Chip mounting apparatus for mounting plurality of chips to carrier

Abstract

The utility model provides a chip mounting device for mounting a plurality of chips on a carrier plate. The chip mounting device comprises a carrier plate supporting unit which is provided with at least one supporting element and a supporting frame; a wafer supply unit having a wafer holder operable to hold a cut wafer; the chip conveying module is arranged between the carrier plate supporting unit and the wafer supply unit and can be operated to pick up a chip from the cut wafer held by the wafer supply unit and place the chip on the carrier plate held by the carrier plate supporting unit, so that the chip is attached to the carrier plate; and a sensing device which can provide feedback to control the picking of the chip from the cutting wafer and / or the placement of the chip on the carrier plate.

Description

[0001] Cross Reference to Related Applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Singapore Patent Application No. 10202400945S, filed April 01, 2024, and U.S. Patent Application No. 18 / 961,680, filed November 27, 2024, the entire contents of both of which are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present disclosure relates to a die bonder. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a die bonder for bonding a plurality of semiconductor dies from a diced wafer to a carrier panel, which can be used in packaging processes such as panel level semiconductor. BACKGROUND

[0004] In recent years, panel level packaging (PLP) of semiconductor devices has attracted much interest in the industry. This is because it allows for the parallel packaging of more dies compared to traditional wafer level or substrate level packaging techniques. Panel level packaging typically involves connecting individual dies to a large carrier panel for die bonding. This increases the packaging yield and reduces costs. However, panel level packaging also has some drawbacks, such as dust on the carrier panel surface, post-bonding inspection of dies, reduced yield during die bonding on the panel, and total machine usage time loss due to wafer conversion, among others.

[0005] Accordingly, there is still a need for a more efficient and useful apparatus for die bonding a plurality of dies to a carrier panel in a panel level packaging process. SUMMARY

[0006] To address the above issues, a die attach apparatus is disclosed. In some embodiments, the die attach apparatus includes a carrier support unit having at least one support element defining a support plane, and a support frame operable to support a carrier against the at least one support element so as to hold the carrier on a side of the support plane, the carrier being parallel to the support plane; a wafer supply unit having a wafer holder operable to hold a diced wafer so as to separate the diced wafer from the support plane defined by the at least one support element of the carrier support unit, and to orient the diced wafer so that its exposed surface faces the side of the support plane holding the carrier; a die transfer module disposed between the carrier support unit and the wafer supply unit, and operable to pick up a die from the diced wafer held by the wafer supply unit, and to place the die on the carrier held by the carrier support unit so as to attach the die to the carrier; and a sensing device operable to provide feedback to control the picking up of the die from the diced wafer and / or the placing of the die on the carrier.

[0007] A die attach machine for attaching a plurality of dies on a wafer to a carrier is also disclosed. In some embodiments, the die attach machine includes a support structure having a base support surface, the base support surface being located on a surface supporting the die attach machine; a wafer supply unit configured to stand the wafer upright so that a wafer surface of the wafer is substantially perpendicular to the base support surface; a carrier support unit having a carrier holder configured to hold the carrier so that a die attach surface of the carrier is substantially perpendicular to the base support surface; a die transfer module disposed between the wafer supply unit and the carrier support unit, and configured to transfer the plurality of dies from the wafer to the carrier; and a vision system for observing operation of the die attach machine so as to provide feedback to control the wafer supply unit, the carrier support unit, and the die transfer module. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0008] In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to same parts throughout the various views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed on illustrating the principles of the present application. In the following description, various embodiments are described with reference to the following drawings, in which:

[0009] Figure 1 A schematic side view of a die attach apparatus or die attach machine according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0010] Figure 2A schematic front view of a wafer supply unit in an embodiment of the application is shown for moving a chip placement device or chip placement machine along a wafer movement plane.

[0011] Figure 3 A schematic back view of a carrier support unit in an embodiment of the application is shown for moving a chip placement device or chip placement machine along a carrier movement plane.

[0012] Figure 4A A schematic side view of a chip placement device or chip placement machine configured for same-side transfer in an embodiment of the application is shown.

[0013] Figure 4B A schematic top view of a chip placement device or chip placement machine in Figure 4A is shown.

[0014] Figure 4C A schematic top view of a chip placement device or chip placement machine in Figure 4A is shown, wherein the cut wafer and the carrier are opposite and hold an angle.

[0015] Figure 5A A schematic side view of a chip placement device or chip placement machine configured for opposite-side transfer in an embodiment of the application is shown.

[0016] Figure 5B A schematic top view of a chip placement device or chip placement machine in Figure 5A is shown.

[0017] Figure 5C A schematic top view of a chip placement device or chip placement machine in Figure 5A is shown, wherein the cut wafer and the carrier are opposite and hold an angle.

[0018] Figure 6A to Figure 6F A process of chip placement using a chip placement device or chip placement machine in an embodiment of the application is shown.

[0019] Figure 7A A schematic top view of a chip placement device or chip placement machine in an embodiment of the application is shown.

[0020] Figure 7B A schematic side view of a chip placement device or chip placement machine in Figure 7A is shown.

[0021] Figure 8A A schematic top view of a chip placement device or chip placement machine in an embodiment of the application is shown.

[0022] Figure 8B A schematic top view of a chip placement device or chip placement machine in Figure 8AA schematic side view of a chip placement device or chip placement machine.

[0023] Figure 9A to Figure 9E The use of, as shown Figure 7A and Figure 7B A schematic top view of the chip placement process in a chip placement device or chip placement machine.

[0024] Figure 10A A schematic front view of a dual-wafer exchange device (or dual-wafer exchange station) for a chip placement apparatus or chip placement machine according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0025] Figure 10B It shows Figure 10A A schematic side view of the first wafer supply unit of the dual wafer exchange equipment, which is operable to perform chip mounting processes.

[0026] Figure 10C It shows Figure 10A A schematic side view of the second wafer supply unit of a dual wafer exchange device, which is operable for chip mounting processes.

[0027] Figure 11A to Figure 11C A series of schematic diagrams are shown of a wafer rack assembling a diced wafer into a wafer supply unit according to an embodiment of this application.

[0028] Figure 11D It shows Figure 11C A schematic side section.

[0029] Figure 12 A schematic side view of a chip placement apparatus or chip placement machine according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0030] Figure 13A A schematic side view of a wafer erection device according to an embodiment of this application is shown, which can keep the wafer supply unit of a chip placement device or chip placement machine in a horizontal arrangement.

[0031] Figure 13B It shows Figure 13A A schematic side view of a wafer uprighting device, which can keep the wafer supply unit of a chip placement device or chip placement machine in a vertical arrangement.

[0032] Figure 14A A schematic side view of a carrier board erecting device according to an embodiment of this application is shown, which can hold the carrier board support unit of a chip placement device or chip placement machine in a horizontal arrangement.

[0033] Figure 14B It shows Figure 14A The schematic side view of the carrier board erecting device shows how the carrier board support unit of the chip placement device or chip placement machine can be kept in a vertical arrangement.

[0034] Figure 15A A schematic top view of a chip tacker device (or chip tacker machine) is shown in accordance with various embodiments.

[0035] Figure 15B A schematic top view of a chip tacker device (or chip tacker machine) in another orientation is shown in accordance with various embodiments.

[0036] Figure 15C A sample image of a chip captured by a first camera of the chip tacker device (or chip tacker machine) shown in Figure 15A

[0037] Figure 15D A chip is angularly aligned on a rotational plane in accordance with various embodiments.

[0038] Figure 15E A sample image of a chip captured by a second camera of the chip tacker device (or chip tacker machine) shown in Figure 15A

[0039] A Cartesian coordinate frame in Figure 15F Figure 15E

[0040] Figure 16A A schematic top view of a carrier plate of the chip tacker device (or chip tacker machine) shown in Figure 15A

[0041] A virtual chip tacking grid above a carrier plate in Figure 16B Figure 16A

[0042] Figure 16C A schematic diagram showing a "carrier plate target reference coordinate" is shown.

[0043] Figure 17A A schematic top view of a carrier plate of the chip tacker device (or chip tacker machine) in Figure 15A Figure 16A

[0044] Figure 17B A plurality of chips tacked to a tacking surface of a carrier plate as shown in Figure 17A

[0045] A schematic diagram showing a computer aided design (CAD) file of a chip in accordance with various embodiments. Figure 17C

[0046] ​​​​​​​​Figure 17D is a schematic diagram showing a "real-time carrier target reference" according to various embodiments.

[0047] Figure 18A shows a schematic perspective view of a carrier with reference points and a patch adhesive tape according to various embodiments.

[0048] Figure 18B shows a schematic perspective view of a patch adhesive tape with reference points and a carrier according to various embodiments.

[0049] Figure 19A to Figure 19D shows a chip taping process using a chip taping device (or chip taping machine) in Figure 15A

[0050] Figure 20 shows a schematic top view of a chip taping device (or chip taping machine) with a first pick-up movement unit and a second pick-up movement unit according to various embodiments.

[0051] Reference Signs:

[0052] ​100-chip placement device or chip placement machine, 102-dicing wafer, 102a-wafer side, 102b-dicing tape side, 104-chip, 104a-chip movement plane, 104-1-next chip, 104-2, 104-4-another chip, 106-carrier plate, 106a-placement side, 106b-(carrier plate 106) back side, 107-placement adhesive tape, 108-support structure, 108a-base support surface, 109-surface (e.g. ground), 110-carrier plate support unit, 111-support plane, 111a-side of support plane 111 for supporting carrier plate 106, 112-support element, 112a-support roller, 112b-guide roller, 114-carrier plate holder, 116, 126, 126-1-two-axis Cartesian motion mechanism, 116a, 126a, 126a-1-first link, 116b, 126b-second link, 117a, 117b-linear actuator, 118-carrier plate movement plane, 119-adhesive tape container, 120, 120-1-wafer supply unit, 122-wafer holder, 123-predefined forward loading direction, 124-wafer stretcher, 124a-inner ring, 124b-outer ring, 125-stop, 128-wafer movement plane, 129-wafer container, 130-chip transfer module, 130a-first side, 130b-second side, 131a, 131b-pick-up position, 132a, 132b-pick-up movement unit, 133a, 133b-release position, 134a, 134a-1, 134a-2, 134a-4, 134b, 134b-1-pick-up head, 135a, 135b-rotation axis, 136a, 136b-bent path, 137-rotation mechanism, 137a-rotation axis, 137b-rotation plane, 138-movable element, 138a-movable axis, 150-sensing device, 152-chip pick-up sensing device, 152a-sensor, 154-chip placement sensing device, 154a-first sensor, 154b-second sensor, 154c-third sensor, 154a-1-first chip camera, 154b-1-second chip camera, 154c-1-carrier plate camera, 160-ejector, 162-ejector head, 170-wafer upright device, 172-vertical support, 178-carrier plate upright device, 179-support holder, 174, 184-linear actuator, 174a, 184a-telescopic end, 176, 186-connection, 176a, 186a-first end, 176b, 186b-second end, 180-manipulator, 181-first manipulator, 182-second manipulator, 190-controller, 191-global reference point (global marker) / first set of reference points, 192-local reference point (local marker) / second set of reference points, 193-virtual chip placement grid, 199-sample image DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] Embodiments described in the context of the following apparatus are similarly effective for corresponding methods, and vice versa. Further, it is to be understood that embodiments described below can be combined, for example, one part of an embodiment can be combined with one part of another embodiment. It will be appreciated that relative terms such as "upper", "up", "top", "bottom", "lower", "side", "rear", "left", "right", "front", "transverse", "lateral", "upper", "lower", and the like, when used in the following description, are to be construed as terms of reference and not as terms of limitation, unless otherwise indicated. Likewise, the word "or" is intended to encompass both "and" and "or" unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0054] Various embodiments of the present disclosure seek to provide an efficient die taping apparatus and method for taping a plurality of semiconductor dies from a diced wafer to a carrier. Various embodiments can have a number of advantages, including causing less dust on the carrier (e.g., less dust adhering to the tape of the carrier), less time loss during wafer change, and / or increasing the throughput of the overall die taping (e.g., the number of dies taped per unit of time).

[0055] In addition to the primary inspection equipment that takes place after the completion of the die taping across the carrier, various embodiments of the present disclosure seek to include secondary inspection equipment (e.g., sensing equipment) for inspecting the die placement accuracy during the die taping process. Thus, it is possible to detect in advance whether the die placement across the carrier is accurate before the completion of the die taping across the carrier. Thus, it is possible to reduce, minimize, or eliminate the risk of continuing to complete the die taping across the carrier and / or the time waste.

[0056] Various embodiments of the present disclosure seek to avoid contamination of the carrier by silicon dust and / or other particles through gravity (e.g., the silicon dust and / or particles falling on the carrier with the tape due to gravity). Thus, various embodiments seek to provide a dust solution to avoid the accumulation or collection of dust during the die taping of the carrier. According to various embodiments, the carrier can be mounted on a vertical plane with respect to the ground. In addition, the carrier can be moved along the X-axis (i.e., transverse) and the Z-axis (i.e., vertical). According to various embodiments, the carrier can use a tape or a taping adhesive tape as a temporary adhesive for taping the dies to the carrier. Thus, the use of the tape can allow the carrier to be mounted vertically. Thus, in various embodiments, it is possible to eliminate or minimize the case where the silicon dust and / or other particles fall due to gravity to contact the adhesive surface of the tape mounted on the carrier.

[0057] Various embodiments of the present disclosure seek to reduce the travel distance of the chips from the wafer to the carrier for the chip taping, so as to reduce the defects in the time of travel distance / travel longer in the conventional method to complete the chip taping of the whole carrier, and can reduce or minimize the inaccurate positioning of the chips. According to various embodiments, the chips can be moved vertically between the wafer and the carrier. Therefore, the chips can be moved along a plane perpendicular to the wafer and the carrier. In this way, the chips can not need to pass through or over the surface area of the wafer and / or the surface area of the carrier for taping. In particular, various embodiments seek to provide the shortest travel distance to achieve high productivity. According to various embodiments, the wafer and the carrier can be vertically installed relative to the ground to achieve the shortest travel distance of the chips from the wafer to the carrier. According to various embodiments, the wafer and the carrier can face each other. Therefore, the wafer surface of the wafer and the taping surface of the carrier can be oriented towards each other. Therefore, the chips can travel laterally between the vertically installed wafer and the carrier, without the chips needing to travel through or over the wafer surface of the wafer and / or the taping surface of the carrier.

[0058] According to various embodiments, the layout and / or vertical arrangement of the wafer and the carrier can inspect and measure the taping position waiting for taping (referred to as pre-taping inspection). In addition, the chips that have been taped can also be inspected and measured relative to the taping position (referred to as post-taping inspection). Therefore, various embodiments can seek to provide pre-taping and post-taping inspections. According to various embodiments, the pre-taping and post-taping inspections can be performed when each chip is taped to the carrier, which enables the inspection of all chips (i.e. 100% of the chips) without losing time.

[0059] Various embodiments, the present disclosure seeks to reduce or minimize the wafer change time, so as to minimize its impact on the units per hour (UPH) of the chip taping device and method. Conventionally, it can take about 60 to 120 seconds, or even longer, to change each wafer. While this may not seem important when only a small number of wafers need to be changed, the units per hour (UPH) can be greatly affected when there are more wafer changes.

[0060] Various embodiments seek to provide a dual wafer exchange station. According to various embodiments, the dual wafer exchange station can greatly reduce the time loss of wafer exchange. According to various embodiments, while the first wafer station is working or running, the second wafer station can be prepared, for example, including but not limited to loading a new wafer, reading a wafer barcode, downloading a wafer map, stretching a wafer, searching for a wafer center, and positioning a reference chip and a first picked chip. After the second wafer station is ready, after all the chips are picked up from the first wafer station, the second wafer station can be in standby state to exchange position with the first wafer station. According to various embodiments, a camera system can be integrated on each wafer station for reading a wafer map and performing a pre-inspection.

[0061] According to various embodiments, a chip taping device or a chip taping machine can include a carrier board support unit to maintain a carrier board in a vertical orientation with respect to the ground.

[0062] According to various embodiments, a chip taping device or a chip taping machine can include a dual wafer exchange station. According to various embodiments, the dual wafer exchange station can include two wafer modules (or two wafer feed units). While one wafer module (or one wafer feed unit) is working or running, the other wafer module (or the other wafer feed unit) can be simultaneously preparing, including but not limited to, loading a new wafer and calibration. According to various embodiments, the calibration can be automated and can start after loading a wafer.

[0063] According to various embodiments, a chip taping device or a chip taping machine can include capture and processing of visual images. According to various embodiments, a chip taping device or a chip taping machine can include a camera for pre-capture of chip images, for example, chips can be stationary or moving during chip image capture. According to various embodiments, a chip taping device or a chip taping machine can also include a camera for pre-taping and post-taping inspection. According to various embodiments, a chip taping device or a chip taping machine can include a single camera or multiple cameras to capture fiducial images of a carrier board.

[0064] Figure 1 A schematic side view of a chip taping device or a chip taping machine 100 according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. According to various embodiments, the chip taping device or the chip taping machine 100 can be used to tape a plurality of semiconductor chips (also referred to as dies or die) 104 from a diced wafer 102 to a carrier board 106. For example, in a panel level packaging process for semiconductor assemblies. According to various embodiments, the chip taping device or the chip taping machine 100 can be configured to hold the diced wafer 102 and the carrier board 106 such that a wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 and a taping face 106a of the carrier board 106 face each other. Thus, the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 and the taping face 106a of the carrier board 106 are respectively facing each other in opposite directions. According to various embodiments, the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 and the taping face 106a of the carrier board 106 can face each other in a relative manner while being substantially parallel to each other (e.g., see Figure 4B and Figure 5B ), or the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 and the taping face 106a of the carrier board 106 can face each other in an angled manner (e.g., see Figure 4C and Figure 5C ).According to various embodiments, when the wafer side 102a of the cut wafer 102 and the die attach face 106a of the carrier board 106 are arranged face-to-face at an angle to each other, the wafer side 102a of the cut wafer 102 and the die attach face 106a of the carrier board 106 can form an angular arrangement of less than 180°, or less than 90°, or less than 45°, or less than 30°, or less than 20°, or less than 10°. Thus, when the wafer side 102a of the cut wafer 102 and the die attach face 106a of the carrier board 106 are arranged face-to-face at an angle to each other, a normal vector of the wafer side 102a of the cut wafer 102 and a normal vector of the die attach face 106a of the carrier board 106 can intersect each other.

[0065] According to various embodiments, for example, the cut wafer 102 can include a plurality of cut semiconductor chips 104 affixed to a dicing tape 105 (e.g., an adhesive tape). Thus, a wafer can be adhered to the dicing tape 105 and diced into a plurality of small particles, e.g., the plurality of small particles forming the plurality of cut semiconductor chips 104 on the dicing tape 105. According to various embodiments, the wafer side 102a of the cut wafer 102 is an opposite side of the cut wafer 102 to the dicing tape 105. Thus, the wafer side 102a of the cut wafer 102 is an exposed side of the plurality of semiconductor chips 104 facing away from the dicing tape 105. Thus, the wafer side 102a of the cut wafer 102 corresponds to an exposed side of the cut wafer 102 that does not contact the dicing tape 105, such that each semiconductor chip 104 can be picked from the wafer side 102a of the cut wafer 102. Thus, the wafer side 102a of the cut wafer 102 and the dicing tape side 102b of the cut wafer 102 are two opposite sides of the cut wafer 102. According to various embodiments, for example, the die attach face 106a of the carrier board 106 can be a side of the carrier board 106 used for die attaching the plurality of semiconductor chips 104. According to various embodiments, the die attach face 106a of the carrier board 106 can be a side of the carrier board 106 coated with an adhesive layer. According to various embodiments, the adhesive layer can include, but is not limited to, an adhesive tape, an adhesive film, an adhesive sheet, an adhesive paste, an adhesive gel, or a die attach adhesive tape. Thus, the die attach face 106a of the carrier board 106 can include the adhesive layer or can be an adhesive face of the carrier board 106. According to various embodiments, when the die attach adhesive tape is used as the adhesive layer, the carrier board 106 can include an adhesive tape holding mechanism, e.g., a suction cup (e.g., a vacuum suction cup, a magnetic suction cup, a mechanical suction cup, or a clamp, etc.), for detachably holding the die attach adhesive tape on the die attach face 106a of the carrier board 106.

