductor dies as thin as about 50 μm are commercially available, and semiconductor wafers producing dies as thin as about 30 μm or less (e.g., about 20 μm) are under development. The current trend towards thinner microelectronic devices in the form of semiconductor dies, particularly when memory devices comprise a large number (e.g., 8, 12, 16 or more) of stacked memory dies bonded to logic dies, and other combinations of stacked dies, will continue as there is a need to maintain or even reduce stack height, for example, for integration into mobile devices. Such ultrathin dies can also be used in conjunction with implementations featuring near-zero bond line (NZB) spacing between adjacent stacked dies. One example of NZB development involves hybrid bonding between adjacent stacked dies using plasma-activated silicon oxide or ultrathin polymers from the die surface as the bond line dielectric and maintaining the metal-to-metal contact interface, or in combination with diffusion bonding of aligned metal contact elements of the circuitry across the bond lines of adjacent stacked semiconductor dies. Reducing stress during the processing of such ultrathin, fragile semiconductor dies or wafers (from which they are diced) becomes more important in preventing yield loss (i.e., the percentage of defective dies produced from a given wafer or other substrate, or a batch of wafers or substrates). The stress caused by this process may be due to the processing of the ultrathin device wafers before dicing into semiconductor dies (e.g., removing carrier wafers from thinned device wafers) and the handling of the ultrathin semiconductor dies during the picking up of dies from carrier structures used for chip-to-wafer (C2W) or multi-die stacking processes (e.g., thermoforming).

[0025] Although many sources of microcracks and fractures in microelectronic devices caused by processing are known, a particular damage-inducing mechanism has become apparent when the thickness of such devices is reduced to below approximately 60 to 65 μm, and has developed into a significant problem as the device thickness is further reduced. As is well known to those skilled in the art, microelectronic devices in the form of semiconductor dies can be fabricated on semiconductor (e.g., silicon) wafers. After forming integrated circuits at laterally spaced device locations, along with optional conductive through-silicon vias (TSVs) extending from the integrated circuits toward the back of the wafer, in and on the so-called active surface of the wafer, the wafer is thinned from its initial thickness to a final, significantly reduced thickness, as described above, exposing the ends of the TSVs (if present). Subsequently, the thinned wafer, externally supported on a membrane framework and attached to a carrier structure in the form of a polymer mounting film (sometimes called a "mount tape"), is separated or "sliced" into discrete semiconductor dies using, for example, a diamond-coated wafer saw, laser scribing, plasma scribing, or a so-called "stealth" scribing process. After dicing, the mounting membrane is stretched laterally on the film frame to separate the diced blanks. The blanks are then picked up one by one from the mounting membrane by a pick-up head of a pick-up and placement tool. The pick-up head has a vacuum channel connected to a vacuum source and opening onto a pick-up surface, which can be moved close to each target die to be picked up. In many cases, as the vacuum initiated by the pick-up head in the vacuum channel and on the pick-up surface is used to pull the target die from the adhesive of the mounting membrane, an ejector is used to push the die to be picked up from under the mounting membrane upwards along with the upward movement of the pick-up head.

[0026] Traditionally, when picking up a semiconductor die from the adhesive on a mounting film using a pick-up head (which includes multiple vacuum channels leading to a downward-facing pick-up surface), the pick-up surface is moved directly above the semiconductor die, and a vacuum is applied to the die by opening the vacuum channels to the pick-up surface and extending through the die-covered area of ​​all vacuum channels. However, it has been determined that the central region of the semiconductor die being picked up is typically more easily peeled from the mounting film adhesive than the peripheral region. In the case of picking up extremely thin semiconductor dies (e.g., about 50 μm thick or less), the stress between the portions of the semiconductor die still adhering to the mounting film despite the vacuum applied to the pick-up surface and those portions released from the film and pulled against the pick-up surface by the vacuum can cause damage or even breakage of the die. Figure 1 This illustrates the uneven peeling of the DP from the adhesive film onto the die, while Figure 2 The image shows a broken die BD on the mounting membrane due to an unsuccessful die pick-up. Figure 3The image shows a crack extending through a portion of a semiconductor die. This phenomenon typically responds to stress on the semiconductor material of the die, between the central region of the die and one or more peripheral regions, where the central region moves upward with the pick-up face of the pick-up head while one or more peripheral regions remain adhered to the adhesive of the mount film. In other words, the tensile and bending stresses between at least one (e.g., the central) region of the semiconductor die, secured to the pick-up face and released from the adhesive film, and at least another (e.g., the peripheral) region, remaining adhered to the mount film, can cause microcracks or even cracking of the semiconductor die. Microcracks are particularly concerning because such damage to the semiconductor die may not be apparent on its own before the die is assembled, packaged, and tested with other dies, leading to the rejection of the entire multi-die package. The possibility of so-called “infant mortality” failure of packages after incorporation into higher-level packages during operation of high-cost processor-based systems (e.g., mobile devices, tablets, laptops, servers, etc.) is equally concerning.

[0027] The accompanying drawings provided herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be actual views of any particular material, component, structure, device, or system. Variations in the shapes depicted in the drawings are expected as a result of, for example, manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances. Therefore, the embodiments described herein should not be construed as limited to the specific shapes or areas illustrated, but rather include, for example, shape deviations due to manufacturing processes. For example, an area illustrated or described as box-shaped may have rough and / or non-linear characteristics, while an area illustrated or described as circular may include some rough and / or linear characteristics. Furthermore, acute angles between the illustrated surfaces may be rounded, and vice versa. Therefore, the areas shown in the drawings are schematic in nature, and their shapes are not intended to show the precise shapes of the areas and do not limit the scope of the claims. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0028] In embodiments describing the methods and apparatus of this disclosure, for convenience, the same elements in different figures and different embodiments are identified by the same or similar reference elements.

