Panel bearing and fixing mechanism

Abstract

The invention relates to a bearing and fixing mechanism of a panel, which is particularly suitable for thin film deposition equipment and mainly comprises a bearing disc, a fixing ring and a plurality of elastic units. The bearing disc comprises a bearing area used for bearing a panel. The plurality of elastic units are arranged on the bearing disc and located around the bearing area. The fixing ring comprises a square opening, and the fixing ring is used for being placed on the bearing disc and used for making contact with and fixing the panel placed on the bearing area. In addition, the fixing ring placed on the bearing disc can make contact with the multiple elastic units, so that the multiple elastic units deform. The restoring force of the elastic unit can be used for supporting part of the weight of the fixing ring so as to adjust the pressure applied to the panel by the fixing ring, and the probability of damage to the panel can be greatly reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a panel support and fixing mechanism, which is particularly suitable for thin film deposition equipment and can significantly reduce the probability of panel breakage. Background Technology

[0002] Panel-level packaging (PLP) is an advanced semiconductor packaging technology that uses large square panels instead of traditional round wafers as the substrate. This allows for the packaging of more chips in a single process, significantly improving production efficiency and reducing process costs. PLP technology is particularly suitable for chips with high throughput requirements, such as artificial intelligence (AI) chips, high-performance computing (HPC) chips, and radio frequency ICs.

[0003] Specifically, panel-level packaging involves rearranging and securing the die onto a large square panel, followed by molding, redistribution layer (RDL) setup, and solder ball placement. Because the square panel has a larger area than a round wafer, more dies can be packaged simultaneously in a single production run. Furthermore, square panels offer higher utilization rates, reducing waste from the cutting edges of round wafers and improving production efficiency.

[0004] Redistribution layer technology is a key technology in advanced packaging. It involves creating metal layers on wafers or panels to rearrange the chip's I / O contacts, optimizing electrical connections and improving packaging flexibility and reliability. Key steps in this process include forming wires using thin-film deposition and combining this with etching and photoresist processes to define circuits and vias.

[0005] During thin film deposition on a panel, cooling gases are typically delivered to the back of the panel to lower the temperature of the panel and the grains. These cooling gases create an air cushion effect between the back of the panel and the carrier pad, causing the panel to shift relative to the carrier pad. This results in problems such as coating positional misalignment, uneven thickness, and fragmentation. To address the panel shifting relative to the carrier pad, a clamping ring is usually used to apply pressure to the panel and secure it to the carrier pad. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the problems faced by existing technologies, this invention proposes a panel support and fixing mechanism.

[0007] This invention proposes a panel support and fixing mechanism, mainly comprising a support plate, multiple elastic units, and a fixing ring. The fixing ring is used to place on the support plate to fix a panel placed in the support area of ​​the support plate.

[0008] In addition, the retaining ring placed on the carrier plate will contact and compress multiple elastic units located between the carrier plate and the retaining ring. The restoring force generated by the compressed elastic units can be used to support the weight of the retaining ring portion, thereby adjusting the pressure applied by the retaining ring to the panel. This prevents damage to the panel when the retaining ring fixes the panel to the carrier area of ​​the carrier plate, which helps to improve the yield of the process.

[0009] This invention proposes a panel support and fixing mechanism, which is particularly suitable for a thin film deposition apparatus, wherein a support area of ​​a support plate is used to place a panel, and a fixing ring is placed on the support plate and used to fix the panel on the support plate for thin film deposition on the panel and the grains set on the panel.

[0010] During thin film deposition, vents on the support plate deliver cooling gas to the bottom of the panel, reducing the temperature of both the panel and the die. Multiple elastic units located around the panel support part of the weight of the retaining ring, adjusting the pressure applied to the panel by the retaining ring. This prevents the panel from being blown away by the cooling gas during deposition, thus preventing displacement relative to the support plate and improving the quality and accuracy of the film deposition on the panel and die.

[0011] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention proposes a panel support and fixing mechanism, comprising: a support plate including a support area for supporting a panel; a plurality of elastic units disposed on the support plate and located around the support area; and at least one fixing ring including a square opening, wherein the fixing ring is placed on the support plate and used to fix the panel placed on the support area, wherein the fixing ring on the support plate contacts the plurality of elastic units and causes the plurality of elastic units to deform to adjust the pressure applied by the fixing ring on the panel.

[0012] The present invention proposes another panel support and fixing mechanism, comprising: a support plate including a support area for supporting a panel; at least one fixing ring including a square opening, wherein the fixing ring is used to be placed on the support plate and to fix the panel placed on the support area; and a plurality of elastic units disposed on the fixing ring and located around the square opening, wherein when the fixing ring is placed on the support plate, the plurality of elastic units will contact the support plate, causing the plurality of elastic units to deform to adjust the pressure applied by the fixing ring on the panel.