[0066] According to various embodiments, the die attaching apparatus or die attaching machine 100 can include a carrier board support unit 110. According to various embodiments, the carrier board support unit 110 can be configured to hold the carrier board 106 in a manner such that the die attach face 106a of the carrier board 106 faces the wafer side 102a of the cut wafer 102.

[0067] According to various embodiments, the carrier board support unit 110 can include at least one support element 112 for defining a support plane 111. According to various embodiments, the carrier board support unit 110 can include a carrier board holder 114 operable for holding the carrier board 106 against the at least one support element 112. Thus, the carrier board 106 can be supported by the at least one support element 112. According to various embodiments, the carrier board 106 can be supported on a side 111a of the support plane 111 defined by the at least one support element 112. According to various embodiments, the carrier board 106 can be supported by the at least one support element 112 such that the carrier board 106 can be parallel to the support plane 111. According to various embodiments, the carrier board 106 can be laid flat on the side 111a of the support plane 111 to be parallel to the support plane 111. According to various embodiments, the at least one support element 112 can provide a backing support to the carrier board 106 along the support plane 111. Thus, the support plane 111 can be an interface between the support element 112 and the carrier board 106 when the carrier board 106 is supported on the at least one support element 112. According to various embodiments, the support element 112 can abut the carrier board 106 along the support plane 111 to support the carrier board 106 when the die 104 is tacked to the carrier board 106. Thus, the support element 112 can be used to resist the force for tacking the die 104 against the carrier board 106 to support the carrier board 106 along the support plane 111 when the die 104 is tacked to the carrier board 106. Thus, the die 104 is tacked to the carrier board 106 held by the carrier board support unit 110 along a predetermined tacking direction, which can be perpendicular to the side 111a of the support plane 111 for supporting the carrier board 106.

[0068] According to various embodiments, the back surface 106b of the carrier plate 106 can rest on at least one support element 112 of the carrier plate support unit 110 such that the back surface 106b of the carrier plate 106 is adjacent to one side 111a of the support plane 111, thereby supporting the carrier plate 106. The back surface 106b of the carrier plate 106 can be opposite to the patch surface 106a. Accordingly, at least one support element 112 of the carrier plate support unit 110 can provide support for the carrier plate 106 along the support plane 111 by contacting the back surface 106b. According to various embodiments, at least one support element 112 of the carrier plate support unit 110 can be configured to contact the entirety or at least a portion of the back surface 106b of the carrier plate 106. For example, according to various embodiments, at least one support element 112 of the carrier plate support unit 110 can have a continuous surface equal to or greater than a continuous surface of the back surface 106b of the carrier plate 106 such that the back surface 106b of the carrier plate 106 lies flat on the at least one support element 112 of the carrier plate support unit 110 as a whole. Accordingly, in such embodiments, at least one support element 112 can include, but is not limited to, a panel, a slab, or a table. As another example, the carrier plate support unit 110 can include a plurality of support elements 112 each having a contact point or a contact area for abutting a point or a portion of the back surface 106b of the carrier plate 106. The plurality of support elements 112 can be distributed to define the support plane 111, whereby the back surface 106b of the carrier plate 106 can be supported by the plurality of contact points or contact areas distributed along the support plane 111. Accordingly, in such embodiments, at least one support element 112 can include, but is not limited to, a point support, a roller support, a wheel support, a ball support, a bearing support, a finger support, or the like.

[0069] According to various embodiments, the carrier plate holder 114 of the carrier plate support unit 110 can include an attachment mechanism including, but not limited to, a vacuum suction mechanism such as a vacuum hole or a vacuum cup or a vacuum port, or a gripping mechanism such as a clamp or a clip, or a magnetic mechanism such as an electromagnet. According to various embodiments, when the carrier plate holder 114 of the carrier plate support unit 110 includes a vacuum suction mechanism or a magnetic mechanism, the carrier plate holder 114 can provide a suction force or a magnetic attraction force to push the carrier plate 106 against the at least one support element 112 along the support plane 111. According to various embodiments, when the carrier plate holder 114 of the carrier plate support unit 110 includes a clamping mechanism, the clamping mechanism can provide a clamping or clamping force directly on the carrier plate 106 to push the carrier plate 106 against the at least one support element 112 along the support plane 111; or the gripping mechanism can grip or clamp the carrier plate 106 and push the carrier plate 106 against the at least one support element 112 along the support plane 111.

[0070] According to various embodiments, the chip die device or the chip die bonder 100 includes a wafer supply unit 120. According to various embodiments, the wafer supply unit 120 can be configured to hold the diced wafer 102 such that the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 can face the die side 106a of the carrier plate 106. Thus, since the back side 106b of the carrier plate 106 is pushed against the at least one support element 112 of the carrier plate support unit 110 along the support plane 111, the wafer supply unit 120 can be configured to hold the diced wafer 102 such that the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 can face the at least one support element 112 of the carrier plate support unit 110 or the side 111a of the support plane 111 for supporting the carrier plate 106. According to various embodiments, the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 and the side of the support plane 111 for supporting the carrier plate 106 can be substantially parallel to each other in a face-to-face manner; or the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 and the side 111a of the support plane 111 for supporting the carrier plate 106 can be opposite to each other in a substantially face-to-face manner but at an angle. According to various embodiments, when the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 and the side 111a of the support plane 111 for supporting the carrier plate 106 are opposite to each other but arranged at an angle, the angle of the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 and the side 111a of the support plane 111 for supporting the carrier plate 106 can be less than 180°, or less than 90°, or less than 45°, or less than 30°, or less than 20°, or less than 10°. Thus, when the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 and the side 111a of the support plane 111 for supporting the carrier plate 106 are opposite to each other but arranged at an angle, the normal vector of the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 and the normal vector of the side 111a of the support plane 111 for supporting the carrier plate 106 can intersect each other.

[0071] According to various embodiments, the wafer supply unit 120 can comprise a wafer rack 122. According to various embodiments, the wafer rack 122 is operable to hold the cut wafer 102, to space the cut wafer 102 from the support plane 111 defined by the at least one support element 112 of the carrier support unit 110, and to orient the cut wafer 102 with its wafer side 102a (i.e. the exposed side of the cut wafer 102, or the side of the cut wafer 102 opposite the dicing tape 105, or the side of the cut wafer 102 facing away from the dicing tape 105 and the plurality of semiconductor chips 104 thereof) facing the side 111a of the support plane 111 for supporting the carrier 106. Accordingly, the wafer rack 122 can be spaced apart from the carrier support unit 110 in a direction away from the side 111a of the support plane 111 for supporting the carrier 106.

[0072] Furthermore, the wafer rack 122 can be positioned relative to the side of the support plane 111 for supporting the carrier 106 such that the carrier 106 held by the wafer rack 122 is positioned with the wafer side 102a of the cut wafer 102 facing the side 111a of the support plane 111 for supporting the carrier 106. According to various embodiments, the wafer rack 122 of the wafer supply unit 120 is operable to hold the cut wafer 102 such that the wafer side 102a of the cut wafer 102 is substantially parallel to the side 111a of the support plane 111 for supporting the carrier 106, or such that the wafer side 102a of the cut wafer 102 and the side 111a of the support plane 111 for supporting the carrier 106 are angled such that the wafer side 102a of the cut wafer 102 and the side 111a of the support plane 111 for supporting the carrier 106 can face each other.

[0073] According to various embodiments, when the cut wafer 102 is properly loaded or held by the wafer rack 122, the wafer rack 122 can have a predetermined forward loading direction 123 toward which the wafer side 102a of the cut wafer 102 faces. Whether the cut wafer 102 has active surfaces of the plurality of dies 104 or has the cut tape 105 facing away from the cut wafer 102, the cut wafer 102 can have to be oriented such that the wafer side 102a of the cut wafer 102 faces along the predetermined forward loading direction 123 and in front of the cut tape 105 so that the cut wafer 102 can be properly loaded or held by the wafer rack 122. Thus, when the wafer rack 122 properly loads or holds the cut wafer 102, the wafer side 102a of the cut wafer 102 can face the predetermined forward loading direction 123 of the wafer rack 122. Thus, when the wafer rack 122 properly loads or holds the cut wafer 102, the predetermined forward loading direction 123 of the wafer rack 122 can extend perpendicularly away from the wafer side 102a of the cut wafer 102, which can face the predetermined forward loading direction 123 of the wafer rack 122. Thus, when the cut wafer 102 is properly loaded into the wafer rack 122, the wafer side 102a of the cut wafer 102 can serve as a front side of the cut wafer 102, which can face the predetermined forward loading direction 123. According to various embodiments, the wafer rack 122 can be oriented with respect to the support plane 111 of the carrier board support unit 110 for supporting the side 111a of the carrier board 106 such that the predetermined forward loading direction 123 of the wafer rack 122 is toward or points to the support plane 111 of the carrier board support unit 110 for supporting the side 111a of the carrier board 106.

[0074] According to various embodiments, the wafer rack 122 can include an attachment mechanism including, but not limited to, a vacuum suction mechanism such as a vacuum hole or a vacuum cup or a vacuum port, or a clamping mechanism such as a clamp, or a magnetic mechanism such as an electromagnet.

[0075] According to various embodiments, the chip taping device or chip taping machine 100 can include a chip transfer module 130. According to various embodiments, the chip transfer module 130 can be disposed between the carrier board support unit 110 and the wafer supply unit 120. Thus, when the diced wafer 102 and the carrier board 106 are held by the wafer rack 122 and the carrier board support unit 110, respectively, the chip transfer module 130 can be located between the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 and the taping side 106a of the carrier board 106 facing each other. Thus, the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 can face the chip transfer module 130, and the taping side 106a of the carrier board 106 can face the chip transfer module 130. Thus, the wafer rack 122 can be oriented with respect to the chip transfer module 130 such that a predetermined forward loading direction 123 of the wafer rack 122 is directed toward or points to the chip transfer module 130, and a support plane 111 of the carrier board support unit 110 for supporting one side 111a of the carrier board 106 is directed toward or points to the chip transfer module 130.

[0076] According to various embodiments, the carrier board support unit 110 and the wafer supply unit 120 can be on different sides of the chip transfer module 130. For example, when the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 and the taping side 106a of the carrier board 106 are substantially parallel to each other, the carrier board support unit 110 and the wafer supply unit 120 can be located on opposite sides of the chip transfer module 130. As another example, when the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 and the taping side 106a of the carrier board 106 are angled in a manner that generally face each other, the carrier board support unit 110 and the wafer supply unit 120 can have a respective angular displacement with respect to the chip transfer module 130.

[0077] According to various embodiments, the chip transfer module 130 can be used to pick up chips 104 from the diced wafer 102 held by the wafer feed unit 120 and place the chips 104 on the carrier plate 106 held by the carrier plate support unit 110, thereby taping the chips 104 onto the carrier plate 106. Thus, the chip transfer module 130 can operate as a transfer mechanism between the carrier plate support unit 110 and the wafer feed unit 120, interacting with the wafer feed unit 120 to pick up chips 104 from the diced wafer 102 held by the wafer feed unit 120 and interacting with the carrier plate support unit 110 to place and / or tape the chips 104 onto the carrier plate 106 held by the carrier plate support unit 110. According to various embodiments, the chip transfer module 130 can interact with the wafer feed unit 120 on its first side 130a to pick up chips 104 from the diced wafer 102 held by the wafer feed unit 120, transfer the chips 104 from the first side 130a of the chip transfer module to its second side 130b, and interact with the carrier plate support unit 110 on the second side 130b of the chip transfer module to place the chips 104 on the carrier plate 106 held by the carrier plate support unit 110, thereby taping the chips 104 onto the carrier plate 106.

[0078] According to various embodiments, the chip transfer module 130 can include one or more pick-up heads 134a, 134b (see, e.g., FIG. 1), which can be movable relative to the wafer feed unit 120 and the carrier plate support unit 110 to interact with the wafer feed unit 120 to pick up chips 104 from the diced wafer 102 held by the wafer feed unit 120, transfer the chips 104 from the first side 130a of the chip transfer module to its second side 130b, and interact with the carrier plate support unit 110 to place the chips 104 on the carrier plate 106 held by the carrier plate support unit 110, thereby taping the chips 104 onto the carrier plate 106. Figure 4A to Figure 5B According to various embodiments, the chip transfer module 130 can include one or more pick-up heads 134a, 134b (see, e.g., FIG. 1), which can be movable relative to the wafer feed unit 120 and the carrier plate support unit 110 to interact with the wafer feed unit 120 to pick up chips 104 from the diced wafer 102 held by the wafer feed unit 120, transfer the chips 104 from the first side 130a of the chip transfer module to its second side 130b, and interact with the carrier plate support unit 110 to place the chips 104 on the carrier plate 106 held by the carrier plate support unit 110, thereby taping the chips 104 onto the carrier plate 106. Figure 4A Figure 4B ​), which is movable relative to the wafer supply unit 120 and the carrier support unit 110 to interact with the wafer supply unit 120 to pick up a die 104 from a diced wafer 102 held by the wafer supply unit 120, to transfer the die 104 from a first side 130a of the die transfer module 130 to a second side 130b of the die transfer module 130, and to interact with the carrier support unit 110 to place the die 104 on a carrier 106 held by the carrier support unit 110 to die attach the die 104 to the carrier 106. As another example, according to various embodiments, the die transfer module 130 includes at least two pick-up heads 134a, 134b (see, e.g., FIG. 1) that are independently movable relative to the wafer supply unit 120 and the carrier support unit 110. And, a first pick-up head 134a of the at least two pick-up heads interacts with the wafer supply unit 120 to pick up a die 104 from a diced wafer 102 held by the wafer supply unit 120, moves the die 104 from a first side 130a of the die transfer module 130 to an intermediate position within the die transfer module 130 by the same pick-up head 134a, transfers the die 104 from the first pick-up head 134a of the at least two pick-up heads to a second pick-up head 134b, moves the die 104 to a second side 130b of the die transfer module 130 by the same second pick-up head 134b, and interacts with the carrier support unit 110 by the same second pick-up head 134b to place the die 104 on a carrier 106 held by the carrier support unit 110 to die attach the die 104 to the carrier 106. Figure 5A and Figure 5B ). And, a first pick-up head 134a of the at least two pick-up heads interacts with the wafer supply unit 120 to pick up a die 104 from a diced wafer 102 held by the wafer supply unit 120, moves the die 104 from a first side 130a of the die transfer module 130 to an intermediate position within the die transfer module 130 by the same pick-up head 134a, transfers the die 104 from the first pick-up head 134a of the at least two pick-up heads to a second pick-up head 134b, moves the die 104 to a second side 130b of the die transfer module 130 by the same second pick-up head 134b, and interacts with the carrier support unit 110 by the same second pick-up head 134b to place the die 104 on a carrier 106 held by the carrier support unit 110 to die attach the die 104 to the carrier 106.

[0079] According to various embodiments, the die transfer module 130 can move the die 104 along a die movement plane 104a that intersects the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 and the die attach surface 106a of the carrier 106. Thus, the one or more pick-up heads 134a, 134b can move along the die movement plane 104a to interact with the wafer supply unit 120 to pick up a die 104 from a diced wafer 102 held by the wafer supply unit 120, to move the die 104 from a first side 130a of the die transfer module 130 to a second side 130b of the die transfer module 130, and to interact with the carrier support unit 110 to place the die 104 on a carrier 106 held by the carrier support unit 110 to die attach the die 104 to the carrier 106. According to various embodiments, the die movement plane 104a can be substantially perpendicular to the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 and the die attach surface 106a of the carrier 106. According to various embodiments, the die movement plane 104a can be substantially perpendicular to a plane of the support plane 111 of the carrier 106.

[0080] According to various embodiments, the wafer supply unit 120 and the carrier support unit 110 hold the diced wafer 102 and the carrier 106, respectively, such that the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 and the die face 106a of the carrier 106 can face each other, and the chip transfer module 130 is disposed between the wafer supply unit 120 and the carrier support unit 110, which can move the chips 104 across a short travel distance for transferring the chips 104 from the diced wafer 102 to the carrier 106 to die attach the chips 104 onto the carrier 106 to achieve high throughput. Accordingly, the chip transfer module 130 can move the chips 104 laterally between the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 and the die face 106a of the carrier 106 that face each other without the chips 104 having to pass through or over an area on the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 and / or the die face 106a of the carrier 106. Accordingly, the time required to move the chips 104 can be significantly reduced compared to conventional methods that have to move the chips through or over an area on the diced wafer and / or the carrier, resulting in the advantage of higher throughput.

[0081] According to various embodiments, the die attach apparatus or die attach machine 100 can include a support structure 108, which can provide a frame for holding various components, including but not limited to the carrier support unit 110, and / or the wafer supply unit 120, and / or the chip transfer module 130, or the entirety of the die attach apparatus or die attach machine 100. Accordingly, the support structure 108 can connect the various components in a predetermined configuration or arrangement such that the various components can operate in coordination to pick up the plurality of chips 104 from the diced wafer 102, transfer the plurality of chips 104 from the diced wafer 102 to the carrier 106, and die attach the plurality of chips 104 onto the carrier 106 in the manner described in various embodiments. According to various embodiments, the support structure 108 can include a base support surface 108a that rests on a surface 109 for supporting the die attach apparatus or die attach machine 100. For example, the surface 109 can include a floor or a table top, the base support surface 108a can be placed on the floor or the table top, and the die attach apparatus or die attach machine 100 can be placed. According to various embodiments, the carrier support unit 110, and / or the wafer supply unit 120, and / or the chip transfer module 130 can be mounted to or coupled to the support structure 108.

[0082] According to various embodiments, the wafer supply unit 120 can be configured to hold the diced wafer 102 such that the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 is substantially perpendicular with respect to the susceptor support surface 108a. Thus, the wafer supply unit 120 can hold the diced wafer 102 in an orientation such that the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 can be substantially perpendicular to the susceptor support surface 108a. Accordingly, the wafer rack 122 of the wafer supply unit 120 can hold the diced wafer 102 such that the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 can be substantially perpendicular to the susceptor support surface 108a.

[0083] According to various embodiments, the carrier support unit 110 can be configured to hold the carrier 106 such that the die side 106a of the carrier 106 is substantially perpendicular with respect to the susceptor support surface 108a. Thus, the carrier support unit 110 can hold the carrier 106 in an orientation such that the die side 106a of the carrier 106 can be substantially perpendicular to the susceptor support surface 108a. Accordingly, the carrier 106 can be held by the carrier support unit 110 such that the die side 106a of the carrier 106 can be substantially perpendicular to the susceptor support surface 108a. Thus, when the carrier 106 is held by the carrier support unit 110, the support plane 111 defined by the at least one support element 112 of the carrier support unit 110 abutting against the back side 106b of the carrier 106 can be substantially perpendicular to the susceptor support surface 108a.

[0084] According to various embodiments, the die transfer module 130 disposed between the wafer supply unit 120 and the carrier support unit 110 can be configured to transfer the plurality of dies 104 from the diced wafer 102 to the carrier 106. Thus, the die transfer module 130 can pick up the plurality of dies 104 from the diced wafer 102 held by the wafer supply unit 120, transfer the plurality of dies 104 to the carrier 106 held by the carrier support unit 110, and die attach the plurality of dies 104 onto the carrier 106 held by the carrier support unit 110. According to various embodiments, the die transfer module 130 can transfer the plurality of dies 104 along a die movement plane that intersects the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 and the die side 106a of the carrier 106. For example, according to various embodiments, the die movement plane can be substantially parallel to the susceptor support surface 108a.