[0029] refer to Figures 4A to 4D This document illustrates a method and apparatus for removing diced microelectronic devices (e.g., semiconductor dies) from a carrier structure according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 4AAs shown, a thinned device wafer 200 carrying an integrated circuit 204 on an active surface 202 (e.g., thinned from an initial thickness of about 600 μm to about 775 μm to a final thickness of, for example, about 50 μm or less) is coated on its back surface 206 with a material 302 in which particles 306 are embedded. The material 302 may, for example, have a thickness between about 2 μm and about 20 μm. This operation can be performed when the thinned device wafer 200 is attached to a carrier wafer 100, as shown by the dashed lines, and the carrier wafer supports the device wafer 200 during the thinning operation. The particles 306 may, for example, have a size (e.g., diameter) between about 1 μm and about 15 μm, for example, about 5 μm, about 10 μm. Typically, a particle size of at least about half the thickness of the material 302 is suitable. The material 302 may or may not contain a binder material and is soluble in water (e.g., deionized (DI) water) or another benign solvent. Material 302 can be selected to balance physical properties with degradation sensitivity upon exposure to water or other solvents. Suitable materials for material 302 include, for example, HogoMax water-soluble resin from DISCO in Tokyo, Japan, and WaferBOND® HT-10.10 from Brewer Science in Rolla, MO, USA. Other suitable materials are available from Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., Brewer Science, 3M, etc. Particles 306 can first be fixed to the back surface 206 of the thinned device wafer with a contact adhesive, loose particles are removed by gravity or airflow, and then material 302 is applied to the mounting back surface 206, particles 306, as a pre-formed adhesive film by, for example, spin coating, spray coating, or roll coating. Alternatively, particles 306 can be suspended in liquid form of material 302 and dispensed onto the back surface 206. If needed, large quantities of material 302 (e.g., rolls, wafer-sized segments) can be pre-formed using particles 306 embedded in the adhesive material 302 and a protective film laminated onto the adhesive material for storage and handling before the material 302 is applied to the back surface 206. Figure 4B As shown, the device wafer 200 is then adhered to the mounting film 400 via the adhesive material 402 on its back side 206 through the material 302. The mounting film is supported on the film frame 404, after which the carrier wafer (not shown) is removed. The following is in conjunction with... Figures 5A to 5C The embodiments describe examples of suitable adhesive materials. Then, as Figure 4CAs shown, the device wafer 200 is diced into individual microelectronic devices (e.g., semiconductor dies) 208 separated by channels 210. Dicing can be performed using dry processes (e.g., laser dicing, stealth dicing, or plasma dicing) to avoid compromising the integrity of the containing material 302. As shown, after the diced material 302 beneath each diced microelectronic device 208 is completely cut off, channels 210 are created that can extend into the adhesive material 402 of the mounting film 400. Furthermore, as... Figure 4D As shown, a pickup tool 500 with a pickup head 502 includes a vacuum channel (not shown) extending to a pickup surface 504, which is located above and adjacent to the target microelectronic device 208 at the same time as the energy field source 600, and generates an energy field 602 from the energy field source, which is aligned with the pickup head 502.

[0030] In one embodiment of this invention, particle 306 may be a diamagnetic material repelled by a magnetic field, and energy field source 600 may include one or more electromagnets from which an energy field 602 in the form of a magnetic field is generated. Diamagnetic materials include, but are not limited to, copper, bismuth, and pyrolytic graphite. Therefore, the diamagnetic particle 306 beneath the target microelectronic device 208 can be repelled by the energy field 602, thereby repelling the target microelectronic device 208 above the diamagnetic particle 306 away from the adhesive material 402 and towards the pickup head 502. It should be understood that during pickup by the pickup head 502, only a small lifting distance of the target microelectronic device 208 is required to significantly reduce (if not breakage) the adhesion of the adhesive material 402 to the material 302 and alleviate stress between the various parts of the target microelectronic device 208.

[0031] In another embodiment of this invention, the energy source 600 may comprise an electromagnetic source configured to generate an energy field 602 in the form of an oscillating, time-varying magnetic field, and the particles 306 may comprise a non-magnetic conductive metal, such as aluminum or copper. Due to Lenz's law, the time-varying magnetic field induces a current in the particles 306, resulting in a repulsive effect to lift the microelectronic device 208 from the adhesive material 402. It should be understood that only a small lifting distance is required during pickup by the pickup head 502 to substantially reduce (if not breakage) adhesion of the adhesive material 402 to the material 302 and alleviate stress on the target microelectronic device 208.

[0032] In any embodiment, after the microelectronic device 208 is picked up from the mounting membrane 400 by spraying deionized (DI) water or other solvent suitable for dissolving material 302, any residual material 302 and embedded particles 306 can be cleaned from the back side 212 of each target microelectronic device 208, then captured in a container, and the particles 306 can be recovered for reuse.

[0033] It should be noted that, although Figures 4A to 4DExamples of this invention have been described in contexts where the carrier structure for thinned semiconductor wafers and diced microelectronic devices includes a mounting film supported on a film frame, but the embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, the thinned wafer can be supported and adhered to a rigid carrier substrate, diced thereon using a dry method, and the diced microelectronic device can be picked up using an energy field-assisted release. Pickup is performed from energy field-sensitive particles embedded in an adhesive film that holds the diced microelectronic device to the rigid carrier substrate.

[0034] refer to Figures 5A to 5C This illustrates another method and apparatus for removing diced microelectronic devices (e.g., semiconductor dies) from a carrier structure according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 5A As shown, the thinned device wafer 200 is adhered via its back surface 206 to an adhesive material 402 having particles 306 embedded therein and residing on a mounting film 400. The adhesive material 402 can be a thermosetting or thermoplastic material and is soluble in water or another benign solvent. The adhesive material 402 can have a thickness from about 2 μm to about 50 μm, although a smaller maximum thickness (e.g., about 20 μm) is acceptable. The adhesive material 402 can be selected to balance adhesion properties with susceptibility to degradation when exposed to water or another solvent. Suitable materials for the adhesive material 402 include, for example, HogoMax water-soluble resin from DISCO in Tokyo, Japan; WaferBOND® HT-10.10 from Brewer Science in Rolla, Missouri, USA; and SPIS TA from Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. The particles 306 can comprise ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, nickel, cobalt, or any of the aforementioned alloys. Particles 306 may have a size (e.g., diameter) of, for example, from about 1 μm to about 10 μm, such as about 5 μm. Particles 306 may be coated with a chemically inert coating, such as a material suitable for the adhesive material 402, to mitigate contamination problems caused by contact between particles 306 and the thinned device wafer 200. Particles 306 may first be fixed to the mounting film 400 with a contact adhesive, loose particles removed by gravity or airflow, and then the adhesive material 402 may be applied to the mounting film 400 and particles 306 by, for example, spin coating, spray coating, or roll coating, as a pre-formed adhesive film. Alternatively, particles 306 may be suspended in the liquid form of the adhesive material 402 and simultaneously dispensed with the adhesive material 402. If desired, a large quantity of adhesive material 402 on the mounting film 400 (e.g., rolls, wafer-sized segments) may be pre-formed using particles 306 embedded in the adhesive material 402 and a protective film laminated on the adhesive material for storage and handling before the mounting film 400 is applied to the film frame 404, after which the protective film is peeled off. Then, as... Figure 5BAs shown, the device wafer 200 is diced into individual microelectronic devices (e.g., semiconductor dies) 208 separated by channels 210. Dry dicing is performed using methods such as laser dicing, stealth dicing, or plasma dicing to avoid premature degradation of the adhesive material 402. As shown, the adhesive material 402 between the diced microelectronic devices 208 is partially or completely cut to the level of the mounting film 400, and the channels 210 can extend at least into the adhesive material 402 of the mounting film 400. Furthermore, as... Figure 5C As shown, a pickup tool 500 with a pickup head 502 includes a vacuum channel (not shown) extending to a pickup surface 504, located above and adjacent to a target microelectronic device 208 simultaneously with an energy field source 600, generating an energy field 602 from the energy field source. In this embodiment, the energy field source 600 includes an electromagnetic field source from which the energy field 602 in the form of a magnetic field is emitted. When the vacuum on the pickup surface 504 of the pickup head 502 pulls the target microelectronic device 208 upward, the energy field 602 attracts ferromagnetic particles 306 and pulls the mounting film 400 downward to release the adhesive material 402 from the back surface 212 of the target microelectronic device 208. The energy field 602 can be pulsatingly opened and closed on the back surface 212 of the target microelectronic device 208, oscillate in a wave-like manner, or both, to facilitate release from the adhesive material 402. It should be noted that while the particles 306 can be distributed substantially uniformly throughout the adhesive material 402, it has also been considered that the particles can be printed onto the mounting film in a grid pattern corresponding to the length, width, and spacing between device locations of the thinned device wafer 200, or printed onto the adhesive material 402 on the mounting film 400. This approach minimizes the amount of adhesive material 402 and particles 306 on the mounting film 400. This approach also allows for a more localized application of the energy field 602 and for arranging the particles 306 within the device grid locations, more densely concentrated within the grid locations corresponding to those areas of the adhesive material 402 (e.g., the perimeter adjacent to the device locations), making them more difficult to release from the target microelectronic device 208 to provide greater downward pull.