[0013] In at least one embodiment of the panel's support and fixing mechanism, the support plate includes an annular protrusion that surrounds the support area and is located between a plurality of elastic units and the support area.

[0014] In at least one embodiment of the panel's support and fixing mechanism, the support plate includes a plurality of recesses located around the support area, and a plurality of elastic units are respectively located within the plurality of recesses.

[0015] In at least one embodiment of the panel's support and fixing mechanism, the elastic unit includes a spring and a cap, with one end of the spring fixed in a recess in the support plate and the cap disposed at the other end of the spring.

[0016] In at least one embodiment of the panel's support and fixing mechanism, the spring is a compression spring, a hydraulic spring, or a pneumatic spring.

[0017] In at least one embodiment of the panel's support and fixing mechanism, the fixing ring includes a plurality of recesses located around a square opening, and a plurality of elastic units located within the plurality of recesses.

[0018] In at least one embodiment of the panel's support and fixing mechanism, the elastic unit includes a spring and a cap, with one end of the spring fixed in the recess of the fixing ring and the cap disposed at the other end of the spring.

[0019] In at least one embodiment of the panel's support and fixing mechanism, the support plate includes an annular protrusion that surrounds the support area.

[0020] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: The bearing and fixing mechanism of the present invention can adjust the pressure applied to the panel by the fixing ring, and can fix the panel to the bearing plate without causing damage or gaps to the panel, so that the panel will not be displaced relative to the bearing plate by the cooling gas. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of an embodiment of the support and fixing mechanism for the panel of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 This is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the support and fixing mechanism for the panel of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 3 This is an enlarged cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the support and fixing mechanism for the panel of the present invention.

[0024] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 10: Supporting and fixing mechanism 11: Support plate 111: Bearing Area 113: Concave hole 115: Stomata 117: Annular protrusion 12: Panel 13: Elastic Unit 131: Spring 133: Hat body 15: Fixing ring 151: Square opening 20: Supporting and fixing mechanism 21: Support plate 211: Bearing Area 23: Elastic Unit 231: Spring 233: Hat body 25: Fixing ring 251: Square opening 253: Concave hole Detailed Implementation

[0025] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of an embodiment of the support and fixing mechanism for the panel of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the support and fixing mechanism 10 can be used to support and fix a panel 12, and to perform subsequent processes on the panel 12, such as thin film deposition processes.

[0026] The support and fixing mechanism 10 mainly includes a support plate 11, multiple elastic units 13 and a fixing ring 15. The support plate 11 is used to support the panel 12. For example, the panel 12 can be a square glass substrate and can be used to support multiple crystals. Specifically, the support plate 11 may include a support area 111, and the panel 12 can be placed in the support area 111 of the support plate 11.

[0027] In one embodiment of the present invention, the support fixing mechanism 10 can be applied to a thin film deposition equipment, such as a physical vapor deposition chamber or an inductively coupled plasma deposition chamber, wherein the support area 111 of the support disk 11 can be provided with a plurality of vents 115. During the process of forming a metal thin film on the panel 12 and the grains through the thin film deposition process, the vents 115 of the support area 111 will output cooling air to the back side of the panel 12 to reduce the temperature of the panel 12 and the grains.

[0028] The cooling gas output from the vents 115 of the carrier plate 11 creates an air cushion effect between the panel 12 and the carrier area 111 of the carrier plate 11, causing the panel 12 to shift relative to the carrier plate 11. To solve the problem of the panel 12 shifting relative to the carrier plate 11, a retaining ring 15 is usually placed on the carrier plate 11 to fix the panel 12 to the carrier area 111 of the carrier plate 11.

[0029] Specifically, the retaining ring 15 placed on the support plate 11 contacts the panel 12 on the support area 111 and applies pressure to the panel 12, preventing the panel 12 from shifting relative to the support plate 11. Specifically, the retaining ring 15 includes a square opening 151, wherein the retaining ring 15 located outside the square opening 151 can be used to apply pressure to the outer edge of the panel 12 on the support area 111. In one embodiment of the present invention, the panel 12 can be a square substrate, and the square opening 151 is a square cutout provided on the retaining ring 15.

[0030] As described in the prior art, since the area of ​​the square panel 12 is larger than that of the circular wafer, using the square panel 12 instead of the circular wafer as the substrate for carrying the chips allows for the simultaneous packaging of more chips in a single production run. Furthermore, the square panel has a higher utilization rate, reduces waste from the cutting edges of the circular wafer, and also helps improve production efficiency.