[0085] According to various embodiments, as the wafer supply unit 120 and the carrier support unit 110 hold the diced wafer 102 and the carrier 106, respectively, vertically with respect to the ground (or surface 109), dust contamination of the carrier 106 (e.g., silicon dust and / or particles falling on the carrier with tape due to gravity) can be reduced or eliminated. Accordingly, various embodiments can avoid the problem of dust accumulation on the carrier 106 during die taping. According to various embodiments, with the carrier 106 held vertically with respect to the ground (or surface 109), the carrier 106 can use tape or die taping adhesive as a temporary adhesive for taping the dies 104 onto the carrier 106, whereby the problem of silicon dust and / or other particles falling due to gravity to contact the tape adhesive surface mounted on the carrier 106 can be eliminated or minimized.

[0086] According to various embodiments, the die taping apparatus or die taping machine 100 can include a sensing device 150, such as in the form of a vision system, to observe the operation of the die taping apparatus or die taping machine 100 in order to provide feedback for controlling the wafer supply unit 120, the carrier support unit 110, and / or the die transfer module 130. Accordingly, the sensing device 150 can become part of the feedback control for the automated operation of the die taping process, from picking up the plurality of dies 104, to transferring the plurality of dies 104, and / or taping the plurality of dies 104. Accordingly, the sensing device 150 can provide feedback and guidance to the wafer supply unit 120, the carrier support unit 110, and / or the die transfer module 130 to operate in coordination in the manner described herein.

[0087] According to various embodiments, the sensing device 150 can provide feedback for controlling the movement of the wafer supply unit 120 and / or the die transfer module 130 to pick up the dies 104. For example, the sensing device 150 can determine the arrangement of the dies 104 (e.g., the orientation and / or position of the dies 104) with respect to a predetermined pick-up location for controlling the movement of the wafer supply unit 120 and / or the die transfer module 130. The die transfer module 130 can align the dies 104 to the predetermined pick-up location for picking up by the die transfer module 130. According to various embodiments, aligning the dies 104 to the predetermined pick-up location can include correcting the orientation of the dies 104 (i.e., angular motion correction) and / or correcting the position of the dies 104 (i.e., translational / linear motion correction).

[0088] According to various embodiments, the sensing device 150 can provide feedback for controlling movement of the carrier support unit 110 and / or the chip transfer module 130 to place and bond the chips 104 to the carrier 106. For example, the sensing device 150 can determine an arrangement (i.e., including an orientation and / or a position) of the chips 104 held by the chip transfer module 130 relative to a target placement position. On the carrier 106 held by the carrier support unit 110, movement of the carrier support unit 110 and / or the chip transfer module 130 can be controlled so that the chips 104 can be aligned with the target placement position on the carrier 106 to place and bond the chips 104 to the carrier 106. According to various embodiments, the alignment of the chips 104 with the target placement position can include correcting an orientation of the chips 104 (i.e., angular motion correction) and / or correcting a position of the chips 104 / carrier 106 (i.e., translational / linear motion correction).

[0089] According to various embodiments, the wafer supply unit 120 can be movable along a wafer movement plane 128, which is parallel to a support plane 111 defined by at least one support element 112 of the carrier support unit 110. According to various embodiments, the wafer supply unit 120 can be movable along the wafer movement plane 128 to align the chips 104 to a predetermined pick-up position. According to various embodiments, the wafer supply unit 120 can be linearly translatable along two orthogonal axes of the wafer movement plane 128 to move along the wafer movement plane 128. According to various embodiments, the wafer supply unit 120 can be movable between different positions of the wafer movement plane 128 by the above means.

[0090] Figure 2 A schematic front view of a wafer supply unit for moving a chip placement device or a chip placement machine along a wafer movement plane is shown in an embodiment of the present application. According to various embodiments, the wafer supply unit 120 can be mounted or assembled to a two-axis Cartesian motion mechanism 126. According to various embodiments, the two-axis Cartesian motion mechanism 126 can comprise two links (or beams) 126a, 126b arranged perpendicular to each other. According to various embodiments, linear actuators can be connected to the links 126a, 126b in such a way that actuating the wafer supply unit 120 causes it to move linearly along a longitudinal axis of the first link 126a, and actuating the first link 126a causes it to move linearly along a longitudinal axis of the second link 126b. Thus, in this way, the wafer supply unit 120 can be movable along two orthogonal axes to move within the wafer movement plane 128.

[0091] According to various embodiments, the wafer rack 122 of the wafer supply unit 120 is further operable to rotate the cut wafer 102 about a center of the cut wafer 102 to cut it. Thus, the wafer rack 122 of the wafer supply unit 120 can rotate the cut wafer 102 about an axis of rotation that passes through the center of the cut wafer 102 and is perpendicular to the cut wafer 102. According to various embodiments, the axis of rotation can be perpendicular to the wafer movement plane 128 of the wafer supply unit 120. Thus, in addition to the linear translation along the two orthogonal axes of the wafer movement plane 128, the cut wafer 102 can also be rotated about an axis of rotation that is perpendicular to the wafer movement plane 128.

[0092] According to various embodiments, the two orthogonal axes can be a Z-axis for movement in the height direction and an X-axis for lateral movement when the cut wafer 102 held by the wafer rack 122 of the wafer supply unit 120 is substantially vertical with respect to the base support surface 108a or the ground (or surface 109).

[0093] According to various embodiments, the carrier support unit 110 can be movable along a carrier movement plane 118 that is parallel to the support plane 111 defined by the at least one support element 112 of the carrier support unit 110. According to various embodiments, the carrier support unit 110 can be movable along the carrier movement plane 118 to align the chips 104 to their target positions with respect to the corresponding target placement positions on the carrier 106. According to various embodiments, the carrier support unit 110 can be movable within the carrier movement plane 118 by linear translation along two orthogonal axes. According to various embodiments, the carrier support unit 110 can be movable between different positions within the carrier movement plane 118 by linear translation along two orthogonal axes that lie in the carrier movement plane 118.

[0094] Figure 3 A schematic back view of a carrier support unit for moving a chip taping device or a chip taping machine along a carrier movement plane is shown in an embodiment of the present application. According to various embodiments, the carrier support unit 110 can be mounted or assembled to a two-axis Cartesian motion mechanism 116. According to various embodiments, the two-axis Cartesian motion mechanism 116 can comprise two links (or beams) 116a, 116b arranged perpendicular to each other. According to various embodiments, linear actuators 117a, 117b can be connected to the links 116a, 116b such that the carrier support unit 110 is linearly movable along the longitudinal axis of the first link 116a and the first link 116a is linearly movable along the longitudinal axis of the second link 116b. Thus, in this way, the carrier support unit 110 can be movable along two orthogonal axes and thus within the carrier movement plane 118.

[0095] According to various embodiments, the carrier support unit 110 can also be configured to rotate the carrier 106 about its center. Thus, the carrier support unit 110 can rotate the carrier 106 about an axis of rotation that passes through the center of the carrier 106 and is perpendicular to the axis of rotation. According to various embodiments, the axis of rotation can be perpendicular to the carrier movement plane 118 of the carrier support unit 110. Thus, in addition to the linear translation along the two orthogonal axes of the carrier movement plane 118, the carrier 106 can also be rotated about an axis of rotation that is perpendicular to the carrier movement plane 118.

[0096] According to various embodiments, when the carrier 106 held by the wafer rack 122 of the wafer supply unit 120 is substantially vertical with respect to the base support surface 108a or the ground (or surface 109), the two orthogonal axes can be a Z-axis for movement in the height direction and an X-axis for lateral movement.

[0097] Figure 4A A schematic side view of a chip mounter or chip mounter device 100 configured for same-side transfer according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. Figure 4B A schematic top view of the chip mounter or chip mounter device 100 in Figure 4A is shown. Figure 4C A schematic top view of the chip mounter or chip mounter device 100 in Figure 4A is shown, wherein the diced wafer 102 and the carrier 106 are opposite and hold an angle. According to various embodiments, same-side transfer refers to the transfer of the chips 104 from the diced wafer 102 to the carrier 106 in such a way that the side of the chips 104 that was in contact with the dicing tape 105 of the diced wafer 102 after the transfer is in contact with the carrier 106. Thus, the side of the chips 104 that is in contact with the carrier 106 after the transfer is the same side that was attached to the dicing tape 105 of the diced wafer 102 before the transfer. Figure 5A A schematic side view of a chip mounter or chip mounter device 100 configured for opposite-side transfer according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. Figure 5B A schematic top view of the chip mounter or chip mounter device 100 in Figure 5A is shown. Figure 5C A schematic top view of the chip mounter or chip mounter device 100 in Figure 5AFIG. 1 illustrates a schematic top view of a chip taping device or chip taping machine 100, in which a diced wafer 102 and a carrier board 106 are opposite and held at an angle, according to various embodiments. According to various embodiments, the opposite side transfer of die 104 from the diced wafer 102 to the carrier board 106 is performed in such a way that a first side of the die 104, which is in contact with a dicing tape 105 of the diced wafer 102, and a second side of the die 104, which is in contact with the carrier board 106 after the transfer to the carrier board 106, are opposite. Accordingly, the second side of the die 104, which is in contact with the carrier board 106 after the transfer, can be opposite to the first side of the die 104, which is adhered to the dicing tape 105 of the diced wafer 102 before the transfer. As shown, according to various embodiments, the chip taping device or chip taping machine 100, which is configured for same side transfer or opposite side transfer, can differ in the configuration of the die transfer module 130.

[0098] According to various embodiments, the die transfer module 130 of the chip taping device or chip taping machine 100, which is configured for opposite side transfer, can include a pick-up movement unit 132a. According to various embodiments, the pick-up movement unit 132a can include at least one pick-up head 134a, which is movable between a pick-up position 131a and a release position 133a. According to various embodiments, the pick-up position 131a and the release position 133a can be on different sides of the pick-up movement unit 132a. For example, according to various embodiments, when the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 and the taping face 106a of the carrier board 106 are substantially parallel to each other, the pick-up position 131a and the release position 133a can be on different sides of the pick-up movement unit 132a. As another example, when the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 and the taping face 106a of the carrier board 106 are angled in a substantially facing manner, the pick-up position 131a and the release position 133a can have a corresponding angular displacement with respect to the die transfer module 130.

[0099] According to various embodiments, when the at least one pick-up head 134a is in the pick-up position 131a, the at least one pick-up head 134a can be directed at the diced wafer 102 held by the wafer supply unit 120 and aligned with the die 104 for picking up the die 104 from the diced wafer 102 held by the wafer supply unit 120. Accordingly, when the at least one pick-up head 134a is in the pick-up position 131a, it can be directed at the die 104 on the diced wafer 102 for picking up the die 104 from the diced wafer 102 held by the wafer supply unit 120. Accordingly, when the at least one pick-up head 134a is in the pick-up position 131a, it can be directed or pointed away from the carrier board support unit 110 and towards the direction of the wafer supply unit 120.

[0100] According to various embodiments, when the at least one pick-up head 134a is in the release position 133a, it can be directed away from the diced wafer 102 held by the wafer feed unit 120 and directed toward the carrier board 106 held by the carrier board support unit 110. Thus, when the at least one pick-up head 134a is in the release position 133a, it can be directed or directed toward the carrier board 106 held by the carrier board support unit 110. Thus, when the at least one pick-up head 134a is in the release position 133a, it can be directed or directed away from the wafer feed unit 120 and toward the carrier board support unit 110.

[0101] According to various embodiments, the die paster device or die paster machine 100 is configured for same-side transfer, and when the at least one pick-up head 134a is in the release position 133a, it can place the die 104 on the carrier board 106, thereby pasting the die 104 onto the carrier board 106. According to various embodiments, the die paster device or die paster machine 100 configured for same-side transfer can include a single pick-up movement unit 132a, and when the at least one pick-up head 134a of the single pick-up movement unit 132a is in the pick-up position 131a, it can pick up the die 104 from the diced wafer 102 held by the wafer feed unit 120, move the die 104 from the pick-up position 131a to the release position 133a, and when the at least one pick-up head 134a is in the release position 133a, it can place the die 104 on the carrier board 106, thereby pasting the die 104 onto the carrier board 106. Thus, the single pick-up movement unit 132a can directly pick up, move, and place the die 104 for pasting.

[0102] According to various embodiments, when the at least one pick-up head 134a moves from the pick-up location 131a to the release location 133a, it can be flipped relative to the original orientation of the dies 104 on the diced wafer 102 held by the wafer supply unit 120. Since the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 and the die face 106a of the carrier board 106 face each other, when the dies 104 are moved from the pick-up location 131a to the release location 133a, by flipping the original orientation of the dies 104 on the diced wafer 102, the dies 104 can be placed and die attached to the carrier board 106 such that the arrangement of the dies 104 relative to the carrier board 106 can be the same as when the dies 104 were on the diced wafer 102. According to various embodiments, when the at least one pick-up head 134a moves from the pick-up location 131a to the release location 133a, the orientation of the dies 104 relative to the at least one pick-up head 134a can remain the same. However, when the dies 104 are moved by the at least one pick-up head 134a to the release location 133a, the orientation of the dies 104 can be flipped relative to the original orientation of the dies 104 on the diced wafer 102, flipping the side of the dies 104 that was previously in contact with the dicing street 105 of the diced wafer 102, and facing the die face 106a of the carrier board 106 that faces the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102. For example, when the dies 104 have an orientation in which their active surfaces face upwards relative to the diced wafer 102, by flipping the dies 104 on the diced wafer 102, when the dies 104 are moved by the at least one pick-up head 134a of the single pick-up movement unit 132a of the die transfer module 130, their inactive surfaces can be directed towards the die face 106a of the carrier board 106 when the dies 104 are moved to the location where they are to be die attached to the carrier board 106; and the dies 104 can be placed and die attached to the carrier board 106 such that their inactive surfaces are in contact with the die face 106a of the carrier board 106, and their active surfaces face upwards relative to the carrier board 106. Thus, by flipping the dies 104 by the die transfer module 130, when the dies 104 are transferred from the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 to the die face 106a of the carrier board 106, whereby the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 and the die face 106a of the carrier board 106 face each other, the dies 104 can be placed and die attached to the carrier board 106 such that the arrangement of the dies 104 relative to the carrier board 106 when the dies 104 are die attached to the carrier board 106 can correspond to the arrangement of the dies 104 relative to the diced wafer 102 when the dies 104 were on the diced wafer 102.

[0103] According to various embodiments, the at least one pick-up head 134a can be rotatable about a rotation axis 135a that is parallel to the support plane 111 defined by the at least one support element 112 of the carrier plate support unit 110, such that the at least one pick-up head 134a follows a curved path 136a from the pick-up position 131a to the release position 133a when the at least one pick-up head 134a is rotated about the rotation axis 135a. Thus, by moving the at least one pick-up head 134a along the curved path 136a, a die 104 held by the at least one pick-up head 134a can be moved from the pick-up position 131a to the release position 133a while the die 104 is simultaneously flipped over with respect to the singulated wafer 102 when the at least one pick-up head 134a is rotated about the rotation axis 135a. Thus, by a single rotational movement of the at least one pick-up head 134a about the rotation axis 135a, a die 104 can be simultaneously moved and flipped over.

[0104] According to various embodiments, the radial distance of the pick-up position 131a on the curved path 136a with respect to the rotation axis 135a can be equal to the radial distance of the release position 133a on the curved path 136a with respect to the rotation axis 135a. Thus, the pick-up position 131a and the release position 133a can be equidistant from the rotation axis 135a.

[0105] According to various embodiments, the pick-up position 131a and the release position 133a can be spaced apart at an angle with respect to the rotation axis 135a of the pick-up movement unit 132a. For example, according to various embodiments, when the wafer side 102a of the singulated wafer 102 and the die face 106a of the carrier plate 106 are substantially parallel, the pick-up position 131a and the release position 133a can be spaced apart at 180° with respect to the rotation axis 135a of the pick-up movement unit 132a. As another example, when the wafer side 102a of the singulated wafer 102 and the die face 106a of the carrier plate 106 are facing each other at an angle, the pick-up position 131a and the release position 133a can be formed at a corresponding angle with respect to the rotation axis 135a of the pick-up movement unit 132a.

[0106] According to various embodiments, the at least one pick-up head 134a (or at least its rotation mechanism 137, described in detail in Figure 15A , can be rotatable about its rotation axis 137a (see Figure 15A ) to rotate or turn the die 104 about the rotation axis while the die 104 is held by the at least one pick-up head 134a. According to various embodiments, the rotation axis 137a of the at least one pick-up head 134a can be perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis 135a of the pick-up movement unit 132a.

[0107] According to various embodiments, when at least one pick head 134a of a single pick move unit 132a of a chip transfer module 130 of a chip taping device or chip taping machine 100 configured for in-line transfer is in a release position 133a, the at least one pick head 134a is operable to push a chip 104 toward a carrier plate 106 held by a carrier plate support unit 110 to apply a bonding force to tape the chip 104 to the carrier plate 106. Thus, the at least one pick head 134a can push the chip 104 toward a taping face 106a of the carrier plate 106. According to various embodiments, the at least one pick head 134a is extendable toward the carrier plate 106 held by the carrier plate support unit 110 to push the chip 104 toward the carrier plate 106 to tape the chip 104 to the carrier plate 106. Thus, the at least one pick head 134a is extendable toward the taping face 106a of the carrier plate 106. According to various embodiments, the at least one pick head 134a is extendable substantially perpendicularly toward the taping face 106a of the carrier plate 106 to push the chip 104 to bond to the carrier plate 106 to complete taping the chip 104 to the carrier plate 106.

[0108] According to various embodiments, the die transfer module 130 or configured for opposite side transfer of the chip taping device or chip taping machine 100 can include a first pick up movement unit 132a and a second pick up movement unit 132b. According to various embodiments, the first pick up movement unit 132a can include at least one pick up head 134a that is movable between a pick up position 131a and a release position 133a. According to various embodiments, the pick up position 131a and the release position 133a can be on different sides of the first pick up movement unit 132a. For example, according to various embodiments, when the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 and the taping side 106a of the carrier board 106 are substantially parallel to each other, the pick up position 131a and the release position 133a can be on opposite sides of the first pick up movement unit 132a. As another example, when the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 and the taping side 106a of the carrier board 106 are angled face to face, the pick up position 131a and the release position 133a can have a corresponding angular displacement with respect to the first pick up movement unit 132a. According to various embodiments, the second pick up movement unit 132b can include at least one pick up head 134b that is movable between a pick up position 131b and a release position 133b. According to various embodiments, the pick up position 131b and the release position 133b can be on different sides of the second pick up movement unit 132b. For example, according to various embodiments, when the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 and the taping side 106a of the carrier board 106 are substantially parallel to each other, the pick up position 131b and the release position 133b can be on opposite sides of the second pick up movement unit 132b. As another example, when the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 and the taping side 106a of the carrier board 106 are angled face to face, the pick up position 131b and the release position 133b can have a corresponding angular displacement with respect to the second pick up movement unit 132b.

[0109] According to various embodiments, the first pick-up movement unit 132a and the second pick-up movement unit 132b can be arranged in series. According to various embodiments, the first pick-up movement unit 132a can pick up a die 104 from a cut wafer 102 held by the wafer supply unit 120 at its pick-up location 131a and move the die 104 to a release location 133a of the first pick-up movement unit 132a for transfer to the second pick-up movement unit 132b. According to various embodiments, the second pick-up movement unit 132b can receive the die 104 from the first pick-up movement unit 132a at its pick-up location 131b and move the die 104 to a release location 133b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b and place the die 104 on a carrier wafer 106 for die placement of the die 104 on the carrier wafer 106. Thus, the die transfer module 130 having the first pick-up movement unit 132a and the second pick-up movement unit 132b arranged in series can pick up a die 104 from a cut wafer 102 held by the wafer supply unit 120 by the first pick-up movement unit 132a; transfer the die 104 from the first pick-up movement unit 132a to the second pick-up movement unit 132b; and place the die 104 on a carrier wafer 106 for die placement of the die 104 on the carrier wafer 106 by the second pick-up movement unit 132b.