[0035] After pickup, any residual adhesive material 402 and any embedded particles 306 remain adhered to the back side of the target microelectronic device 208. After pickup from the mounting film 400, the back side 212 of each target microelectronic device 208 can be cleaned by spraying deionized (DI) water or other solvents suitable for dissolving the adhesive material 402. The adhesive material is then captured in a container, and the particles 306 are recovered for reuse.

[0036] refer to Figures 6A to 6CThis disclosure describes methods and apparatus for removing a carrier structure from a device wafer according to embodiments thereof. In the context, it has been demonstrated that during thinning processes (e.g., back-side grinding, polishing, etching), device wafers with a final thickness of approximately 50 μm or less (i.e., after fabrication of an integrated circuit on an active surface and thinning from its back side) are difficult to separate from the carrier wafer used to support the device wafer. Conventional mechanical manipulation techniques (e.g., edge clamping and vacuum lifting of the carrier wafer) often result in damage to the device wafer, carrier wafer, or both due to excessive adhesion between the device wafer and the carrier wafer after the device wafer has been adhered to another carrier structure (e.g., mounting tape or film). Some conventional adhesive-release techniques have provided some success, such as scanning a laser beam through the carrier wafer, heating the assembly with electromagnetic radiation, or heating or otherwise degrading the adhesive before mechanical removal of the carrier wafer; however, irregularities in the degree of adhesive degradation between different laterally separated wafer portions can lead to stress-related fractures of the device wafer, carrier wafer, or both. Even if the device wafer remains undamaged, mechanically removing portions (i.e., broken portions) of the carrier wafer from the device wafer using conventional mechanical techniques is, if not impossible, impractical.

[0037] refer to Figure 6A A carrier wafer 100, for example, made of semiconductor (e.g., silicon) or glass material, has an adhesive material 102 coated on its main surface 104. The adhesive material 102 may comprise thermosetting or thermoplastic materials, such as HogoMax water-soluble resin from DISCO in Tokyo, Japan; WaferBOND® HT-10.10 from Brewer Science in Rolla, Missouri, USA; and SPIS TA from Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. in Tokyo, Japan. Ferromagnetic material particles 106 may be substantially uniformly mixed into the adhesive material 102 in liquid form before being applied to the main surface 104, for example, by spin coating or spraying. Alternatively, dried particles 106 may be dispensed onto a contact adhesive pre-applied to the main surface 104, and unadhesive particles 106 may be removed by gravity or airflow, and the adhesive material 102 may be applied to the adhered particles by spin coating, spraying, or as a pre-formed adhesive film for roller coating. Alternatively, particles 106 may be suspended in liquid form within the adhesive material 102 and distributed on the main surface 104. Particles 106 may have dimensions (e.g., diameter) between approximately 1 μm and approximately 25 μm, such as approximately 5 μm, approximately 10 μm, or approximately 15 μm. Typically, particles 106 may be, for example, approximately half the thickness of the adhesive material 102. A device wafer 200 with an initial thickness of approximately 600 μm to approximately 775 μm is then adhered to the adhesive material 102 via the active surface 202 carrying the integrated circuit 204. The device wafer 200 is then thinned from the back surface 206 to the final thickness as described above. Subsequently, as... Figure 6BAs shown, the assembly is inverted, and the thinned device wafer 200 is adhered via its back surface 206 to another carrier structure, such as a mounting membrane 400 that carries adhesive material (not shown) and is supported on a membrane frame 404. At this time, as... Figure 6C As shown, an energy field 602 in the form of a magnetic field is generated by an energy field source 600 in the form of a magnetic field source (e.g., an electromagnet), which is placed near (i.e., approximately 10 µm to approximately 25 µm) and above the carrier wafer 100. Through the attraction of the energy field 602 to the particles 106, the carrier wafer 100 is substantially pulled out of the adhesive material 102 above the device wafer 200. The energy field source 600 can be moved on the carrier wafer 100, for example, from one side to the other as indicated by arrow A1 to peel the carrier wafer 100 from the adhesive material 102, or as indicated by arrow A2, to move radially from the center of the carrier wafer 100 toward the edge 108 with a radial peeling motion. The carrier wafer 100, released from the device wafer 200, can then be lifted by magnetic attraction alone, or by applying a vacuum from a vacuum chuck (not shown) or by using an edge-gripping chuck (if the carrier wafer is not damaged). The energy field 602 can be rapidly pulsated to pull and release particles 106, thereby facilitating the release of the carrier wafer 100. It should be noted that the use of magnetic attraction allows for the lifting of a portion of the carrier wafer (i.e., the damaged segment) from the device wafer 200 without physically engaging the portion of the carrier wafer via a lifting mechanism, and therefore without the risk of damaging the device wafer 200. It should also be noted that antimagnetic or non-magnetic conductive materials can be used for the particles 106, and a time-varying oscillating magnetic field can be generated by an electromagnetic source located below the mounting film 400 and capable of lateral movement to lift the carrier wafer 100 from the device wafer 200 through the repulsion of the particles 106, as previously discussed. Figures 4A to 4D As stated above.