[0031] However, as the area of ​​panel 12 increases, the volume and weight of the retaining ring 15 used to fix panel 12 also increase. When the weight of retaining ring 15 is too large or the pressure applied to panel 12 is uneven, it often leads to damage or chipping of panel 12. For example, the area of ​​panel 12 with a length and width of 310mm is approximately 1.36 times that of a wafer with a diameter of 300mm, and the weight of retaining ring 15 is approximately 4.3 kg. To further reduce costs, the size of panel 12 may reach 600mm or more in the future.

[0032] In this embodiment of the invention, multiple elastic units 13 are provided on the bearing plate 11, and the pressure applied to the panel 12 by the fixing ring 15 is adjusted or reduced by the elastic units 13, so as to avoid the fixing ring 15 applying too much pressure to the panel 12 and causing damage to the panel 12.

[0033] Specifically, a plurality of elastic units 13 surround the support area 111 of the support disk 11 and protrude from the support disk 11. In one embodiment of the present invention, the support area 111 of the support disk 11 may be square, and the plurality of elastic units 13 are arranged around the square support area 111, wherein adjacent elastic units 13 may have the same spacing. In another embodiment of the present invention, the support disk 11 may include an annular protrusion 117, wherein the annular protrusion 117 is arranged around the support area 111 and is located between the support area 111 and the plurality of elastic units 13. For example, the annular protrusion 117 may be a square annular protrusion structure.

[0034] When the retaining ring 15 is placed on the support plate 11, the retaining ring 15 will contact the elastic unit 13. The retaining ring 15 will be subjected to gravity, causing the elastic unit 13 to deform. The restoring force generated by the deformed elastic unit 13 can be used to support the weight of the retaining ring 15. By setting the elastic unit 13, the pressure applied by the retaining ring 15 to the panel 12 can be adjusted or reduced, and the potential damage to the panel 12 caused by the retaining ring 15 can be effectively reduced.

[0035] like Figure 2As shown, a plurality of recesses 113 may be provided on the support plate 11, wherein the plurality of recesses 113 are arranged around the support area 111, and the elastic unit 13 is disposed within the recesses 113 of the support plate 11. For example, the plurality of recesses 113 and the plurality of elastic units 13 may be arranged in a square ring shape.

[0036] In one embodiment of the present invention, the elastic unit 13 may include a spring 131 and a cap 133. One end of the spring 131 is located in the recess 113 of the support plate 11 and is fixed in the recess 113 of the support plate 11, while the other end of the spring 131 is connected to the cap 133.

[0037] When the retaining ring 15 is placed on the support plate 11, the bottom of the retaining ring 15 will contact the cap 133 of the elastic unit 13 and apply pressure to the spring 131 through the cap 133, causing the spring 131 to deform. For example, the retaining ring 15 can be used to compress the spring 131 and support part of the weight of the retaining ring 15 through the restoring force provided by the spring 131.

[0038] Specifically, the elastic element 13 is mainly a component that stores mechanical energy through deformation or expansion, wherein the spring 131 can be a compression spring, a pneumatic spring, or a hydraulic spring, etc.

[0039] In one embodiment of the present invention, the number of elastic units 13 can be adjusted according to the weight of the fixing ring 15 to change the pressure applied by the fixing ring 15 to the panel 12. Specifically, when the weight of the fixing ring 15 is large, the number of elastic units 13 provided on the support plate 11 can be increased. Conversely, when the weight of the fixing ring 15 is small, the number of elastic units 13 provided on the support plate 11 can be reduced.

[0040] In another embodiment of the present invention, the elastic unit 13 can be made of a spring 131 with an appropriate elasticity coefficient according to the weight of the retaining ring 15, so as to change the pressure applied by the retaining ring 15 to the panel 12. Specifically, when the weight of the retaining ring 15 is large, a spring 131 with a larger elasticity coefficient can be used to make the elastic unit 13. Conversely, when the weight of the retaining ring 15 is small, a spring 131 with a smaller elasticity coefficient can be used to make the elastic unit 13. In different embodiments, the elastic unit 13 can be made of different pneumatic springs or hydraulic springs according to the weight of the retaining ring 15.

[0041] In addition, the type or number of elastic units 13 can be selected according to the actual usage conditions. For example, when the fixing ring 15 is placed on the support plate 11, the panel 12 will still be blown by the cooling gas output from the air hole 115 of the support plate 11. The number of elastic units 13 set on the support plate 11 can be reduced, or the elastic units 13 made of springs 131 with smaller elasticity can be used to increase the pressure exerted by the fixing ring 15 on the panel 12 placed on the support plate 11.

[0042] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of another embodiment of the support and fixing mechanism for the panel of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the support and fixing mechanism 20 can be used to support and fix a panel 12 to facilitate subsequent processes on the panel 12, such as thin film deposition processes.

[0043] The structure of the bearing fixing mechanism 20 described in this embodiment of the invention is similar to... Figure 1 The bearing fixing mechanism 10 is similar to that described above. The main difference is that the bearing fixing mechanism 20 in this embodiment of the invention has multiple elastic units 23 arranged on the fixing ring 25.