[0110] According to various embodiments, when the at least one pick-up head 134a of the first pick-up movement unit 132a is at the pick-up location 131a, the at least one pick-up head 134a of the first pick-up movement unit 132a can be directed towards the cut wafer 102 held by the wafer supply unit 120 and aligned with the die 104 for picking up the die 104 from the cut wafer 102 held by the wafer supply unit 120. Thus, when the at least one pick-up head 134a is at the pick-up location 131a, the at least one pick-up head 134a of the first pick-up movement unit 132a can be directed towards the die 104 on the cut wafer 102 for picking up the die 104 from the cut wafer 102 held by the wafer supply unit 120. Thus, when the at least one pick-up head 134a is at the pick-up location 131a, the at least one pick-up head 134a of the first pick-up movement unit 132a is directed or directed away from the carrier wafer support unit 110 and towards the direction of the wafer supply unit 120.

[0111] According to various embodiments, when the at least one pick head 134a of the first pick and place movement unit 132a is in the release position 133a, it can be directed away from the diced wafer 102 held by the wafer feed unit 120 and toward the carrier wafer 106 held by the carrier wafer support unit 110. Thus, when the at least one pick head 134a is in the release position 133a, the at least one pick head 134a of the first pick and place movement unit 132a can be directed or pointed toward the carrier wafer 106 held by the carrier wafer support unit 110. Thus, when the at least one pick head 134a is in the release position 133a, the at least one pick head 134a of the first pick and place movement unit 132a can be directed or pointed away from the wafer feed unit 120 and toward the carrier wafer support unit 110.

[0112] According to various embodiments, when the at least one pick head 134b of the second pick and place movement unit 132b is in the pick position 131b, the at least one pick head 134b of the second pick and place movement unit 132b can be directed toward the diced wafer 102 held by the wafer feed unit 120. Thus, when the at least one pick head 134b is in the pick position 131b, the at least one pick head 134b of the second pick and place movement unit 132b can be directed or pointed away from the carrier wafer support unit 110 and toward the wafer feed unit 120. According to various embodiments, when the at least one pick head 134b of the second pick and place movement unit 132b is in the pick position 131b and the at least one pick head 134a of the first pick and place movement unit 132a is in the release position 133a, the at least one pick head 134b of the second pick and place movement unit 132b can be directed or pointed toward the at least one pick head 134a of the first pick and place movement unit 132a and can be aligned with the at least one pick head 134a of the first pick and place movement unit 132a; such that the die 104 can be transferred from the at least one pick head 134a of the first pick and place movement unit 132a to the at least one pick head 134b of the second pick and place movement unit 132b.

[0113] According to various embodiments, when the at least one pick head 134b of the second pick and place movement unit 132b is in the release position 133b, it can be directed away from the diced wafer 102 held by the wafer feed unit 120 and toward the carrier wafer 106 held by the carrier wafer support unit 110. Thus, when the at least one pick head 134b is in the release position 133b, the at least one pick head 134b of the second pick and place movement unit 132b can be directed or pointed toward the carrier wafer 106 held by the carrier wafer support unit 110. Thus, when the at least one pick head 134b is in the release position 133b, the at least one pick head 134b of the second pick and place movement unit 132b can be directed or pointed away from the wafer feed unit 120 and toward the carrier wafer support unit 110.

[0114] According to various embodiments, the chip taping device or chip taping machine 100 is configured for relative side transfer, where at least one pick head 134b of the second pick movement unit 132b can place a chip 104 on the carrier board 106 to tape the chip 104 onto the carrier board 106 when the at least one pick head 134b of the second pick movement unit 132b is in the release position 133b. According to various embodiments, the chip taping device or chip taping machine 100 is configured for relative side transfer, which can include two pick movement units 132a, 132b for picking up a chip 104 from a diced wafer 102 held by the wafer feed unit 120, transferring the chip 104 from the first pick movement unit 132a to the second pick movement unit 132b via the first pick movement unit 132a, and placing the chip 104 on the carrier board 106 to tape the chip 104 onto the carrier board 106 by the second pick movement unit 132b. Thus, the two pick movement units 132a, 132b can operate in coordination to pick up, move, and place the chip 104 for taping.

[0115] According to various embodiments, when the at least one pick head 134a of the first pick and move unit 132a moves from the pick position 131a to the release position 133a, the at least one pick head 134a of the first pick and move unit 132a can flip the chip 104 relative to its original orientation on the diced wafer 102 held by the wafer feed unit 120. According to various embodiments, when the at least one pick head 134b of the second pick and move unit 132b moves from the pick position 131b to the release position 133b, it can flip the chip 104 again in such a way that the chip 104 is returned relative to the diced wafer 102 so that its orientation relative to the diced wafer 102 at the release position 133b of the second pick and move unit 132b when the chip 104 is on the diced wafer 102 held by the wafer feed unit 120 corresponds to the original orientation of the chip 104. Since the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 and the die face 106a of the carrier board 106 face each other, when the chip 104 is moved from the pick position 131a of the first pick and move unit 132a to the release position 133a of the first pick and move unit 132a, flipping the chip 104 relative to its original orientation on the diced wafer 102, and when the chip 104 is moved from the pick position 131b of the second pick and move unit 132b to the release position 133b of the second pick and move unit 132b, flipping the chip 104 again, the chip 104 can be placed and die attached to the carrier board 106 in such a way that the orientation disposition of the chip 104 relative to the carrier board 106 can be opposite to the orientation disposition of the chip 104 relative to the diced wafer 102 when the chip 104 is on the diced wafer 102. According to various embodiments, when the at least one pick head 134a of the first pick and move unit 132a moves from the pick position 131a of the first pick and move unit 132a to the release position 133a of the first pick and move unit 132a, the orientation of the chip 104 relative to the at least one pick head 134a of the first pick and move unit 132a can remain the same. However, the orientation of the chip 104 can be flipped relative to its original orientation on the diced wafer 102 so that the side of the chip 104 that was previously in contact with the dicing street 105 of the diced wafer 102 (or facing the diced wafer 102 when held by the at least one pick head 134a of the first pick and move unit 132a at the pick position 131a of the first pick and move unit 132a), when the chip 104 is moved by the at least one pick head 134a of the first pick and move unit 132a to the release position 133a of the first pick and move unit 132a, the chip 104 can be flipped and facing away from the diced wafer 102.According to various embodiments, the orientation of the chip 104 relative to the at least one pick-up head 134b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b can remain the same when the at least one pick-up head 134b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b is moved from the pick-up position 131b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b to the release position 133b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b. However, the orientation of the chip 104 can be flipped again relative to the cut wafer 102, such that the side of the chip 104 facing away from the cut wafer 102 can be flipped again relative to the cut wafer 102 when it is held by the at least one pick-up head 134b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b in the pick-up position 131b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b, and towards the cut wafer 102 when the chip 104 is moved by the at least one pick-up head 134b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b to the release position 133b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b. For example, the chip 104 can be oriented with its active surface facing upwards relative to the cut wafer 102 when the chip 104 is moved by the at least one pick-up head 134a of the first pick-up movement unit 132a, such that it is (first) flipped relative to the cut wafer 102; and the chip 104 can be (second) flipped relative to the cut wafer 102 when the chip 104 is moved by the at least one pick-up head 134b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b, such that the active surface of the chip 104 can face towards the die face 106a of the carrier plate 106 when the chip 104 is moved to a position where it is to be die attached to the carrier plate 106, and the chip 104 can be placed and die attached to the carrier plate 106 such that the active surface of the chip 104 faces downwards relative to the carrier plate 106. In other words, the chip 104 can be die attached such that its active surface faces downwards relative to the carrier plate 106, which is opposite to the active surface facing upwards when the chip 104 is on the cut wafer 102. Thus, when the chip 104 is transferred from the wafer side 102a of the cut wafer to the die face 106a of the carrier plate 106, the chip 104 can be placed and die attached to the carrier plate 106 such that the arrangement of the chip 104 relative to the carrier plate 106 when the chip 104 is die attached to the carrier plate 106 can be opposite to its arrangement on the cut wafer 102, by flipping the chip 104 by the first pick-up movement unit 132a and flipping the chip 104 again by the second pick-up movement unit 132b, whereby the wafer side 102a of the cut wafer 102 and the die face 106a of the carrier plate 106 face each other.

[0116] According to various embodiments, the at least one pick-up head 134a of the first pick-up movement unit 132a can be rotatable about a rotation axis 135a which is parallel to the support plane 111 defined by the at least one support element 112 of the carrier plate support unit 110; the at least one pick-up head 134a of the first pick-up movement unit 132a is movable along a curved path 136a from the pick-up position 131a to the release position 133a of the first pick-up movement unit 132a while the at least one pick-up head 134a of the first pick-up movement unit 132a is rotated about the rotation axis 135a of the first pick-up movement unit 132a. Thus, by moving the at least one pick-up head 134a of the first pick-up movement unit 132a along the curved path 136a of the first pick-up movement unit 132a, a die 104 held by the at least one pick-up head 134a can be moved from the pick-up position 131a to the release position 133a of the first pick-up movement unit 132a while being flipped over with respect to the sawn wafer 102 while the at least one pick-up head 134a of the first pick-up movement unit 132a is rotated about the rotation axis 135a of the first pick-up movement unit 132a. Thus, by a single rotational movement of the at least one pick-up head 134a of the first pick-up movement unit 132a about the rotation axis 135a of the first pick-up movement unit 132a, a die 104 can be moved and flipped over with respect to the sawn wafer 102 at the same time.

[0117] According to various embodiments, the radial distance of the pick-up position 131a of the first pick-up movement unit 132a from the rotation axis 135a of the first pick-up movement unit 132a on the curved path 136a of the first pick-up movement unit 132a can be equal to the radial distance of the release position 133a of the first pick-up movement unit 132a from the rotation axis 135a of the first pick-up movement unit 132a on the curved path 136a of the first pick-up movement unit 132a. Thus, the pick-up position 131a of the first pick-up movement unit 132a and the release position 133a of the first pick-up movement unit 132a can be equidistant from the rotation axis 135a of the first pick-up movement unit 132a.

[0118] According to various embodiments, the pick-up position 131a and the release position 133a can be angularly spaced with respect to the rotation axis 135a of the first pick-up movement unit 132a. For example, according to various embodiments, when the wafer side 102a of the sawn wafer 102 and the die side 106a of the carrier plate 106 are substantially parallel, the pick-up position 131a and the release position 133a can be angularly spaced 180° with respect to the rotation axis 135a of the first pick-up movement unit 132a. As another example, when the wafer side 102a of the sawn wafer 102 and the die side 106a of the carrier plate 106 are angularly facing each other, the pick-up position 131a and the release position 133a can be angularly spaced by a corresponding angle with respect to the rotation axis 135a of the first pick-up movement unit 132a.

[0119] According to various embodiments, at least one pick-up head 134a (or at least its rotation mechanism 137, described in detail in the detailed description) of the first pick-up movement unit 132a is rotatable about a rotation axis 137a (see Fig. 6) of the at least one pick-up head 134a, to rotate or turn the die 104 about the rotation axis, while the die 104 is held by the at least one pick-up head 134a. According to various embodiments, the rotation axis 137a of the at least one pick-up head 134a of the first pick-up movement unit 132a is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis 135a of the first pick-up movement unit 132a. Figure 15A Figure 15A According to various embodiments, at least one pick-up head 134b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b is rotatable about the rotation axis 135b, parallel to the support plane 111 defined by the at least one support element 112 of the carrier support unit 110; to move the carrier support unit 110 along the curved path 136b, from the pick-up location 131b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b to its release location 133b; while the at least one pick-up head 134b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b is rotated about the rotation axis 135b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b. Thus, by the at least one pick-up head 134b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b moving along the curved path 136b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b, the die 104 held by the at least one pick-up head 134b can be moved by the pick-up location 131b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b to its release location 133b; while being flipped relative to the diced wafer 102. Thus, the die 104 can be moved and flipped relative to the diced wafer 102 simultaneously, while the at least one pick-up head 134b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b is rotated once about the rotation axis 135b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b.

[0120] According to various embodiments, the radial distance of the pick-up location 131b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b from the rotation axis 135b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b on the curved path 136b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b can be equal to the radial distance of the release location 133b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b from the rotation axis 135b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b on the curved path 136b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b. Thus, the pick-up location 131b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b and the release location 133b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b can be equidistant from the rotation axis 135b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b.

[0121] According to various embodiments, the radial distance of the pick-up location 131b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b from the rotation axis 135b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b on the curved path 136b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b can be equal to the radial distance of the release location 133b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b from the rotation axis 135b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b on the curved path 136b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b. Thus, the pick-up location 131b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b and the release location 133b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b can be equidistant from the rotation axis 135b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b.

[0122] ​According to various embodiments, the pick-up position 131b and the release position 133b can be spaced apart at an angle with respect to the rotation axis 135b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b. For example, according to various embodiments, when the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 and the patch face 106a of the carrier plate 106 are substantially parallel, the pick-up position 131b and the release position 133b can be spaced apart 180° with respect to the rotation axis 135b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b. As another example, when the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 and the patch face 106a of the carrier plate 106 are facing each other at an angle, the pick-up position 131b and the release position 133b can be spaced apart at a corresponding angle with respect to the rotation axis 135b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b.

[0123] According to various embodiments, at least one pick-up head 134b (or at least its rotation mechanism 137, described in detail in the detailed description) of the second pick-up movement unit 132b can be rotatable about a rotation axis of the at least one pick-up head 134b to rotate or turn the chip 104 about the rotation axis while the chip 104 is held by the at least one pick-up head 134b. According to various embodiments, the rotation axis of the at least one pick-up head 134b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b can be perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis 135b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b. Figure 15A According to various embodiments, the at least one pick-up head 134b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b of the chip taping device or chip taping machine 100 is configured for relative side transfer, and when the at least one pick-up head 134b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b is in the release position 133b, the at least one pick-up head 134b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b is operable to push the chip 104 towards the carrier plate 106 held by the carrier plate support unit 110 to apply a bonding force to tape the chip 104 to the carrier plate 106. Thus, the at least one pick-up head 134b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b can push the chip 104 towards the patch face 106a of the carrier plate 106. According to various embodiments, the at least one pick-up head 134b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b can extend towards the carrier plate 106 held by the carrier plate support unit 110 for pushing the chip 104 towards the carrier plate 106 to tape the chip 104 to the carrier plate 106. Thus, the at least one pick-up head 134b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b can extend towards the patch face 106a of the carrier plate 106. According to various embodiments, the at least one pick-up head 134b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b can extend substantially perpendicularly to the patch face 106a of the carrier plate 106. The second pick-up movement unit 132b can extend substantially perpendicularly to the patch face 106a of the carrier plate 106 to push the chip 104 onto the carrier plate 106 to tape the chip 104 to the carrier plate 106.

[0124]

[0125] ​Reference is made to Figure 4A , Figure 4B , Figure 5A and Figure 5B , according to various embodiments, each pick-and-place moving unit 132a, 132b can include two or more pick-and-place heads 134a, 134b. According to various embodiments, the two or more pick-and-place heads 134a, 134b of each pick-and-place moving unit 132a, 132b can be distributed around its rotation axis 135a, 135b. For example, according to various embodiments, the two or more pick-and-place heads 134a, 134b of each pick-and-place moving unit 132a, 132b can be uniformly distributed around its rotation axis 135a, 135b. According to various embodiments, the two or more pick-and-place heads 134a, 134b of each pick-and-place moving unit 132a, 132b can rotate around its rotation axis 135a, 135b, thereby sequentially picking up a plurality of dies 104 from the diced wafer 102, transferring the plurality of dies 104, and finally die-attaching the plurality of dies 104 onto the carrier board 106.

[0126] According to various embodiments, each pick-and-place head 134a, 134b can include an attachment element for engaging and holding a die 104. According to various embodiments, the attachment element can include, but is not limited to, a vacuum suction element (such as a vacuum hole, or a vacuum cup, or a vacuum port), or a clamping element (a clamp or a clip, etc.), or a magnetic element such as an electromagnet.

[0127] According to various embodiments, when at least one pick-and-place head 134a Figure 4A and in Figure 4B ), 134b Figure 5A and Figure 5B ) of the pick-and-place moving unit 132a Figure 4A and Figure 4B ), 134b Figure 5A and Figure 5B ) is capable of pushing a die 104 towards the carrier board 106, the at least one pick-and-place head 134a, 134b can function as a bonding head for die-attaching the die 104 onto the carrier board 106; and such pick-and-place moving unit 132a, 132b can be referred to as a die-attach unit, to distinguish from a pick-and-place moving unit 132a that is only capable of picking up and transferring a die 104 but is not capable of applying a pushing force to bond the die 104. According to various embodiments, a pick-and-place moving unit 132a Figure 4A and Figure 4B) can be referred to as a flip unit to distinguish from the pick-and-place movement units 132a, 132b that have an applied pushing force. Thus, the chip transfer module 130 of the chip mounter or chip mounter 100 is configured for same-side transfer, can only have a die attach unit ( Figure 5A and Figure 5B ); while the chip transfer module 130 of the chip mounter or chip mounter 100 is configured for opposite-side transfer, has both a flip unit and a die attach unit ( Figure 4A to Figure 5B and Figure 4A to Figure 5B ).

[0128] According to various embodiments, in the chip transfer module 130 of the chip mounter or chip mounter 100 configured for same-side transfer ( Figure 6A to Figure 6F and Figure 6A to Figure 6F ), the chip transfer module 130 can include a die attach unit; wherein the die attach unit can have two or more bonding heads distributed around a rotation axis 135a thereof, and each can rotate around the rotation axis 135a of the die attach unit, and when the two or more bonding heads rotate around the rotation axis 135a of the die attach unit, the plurality of dies 104 can be sequentially mounted on the carrier board 106.

[0129] According to various embodiments, in the chip transfer module 130 of the chip mounter or chip mounter 100 configured for opposite-side transfer ( Figure 6A and Figure 6B ), the flip unit and the die attach unit can be arranged in series from the wafer supply unit 120 to the carrier board support unit 110; whereby the flip unit can be between the wafer supply unit 120 and the die attach unit, and the die attach unit can be between the flip unit and the carrier board support unit 110. Accordingly, in the chip transfer module 130 of the chip mounter or chip mounter 100 for opposite-side transfer, the chip transfer module 130 can have a flip unit, and the flip unit can have two or more pick-up heads 134a distributed around a rotation axis 135a thereof, and each can rotate around the rotation axis 135a of the flip unit, and when the two or more pick-up heads 134a rotate around the rotation axis 135a of the flip unit, the plurality of dies 104 can be sequentially picked up from the diced wafer 102, and then transferred to the two or more bonding heads, respectively. In addition, the chip transfer module 130 can have a die attach unit, and the die attach unit can have two or more bonding heads distributed around a rotation axis 135b thereof, and each can rotate around the rotation axis 135b of the die attach unit, and when the two or more bonding heads rotate around the rotation axis 135b of the die attach unit, the plurality of dies 104 can be sequentially mounted on the carrier board 106, respectively.

[0130] ReferenceFigure 6C According to various embodiments, the sensing devices 150 can include a chip pick sensing device 152 and a chip place sensing device 154. According to various embodiments, the chip pick sensing device 152 can include at least one sensor 152a to determine a position of the chip 104 relative to a predetermined pick position to control movement of the wafer feed unit 120 along the wafer movement plane 128 and / or movement of the chip transfer module 130 to align the chip 104 with the predetermined pick position. According to various embodiments, the predetermined pick position can coincide or overlap with a pick position 131a of a pick head 134a of a pick movement unit 132a of the chip transfer module 130. Accordingly, the chip pick sensing device 152 can provide feedback to move the wafer feed unit 120 to move the chip 104 to the predetermined pick position for picking by the chip transfer module 130. According to various embodiments, the chip place sensing device 154 can include at least one sensor 154a to determine a position of the chip 104 picked by the chip transfer module 130 relative to a target place position on the carrier 106 held by the carrier support unit 110 for controlling movement of the carrier support unit 110 to move the carrier 106 and controlling movement of the chip transfer module 130 to effect relative movement between the chip 104 and the carrier 106 to align the target place position on the carrier 106 and the chip 104 for the chip transfer module 130 to place the chip 104 on the carrier 106 and to flip the chip 104 onto the carrier 106. Accordingly, the chip place sensing device 154 can provide feedback to move the chip 104 by the chip transfer module 130 and / or to move the carrier 106 by the carrier support unit 110 to align the chip 104 and the target place position on the carrier 106 to place and flip the chip 104 onto the carrier 106. According to various embodiments, the sensors 152a, 154a can include, but are not limited to, vision sensors, cameras, photo sensors, laser sensors, line sensors, displacement sensors, profile sensors, and the like.