[0038] refer to Figure 7 , 8A Images 8B and 8C illustrate various configurations of a tape and reel assembly according to embodiments of the present disclosure, the tape and reel assembly being adapted for energy field-assisted release of a microelectronic device carried in a recess of the tape. Figure 7A tape and reel assembly 700 is shown, comprising two laterally spaced flanges 702 mounted to a central hub 704. The space between the flanges 702 is sized to accommodate the width of a distribution tape 706 wound around the hub 704. The distribution tape 706 is configured with a series of uniformly longitudinally spaced recesses 708 recessed in a surface 710, each recess 708 configured with a width, length, and depth to receive and contain a microelectronic device 208 therein. A cover tape 712 is laminated (e.g., adhered with a light adhesive) onto the surface 710 of the distribution tape 706, covering the opening of the recesses 708. The distribution tape 706 can be used for pick-and-place operations, wherein a pick-up head removes each microelectronic device 208 from its recess 708 as the distribution tape 706 advances after the cover tape 712 has peeled off from the surface of the distribution tape 706. Typically, each microelectronic device 208 may be contained only in the recess 708 by the cover tape 712, or by adhesive adhered to the bottom surface of the recess 708. When the microelectronic device 208 is picked up by the pick-up head, the former method may cause alignment problems (e.g., around the vertical Z-axis). The latter method suffers from the same drawbacks when picking up the microelectronic device 208 adhered to the mounting film, because different portions of the microelectronic device 208 adhere to the adhesive of the mounting film to varying degrees, resulting in stress between the different portions of the microelectronic device 208 during pick-up. Compared to conventional distribution tape structures, the distribution tape configured according to embodiments of the present disclosure can mitigate (if not eliminate) this stress.

[0039] For example, such as Figure 8A As shown, the distribution band 706A can be configured with longitudinally spaced recesses 708, each recess having a length, width, and depth sufficient to accommodate a microelectronic device 208. When the microelectronic device 208 is adhered to an adhesive material 714 on a bottom surface 716 substantially the same length and width as the microelectronic device, the microelectronic device is recessed below the surface 710. The adhesive material 714 contains particles 306 of ferromagnetic, diamagnetic, or other nonmagnetic conductive materials such as aluminum or copper.

[0040] like Figure 8B In another example shown, the dispensing tape 706B can be configured with longitudinally spaced recesses 708, each recess having a length, width, and depth sufficient to accommodate a microelectronic device 208. When the microelectronic device is received in the recess 708, and when the microelectronic device 208 adheres to a segment of adhesive material 714 located below a predetermined position at the opposite end of the microelectronic device, the microelectronic device is recessed below the surface 710. The adhesive material 714 may contain particles 306 of ferromagnetic material, diamagnetic material, or other nonmagnetic conductive material such as aluminum or copper.

[0041] like Figure 8CIn another example shown, the distribution band 706C may be configured with longitudinally spaced recesses 708, each recess having a length, width, and depth sufficient to accommodate a microelectronic device 208. When the microelectronic device 208 is received in the recess 708, and when it is adhered to a segment of adhesive material 714 protruding from a bottom surface 716 below a desired location at a corner of the microelectronic device, the microelectronic device is recessed below a surface 710. The adhesive material 714 may contain particles 306 of ferromagnetic, diamagnetic, or other nonmagnetic conductive materials such as aluminum or copper. The distribution band 706C may optionally be provided with drain holes 718 extending from the bottom surface 716 to the underside of the distribution band 706C below each recess 708.

[0042] As referenced above Figures 4A to 4D As described in 5A to 5C and 6A to 6C, the combined use of ferromagnetic particles, diamagnetic particles, or other conductive particles with a suitable energy field source can be used to pull the dispensing strips 706A, 706B, or 706C away from the microelectronic device during a pickup operation (ferromagnetic particles are attracted to a magnetic field), or to push the microelectronic device 208 away from the dispensing strips 706A, 706B, or 706C (diamagnetic particles or nonmagnetic conductive particles are repelled by a suitable magnetic field). When using ferromagnetic particles, it may be desirable to allow a portion of the dispensing strip surrounding the recess 708 housing the picked-up microelectronic device 208 to bend downward in response to magnetic attraction, while when using ferromagnetic or other nonmagnetic conductive particles, it may be desirable to prevent the dispensing strip from bending upward or undergoing other displacements, for example, by confining the opposing edges of the dispensing strips 706A, 706B, or 706C within a U-shaped channel below the pickup head 502 to facilitate the pickup operation.

[0043] refer to Figure 9The pickup head 502 of the pickup tool 500 is positioned above the target microelectronic device 208 for pickup operations, the target microelectronic device 208 being located in a recess 708 (the recess side is omitted for clarity) of the dispensing band 706C. The pickup head 502 is equipped with a fluid dispensing channel 510 and a fluid removal vacuum channel 512, which can be used during pickup operations to dissolve the adhesive material adhering to the target microelectronic device 208 with DI water or another suitable solvent. An outlet orifice 718 allows a large volume of fluid to flow below the microelectronic device 208 and into a vacuum channel 604, which can be incorporated into an energy field source 600 located below the target microelectronic device 208. Furthermore, a similarly configured pickup head 502 can be used with dispensing bands 706A and 706B to dissolve adhesive material and clean each target microelectronic device 208 picked up from a bag of residual adhesive material and particles 306. Furthermore, although shown in the context of the distribution belt of the tape and reel assembly, it is considered that a similarly configured pick-up head could be used to dissolve material 302, adhesive material 402, and clean each target microelectronic device 208 picked up from the mounting film of residual material 302, adhesive material 402, and particles 306, as per [reference to...]. Figures 4A to 4D As described in 5A to 5C.