[0044] Specifically, the support and fixing mechanism 20 includes a support plate 21, a plurality of elastic units 23 and a fixing ring 25, wherein the support plate 21 is used to support the panel 12, for example, the panel 12 can be a square glass substrate. Specifically, the support plate 21 may include a support area 211, and the panel 12 can be placed in the support area 211 of the support plate 21.

[0045] The retaining ring 25 includes a square opening 251, and a plurality of elastic elements 23 are disposed on the retaining ring 25 and located around the square opening 251, for example, on the lower surface of the retaining ring 25. When the retaining ring 25 is placed on the support plate 21, the plurality of elastic elements 23 will contact the support plate 21. The retaining ring 25 will be compressed by gravity, which will compress the elastic elements 23 located between the retaining ring 25 and the support plate 21. The restoring force generated by the compressed elastic elements 23 can be used to support part of the weight of the retaining ring 25. In this way, the pressure exerted by the retaining ring 25 on the panel 12 on the support plate 21 can be reduced and adjusted, which can effectively reduce the potential damage to the panel 12 caused by the retaining ring 25.

[0046] In one embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of recesses 253 may be provided on the fixing ring 25, and the elastic unit 23 is disposed in the recesses 253 of the fixing ring 25. When the fixing ring 25 is placed on the support plate 21, the plurality of elastic units 23 disposed on the fixing ring 25 will be located around the support area 211 of the support plate 21 and the panel 12.

[0047] In one embodiment of the present invention, the elastic unit 23 may include a spring 231 and a cap 233. One end of the spring 231 is located in the recess 253 of the fixing ring 25 and is fixed within the recess 253 of the fixing ring 25, while the other end of the spring 231 is connected to the cap 233. In another embodiment of the present invention, the spring 231 of the elastic unit 23 may be a compression spring, a pneumatic spring, or a hydraulic spring, etc.

[0048] In practical applications, the number or type of elastic units 23 can be adjusted according to the weight of the retaining ring 25. For example, springs 231 with different elasticity values ​​can be used to make elastic units 23 to change the pressure applied by the retaining ring 25 to the panel 12.

[0049] Furthermore, by providing multiple elastic units 13 / 23 between the support plate 11 / 21 and the fixing ring 15 / 25, the fixing ring 15 / 25 can automatically adjust its height and the compression degree of each elastic unit 13 / 23 according to the degree of warping of each area of ​​the panel 12, so that the fixing ring 15 / 25 can be used to fix the warped panel 12 on the support plate 11 / 21.

[0050] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. All equivalent variations and modifications made in accordance with the shape, structure, features and spirit described in the claims of the present invention should be included within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A panel support and fixing mechanism, characterized in that, include: A support plate includes a support area, wherein the support area is used to support a panel; Multiple elastic units are disposed on the support plate and located around the support area; and At least one retaining ring includes a square opening, wherein the retaining ring is used to be placed on the support plate and to secure the panel placed on the support area, wherein the retaining ring placed on the support plate contacts the plurality of elastic elements and causes the plurality of elastic elements to deform in order to adjust the pressure applied by the retaining ring on the panel.

2. The panel support and fixing mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The support plate includes an annular protrusion that surrounds the support area and is located between the plurality of elastic elements and the support area.

3. The panel support and fixing mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The bearing plate includes multiple recesses around the bearing area, and multiple elastic elements are respectively located in the multiple recesses.

4. The panel support and fixing mechanism as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The elastic unit includes a spring and a cap. One end of the spring is fixed in the recess of the bearing plate, while the cap is disposed at the other end of the spring.

5. The panel support and fixing mechanism as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The spring can be a compression spring, a hydraulic spring, or a pneumatic spring.

6. A panel support and fixing mechanism, characterized in that, include: A support plate includes a support area, wherein the support area is used to support a panel; At least one retaining ring includes a square opening, wherein the retaining ring is used to be placed on the support plate and to secure the panel placed on the support area; and Multiple elastic units are disposed on the fixing ring and located around the square opening. When the fixing ring places the support plate, the multiple elastic units will contact the support plate, causing the multiple elastic units to deform, thereby adjusting the pressure applied by the fixing ring to the panel.

7. The panel support and fixing mechanism as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The support plate includes an annular protrusion that surrounds the support area.

8. The panel support and fixing mechanism as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The retaining ring includes multiple recesses around the square opening, and multiple elastic elements are located within the multiple recesses.

9. The panel support and fixing mechanism as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The elastic unit includes a spring and a cap. One end of the spring is fixed in the recess of the fixing ring, while the cap is disposed at the other end of the spring.

10. The panel support and fixing mechanism as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The spring can be a compression spring, a hydraulic spring, or a pneumatic spring.

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