[0131] Reference is made to Figure 6DAccording to various embodiments, the chip mounter 100 can have an ejector 160. According to various embodiments, the ejector 160 can be disposed at a side of the wafer supply unit 120 distal from the chip transfer module 130. Thus, the wafer supply unit 120 can be between the ejector 160 and the chip transfer module 130. According to various embodiments, the ejector 160 can be at the cut tape side 102b of the cut wafer 102. Thus, the ejector 160 rapidly ejects from the cut tape side 102b of the cut wafer 102 and contacts the cut tape 105 of the cut wafer 102 to eject the chip 104 from the cut tape 105. According to various embodiments, the ejector 160 can include an ejector head 162. According to various embodiments, the ejector head 162 can extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the cut tape 105 of the cut wafer 102. According to various embodiments, the ejector head 162 of the ejector 160 can extend to a predetermined pick position of the chip 104. Thus, the ejector head 162 of the ejector 160 can be aligned with the pick position 131a of the pick movement unit 132a due to the alignment of the pick position 131a of the pick movement unit 132a with the predetermined pick position of the chip 104. According to various embodiments, the ejector head 162 of the ejector 160 can be operable to contact the cut tape 105 of the cut wafer 102 from the cut tape side 102b of the cut wafer 102, to dislodge the chip 104 from its predetermined pick position at the wafer side 102a of the cut wafer 102, towards the pick head 134a at the pick position 131a, for picking up of the chip 104 by the pick head 134a of the pick movement unit 132a. Thus, the ejector head 162 of the ejector 160 and the pick head 134a of the pick movement unit 132a can operate in coordination to pick up the chip 104 from the wafer side 102a of the cut wafer 102.

[0132] Figure 6D A chip mounting process using the chip mounter 100 according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. In Figure 6E the chip transfer module 130 of the chip mounter 100 has a first pick movement unit 132a and a second pick movement unit 132b. The first pick movement unit 132a and the second pick movement unit 132b each have two pick heads 134a, 134a-1, 134b, 134b-1 directly opposite each other. In addition, the sensing apparatus 150 has a chip pick sensing apparatus 152 having a sensor 152a and a chip place sensing apparatus 154 having a first sensor 154a, a second sensor 154b and a third sensor 154c.

[0133] Reference is made to Figure 6FAccording to various embodiments, the chip taping process can start from material loading. During material loading, the diced wafer 102 can be loaded to the wafer supply unit 120, the barcode of the diced wafer 102 can be checked, the wafer map of the diced wafer 102 can be downloaded, and the wafer center and the first chip 104 can be referenced. Subsequently, the wafer supply unit 120 is moved so as to move the diced wafer 102, the first chip 104 is aligned to the predetermined pick-up position, and is aligned to the ejector head 162 of the ejector 160. Thus, the center of the first chip 104 can be aligned, intersected or coincided with the center of the ejector head 162 of the ejector 160. In addition, the carrier board 106 can be moved into position to wait for the first chip 104 to be taped to the taping face 106a of the carrier board 106.

[0134] Referring to Figure 6F According to various embodiments, the chip taping process can eject the first chip 104 by the ejector head 162 of the ejector 160, and pick up the first chip 104 by the pick-up head 134a of the first pick-up moving unit 132a (or a flip unit or a flipper). The pick-up head 134a of the first pick-up moving unit 132a can be rotatable about a rotation axis 135a to move the pick-up head 134a carrying the first chip 104 along a curved path 136a. According to various embodiments, the sensor 152a of the chip pick-up sensing device 152 can be directed to the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 for detecting the chips 104 on the diced wafer 102. According to various embodiments, the sensor 152a of the chip pick-up sensing device 152 can be a camera (or a wafer camera). Thus, the camera (i.e. the sensor 152a) can be directed to the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 to capture an image of the diced wafer 102 at the predetermined pick-up position. According to various embodiments, when the pick-up head 134a of the first pick-up moving unit 132a is rotated so as to be located out of the field of view of the camera (i.e. the sensor 152a), the wafer supply unit 120 can be moved to move the diced wafer 102 so as to align the next chip 104-1 to the predetermined pick-up position. Then, the camera (i.e. the sensor 152a) can capture an image of the next chip 104-1 and verify the position of the next chip 104-1 before being picked up. If the position of the next chip 104-1 is misaligned to the predetermined pick-up position (or the center of the ejector head 162 of the ejector 160), the wafer supply unit 120 can be moved to move the diced wafer 102 for correction to adjust the next chip 104-1 to be aligned to the predetermined pick-up position.

[0135] Referring to Figure 7AAccording to various embodiments, the die taping process continues with the first die 104 being transferred to a pick head 134b of a second pick and place movement unit 132b (or a die attach unit), or an unflip module. While the pick head 134a of the first pick and place movement unit 132a is delivering the first die 104 to the pick head 134b of the second pick and place movement unit 132b, the other pick head 134a-1 of the first pick and place movement unit 132a can pick up the next die 104-1. Similarly, the eject head 162 of the ejector 160 can eject the next die 104-1 while the other pick head 134a-1 of the first pick and place movement unit 132a is picking up the next die 104-1.

[0136] Referring to Figure 7B According to various embodiments, after the other pick head 134a-1 of the first pick and place movement unit 132a picks up the next die 104-1, the first pick and place movement unit 132a can repeat the rotation of the first pick and place movement unit 132a for rotating the other pick head 134a-1 of the first pick and place movement unit 132a to be outside the field of view of the camera (i.e., the sensor 152a). The wafer feed unit 120 can then be moved again to move the diced wafer 102 to align the other die 104-2 with the predetermined pick position. The camera (i.e., the sensor 152a) can then capture an image of the other die 104-2 and verify the position of the other die 104-2 before it is picked. If the position of the other die 104-2 is misaligned with the predetermined pick position (or the center of the eject head 162 of the ejector 160), the wafer feed unit 120 can be moved again so as to move the diced wafer 102 for correction to adjust the other die 104-2 to be aligned with the predetermined pick position.

[0137] Meanwhile, according to various embodiments, the pickup head 134b of the second pickup moving unit 132b carrying the first chip 104 can rotate about the rotation axis 135b. According to various embodiments, the first sensor 154a of the chip placement sensing device 154 can be a first camera (or a first chip camera 154a-1), the second sensor 154b of the chip placement sensing device 154 can be a second camera (or a second chip camera 154b-1), and the third sensor 154c can be a third camera (or a carrier camera 154c-1). According to various embodiments, the first camera and the second camera can be part of a camera arrangement or can form a camera arrangement. The pickup head 134b of the second pickup moving unit 132b carrying the first chip 104 can rotate to a preset angle to align with the first camera (i.e., the first sensor 154a). The first camera can capture images of the first chip 104 in dynamic or static positions. While the first camera captures an image of the first chip 104, the third camera (i.e., the third sensor 154c) can capture an image of the patch surface 106a of the carrier 106 to obtain the target placement and positioning of the first chip 104 on the carrier 106. The sample image 199 captured by the third camera is shown below. Figure 7A As shown. According to various embodiments, target placement positioning (or combined positioning) may be marked or represented by a set of four points (or holes). According to various embodiments, these points (or holes) may serve as a reference for identifying the target placement position. According to various embodiments, carrier board position data captured by a third camera (i.e., third sensor 154c) and chip position data captured by a first camera (i.e., first sensor 154a) may be processed by a controller to calculate relative offsets (e.g., angular offsets and / or positional offsets). According to various embodiments, corrections may be performed to orient the first chip 104 to the target placement positioning. According to various embodiments, corrections may be performed on the carrier board 106 via the carrier board support unit 110, or on the first chip 104 via the pickup head 134b of the second pickup movement unit 132b, or both. For example, according to various embodiments, orientation or angle correction (i.e., angular displacement correction) of the first chip 104 can be performed by the pickup head 134b of the second pickup moving unit 132b, and position correction (i.e., translation / linear motion correction) can be performed by moving the carrier plate 106 through the carrier plate support unit 110.

[0138] refer to Figure 7AAccording to various embodiments, the pick head 134b of the second pick and place mobile unit 132b can then be rotated to align the first die 104 with the target placement position. Next, the pick head 134b of the second pick and place mobile unit 132b can place the first die 104 on the die face 106a of the carrier wafer 106 and push the first die 104 towards the die face 106a of the carrier wafer 106 to die attach the first die 104 onto the carrier wafer 106. Simultaneously, the first pick and place mobile unit 132a can be rotated such that the other pick head 134a-1 of the first pick and place mobile unit 132a carrying the next die 104-1 can be aligned with the other pick head 134b-1 of the second pick and place mobile unit 132b. Accordingly, the next die 104-1 can be transferred from the other pick head 134a-1 of the first pick and place mobile unit 132a to the other pick head 134b-1 of the second pick and place mobile unit 132b. Simultaneously, the pick head 134a of the first pick and place mobile unit 132a can pick up another die 104-2 from the diced wafer 102.

[0139] Reference is made to Figure 7B , according to various embodiments, after the first die 104 is die attached to the carrier wafer 106, the next die 104-1 is transferred to the other pick head 134b-1 of the second pick and place mobile unit 132b and another die 104-2 is picked up by the pick head 134a of the first pick and place mobile unit 132a, the first pick and place mobile unit 132a can repeat rotating its pick head 134a to fall outside the field of view of the camera (i.e., the sensor 152a) and the second pick and place mobile unit 132b can repeat rotating such that its other pick head 134b-1 is aligned with the second camera (i.e., the second sensor 154b). While the first pick and place mobile unit 132a and the second pick and place mobile unit 132b are rotating, the third camera (i.e., the third sensor 154c) can capture images of the first die 104 die attached on the carrier wafer 106 to perform post-attach inspection for measuring the die attach position of the first die 104 relative to the target placement position on the carrier wafer 106. A sample image 198 captured by the third camera for post-attach inspection is also shown in Figure 7A , according to various embodiments, the post-attach inspection can be performed while the plurality of dies 104 are being die attached to the carrier wafer 106. Accordingly, the post-attach inspection can be performed before the die attachment of the entire carrier wafer 106 is completed. Thus, the present disclosure can detect inaccuracies or any other defects before the die attachment of the entire carrier wafer 106 is completed, as compared to conventional methods where the post-attach inspection is performed only after the die attachment of the entire carrier wafer 106 is completed.

[0140] According to various embodiments, two pick-up heads 134a, 134a-1, 134b, 134b-1 in the first pick-up moving unit 132a and the second pick-up moving unit 132b can have the advantage of a reciprocating configuration. According to various embodiments, either of the first pick-up moving unit 132a and the second pick-up moving unit 132b can alternate between clockwise and counterclockwise rotation. In this way, the cables (or wires) and / or vacuum tubes for either pick-up head 134a, 134a-1, 134b, 134b-1 in the first pick-up moving unit 132a and the second pick-up moving unit 132b cannot continuously rotate. Furthermore, the management and data tracking of the pick-up heads 134a, 134a-1, 134b, 134b-1 can be simpler. According to various embodiments, a greater number of pick-up heads 134a, 134a-1, 134b, 134b-1 can enable higher throughput. According to various embodiments, a greater number of pick-up heads 134a, 134a-1, 134b, 134b-1 can also allow for capturing images of the chip 104 at a stationary position.

[0141] According to various embodiments, after the first chip 104 is successfully picked and placed to the carrier board 106, and the second pick-up moving unit 132b is rotated to move its pick-up head 134b out of the field of view of the third camera (i.e., the third sensor 154c); the third camera (i.e., the third sensor 154c) captures an image of the target placement position of the next chip 104-1 and sends data for calculating the offset relative to the next chip 104-1, and the carrier board support unit 110 is moved to start moving the target placement position of the next chip 104-1 into position. At the same time, the offset value can be dynamically updated to the carrier board support unit 110, so that the carrier board support unit 110 can continuously move to correct the offset as it moves the target placement position of the next chip 104-1 into position, whereby the carrier board 106 can move to the target placement position of the next chip 104-1 and correct the offset in one movement.

[0142] According to various embodiments, after the first die 104 is successfully die-attached to the carrier board 106 and the second pick-and-place movement unit 132b is rotated to move its pick- head 134b out of the field of view of the third camera (i.e., third sensor 154c), the third camera (i.e., third sensor 154c) can capture an image of the target placement position of the next die 104-1 and send data for calculating the offset from the target placement position of the next die 104-1. The carrier board support unit 110 can wait to receive the correction information before moving the carrier board 106 to move the target placement position of the next die 104-1 into position and include the offset correction in the movement. According to various embodiments, after the first die 104 is successfully die-attached to the carrier board 106 and the second pick-and-place movement unit 132b is rotated to move its pick- head 134b out of the field of view of the third camera (i.e., third sensor 154c), the carrier board support unit 110 can be moved to begin moving the target placement position of the next die 104-1 into position. After the carrier board support unit 110 completes the movement, the third camera (i.e., third sensor 154c) can capture an image of the target placement position of the next die 104-1 and send data for calculating the offset from the target placement position of the next die 104-1. The carrier board support unit 110 can wait to receive the correction information before moving the carrier board 106 again to perform the offset. Thus, moving the carrier board 106 to move the target placement position of the next die 104-1 into position and moving the carrier board 106 to perform the offset correction can be two different movements.

[0143] According to various embodiments, the first pick-and-place movement unit 132a can include more than two pick-heads 134a. Similarly, according to various embodiments, the second pick-and-place movement unit 132b can include more than two pick-heads 134b. For example, the first pick-and-place movement unit 132a can include four or six or eight pick-heads 134a and / or the second pick-and-place movement unit 132b can include four or six or eight pick-heads 134b.

[0144] According to various embodiments, when the second pick-and-place movement unit 132b has four pick-up heads 134a equally angularly spaced apart, the first camera (i.e. first sensor 154a) and the second camera (i.e. second sensor 154b) of the chip placement sensing device 154 can be spaced apart at a 90° angle with respect to the second pick-and-place movement unit 132b from its bonding position. Thus, when the first chip 104 is being bonded to the carrier board 106, the first camera (i.e. first sensor 154a) and the second camera (i.e. second sensor 154b) of the chip placement sensing device 154 can capture images of the next chip 104-1. At the same time, when the third camera (i.e. third sensor 154c) of the chip placement sensing device 154 is capturing images of the first chip 104 for post-bonding inspection, the target placement position of the next chip 104-1 is also visible and thus can be imaged and measured (for pre-bonding inspection). With both the chip position data and the panel position data available, offset calculation can be performed for the next chip 104-1 as the first chip 104 is being bonded to the carrier board 106.

[0145] According to various embodiments, as a variation, if the subsequent chip for capturing its position data is not yet visible, the third camera (i.e. third sensor 154c) of the chip placement sensing device 154 can look ahead several target placement positions and store the information in memory for subsequent offset calculation. According to various embodiments, if the first chip 104 that has been bonded is still visible, post-bonding inspection can be performed by the third camera (i.e. third sensor 154c) of the chip placement sensing device 154 after the carrier board support unit 110 has moved the carrier board 106 to move the target placement position of the next chip 104-1 into position. According to various embodiments, post-bonding inspection can be performed after the carrier board support unit 110 has moved the carrier board 106 several times until a clear view of the first chip 104 that has been bonded can be captured by the third camera (i.e. third sensor 154c) of the chip placement sensing device 154.

[0146] Figure 6A to Figure 6F A schematic top view of a chip bonder or chip bonder machine according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. Figure 7A A schematic side view of a chip bonder or chip bonder machine according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. Figure 7B A schematic side view of a chip bonder or chip bonder machine according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. Figure 7B A schematic side view of a chip bonder or chip bonder machine according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. Figure 8AIn particular, the chip pick-up module 130 of the chip mounter or chip mounter 100 comprises a first pick-up moving unit 132a with two pick-up heads 134a and a second pick-up moving unit 132b with eight pick-up heads 134b, which are likewise uniformly distributed around the second pick-up moving unit 132b. Furthermore, the sensing device 150 comprises in the figure a chip pick-up sensing device 152 with one sensor 152a and a chip placement sensing device 154 with a first sensor 154a, a second sensor 154b and a third sensor 154c. As Figure 8B and 7B indicated, the arrangement of the sensing device 150 differs from the arrangement shown in Figure 8A . According to various embodiments, the sensor 152a of the chip pick-up sensing device 152 can be a camera (or wafer camera). Thus, the camera (i.e. the sensor 152a) can be directed towards the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 to capture an image of the diced wafer 102 at a predetermined pick-up position. According to various embodiments, the first sensor 154a of the chip placement sensing device 154 can be a first camera (or first chip camera), the second sensor 154b of the chip placement sensing device 154 can be a second camera (or first panel camera) and the third sensor 154c can be a third camera (or carrier board camera). The first camera (i.e. the first sensor 154a) can be used to capture an image of the chip 104. The second camera (i.e. the second sensor 154b) and the third camera (i.e. the third sensor 154c) can be used to capture an image of the pick-up face 106a of the carrier board 106, thereby capturing a target placement position. As Figure 8A and Figure 8B indicated, the second camera (i.e. the second sensor 154b) and the third camera (i.e. the third sensor 154c) can be arranged side by side. As Figure 7A indicated, according to various embodiments, the camera (i.e. the sensor 152a) of the chip pick-up sensing device 152 and the first camera (i.e. the first sensor 154a), the second camera (i.e. the second sensor 154b) and the third camera (i.e. the third sensor 154c) can be arranged above the second pick-up moving unit 132b. Furthermore, according to various embodiments, the first pick-up moving unit 132a can be suspended downwards and the second pick-up moving unit 132b can be supported upwards.

[0147] Figure 7B A schematic top view of a chip mounter or chip mounter according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. Figure 9A to Figure 9E A schematic side view of a chip mounter or chip mounter according to Figure 7A is shown. The arrangement of the chip placement sensing device 154 in Figure 7B and Figure 9A differs from the arrangement thereof in Figure 9B and Figure 9CThe arrangement in the chip placement sensing device 154 differs in that the second camera (i.e. the second sensor 154b) and the third camera (i.e. the third sensor 154c) of the chip placement sensing device 154 can be arranged in a stacked arrangement, i.e. one above the other.

[0148] Figure 9C A schematic top view of a chip placement process using a chip placement apparatus or a chip placement machine as Figure 9D and Figure 9E is shown.

[0149] Referring to Figure 10A , according to various embodiments, the chip placement process can start with a material loading. During the material loading, the diced wafer 102 can be loaded to the wafer supply unit 120, the barcode of the diced wafer 102 can be checked, the wafer map of the diced wafer 102 can be downloaded, and the wafer center and the first chip 104 can be referenced. Subsequently, the wafer supply unit 120 is moved so as to move the diced wafer 102, the first chip 104 is aligned to a predetermined pick-up position, and is aligned to the ejector head 162 of the ejector 160. Thus, the center of the first chip 104 can be aligned, intersecting or coinciding with the center of the ejector head 162 of the ejector 160. Further, the carrier board 106 can be moved into position to wait for the first chip 104 to be placed to the placement face 106a of the carrier board 106.