[0044] refer to Figure 10A and 10B , showing in Figure 5B In the arrangement shown and described, the single microelectronic device 208 is adhered to an adhesive material 402 on the mounting film 400. However, instead of particles 306 embedded in the adhesive material 402, the particles 406 comprise a magnetic shape memory material in the form of a ferromagnetic shape memory alloy. One example of a magnetic shape memory alloy is a nickel-manganese-gallium alloy, while others include iron-palladium and nickel-iron-gallium alloys. When subjected to a magnetic field, such an alloy may expand (e.g., elongate) or contract. This deformation is at least about 6% and can be on the order of about 20%, depending on the alloy. The thickness of the adhesive material 402 can be, for example, from about 2 μm to about 50 μm, for example, about 20 μm. Figure 10A As shown, when in the contracted state, the particles 406 are completely within the depth of the adhesive material 402, with minimal or no physical contact with the back surface 212 of the target microelectronic device 208. However, as Figure 10BAs shown, during the pickup operation, the pickup head 502 of the pickup tool 500 is positioned above the target microelectronic device 208, with the pickup surface 504 adjacent to the target microelectronic device, and the vacuum channel in the pickup head is actuated. Essentially simultaneously, an energy field source 600 in the form of an electromagnet is activated, causing a localized energy field 602 in the form of a magnetic field to act on the particle 406, causing the particle 406 to vertically elongate beyond the thickness of the adhesive material 402 and push the microelectronic device 208 above the adhesive material 402 via its back surface 212 (the distance is magnified for clarity). To enhance the lifting effect of the adhesive material 402, it may be desirable to maintain the mounting film 400 in a fixed vertical position at the location of the target microelectronic device 208, for example, by using a peripheral vacuum channel or multiple vacuum channels surrounding the energy field source 600 placed below the mounting film 400 to prevent upward displacement of the adhesive material 402 and the mounting film 400. In one embodiment, the energy field 602 may be constant for the elongated particles 406 and stationary beneath the target microelectronic device 208. In another embodiment, the magnetic field may be fixed beneath the target microelectronic device 208, but pulsed on and off to expand and contract the particles 406. In yet another embodiment, the energy field source 600 may comprise a plurality of individually actuable electromagnets 600A to 600E, laterally spaced apart from each other over a target region beneath the target microelectronic device 208. The electromagnets 600A to 600E may be activated sequentially to induce fluctuations between the particles 406 from side to side, or from the periphery to the center of the microelectronic device 208, or from the center to the periphery, to facilitate the release of the target microelectronic device 208 from the adhesive material 402. Consideration has been made to configuring the particles 406 to enhance their elongation properties, and the particles 406 can be partially placed into the mounting film 400 using a template, presenting a desired pattern corresponding to the pattern of the microelectronic device location in the thinned wafer to be placed on the mounting film. Subsequently, the adhesive material 402 is dispensed onto the mounting film 400 in liquid form or as a pre-formed film. Alternatively, the adhesive material 402 can be provided in film form, wherein the particles 406 are inserted in the desired pattern, and the film is covered with a protective film, which is peeled off after the adhesive material 402 in film form is applied to the mounting film 400. Using this method, the number and position of particles within a given microelectronic device location can be optimized, and other areas of the mounting film, such as channels between device locations and areas outside the device locations, may be without particles 406. Examples of particles 406 are arranged in… Figure 12 and 13 As shown below, and discussed in more detail.

[0045] refer to Figure 11A and 11B , showing in Figure 5BIn the arrangement shown and described, the single microelectronic device 208 is adhered to the adhesive material 402 on the mounting film 400. However, instead of particles 306 embedded in the adhesive material 402, particles 506 comprise a ferromagnetic material (e.g., iron, nickel, cobalt, or any of the aforementioned alloys) in the form of elongated lead elements. This ferromagnetic material can be magnetized by exposure to a magnetic field to present opposite ends with different polarities. Figure 11A As shown, the magnetized particles 506 can be oriented perpendicular to the main plane of the adhesive material 402, and their length is substantially entirely contained within the thickness of the adhesive material 402, resulting in minimal or no physical contact with the back surface 212 of the microelectronic device 208 supported by and adhered to the adhesive material 402. The thickness of the adhesive material 402 can be, for example, from about 2 μm to about 50 μm, such as about 20 μm. However, as Figure 11B As shown, during the pickup operation, the pickup head 502 of the pickup tool 500 is positioned above the target microelectronic device 208, with the pickup surface 504 adjacent to the target microelectronic device, and a vacuum channel (not shown) in the pickup head 502 is actuated. Essentially simultaneously, an energy field source 600 in the form of an electromagnet is activated, causing a localized energy field 602 in the form of a magnetic field to act on the particles 506. The similar polarity of the energy field 602 and the downward-facing end of the particles 506 repel the particles 506 upwards, thereby lifting the target microelectronic device 208 above the adhesive material 402 via its back surface 212 (the distance is magnified for clarity). To enhance the lifting effect, it is desirable to maintain the mounting film 400 in a fixed vertical position at the location of the target microelectronic device 208, for example, by using a peripheral vacuum channel or multiple vacuum channels surrounding the energy field source 600 placed against the lower side of the mounting film 400 to prevent upward displacement of the adhesive material 402 and the mounting film 400. In one embodiment, the energy field 602 may be constant and stationary beneath the target microelectronic device 208. In another embodiment, the energy field 602 may be fixed beneath the target microelectronic device 208, but pulsed on and off to push and retract the particles 506. In yet another embodiment, the energy field source 600 may comprise a plurality of individually actuable electromagnets 600A to 600E (see [link to relevant documentation]). Figure 10B These particles are laterally spaced from each other in the target region below the target microelectronic device 208. Electromagnets 600A to 600E can be activated to induce fluctuations between particles 506 from side to side, or from the periphery to the center of the microelectronic device 208, or from the center to the periphery, to facilitate the release of the target microelectronic device 208 from the adhesive material 402. Alternatively, as... Figure 11B As shown, the energy field source 600 can be moved laterally under the target microelectronic device 208, as indicated by arrow 606, and activated as needed. Alternatively, and as... Figure 11BAs shown at the bottom, the energy source 600 can be stationary but covered by a ferromagnetic material to shield the magnetic field. However, for the slotted hole 608 in the laterally movable cover 610, the cover 610 can move back and forth as indicated by arrow 612. Consideration is given to using an electromagnetic jig to magnetize the particles 506 to the desired polarity, spacing, and orientation, and to use the jig to partially place the particles into the mounting film 400, presenting a desired pattern corresponding to the pattern of the microelectronic device location in the thinned device wafer 200 to be placed on the mounting film. Subsequently, the adhesive material 402 is dispensed onto the mounting film 400 in liquid form or as a pre-formed film. Alternatively, the adhesive material 402 can be provided in thin film form, wherein the particles 406 are magnetized and held in the desired pattern, and the adhesive film is covered with a protective film for peeling off after the thin film form of the adhesive material 402 has been applied to the mounting film 400. Using this method, the number and position of particles 506 within a given microelectronic device location of the thinned device wafer 200 can be optimized, and other areas of the adhesive material 402 and mounting film 400, such as channels between the device location and peripheral wafer regions outside the device location, can be without particles 506. Examples of particles 406 are arranged in... Figure 12 and 13 As shown below, and discussed in more detail.

[0046] Figure 12 and 13 A schematic example arrangement of a particle pattern of adhesive material 402 suitable for use on a carrier structure (e.g., mounting membrane 400) is depicted.

[0047] Figure 12 Segments of adhesive material 402 are shown corresponding to microelectronic device locations in a grid array to be disposed on a mounting film 400 in a thinned device wafer 200, wherein each device location is superimposed in alignment with a segment of adhesive material 402, the segments of adhesive material 402 optionally separated by channels 210 (widths exaggerated for clarity). See in detail below. Figure 10A and 10B as well as Figure 11A and 11B Used in the embodiments, such as Figure 12As shown, particles 406 and 506, respectively, in the form of magnetic shape memory alloy and ferromagnetic materials, can be patterned adjacent to the periphery of each segment of adhesive material 402 and in the central region of each segment of adhesive material 402. This arrangement allows for the aforementioned ability to extend or move the particles by appropriate magnetic field locations and to apply lifting forces near the periphery of the microelectronic device 208, where excessive adhesion has proven problematic, while simultaneously applying lifting forces to the central region of the microelectronic device 208 to eliminate shear and bending stresses between different parts of the microelectronic device 208. Alternatively, the magnetic field can be applied first to the peripheral region and then to the central region.

[0048] Figure 13 Segments of adhesive material 402 are shown corresponding to microelectronic device locations in a grid array to be disposed on a thinned device wafer 200 on a mounting film 400, wherein each device location is superimposed in alignment with a segment of adhesive material 402, the segments optionally separated by channels 210 (widths exaggerated for clarity). See Figures 10 and 10B for details. Figure 11A and 11B Used in the embodiments, such as Figure 13 As shown, particles 406 and 506, respectively in the form of magnetic shape memory alloy and ferromagnetic materials, can be patterned as parallel rows of particles extending along the width of a segment of adhesive material 402, with the parallel rows located at different longitudinal intervals along the length of the segment. This arrangement allows the aforementioned capability to selectively extend or move a given row of particles from one end of the segment of adhesive material 402 to the other by activating it with a suitable magnetic field, and to generate pulse waves of particles to lift the microelectronic device 208 from the mounting structure. Alternatively, different, adjacent rows of particles 406, 506 can be extended or retracted to loosen the adhesion of the microelectronic device 208 to the adhesive material 402.

[0049] It should be noted that in Figures 10 and 10B and Figure 11A and 11B In the context of the embodiments described, the number of particles 406, 506 at each die location can be minimized, and the pattern can be selected to enhance the lifting force at the most effective area under the microelectronic device 208. Furthermore, these particles 406, 506 remain in the adhesive material 402 rather than potentially being transferred to the microelectronic device 208.

[0050] refer to Figure 14This illustration shows another embodiment of an apparatus and method for picking up a microelectronic device 208 from a mounting film 400. The mounting film 400 carries an adhesive material 402 having ferromagnetic particles 306 embedded thereon. As previously described, the target microelectronic device 208 is picked up from the adhesive material 402 by placing the pickup head 502 of the pickup tool 500 on and close to the microelectronic device 208, and activating a vacuum channel (not shown) to pull the microelectronic device 208 against the pickup surface 504. To enhance the effect of the particles 306 pulling the adhesive material 402 downward in response to an energy field 602 in the form of a magnetic field from an energy field source 600, and thereby pulling the mounting film 400, a support plate 800 comprising a nonmagnetic material and having support elements 802 at its center and corners is placed adjacent to or in contact with the mounting film 400 under the target microelectronic device 208, such that the energy field 602 pulls downward the portion between the support elements 802 of the mounting film 400. In one embodiment, a support plate can be formed or mounted to the upper surface of the energy field source 600. The energy field 602 can be pulsed to sequentially pull and release the adhesive material 402 and stretch the mounting film 400 from the back surface 212 of the microelectronic device 208 to reduce adhesion. The support plate 800 can move under each respective target microelectronic device 208 together with the pickup head 502 and the energy field source 600, or as... Figure 15 As shown, the support plate 800 may include an array of support elements 802 configured to correspond to an array of microelectronic device locations on the device wafer 200, which pick up the microelectronic devices from the mounting film 400 after the order is cut.

[0051] refer to Figure 15 The support plate 800' includes a support element 802 located below the channel position between the microelectronic device positions. (As in...) Figure 14 In this case, applying an energy field 602 to the particles 306 will pull the mounting film 400 downward between adjacent support elements 802 located between the channel corners of adjacent microelectronic devices 208, enhancing the separation between the adhesive material 402 and the back surface 212 of the microelectronic device 208. Furthermore, the energy field 602 can be activated and deactivated to pull apart the mounting film 400, stretch the mounting film 400, and loosen the adhesion between the adhesive material 402 and the microelectronic device 208.

[0052] As used herein, the term "substrate" refers to and includes a base material or structure on which additional materials are formed. A substrate can be a semiconductor substrate, a base semiconductor layer on a support structure, a metal electrode, or a semiconductor substrate on which one or more materials, layers, structures, or regions are formed. Materials on a semiconductor substrate can include, but are not limited to, semiconductor materials, insulating materials, and conductive materials. A substrate can be a conventional silicon substrate or other bulk substrate containing layers of semiconductor material. As used herein, the term "bulk substrate" refers to and includes not only silicon wafers but also silicon-on-insulator ("SOI") substrates, such as silicon-on-sapphire ("SOS") and silicon-on-glass ("SOG") substrates, and epitaxial layers of silicon and other semiconductor or optoelectronic materials (e.g., silicon-germanium, germanium, gallium arsenide, gallium nitride, and indium phosphide) on a base semiconductor basis. Substrates can be doped or undoped.

[0053] As used herein, the term “microelectronic device” means and includes, by way of non-limiting example, a semiconductor die, a die that functions through activities other than semiconductor activities, a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device, a substrate comprising multiple dies, including conventional wafers and partial wafers, and other bulk substrates as described above, as well as partial wafers and substrates comprising more than one die location.

[0054] As used herein, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “containing,” “characterized in,” and their grammatical equivalents are inclusive or open-ended terms that do not exclude additional, unlisted elements or methodological actions, and also include the more restrictive terms “consisting of” and “substantially consisting of” and their grammatical equivalents. As used herein, the term “may” relating to materials, structures, features, or methodological actions indicates that such terms are intended for use in implementing embodiments of this disclosure, and such terms are preferred over the more restrictive term “is” to avoid any implication that other compatible materials, structures, features, and methods that may be used in combination with them should or must be excluded.