[0150] Referring to Figure 11A to Figure 11BAccording to various embodiments, the die taping process can eject the first die 104 by the ejector head 162 of the ejector 160 and pick up the first die 104 by the pick-up head 134a of the first pick-up movement unit 132a (or flip unit or flipper). The pick-up head 134a of the first pick-up movement unit 132a can rotate about the rotation axis 135a to move the pick-up head 134a carrying the first die 104 along the curved path 136a. According to various embodiments, the wafer camera (i.e., the sensor 152a) of the die pick-up sensing device 152 can be directed toward the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 for detecting the dies 104 on the diced wafer 102. Accordingly, the camera (i.e., the sensor 152a) can capture an image of the diced wafer 102 at the predetermined pick-up location. According to various embodiments, the pick-up head 134b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b can be rotated such that the pick-up head 134b is out of the field of view of the camera (i.e., the sensor 152a). According to various embodiments, the wafer feed unit 120 can be moved to move the diced wafer 102 to align the next die 104-1 to the predetermined pick-up location. Then, the camera (i.e., the sensor 152a) can capture an image of the next die 104-1 and verify its position before the next die 104-1 is picked up. If the position of the next die 104-1 is misaligned from the predetermined pick-up location (or the center of the ejector head 162 of the ejector 160), the wafer feed unit 120 can be moved to move the diced wafer 102 for correction to adjust the next die 104-1 to be aligned with the predetermined pick-up location.

[0151] Reference is made to Figure 10B According to various embodiments, the die taping process can continue as the first die 104 is transferred to the pick-up head 134b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b (or die attach unit, or unflip module). As the pick-up head 134a of the first pick-up movement unit 132a delivers the first die 104 to the pick-up head 134b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b, another pick-up head 134a-1 of the first pick-up movement unit 132a can pick up the next die 104-1. Similarly, the ejector head 162 of the ejector 160 can eject the next die 104-1 as the other pick-up head 134a-1 of the first pick-up movement unit 132a picks up the next die 104-1. As the first die 104 is delivered to the pick-up head 134b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b, the second camera (i.e., the second sensor 154b) and the third camera (i.e., the third sensor 154c) of the die placement sensing device 154 can capture images of the taping side 106a of the carrier 106 to capture the target placement location of the first die 104 on the carrier 106. Figure 10AIn some embodiments, the captured image is a sample image 199. According to various embodiments, the target placement position (or die location) can be marked or indicated by a set of four points (or holes). According to various embodiments, these points (or holes) can serve as a reference for identifying the target placement position. According to various embodiments, the carrier position data can be captured by the second camera (i.e., the second sensor 154b) and the third camera (i.e., the third sensor 154c).

[0152] Referring to Figure 10C According to various embodiments, the first pick-up movement unit 132a can repeatedly pick up the chip 104, the wafer supply unit 120 can repeatedly align the chip 104 to the predetermined pick-up position, and the first pick-up movement unit 132a can repeatedly transfer the chip 104 to the second pick-up movement unit 132b. The second pick-up movement unit 132b can rotate the chip 104 to a preset angle to align the first camera (i.e., the first sensor 154a) for the first camera to acquire an image of the chip 104 in a dynamic manner or a static position.

[0153] Referring to Figure 10A According to various embodiments, the carrier position data captured by the second camera (i.e., the second sensor 154b) and the third camera (i.e., the third sensor 154c), and the chip position data captured by the first camera (i.e., the first sensor 154a) can be processed by the controller to calculate the relative offset (e.g., angular offset and / or positional offset). According to various embodiments, a correction can be performed to achieve the target placement position of the chip 104 onto the carrier 106. According to various embodiments, the correction can be performed by the carrier support unit 110 on the carrier 106, by the pick-up head 134b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b on the chip 104, or both. For example, according to various embodiments, the orientation or angular correction (i.e., angular displacement correction) of the first chip 104 can be performed by the pick-up head 134b of the second pick-up movement unit 132b, and the positional correction (i.e., translational / linear motion correction) can be performed by moving the carrier 106 by the carrier support unit 110. According to various embodiments, the second pick-up movement unit 132b can rotate a plurality of chips 104 to the target placement position, respectively. Subsequently, the second pick-up movement unit 132b can place and die attach the plurality of chips 104 onto the die attach surface 106a of the carrier 106, respectively.

[0154] Figure 10BA schematic front view of a dual wafer exchange apparatus (or dual wafer exchange station) for a die taping device or die taping machine in an embodiment of the present application is shown. According to various embodiments, the dual wafer exchange apparatus can include a first wafer supply unit 120 and a second wafer supply unit 120-1. According to various embodiments, the first wafer supply unit 120 and the second wafer supply unit 120-1 can be independently movable. According to various embodiments, each of the first wafer supply unit 120 and the second wafer supply unit 120-1 can be mounted or assembled to a separate dual-axis Cartesian motion mechanism 126, 126-1. According to various embodiments, each of the two-axis Cartesian motion mechanisms 126, 126-1 can have two links (or beams) 126a, 126b, 126a-1 arranged perpendicular to each other. According to various embodiments, a linear actuator can be coupled to each link 126a, 126a-1, 126b to actuate the corresponding wafer supply unit 120, 120-1 to linearly move along a longitudinal axis (e.g., a separate Z-axis) of the corresponding first link 126a, 126a-1 and to actuate the corresponding first link 126a, 126a-1 to linearly move along a longitudinal axis (e.g., a common X-axis) of the common second link 126b. Thus, the dual-axis Cartesian motion mechanisms 126, 126-1 for the first wafer supply unit 120 and the second wafer supply unit 120-1 can share the common second link 126b. In this way, the first wafer supply unit 120 and the second wafer supply unit 120-1 can be interchangeable such that one of them is performing a die taping operation while the other one is in a standby state or performing a loading and preparation. According to various embodiments, an ejector 160 can be fixed along the common second link 126b such that the first wafer supply unit 120 or the second wafer supply unit 120-1 can be moved to the position of the ejector 160 to perform a die taping operation.

[0155] According to various embodiments, the first wafer supply unit 120 and the second wafer supply unit 120-1 can each be operated to rotate the diced wafer 102 about a center thereof. Thus, the diced wafer 102 can be rotated about a respective rotation axis passing through the center of the respective diced wafer 102 and perpendicular to the diced wafer 102.

[0156] According to various embodiments, the first wafer supply unit 120 and the second wafer supply unit 120-1 can each have a wafer stretcher 124 (e.g., see Figure 10C ) for stretching the dicing tape 105 to facilitate the ejection of the diced wafer 102 by the ejector 160.

[0157] According to various embodiments, a chip picking sensing device 152 having at least one sensor 152a (e.g., a camera) can provide feedback to the first wafer supply unit 120 and / or the second wafer supply unit 120-1 to perform the following operations, including but not limited to: finding the center of the chip 104, determining the orientation of the chip 104, positioning the reference chip 104, positioning the first chip 104, and matching the wafer pattern.

[0158] Figure 11A to Figure 11C It shows Figure 11D A schematic side view of the first wafer supply unit of the dual wafer exchange equipment, which is operable to perform chip mounting processes. Figure 11C It shows Figure 11B A schematic side view of the second wafer supply unit of a dual-wafer switching device, operable for chip mounting processes. Figure 11C As shown, according to various embodiments, while the first wafer supply unit 120 is being used for chip mounting, the second wafer supply unit 120-1 may be loading and preparing. According to various embodiments, the second wafer supply unit 120-1 can perform loading of the diced wafer 102, barcode scanning, wafer pattern downloading, stretching of the dicing tape 105 of the diced wafer 102, positioning of the reference chip 104, and positioning of the first chip 104, and is in a standby state. Figure 11D As shown in various embodiments, after the first wafer supply unit 120 has completed the chip mounting process, the second wafer supply unit 120-1 can be interchanged with the first wafer supply unit 120. At this time, the first wafer supply unit 120 can be loaded and prepared. According to various embodiments, the second wafer supply unit 120-1 can start the chip mounting process, and the first wafer supply unit 120 can continue to load the diced wafer 102, scan the barcode, download the wafer pattern, stretch the dicing tape 105 of the diced wafer 102, position the reference chip 104, and position the first chip 104, and be in a standby state.

[0159] According to various embodiments, a dual-wafer exchange device (or dual-wafer exchange station) for a chip placement apparatus or chip placement machine 100 can significantly reduce time losses during wafer exchange. Therefore, while the first wafer supply unit 120 is operating, the second wafer supply unit 120-1 can be loaded and prepared. After the second wafer supply unit 120-1 is loaded and prepared, and after the chip 104 is picked up from the first wafer supply unit 120, the second wafer supply unit 120-1 can be placed in a standby state to exchange with the first wafer supply unit 120. Therefore, the chip placement operation can continue quickly with minimal interruption.

[0160] Figure 12A series of diagrams showing assembly of a diced wafer to a wafer rack of a wafer supply unit in one embodiment of the present application. Figure 12 A diagram showing Figure 13A a schematic side cross-section. According to various embodiments, the wafer rack 122 of the wafer supply unit 120 can include a wafer stretcher 124. According to various embodiments, the wafer stretcher 124 can hold and stretch the diced wafer 102 to create a predetermined or targeted gap between the chips 104 (in other words, to space the directly or indirectly adjacent chips 104 apart from one another) to facilitate picking up each chip 104 without damaging the directly or indirectly adjacent chips 104.

[0161] According to various embodiments, the wafer stretcher 124 can include an inner ring 124a and an outer ring 124b. According to various embodiments, the diced wafer 102 can be placed over the inner ring 124a such that the dicing tape 105 of the diced wafer 102 can rest on the inner ring 124a with the backing surface of the dicing tape 105 abutting the inner ring 124a and the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 (i.e., the plurality of chips 104) can be distanced from the inner ring 124a (see, for example, Figure 13B ). Subsequently, the outer ring 124b of the wafer stretcher 124 can be placed over the diced wafer 102 such that the outer ring 124b can abut the adhesive surface of the dicing tape 105 (opposite the backing surface) on which the plurality of chips are affixed, aligned to the inner ring 124a, and configured to surround the inner ring 124a, with the dicing tape 105 being stretched back away from the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102. According to various embodiments, by stretching the dicing tape 105 with the wafer stretcher 124, the saw lines between the plurality of chips 104 can be loosened and the stretched state of the dicing tape 105 can make it easier to pick up the chips 104 from the dicing tape 105 when the chip transfer module 130 picks up the chips 104 from the diced wafer 102.

[0162] Referring to Figure 13A , the wafer rack 122 of the wafer supply unit 120 can include one or more stoppers 125 for holding the outer ring 124b of the wafer stretcher 124 in place, thereby holding the diced wafer 102 over the wafer supply unit 120. For example, according to various embodiments, the wafer rack 122 of the wafer supply unit 120 can include three stoppers 125 for abutting two opposite lateral sides and a bottom side of the outer ring 124b. In this manner, the plurality of chips 104 of the diced wafer 102 can be fully exposed from the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 and a portion of the dicing tape 105 located within the inner ring 124a can be accessible by the ejector 160 to eject the chips (see, for example, Figure 14A ).

[0163] Figure 14B A schematic side view of a chip placement apparatus or chip placement machine 100 according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 14A As shown, both the wafer supply unit 120 and the carrier support unit 110 are rotatable between a horizontal and a vertical arrangement relative to the ground (or surface 109). According to various embodiments, both the wafer supply unit 120 and the carrier support unit 110 can be actuated by an actuator, including but not limited to hydraulic, pneumatic, electric, or mechanical actuators, for rotating from a lateral configuration to a longitudinal configuration. According to various embodiments, in a horizontal arrangement, a diced wafer 102 can be loaded onto the wafer supply unit 120, and a carrier 106 can be loaded onto the carrier support unit 110. According to various embodiments, after loading the diced wafer 102 and the carrier 106 respectively, the wafer supply unit 120 and the carrier 106 are operable to change from a horizontal to a vertical arrangement. According to various embodiments, the wafer supply unit 120 and the carrier 106 are also operable to align the diced wafer 102 and the carrier 106 with each other in a vertical arrangement.

[0164] Figure 14A A schematic side view of a wafer erecting device 170 according to an embodiment of the present application is shown, which can hold the wafer supply unit 120 of a chip placement device or chip placement machine 100 in a horizontal arrangement. Figure 14B It shows Figure 14AA schematic side view of a wafer upstanding apparatus 170 in which the wafer feed unit 120 of the chip mounter device or chip mounter 100 can be held in a vertical arrangement is shown. According to various embodiments, the wafer upstanding apparatus 170 can include a vertical support 172. According to various embodiments, the wafer feed unit 120 can be rotatably coupled to the vertical support 172. For example, the wafer feed unit 120 can be rotatably coupled to a distal end 172a of the vertical support 172. According to various embodiments, the wafer upstanding apparatus 170 can include a linear actuator 174 and a link 176 interconnecting the linear actuator 174 to the wafer feed unit 120. According to various embodiments, a first end 176a of the link 176 can be rotatably coupled to a retractable end 174a of the linear actuator 174, and a second end 176b of the link 176 can be rotatably coupled to the wafer feed unit 120. According to various embodiments, the linear actuator 174, the link 176, the wafer feed unit 120, and the vertical support 172 can be connected such that when the linear actuator 174 is extended, the wafer feed unit 120 is in a horizontal arrangement, and when the linear actuator 174 is retracted, the wafer feed unit 120 is in a vertical arrangement. Thus, the wafer feed unit 120 can be transitioned between the horizontal arrangement and the vertical arrangement by operating the linear actuator 174 to extend or retract, respectively. For example, according to various embodiments, the linear actuator 174 can be a pneumatic actuator having a first air inlet 174b and a second air inlet 174c. According to various embodiments, air pressure from an external compressor can be supplied to the first air inlet 174b for moving an internal piston of the pneumatic actuator to extend the retractable end 174a of the linear actuator 174. According to various embodiments, pressure from the external compressor can be supplied to the second air inlet 174c for moving the internal piston of the pneumatic actuator to retract the retractable end 174a of the linear actuator 174. Thus, the pneumatic actuator can be operated to extend or retract the retractable end 174a by supplying air to the first air inlet 174b or the second air inlet 174c.

[0165] Figure 15A A schematic side view of a carrier upstanding apparatus 178 in which the carrier support unit 110 of the chip mounter device or chip mounter 100 can be held in a horizontal arrangement is shown. Figure 15A A schematic side view of a carrier upstanding apparatus 178 in which the carrier support unit 110 of the chip mounter device or chip mounter 100 can be held in a horizontal arrangement is shown. Figure 15AA schematic side view of the carrier plate upright device 178, which can hold the carrier plate upright device 178 of the chip mounter 100 in a vertical arrangement. According to various embodiments, the carrier plate upright device 178 can include a support frame 179. For example, the support frame 179 can be a box-shaped structure. According to various embodiments, the carrier plate support unit 110 can be rotatably coupled to the support frame 179. For example, the carrier plate support unit 110 can be rotatably connected to a top edge 179a of the support frame 179. According to various embodiments, the carrier plate upright device 178 can have a linear actuator 184 and a connecting member 186 connecting the linear actuator 184 to the carrier plate support unit 110. According to various embodiments, a first end 186a of the connecting member 186 can be rotatably connected to a retractable end 184a of the linear actuator 184; while a second end 186b of the connecting member 186 can be rotatably connected to the carrier plate support unit 110. According to various embodiments, the linear actuator 184, the connecting member 186, the carrier plate support unit 110 and the support frame 179 can be connected such that when the linear actuator 184 is extended, the carrier plate support unit 110 is in a horizontal arrangement; while when the linear actuator 184 is retracted, the carrier plate support unit 110 is in a vertical arrangement. Thus, the carrier plate support unit 110 can be transitioned between the horizontal arrangement and the vertical arrangement by operating the linear actuator 184 to extend or retract, respectively.

[0166] Reference Figure 15A and Figure 15AMore detailed examples of the carrier support unit 110 of the chip taping device or chip taping machine 100 according to various embodiments are also shown. As shown, at least one support element 112 of the carrier support unit 110 can have a plurality of support rollers (or support rollers) 112a according to various embodiments. Each of the support rollers 112a can be a cylindrical roller according to various embodiments. Each of the support rollers 112a can abut the back surface 106b of the carrier 106 according to various embodiments. Thus, at least a portion of the cylindrical surface of each support roller 112a can abut the back surface 106b of the carrier 106. The portions of the plurality of support rollers 112a that abut the back surface 106b of the carrier 106 can define a support plane 111 according to various embodiments. The rotational axis of each support roller 112a can be parallel to the support plane 111 according to various embodiments. The rotational axes of the plurality of support rollers 112a can be parallel to each other according to various embodiments. Thus, the plurality of support rollers 112a can rotate in the same direction. The plurality of support rollers 112a can act as a roller conveyor arrangement for the carrier 106, allowing the carrier 106 to be easily loaded and unloaded by being conveyed along the support plane 111 and over the plurality of support rollers 112a, such that the carrier 106 will rotate the plurality of support rollers 112a as the carrier 106 moves over the plurality of support rollers 112a according to various embodiments. The carrier 106 can be loaded such that its taping surface 106a faces away from the plurality of support rollers 112a according to various embodiments. The plurality of support rollers 112a can be parallel rollers arranged in a row according to various embodiments. There can be one or more rows of support rollers 112a according to various embodiments.

[0167] As Figure 15AAs shown, according to various embodiments, at least one support element 112 of the carrier board support unit 110 can have a plurality of guide rollers 112b. According to various embodiments, each guide roller 112b can have a groove roller between a continuous endless groove around a circumference and a pair of flanges. According to various embodiments, each guide roller 112b can be orthogonal to the plurality of support rollers 112a. Thus, an axis of rotation of each guide roller 112b can be perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the plurality of support rollers 112a. According to various embodiments, the plurality of guide rollers 112b can be used to guide edges of the carrier board 106. According to various embodiments, the plurality of guide rollers 112b can be arranged in two spaced apart rows for guiding two opposite edges of the carrier board 106. According to various embodiments, a groove of the plurality of guide rollers 112b can be aligned with a portion of the plurality of support rollers 112a adjacent to the back surface 106b of the carrier board 106 to define the support plane 111. Thus, the plurality of support rollers 112 and the plurality of guide rollers 112b can collectively define the support plane 111.

[0168] Various embodiments have provided an efficient and effective apparatus and method for die patching a plurality of chips on a carrier board in a panel level packaging process. In various embodiments, by performing die patching with the diced wafer 102 and the carrier board 106 facing each other, the distance required for transferring the chips from the diced wafer 102 to the carrier board 106 can be minimized as the chips no longer need to travel across the width of the diced wafer 102 and / or the carrier board 106 for die patching. In various embodiments, by performing die patching with the diced wafer 102 and the carrier board 106 perpendicular to the ground, the diced wafer 102 and the carrier board 106 are not affected by any moving mechanisms located above them. Thus, the risk of silicon dust, particles and dust from cables, cable chains, lubricants, etc. falling onto the surface of the carrier board 106 by gravity is significantly reduced or even eliminated.

[0169] Figure 4A A schematic top view of a die patching apparatus (or die patcher) according to various embodiments is shown.

[0170] According to various embodiments, as Figure 15AAs shown, the die taping apparatus 100 can also include a handling device 180. According to various embodiments, the handling device 180 can be movable relative to the wafer supply unit 120 for manipulating (e.g., moving, handling, handling, etc.) the wafer relative to the wafer supply unit 120. For example, according to various embodiments, the handling device 180 can pick up a respective wafer. The handling device 180 can remove a wafer (e.g., a diced wafer 102) from a wafer container 129 (e.g., a wafer cassette configured to hold a plurality of wafers 102), transfer the respective wafer from the wafer container 129 to the wafer supply unit 120, and load the respective wafer onto the wafer supply unit 120 (e.g., onto a wafer rack 122 of the wafer supply unit 120). According to various embodiments, after all of the dies 104 have been picked from the diced wafer 102 on the wafer supply unit 120, the handling device 180 can operate to unload or remove the remaining portion of the diced wafer 102 (e.g., the wafer substrate) from the wafer supply unit 120, transfer and load the remaining portion of the diced wafer 102 to a respective container (e.g., the wafer container 129).