[0055] As used herein, the terms “longitudinal,” “vertical,” “lateral,” and “horizontal” refer to the principal plane of a substrate (e.g., base material, base structure, base configuration, etc.), on which one or more structures and / or features are formed, and are not necessarily defined by the Earth’s gravitational field. A “lateral” or “horizontal” direction is a direction substantially parallel to the principal plane of the substrate, while a “longitudinal” or “vertical” direction is a direction substantially perpendicular to the principal plane of the substrate. The principal plane of the substrate is defined by a substrate surface that has a relatively large area compared to the other surfaces of the substrate.

[0056] As used herein, spatially relative terms such as “below,” “under,” “lower,” “bottom,” “above,” “above,” “upper,” “top,” “front,” “rear,” “left,” “right,” etc., are used for descriptive purposes to describe the relationship of one element or feature to another, as shown in the figures. Unless otherwise specified, spatially relative terms are intended to cover different orientations of material other than those depicted in the figures. For example, if the material in the figures is inverted, an element described as “above,” “above,” “on,” or “top” of other elements or features would be oriented “below,” “under,” “below,” or “bottom” of other elements or features. Thus, the term “above” can include both above and below orientations, depending on the context in which the term is used, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Material may be oriented in other ways (e.g., rotated 90 degrees, inverted, flipped), and the spatially relative descriptors used herein are interpreted accordingly.

[0057] As used in this article, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are also intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0058] As used herein, the terms “configured as” and “configured” refer to the size, shape, material composition, orientation, and arrangement of one or more of the structures and devices that facilitate operation in a predetermined manner.

[0059] As used herein, the term "substantially" with respect to a given parameter, characteristic, or condition means and includes the degree to which a given parameter, characteristic, or condition is satisfied with a range of variation (such as within acceptable manufacturing tolerances) as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. For example, depending on the particular parameter, characteristic, or condition that is substantially satisfied, it may be satisfied with at least 90.0%, at least 95.0%, at least 99.0%, or even at least 99.9%.

[0060] As used herein, “about” or “approximately” with respect to a particular parameter includes the value and variance of that value as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to be within the acceptable tolerance of that particular parameter. For example, “about” or “approximately” with respect to a value may include other values ​​in the range of 90.0% to 110.0% of the value, such as in the range of 95.0% to 105.0%, in the range of 97.5% to 102.5%, in the range of 99.0% to 101.0%, in the range of 99.5% to 100.5%, or in the range of 99.9% to 100.1%.

[0061] As used herein, the terms “layer” and “film” mean and include layers, sheets or coatings of material present on a structure, which may be continuous or discontinuous between portions of the material and may be conformal or non-conformal, unless otherwise specified.

[0062] As used herein, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “containing,” “characterized in,” and their grammatical equivalents are terms that include steps or open-ended terms that do not exclude additional, unlisted elements or methodological steps, and also include the more restrictive terms “consisting of” and “substantially consisting of” and their grammatical equivalents.

[0063] As used herein, the term “may” in relation to materials, structures, features, or method actions indicates that such terms are intended for use in implementing embodiments of this disclosure, and such terms are preferred over the more restrictive term “yes” in order to avoid any implication that other compatible materials, structures, features, and methods may be used in combination with them.

[0064] As used herein, the term "memory device" means and includes, but is not limited to, microelectronic devices that exhibit storage functions. In other words, and by way of example only, the term "memory device" means and includes not only conventional memory (e.g., conventional volatile memory, such as conventional dynamic random access memory (DRAM); conventional non-volatile memory (e.g., conventional NAND memory), but also application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) (e.g., system-on-a-chip (SoC)), microelectronic devices combining logic and memory, and graphics processing units (GPUs) incorporating memory.

[0065] Any reference to elements herein using notations such as "first," "second," etc., does not limit the number or order of these elements unless such limitation is explicitly stated. Rather, these notations serve as a convenient way to distinguish two or more elements or multiple instances of a single element. Therefore, references to "first" and "second" elements do not imply that only two elements may be used there, or that the first element must somehow precede the second element. Furthermore, unless otherwise stated, a group of elements may contain one or more elements.

[0066] In one embodiment, the pickup and placement device includes: a carrier structure for supporting a sliced ​​microelectronic device thereon; a pickup tool including a pickup head movable above a corresponding position of the sliced ​​microelectronic device supported on the carrier structure; and an energy source located below the carrier structure, configured and positioned to emit an energy field substantially aligned with the pickup head to attract or repel material particles between the carrier structure and the sliced ​​microelectronic device supported thereon.

[0067] In one embodiment, a method includes: providing a carrier structure having a single microelectronic device adhered to its upper surface; positioning a pickup head of a pickup tool above the selected target microelectronic device on the carrier structure; and initiating upward pickup of the target microelectronic device using the pickup tool. Essentially simultaneously with initiating upward pickup, an energy source is activated to emit an energy field from below the carrier structure and substantially aligned with the pickup head to perform one of the following actions: upwardly repelling the target microelectronic device away from the carrier structure, or substantially attracting one or more portions of the carrier structure downwardly away from the microelectronic device from below the target microelectronic device.

[0068] In one embodiment, a method includes: using an adhesive film having embedded particles therein, adhering a device wafer to a carrier wafer via an active surface of a device wafer carrying an integrated circuit; thinning the device wafer from the back side; adhering the thinned device wafer to a carrier structure via the back side of the device wafer to form an assembly; applying an energy field near the assembly to cause the particles to exert an upward driving force to separate the carrier wafer from the device wafer, and removing the carrier wafer from the device wafer.

[0069] While certain illustrative embodiments have been described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will recognize and understand that the embodiments covered by this disclosure are not limited to those explicitly shown and described herein. Rather, many additions, deletions, and modifications can be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the scope of the embodiments included in this disclosure, such as those claimed below, including legal equivalents. Furthermore, features from one disclosed embodiment may be combined with features from another disclosed embodiment while still being included within the scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A pickup and placement device, comprising: A carrier structure used to support single microelectronic devices thereon; A pickup tool including a pickup head movable at a corresponding position on the carrier structure supporting a single microelectronic device; and An energy source beneath the carrier structure is configured and positioned to emit an energy field substantially aligned with the pickup head to attract or repel material particles between the carrier structure and the diced microelectronic device supported thereon. in, The energy source includes a magnetic source, the energy field includes a magnetic field, and the particles include ferromagnetic materials, diamagnetic materials, nonmagnetic conductive materials, or magnetic shape memory alloys.

2. The picking and placing device according to claim 1, wherein, The particles contain ferromagnetic or diamagnetic materials, and the magnetic source contains one or more electromagnets.

3. The picking and placing device according to claim 1, wherein, The particles comprise a non-magnetic conductive material, and the magnetic source comprises an electromagnet configured to generate an oscillating, time-varying electromagnetic source.

4. The picking and placing device according to claim 1, wherein, The particles are embedded in at least a portion of the adhesive material between the carrier structure and the single microelectronic device.

5. The picking and placing device according to claim 4, wherein, The carrier structure includes a mounting membrane supported by the periphery of a thin film frame.

6. The picking and placing device according to claim 4, wherein, The carrier structure includes a rigid carrier substrate.

7. The picking and placing device according to claim 5, wherein, The particles comprise pin-shaped, laterally spaced magnetized ferromagnetic elements oriented perpendicular to the adhesive material.

8. The picking and placing device according to claim 5, wherein, The particles comprise magnetic shape memory alloys spaced laterally from each other, the magnetic shape memory alloys being configured and positioned within the adhesive material to enhance their elongation in response to exposure to an energy field in the form of a magnetic field.

9. The picking and placing device according to claim 5, wherein, The adhesive material comprises segments in an array corresponding to and aligned with an array of individual microelectronic devices supported on the mounting membrane.

10. The picking and placing device according to claim 9, wherein, The portion of the particle is embedded in each corresponding segment in one or more patterns, the patterns being selected to enhance the release of the microelectronic device adhered to the corresponding segment when the portion of the particle is exposed to the energy field in the form of a magnetic field.

11. The picking and placing device according to claim 4, wherein, The carrier structure includes a distribution strip in a strip and reel assembly, the distribution strip including longitudinally spaced recesses, each recess being sized and configured to receive a microelectronic device therein, the portion of the adhesive material having the particles embedded therein located in the recess of the distribution strip.

12. The picking and placing device according to claim 11, wherein, The portion of the adhesive material is located on the bottom surface of the recess, and its size and shape correspond to the size and shape of the microelectronic device received in the recess.

13. The picking and placing device according to claim 11, wherein, The portion of the adhesive material is located on the bottom surface of the recess and positioned below the opposite end of the microelectronic device received in the recess.

14. The picking and placing device according to claim 11, wherein, The portion of the adhesive material is located on a base protruding from the bottom of the recess and positioned below the corner of the microelectronic device received in the recess.

15. The pickup and placement device according to claim 5, further comprising a support plate between the energy source and the lower side of the mounting membrane, the support plate having upwardly projecting, laterally spaced elements.

16. The pickup and placement device according to claim 15, wherein, The support plate is configured to resemble the support plate of the single microelectronic device to be positioned on the mounting film, and can be selectively moved to different positions, each corresponding to the position of the single microelectronic device.

17. The picking and placing device according to claim 15, wherein, The support plate has support elements arranged in a pattern at positions corresponding to the locations of several single microelectronic devices to be positioned on the mounting film.

18. A method for picking up and placing items, comprising: Provides a carrier structure with a single microelectronic device adhered to its upper surface; Position the pickup head of the pickup tool above the selected target microelectronic device on the carrier structure; Use the pickup tool to initiate upward pickup of the target microelectronic device; At substantially simultaneous with the initiation of the upward pickup, an energy source is activated to emit an energy field from below the carrier structure and substantially aligned with the pickup head to perform one of the following operations: The target microelectronic device is repelled upwards and away from the carrier structure; or The attraction draws one or more portions of the carrier structure, substantially beneath the target microelectronic device, downwards away from the microelectronic device. in, The energy source is a magnetic energy source, and the emitted energy field includes an emitted magnetic field; and Particles are fixed between the single-chip microelectronic device and the carrier structure. The particles comprise ferromagnetic materials, diamagnetic materials, nonmagnetic conductive materials, or magnetic shape memory alloys. The particles generate a driving force in response to the magnetic field.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein, The particles contain antimagnetic or non-magnetic conductive materials, and the driving force is oriented upwards.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising providing the carrier structure in the form of a rigid substrate.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein, The particles contain ferromagnetic material, the carrier structure includes an mounting membrane, and the driving force is oriented downwards.

22. The method according to claim 18, wherein, The particles comprise elongated, laterally spaced elements of magnetized ferromagnetic material, and the driving force is oriented upward.

23. The method according to claim 18, wherein, The particles comprise a magnetic shape memory alloy, and the driving force is oriented upward in response to the elongation of the particles in a substantially vertical direction.

24. The method according to claim 18, wherein, It also includes a material that positions the particles between the single microelectronic device and the carrier structure.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein, It also includes positioning the particles in an adhesive film, through which the single-chip microelectronic device is bonded to the carrier structure.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein, The carrier structure includes a mounting membrane, the target microelectronic device is moved upward by the particles, and the portion of the mounting membrane below the target microelectronic device is vertically constrained.

27. The method according to claim 21, wherein, The carrier structure includes a mounting membrane, and at least a portion of the mounting membrane under the target microelectronic device is moved downward by the particles.

28. The method according to claim 26, wherein, Only one or more, but not all, portions of the mounting film under the target microelectronic device are moved downwards by the particles.

29. The method according to claim 18, wherein, It also includes the carrier structure in the form of a distribution band, the distribution band including longitudinally spaced recesses, each of the recesses holding a single microelectronic device adhered within the recess by an adhesive material containing the particles.

30. A method for picking up and placing items, comprising: An adhesive film with embedded particles is used to adhere a device wafer carrying an integrated circuit to a carrier wafer through its active surface. Thinning the device wafer from its back side; The thinned device wafer is adhered to the carrier structure via its back side to form an assembly; An energy field is applied near the assembly to exert an upward driving force on the particles to separate the carrier wafer from the device wafer; and Remove the carrier wafer from the device wafer. in, The energy field includes a magnetic field, and the particles comprise ferromagnetic materials, diamagnetic materials, nonmagnetic conductive materials, or magnetic shape memory alloys.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein, The magnetic field is applied from above the assembly, and the particles comprise ferromagnetic particles.

32. The method according to claim 30, wherein, The magnetic field is an oscillating, time-varying magnetic field applied from below the assembly, and the particles comprise diamagnetic or nonmagnetic conductive particles.

33. The method according to claim 30, wherein, The removal of the carrier wafer is achieved without physical contact with the carrier wafer.

34. The method according to claim 30, wherein, The carrier wafer is removed by removing it in at least two segments.

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