[0171] According to various embodiments, the handling device 180 can also be movable relative to the carrier board support unit 110 or the carrier board 106 held thereby for handling (e.g., moving) the die taping adhesive tape 107 relative to the carrier board support unit 110 or the carrier board 106. For example, the handling device 180 can operate to remove the die taping adhesive tape 107 from an adhesive tape container 119 (e.g., an adhesive tape cassette or an adhesive tape dispenser configured to hold a plurality of die taping adhesive tapes 107), transfer the die taping adhesive tape 107 from the adhesive tape container 119 to the carrier board 106, and load, place, or removably mount the die taping adhesive tape 107 to the carrier board 106. According to various embodiments, after the die taping adhesive tape 107 on the carrier board 106 has been taped with the dies 104 (or after all of the dies 104 of the diced wafer 102 have been taped onto the die taping adhesive tape 107), the handling device 180 can operate to unload or remove the die taping adhesive tape 107 and the taped dies 104 from the carrier board 106, transfer the die taping adhesive tape 107 with the taped dies 104 to a respective container (e.g., the adhesive tape container 119), and load the die taping adhesive tape 107 with the taped dies 104 into the respective container (e.g., the adhesive tape container 119).

[0172] In some examples, the handling device 180 of the die taping apparatus 100 can include at least one handler, and / or at least one robotic arm, and / or at least one pick-and-place tool or robot, etc. As Figure 4AAs shown, the handling device 180 can include a first handler 181 that can be associated with or paired with the wafer supply unit 120 for handling the dies 104 relative to the wafer supply unit 120, and a second handler 182 that can be associated with or paired with the carrier support unit 110 or the carrier 106 for handling the die attach tape 107 relative to the carrier support unit 110 or the carrier 106. According to various embodiments, the first handler 181 and the second handler 182 can each be independently movable from one another. For example, according to various embodiments, the first handler 181 and the second handler 182 can be movable along respective (different) movement paths. Specifically, the first handler 181 can be movable along a first movement path between the wafer container 129 and the wafer supply unit 120, and the second handler 182 can be movable along a second movement path between the tape container 119 and the carrier 106. According to various embodiments, the first handler 181 and the second handler 182 can be operated simultaneously or sequentially. For the described application, the handling device 180 can have any other number of handlers. For example, the handling device 180 can have a single handler that is configured to handle the dies 104 relative to the wafer supply unit 120, and to handle the die attach tape 107 relative to the carrier support unit 110 or the carrier 106. In other words, the single handler can be configured to move between the wafer container 129 and the wafer supply unit 120, and between the tape container 119 and the carrier 106.

[0173] According to various embodiments, the handling device 180 of the die taping device 100 can operate based on information obtained by the sensing apparatus 150. For example, the die pick-up sensing apparatus 152 of the sensing apparatus 150 can determine whether the diced wafer 102 has been placed on the wafer supply unit 120, and / or determine whether the dies 104 of the diced wafer 102 placed on the wafer supply unit 120 have been fully picked up, and provide the above information as feedback for controlling the handling device 180. In another example, the die placement sensing apparatus 154 of the sensing apparatus 150 can determine whether the die attach tape 107 has been placed on the carrier 106, and / or determine whether the die attach tape 107 placed on the carrier 106 has been taped with the dies 104, and provide the above information as feedback for controlling the handling device 180.

[0174] According to various embodiments, as shown in Figure 15A the die transfer module 130 of the die taping device 100 can include at least one pick-up movement unit 132a. For example, in Figure 15A the die transfer module 130 has a single pick-up movement unit 132a.

[0175] According to various embodiments, when the diced wafer 102 is placed on the wafer supply unit 120 of the chip placement apparatus 100, the chip transfer module 130 of the chip placement apparatus 100 can pick up the chip 104 from the diced wafer 102 and place the chip 104 on the carrier 106 held by the carrier support unit 110 for mounting the chip 104 onto the carrier 106.

[0176] According to various embodiments, the chip delivery module 130 of the chip placement apparatus 100 can move the chip 104 substantially vertically away from the wafer supply unit 120 and / or substantially vertically toward the carrier 106, so that the chip 104 is delivered from the diced wafer 102 to at least one pick-up head 134a of the chip delivery module 130, and from at least one pick-up head 134a of the chip delivery module 130 to the carrier 106. According to various embodiments, when at least one pick-up head 134a of the chip transfer module 130 is in a pick-up position for picking up the chip 104 from the diced wafer 102, at least a portion of the at least one pick-up head 134a of the chip transfer module 130 may move toward or away from the diced wafer 102 held on the wafer supply unit 120 (e.g., linearly or substantially linearly), and when at least one pick-up head 134a is in a release position for placing the chip 104 on the carrier 106, it may also move toward or away from the carrier 106 held on the carrier support unit 110 (e.g., linearly or substantially linearly). Figure 15C As shown, the chip transfer module 130 or its pick-and-move unit 132a may have at least one pick-up head 134a. According to various embodiments, at least one pick-up head 134a may have a movable element (also referred to as a translation element) 138 that is movable along a movable axis 138a to transfer the chip 104 from the diced wafer 102 to at least one pick-up head 134a of the chip transfer module 130, and to transfer the chip 104 from at least one pick-up head 134a of the chip transfer module 130 to the carrier board 106. For example, when at least one pickup head 134a is in the pickup position and aligned with a specific chip 104 of the diced wafer 102, the movable element 138 of at least one pickup head 134a can be moved toward the specific chip 104 of the diced wafer 102 to pick up the specific chip 104 from the diced wafer 102, and then the chip 104 can be moved (i.e. retracted) away from the diced wafer 102, and finally the chip 104 can be picked up by rotating at least one pickup head 134a about a rotation axis 135a (e.g., Figure 4BAccording to various embodiments, when the at least one pick-up head 134a with the die 104 is in the release position and aligned with the carrier plate 106, the movable member 138 of the at least one pick-up head 134a can move toward the carrier plate 106, place the die 104 on the carrier plate 106 (e.g., push the die 104 toward the carrier plate 106), and then move away from the carrier plate 106 (i.e., retract). In some examples, the movable member 138 of the at least one pick-up head 134a can include at least one pneumatic mechanism (e.g., a pneumatic cylinder), and / or a telescopic mechanism, and / or a rack and pinion, and / or a screw mechanism (e.g., a lead screw mechanism or a screw drive mechanism, etc.), and / or at least one motor (e.g., a stepper motor), and / or at least one actuator (e.g., a linear actuator, an external actuator, or an internal actuator, etc.), and / or any other suitable element (e.g., a movable part, assembly, or mechanism). According to various embodiments, the movable member 138 can enable and precisely move the at least one pick-up head 134a to facilitate the efficient transfer of the die 104 from the diced wafer 102 to the carrier plate 106. According to various other embodiments, the movable member 138 of the at least one pick-up head 134a can cooperate with an attachment element of the at least one pick-up head 134a to transfer the die 104 from the diced wafer 102 to the at least one pick-up head 134a of the die transfer module 130, and from the at least one pick-up head 134a of the die transfer module 130 to the carrier plate 106. As shown in FIG. 1, the movable member 138 can be integrated with the attachment element to enable linear or substantially linear translation of the attachment element along the movable axis 138a of the movable member 138 of the at least one pick-up head 134a. Figure 15A

[0177] Accordingly, according to various embodiments, the die transfer module 130 can function as a transfer mechanism between the carrier plate support unit 110 and the wafer supply unit 120 that interacts with the wafer supply unit 120 to pick up the die 104 from the diced wafer 102 held by the wafer supply unit 120, and interacts with the carrier plate support unit 110 to place and / or mount the die 104 to the carrier plate 106 held by the carrier plate support unit 110.

[0178] ​According to various embodiments, the chip transfer module 130 can correct or adjust the arrangement (e.g., orientation or angle) of the chip 104 held by the chip transfer module 130 relative to the chip transfer module 130 and / or the carrier 106. Specifically, according to various embodiments, the chip transfer module 130 can be configured to rotate the chip 104 held by the chip transfer module 130 about its rotation axis 137a. According to various embodiments, the rotation axis 137a can coincide with the movable axis 138a of at least one pickup head 134a of the chip transfer module 130. According to various embodiments, when the chip 104 is held by the chip transfer module 130, the normal axis of the chip 104 (e.g., a central normal axis or an eccentric normal axis) can be aligned (e.g., parallel) or coincident with the rotation axis 137a of the chip transfer module 130. According to various embodiments, the normal axis of the chip 104 can extend perpendicular to or substantially perpendicular to the active and / or inactive surfaces of the chip 104. Therefore, according to various embodiments, when chip 104 is held by chip transfer module 130, rotation axis 137a can extend through chip 104. Furthermore, rotation axis 137a can be perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis 135a of pick-up moving unit 132a of chip transfer module 130 (e.g., ...). Figure 15A (As shown). In this way, when the chip 104 is held by the chip transfer module 130, the chip transfer module 130 can perform a correction movement on the chip 104 to correct the orientation or angle of the chip 104 relative to the carrier 106 (e.g., angle movement correction) when or before the chip transfer module 130 places the chip 104 on the carrier 106.

[0179] like Figure 15A As shown, the chip transfer module 130 or its pickup and movement unit 132a may have at least one pickup head 134a for holding at least one chip 104. According to various embodiments, the at least one pickup head 134a may include a rotation mechanism 137 for manipulating or controlling the chip 104, wherein the at least one pickup head 134a of the chip transfer module 130 may rotate about a rotation axis 137a when the chip 104 is held on the at least one pickup head 134a. Figure 15AAs shown, according to various embodiments, when chip 104 is held by at least one pickup head 134a, the normal axis of chip 104 may be aligned (e.g., parallel) or coincident with the rotation axis 137a of at least one pickup head 134a. Therefore, when chip 104 is held by at least one pickup head 134a, the rotation mechanism 137 of the chip transfer module 130 or at least one pickup head 134a may rotate chip 104 such that chip 104 rotates about the rotation axis 137a and / or the normal axis of chip 104 upon actuation. According to various embodiments, when at least one pickup head 134a has an elongated shape, the rotation axis 137a may be aligned and / or coincident with a longitudinal axis extending along the length direction of the pickup head 134a. At least one pick-up head 134a has a rotation mechanism 137 that can control the chip 104 to rotate about a rotation axis 137a in a first rotation direction (e.g., clockwise toward the exposed surface of the chip 104) and / or in the opposite second rotation direction (e.g., counterclockwise toward the exposed surface of the chip 104). According to various embodiments, the rotation mechanism 137 can rotate along a rotation plane 137b (e.g., ...). Figure 16A The chip 104 is rotated using a flat reference plane (137b), which may be perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis 137a. In other words, when the chip 104 rotates about the rotation axis 137a, the chip 104 is placed within the rotation plane 137b. According to various embodiments, the rotation mechanism 137 of the chip transfer module 130 or at least one pickup head 134a thereof may have at least one motor (e.g., a servo motor or direct drive motor, etc.), and / or at least one actuator (e.g., a rotary actuator or theta actuator, etc.), and / or any other suitable element capable of directly reading data, which can directly or indirectly cause the chip 104 to rotate about the rotation axis 137a under actuation, while the chip 104 is held by at least one pickup head 134a. According to various embodiments, the chip transfer module 130 with the rotation mechanism 137 can precisely manipulate (e.g., rotate, spin, or rotate) the chip 104 while the chip 104 is firmly held by at least one pickup head 134a of the chip transfer module 130. The rotation mechanism 137 can cooperate with the attachment element of at least one pickup head 134a to manipulate the chip 104. According to some embodiments, the rotation mechanism 137 can be integrated with the attachment element so that the attachment element can be rotated about the rotation axis 137a of at least one pickup head 134a upon actuation.

[0180] According to various embodiments, the rotation mechanism 137 of at least one pickup head 134a of the chip transfer module 130 can rotate along a curved path 136a (e.g., at least one pickup head 134a). Figure 16AThe rotation mechanism 137 can rotate when the pick-up head 134a (or its longitudinal axis) is to be moved (e.g., to pick up a chip from the chip tray 110 or to place a chip on the substrate 120). The rotation mechanism 137 can rotate the pick-up head 134a (or its longitudinal axis) to keep the pick-up head 134a (or its longitudinal axis) statically aligned with a sensor (e.g., the first sensor 154a) of the sensing device 150.

[0181] According to various embodiments, referring to Figure 16A , the chip transfer module 130 or its pick-up moving unit 132a can have a plurality of pick-up heads 134a. Figure 15A The chip transfer module 130 or the pick-up moving unit 132a in the chip placement apparatus 100 described in Figure 15A is also referred to as a "turret mechanism". Specifically, Figure 6A to Figure 6F The chip transfer module 130 of the chip placement apparatus 100 described in may have any other number of pick-up heads 134a. According to various embodiments, when the chip transfer module 130 has a plurality of pick-up heads 134a, the plurality of pick-up heads 134a can be (but not limited to) equally angularly spaced (or equidistantly distributed around the pick-up moving unit 132a of the chip transfer module 130). For example, when the chip transfer module 130 has eight pick-up heads 134a, each pair of adjacent pick-up heads 134a can form an angle of about 45°. In this way, the pick-up moving unit 132a of the chip transfer module 130 is capable of indexing at a fixed angle. However, in other embodiments, the plurality of pick-up heads 134a can also be unequally angularly spaced (or unequally distributed around the pick-up moving unit 132a of the chip transfer module 130). For example, in various other embodiments, a first pair of adjacent pick-up heads 134a can form a first angle, a second pair of adjacent pick-up heads 134a can form a second angle, where the first angle is different from the second angle. In this way, the pick-up moving unit 132a of the chip transfer module 130 is capable of indexing at a variable angle.

[0182] According to various embodiments, when the chip transfer module 130 has a plurality of pick-up heads 134a, each pick-up head 134a can have its respective movable member 138. In other words, the chip transfer module 130 can have a plurality of pick-up heads 134a with respective movable members 138, each movable member 138 being mounted on or integrated with the respective pick-up head 134a. Furthermore, the movable member 138 of each pick-up head 134a can be operated independently of the movable members 138 of the other pick-up heads 134a.

[0183] According to various embodiments, when the chip transfer module 130 includes multiple pick-up heads 134a, each pick-up head 134a can have a corresponding rotation mechanism 137. In other words, the chip transfer module 130 can have multiple pick-up heads 134a with corresponding rotation mechanisms 137, each rotation mechanism 137 mounted on or integrated with a corresponding pick-up head. Further, the rotation mechanism 137 of each pick-up head 134a can operate independently of the rotation mechanisms 137 of the other pick-up heads 134a.

[0184] According to various embodiments, the rotation mechanism 137 of each pick-up head 134a can be operated or controlled (e.g., by a controller 190 in wired or wireless communication therewith) based on the arrangement (e.g., position and / or orientation) of the carrier board 106, which can be determined based on fiducials (e.g., global fiducials 191, and / or local fiducials 192, and / or a virtual die placement grid 193) disposed on the carrier board 106.

[0185] According to various embodiments, Figure 7A A top view of a schematic diagram of a carrier board 106 having a first set of fiducials 191 on a die placement face 106a is shown.

[0186] As Figure 7B shown, according to various embodiments, a first set of fiducials 191 disposed on the carrier board 106 (e.g., a die placement face 106a of the carrier board 106), which are also referred to as “global markers” or “first set of fiducials.” According to various embodiments, each global marker 191 can be a point, a hole, or a notch, or any suitable or distinguishable element or feature (e.g., a corner or edge of the carrier board 106) that can serve as a physical reference marker on the carrier board 106. In various embodiments, the controller 190 can generate virtual global markers 191 on the carrier board 106 (e.g., based on a file or model of the carrier board 106). According to various embodiments, each global marker 191 can be in a fixed or immovable position relative to the carrier board 106. When there are multiple global markers 191, they can be identical or similar to each other (i.e., the same type of marker). However, in other embodiments, the multiple global markers 191 can also be different types from each other.

[0187] The carrier board 106 can have multiple global markers 191. As Figure 8A shown, the carrier board 106 includes four global markers 191. However, in other embodiments, the number of global markers 191 disposed on the carrier board 106 can vary as needed.

[0188] According to various embodiments, when the carrier plate 106 is held in the carrier plate holder 114 of the carrier plate support unit 110, the global tag 191 enables it to communicate with the sensing device 150 and / or the controller 190 (e.g., via a wired or wireless connection) to identify and / or determine the arrangement (e.g., position and / or orientation) of the carrier plate 106.

[0189] like Figure 8B As shown, according to various embodiments, the chip mounting apparatus 100 may include a sensing device 150. Furthermore, the sensing device 150 may include a chip pickup sensing device 152 and a chip placement sensing device 154, wherein the chip pickup sensing device 152 has a sensor 152a; and the chip placement sensing device 154 has a first sensor 154a, a second sensor 154b, and a third sensor 154c. Figure 9A to Figure 9E The sensor 150 shown is arranged with its position in the center of the sensor. Figure 15A , Figure 15A and Figure 16A , Figure 17A and Figure 16B ,as well as Figure 16A The differences are as follows. However, it should be understood that the sensing device 150 is not limited to... Figure 16B The description in [the document / reference] is as follows. Therefore, in other embodiments, Figure 16B The sensing device 150 can also be arranged in any other suitable manner.

[0190] According to various embodiments, the sensor 152a of the chip pickup sensing device 152 may be a camera (i.e., a wafer camera). Therefore, the camera (i.e., sensor 152a) may be pointed at the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 on the wafer supply unit 120 to acquire an image of the diced wafer 102 at a predetermined pickup position.

[0191] According to various embodiments, the first sensor 154a of the chip placement sensing device 154 may be a first camera (referred to as the first chip camera 154a-1), the second sensor 154b may be a second camera (referred to as the second chip camera 154b-1), and the third sensor 154c may be a third camera (referred to as the carrier camera or patch camera 154c-1). According to various embodiments, the first camera and the second camera may be part of a camera device or may form part of a camera device. According to various embodiments, the first camera (i.e., the first sensor 154a) and the second camera (i.e., the second sensor 154b) of the chip placement sensing device 154 may be used to acquire images of the chip 104 (e.g., when the chip 104 is held on the chip transfer module 130), while the third camera (i.e., the third sensor 154c) of the chip placement sensing device 154 may be used to acquire images of the carrier 106, such as acquiring reference points (e.g., ...). Figure 16B Global marker 191 and / or Figure 16Athe local marks 192 on the carrier board 106 to determine the target placement position on the carrier board 106.

[0192] In particular, according to various embodiments, the first camera (i.e., the first sensor 154a) of the chip placement sensing device 154 can be used to acquire an image of the chip 104. The image of the chip 104 acquired by the first camera (i.e., the first sensor 154a) can be used to determine the orientation or angle of the chip 104 at that time, relative to the orientation or angle of the target at the corresponding target placement position on the carrier board 106, whereby the image of the chip 104 acquired by the first camera (i.e., the first sensor 154a) can be analyzed based on the image of the carrier board 106 acquired by the third camera (i.e., the third sensor 154c) of the chip placement sensing device 154. According to various embodiments, the second camera (i.e., the second sensor 154b) of the chip placement sensing device 154 can also be used to acquire an image of the chip 104. However, the image of the chip 104 acquired by the second camera (i.e., the second sensor 154b) can be used to determine the position (e.g., x-axis and / or y-axis position) of the chip 104 at that time, relative to the position of the target at the corresponding target placement position on the carrier board 106. The position of the chip 104 relative to the target position thereof can be determined based on the image of the carrier board 106 acquired by the third camera (i.e., the third sensor 154c) of the chip placement sensing device 154, analyzing the image of the chip 104 acquired by the second camera (i.e., the second sensor 154b).

[0193] According to various embodiments, the third camera (i.e., the third sensor 154c) can be used to scan and / or capture an image of the paster face 106a of the carrier board 106 (e.g., covering the entire paster face 106a or a portion thereof) for determining the global marks 191 on the carrier board 106. According to various embodiments, based on the image acquired of the global marks 191 on the carrier board 106, the sensing device 150 and / or the controller 190 in communication therewith can identify and / or determine the arrangement (e.g., position and / or orientation) of the carrier board 106 within the chip paster apparatus 100. In particular, based on the position data of the global marks 191, the sensing device 150 and / or the controller 190 in communication therewith can identify and / or determine the arrangement (e.g., position and / or orientation) of the carrier board 106 within the chip paster apparatus 100. Accordingly, the global marks 191 can accurately determine the arrangement of the carrier board 106 within the chip paster apparatus 100. According to various embodiments, the above process can be performed as a pre-calibration step before the chip 104 is placed or pasted to the carrier board 106.

[0194] According to various embodiments, Figure 16B is shown Figure 16C a virtual chip paster grid 193 above the carrier board 106.

[0195] AsFigure 15A As shown, according to various embodiments, a controller 190 of the chip mounting apparatus 100 (e.g., a controller 190 capable of communicating with sensing device 150) can generate a virtual chip mounting grid 193 based on a global marker 191 on a carrier board 106. Specifically, the controller 190 can determine the position of the global marker 191 on the carrier board 106 based on an image acquired by a third camera (i.e., a third sensor 154c). The controller 190 can then generate the virtual chip mounting grid 193 based on the position of the global marker 191 on the carrier board 106 determined therein (or based on the position information of the global marker 191). In various embodiments, the global marker 191 can define the boundary of the virtual chip mounting grid 193. For example, the global marker 191 can be located at or near the corners of the virtual chip mounting grid 193 (e.g., the four outermost corners).

[0196] According to various embodiments, such as Figure 15A As shown, controller 190 can generate a virtual chip patch grid 193 and overlay it onto the patch surface 106a of carrier 106. According to various embodiments, the virtual chip patch grid 193 can correspond to target placement positions on the patch surface 106a of carrier 106 for placing and patching the chips 104 of the diced wafer 102 onto the patch surface 106a of carrier 106. In other words, the virtual chip patch grid 193 can be used as a virtual map to indicate corresponding target placement positions and patch the chips 104 onto carrier 106. According to various embodiments, the virtual chip patch grid 193 can include multiple target placement positions for placing and patching multiple chips 104 of the diced wafer 102 onto carrier 106 respectively. The virtual chip patch grid 193 can include or indicate coordinate axes and their origin (e.g., all target placement positions can be determined by measurement from a reference point). Therefore, according to various embodiments, global marker 191 can be used to determine the target placement positions of the multiple chips 104 of the diced wafer 102. Therefore, the controller 190 can, based on the global marker 191 (or the position information based on the global marker 191), place the multiple chips 104 of the diced wafer 102 to their target placement positions on the carrier board 106. For example, as Figure 1 As shown, the virtual chip patch grid 193 may include (but is not limited to) more target placement locations (e.g., six target placement locations) than the total number of global marks 191 (e.g., four global marks) on the patch surface 106a of the carrier 106.

[0197] like Figure 15A and Figure 15BAs shown, the global marker 191 can be located at or within a peripheral edge region of the patch face 106a of the carrier board 106. According to various embodiments, the peripheral edge region of the patch face 106a of the carrier board 106 surrounds a central region of the patch face 106a of the carrier board 106. According to various embodiments, the controller 190 can generate and position the virtual die patch grid 193 at or within the central region of the patch face 106a of the carrier board 106 based on the global marker 191 at the peripheral edge region of the patch face 106a of the carrier board 106. In other embodiments, there can also be at least one global marker 191 present at the central region of the patch face 106a (e.g., to serve as a physical reference marker for the central region of the patch face 106a).

[0198] According to various embodiments, prior to the chip 104 being placed or patched onto the carrier board 106, the controller 190 can cause the carrier board 106 to move (e.g., translate / linearly, rotate / angulary) so as to be in a predetermined alignment with respect to various components of the die patching apparatus 100, including but not limited to the carrier board support unit 110, and / or the wafer supply unit 120, and / or the die transfer module 130, based on the determined position of the global marker 191. Thus, the above process is part of a pre-alignment step prior to the chip 104 being placed or patched onto the carrier board 106. According to various embodiments, the moving of the carrier board 106 can be performed prior to the superimposition of the virtual die patch grid 193 onto the patch face 106a of the carrier board 106.

[0199] Figure 15B is a schematic diagram showing the "carrier board target reference coordinates" which can be extracted or downloaded from a coordinate file by the controller 190, for example, based on the image of the global marker 191 acquired by the third camera (i.e., the third sensor 154c).

[0200] According to various embodiments, the "carrier board target reference coordinates" can comprise or be the coordinates (e.g., Cartesian coordinates) of the carrier board 106. In other words, the "carrier board target reference coordinates" can be associated with the carrier board 106. According to various embodiments, the above-mentioned coordinates (i.e., the "carrier board target reference coordinates") can be extracted (e.g., by the controller 190) from a pre-stored coordinate file. Thereafter, the coordinates can be superimposed or overlaid (e.g., by the controller 190) on the carrier board 106 based on the global marker 191. For example, the coordinates (i.e., the "carrier board target reference coordinates") can be positioned (located) and / or oriented (aligned) on the carrier board 106 with respect to the global marker 191. The above-mentioned steps can be performed after the third camera (i.e., the third sensor 154c) acquires the image of the global marker 191.

[0201] In other embodiments, the “carrier target reference coordinates” may be based on extracting a virtual global marker 191 and overlaying or superimposing (e.g., via controller 190) on the carrier 106. The virtual global marker 191 may not physically exist on the patch adhesive tape 107 or the carrier 106. For example, the virtual global marker 191 may be pre-positioned on the carrier 106 based on a file or model of the carrier 106.

[0202] like Figure 1 As shown, according to various embodiments, when the pickup head 134a is positioned within or aligned with the field of view of the first camera, the first camera (i.e., the first sensor 154a) is operable to acquire an image (e.g., a high-resolution image) of the chip 104, while the chip 104 is held on the pickup head 134a. According to various embodiments, based on the image of the chip 104 acquired by the first camera (i.e., the first sensor 154a) and the determined arrangement of the carrier 106 and / or the corresponding target placement position (e.g., from the virtual chip patch grid 193), the sensing device 150 and / or the controller 190 communicating therewith can identify and determine whether the chip 104 has an angular tilt or deviation (i.e., angular misalignment) relative to its target orientation or angle at its corresponding target placement position on the carrier 106. In other words, the first camera (i.e., the first sensor 154a) can acquire an image of the chip 104 on the pickup head 134a to determine (e.g., via the sensing device 150 and / or the controller 190) whether the chip 104 is correctly aligned, or whether there is any angular misalignment of the chip 104 relative to the target placement position on the carrier 106.

[0203] According to various embodiments, the above-described process performed by the sensing device 150 and / or the controller 190 communicating therewith may also involve quantifying the range or degree of any angular misalignment, or the relative angular offset between the chip 104 and the target orientation of the chip 104 at a corresponding target placement location on the carrier 106. Specifically, the precise magnitude of the angular misalignment or deviation between the chip 104 and the target orientation at the corresponding target placement location may be determined by the sensing device 150 and / or the controller 190. According to various embodiments, based on the above steps, the controller 190 may then control the carrier support unit 110 to move (e.g., rotate or orient), and / or control the chip transfer module 130 (e.g., its rotation mechanism 137) to orient the chip 104 to align the chip 104 to the target orientation.

[0204] According to various embodiments, the pick-up head 134a of the chip mounting device 100 and the chip 104 it holds can be moved or rotated to a preset angle to align the chip 104 with a first camera (i.e., a first sensor 154a) so that the first camera can acquire an image of the chip 104. During image acquisition by the first camera, the pick-up head 134a and the chip 104 it holds can be static or dynamic.

[0205] According to various embodiments, a first camera (i.e., first sensor 154a) may send (or transmit) the acquired image of chip 104 to a controller 190 in communication with the first camera. According to various embodiments, the controller 190 may include a processor and may process the image acquired by the first camera to determine whether there is any angular misalignment between the chip 104 and the target orientation at its corresponding target placement location. According to various embodiments, the controller 190 may determine whether the chip 104 is angularly aligned relative to the corresponding target placement location on the carrier 106 by comparing the orientation of the chip 104 on the pickup head 134a (e.g., based on a reference or physical feature of the chip 104 itself) with the orientation of the carrier 106 (e.g., based on global marker 191). According to various embodiments, the controller 190 may also determine the precise magnitude of any angular misalignment or deviation between the chip 104 and the target orientation at its corresponding target placement location. This information may be stored in a memory for use by the controller 190 (e.g., for controlling the rotation mechanism 137 of the pickup head 134a of the chip transfer module 130).

[0206] like Figure 15B As shown, according to various embodiments, the wafer supply unit 120 can hold the diced wafer 102, wherein the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 is opposite to the base support surface 108a or surface 109 for supporting the chip mounting apparatus 100 (see [link]). Figure 15C The wafer 102 is substantially vertical or substantially perpendicular. Therefore, the wafer 102 can be held by the wafer holder 122 of the wafer supply unit 120, such that the wafer side 102a of the wafer 102 is substantially vertical or substantially perpendicular to the base support surface 108a or surface 109 for supporting the chip mounting device 100.

[0207] In addition, refer to Figure 15A According to various embodiments, the carrier frame 114 of the carrier support unit 110 can hold the carrier 106. The mounting surface 106a of the carrier 106 is substantially vertical or substantially perpendicular to the base support surface 108a or surface 109 for supporting the chip mounting apparatus 100. Therefore, the carrier 106 can be held by the carrier frame 114 of the carrier support unit 110 such that the mounting surface 106a of the carrier 106 is substantially vertical or substantially perpendicular to the base support surface 108a or surface 109 for supporting the chip mounting apparatus 100.

[0208] Figure 15C A schematic top view of the chip-on-flex device 100 in another orientation is shown.

[0209] As Figure 15D shown, according to various embodiments, the wafer supply unit 120 can also hold a diced wafer 102 with a wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 substantially horizontal or substantially parallel to the base support surface 108a or surface 109 (see Figure 17A ) for supporting the chip-on-flex device 100. Thus, the diced wafer 102 can be held by the wafer rack 122 of the wafer supply unit 120 with the wafer side 102a of the diced wafer 102 substantially horizontal or substantially parallel to the base support surface 108a or surface 109 for supporting the chip-on-flex device 100.

[0210] Further, with reference to Figure 16A , according to various embodiments, the carrier board support unit 110 can hold the carrier board 106 with a flex side 106a of the carrier board 106 substantially horizontal or substantially parallel to the base support surface 108a or surface 109 for supporting the chip-on-flex device 100. Thus, the carrier board 106 can be held by the carrier board rack 114 of the carrier board support unit 110 with the flex side 106a of the carrier board 106 substantially horizontal or substantially parallel to the base support surface 108a or surface 109 for supporting the chip-on-flex device 100.

[0211] According to various embodiments, Figure 17B a sample image of a chip 104 acquired by a first camera of the chip-on-flex device 100 in Figure 17A is shown. Figure 17A A chip 104 angularly misaligned on a rotation plane 137b of at least one pick head 134a of the chip transfer module 130 is shown. According to various embodiments, Figure 17A A chip 104 angularly aligned on the rotation plane 137b is shown.

[0212] According to various embodiments, when a chip 104 and its corresponding target placement location are determined to be angularly misaligned at a target orientation, the controller 190 can control a rotation mechanism 137 of a pick head 134a of the chip transfer module 130 to rotate the chip 104 about a rotation axis 137a. In this manner, the controller 190 can control the chip transfer module 130 to perform a corrective motion on the chip 104 involving orienting (e.g., rotating) the chip 104 to align the chip 104 to its target orientation at the corresponding target placement location of the carrier board 106.

[0213] According to various embodiments, the rotation mechanism 137 of the pick-up head 134a of the chip transfer module 130 is controllable to perform the aforementioned correction movement, correcting the orientation of the chip 104 relative to its target orientation at the corresponding target placement position on the carrier board 106 before the chip 104 is placed or bonded to the pick-up head 134a and while the chip 104 is held on the pick-up head 134a. Therefore, according to various embodiments, the chip transfer module 130 can perform a correction movement on the chip 104 while holding it, so as to correct the orientation of the chip 104 relative to its target orientation at its target placement position before the chip transfer module 130 places or mounts the chip 104 onto the carrier board 106.

[0214] According to various embodiments, the controller 190 can control the movement of the carrier support unit 110 to move (e.g., rotate or orient) the carrier 106 so that the chip 104 and its angular alignment at the corresponding target placement position on the carrier 106. Thus, the controller 190 can also perform corrective movements to correct the orientation of the chip 104 relative to its target orientation at the corresponding target placement position.

[0215] According to various embodiments, Figure 17A A schematic diagram of a carrier plate 106 is shown, on which the patch surface 106a has, as shown in the diagram. Figure 17C The first set of reference points 191 and the second set of reference points 192 are shown.

[0216] Figure 17D The patch is shown as Figure 15A Multiple chips 104 on the patch surface 106a of the carrier board 106 shown.

[0217] like Figure 15E As shown, according to various embodiments, a second set of reference points 192 disposed on the patch surface 106a of the carrier 106 may be referred to as “local marks”. According to various embodiments, the local marks 192 may be used to position and / or align (e.g., real-time alignment) the chip 104 onto the carrier 106. The local marks 192 may be points, holes, notches, or markings, or any suitable element or feature (e.g., a physical element or feature) that can act as physical reference marks on the carrier 106 for positioning the chip 104 onto the carrier 106. In other embodiments, the controller 190 may overlay virtual local marks 192 onto the carrier 106 (e.g., based on a file or model of the carrier 106). According to various embodiments, the local marks 192 may be in a fixed or immovable position relative to the carrier 106. According to various embodiments, when multiple local marks 192 are present, they may be identical or similar to each other (i.e., marks or references of the same type). However, in other embodiments, the multiple local marks 192 may also be of different types.

[0218] According to various embodiments, the local mark 192 may differ from the global mark 191 (i.e., a mark or reference of a different type). As an example, the local mark 192 may have a different size and / or a different shape than the global mark 191. In this way, the local mark 192 and the global mark 191 can be easily distinguished from each other, especially when both the local mark 192 and the global mark 191 are provided on the carrier plate 106.

[0219] like Figure 15A As shown, according to various embodiments, the carrier plate 106 may be provided with a plurality of global markers 191 (i.e., a first set of reference points) and a plurality of local markers 192 (i.e., a second set of reference points). Figure 15E As shown, carrier 106 may include four global markers 191 and sixteen local markers 192. However, in other embodiments, the number of global markers 191 and / or local markers 192 may vary as needed. Furthermore, carrier 106 may include global markers 191 without any local markers 192; or carrier 106 may include local markers 192 without any global markers 191.

[0220] According to various embodiments, each target placement location (or patch location) may be marked or represented by a set (or subset thereof) of local markers 192. In other words, each set (or subset) of local markers 192 can be used to indicate a target placement location of chip 104. For example, each target placement location on carrier 106 may be marked or represented by four local markers 192. As an example, a target placement location may be defined by or located within local markers 192. For example, a set of four local markers 192 may be located at or define the four corners of a target placement location of chip 104. In various embodiments, a pair of adjacent target placement locations may share at least one local marker 192 located between their locations.

[0221] Therefore, according to various embodiments, local markings 192 (i.e., fixed and / or immovable physical elements or features on the carrier plate 106) can be used as real (i.e., non-virtual) alignment points or markings to indicate the placement positions of various targets on the carrier plate 106.

[0222] According to various embodiments, local marking 192 enables sensing device 150 and / or controller 190 communicating therewith to identify and / or determine the arrangement (e.g., position and / or orientation) of the target placement location on carrier plate 106.

[0223] For example, the third camera (i.e., third sensor 154c) of the die placement sensing device 154 can be used to scan and / or acquire an image of the die face 106a of the carrier board 106 for determining (e.g., detecting and / or identifying) the local marks 192 on the carrier board 106. As an example, the third camera (i.e., third sensor 154c) of the die placement sensing device 154 can acquire an image of the die face 106a of the carrier board 106 to determine at least one set (or subset) of the local marks 192 for marking or designating a target placement position of the die 104 prior to placing or taping the die 104 onto the carrier board 106, in other words, the third camera can acquire an image of the die face 106a of the carrier board 106 to identify a set (or subset) of the local marks 192 on the carrier board 106 so as to determine (e.g., detect and / or identify) a target placement position of the die 104 prior to placing or taping the die 104 onto the carrier board 106. According to other embodiments, the third camera can scan and / or acquire an image of the die face 106a of the carrier board 106 (e.g., covering the entire die face 106a or a portion thereof) to identify the locations of all the local marks 192 on the carrier board 106 so as to determine (e.g., detect and / or identify) a plurality of target placement positions. In various embodiments, the location data of all the local marks 192 can be stored in a memory prior to placing or taping the dies 104 of the diced wafer 102 onto the carrier board 106. Thus, the third camera (i.e., third sensor 154c) can acquire the locations of the local marks 192 sequentially according to the placement order of the dies 104 on the carrier board 106, or acquire the locations of all the local marks 192 at one time.

[0224] According to various embodiments, based on the acquired images of the local marks 192 on the carrier board 106, the sensing device 150 and / or the controller 190 in communication therewith can identify and / or determine the arrangement (e.g., position and / or orientation) of the target placement positions on the carrier board 106. Thus, the local marks 192 are capable of accurately determining the arrangement of the target placement positions. According to various embodiments, the above-mentioned process can be performed as a pre-calibration step prior to placing or taping the dies 104 onto the carrier board 106.

[0225] According to various embodiments, based on the determined locations of the local marks 192 on the carrier board 106, the controller 190 can cause the carrier board 106 to move (e.g., translate / linearly and / or rotate / angulately) to pre-align the carrier board 106 relative to various components of the die taping apparatus 100, including but not limited to the carrier board support unit 110, and / or the die transfer module 130, prior to the dies 104 being placed or taped onto the carrier board 106 (or prior to the start of a taping cycle). Thus, the above-mentioned steps are part of a pre-calibration step prior to placing or taping the dies 104 onto the carrier board 106.

[0226] Figure 15FAs shown, a computer-aided design (CAD) file or model of the die 104 can be generated (e.g., by the controller 190) based on an image of the die 104 acquired by the second camera (i.e., the second sensor 154b) of the die placement sensing apparatus 154. However, in other embodiments, a CAD file or model of the die 104 can also be extracted or downloaded based on an image of the die 104 acquired by the wafer camera (i.e., the sensor 152a).

[0227] According to various embodiments, a CAD file or model of the die 104 can be generated (e.g., extracted or downloaded) after the second camera (i.e., the second sensor 154b) acquires an image of the die 104. Specifically, the second camera (i.e., the second sensor 154b) can acquire an image of fiducials present on the die 104 itself, referred to as“die fiducials.” According to various embodiments, the die fiducials can include an arrangement of elements or features on the die 104 (e.g., on an active surface of the die 104), a patterned element or feature on the die 104 (i.e., a die pattern), a hole (e.g., a via or pre-via on an active surface of the die 104), or any other suitable element or feature on the die 104. Thereafter, a CAD file or model of the die 104 can be generated (e.g., extracted or downloaded) based on the image of the die fiducials acquired by the second camera (i.e., the second sensor 154b). Accordingly, according to various embodiments, the CAD file or model can correspond to or can be associated with the die fiducials. Thereafter, the CAD file or model can be superimposed or overlaid (e.g., by the controller 190) on the die 104 based on the die fiducials. For example, the CAD file or model can be positioned and / or oriented on the die 104 with respect to the die fiducials. According to various embodiments, the above-described process can be performed after the corrective motion to correct for angular misalignment of the die 104 at its target placement location with respect to a target orientation thereof, and any translational misalignment of the die 104 with respect to the carrier board 106, are completed.

[0228] Figure 15E A schematic view of a“real-time carrier board target fiducial” is shown, which can be generated (e.g., by the controller 190) based on an image of the local marker 192 (or a set or subset of the local markers 192 corresponding to the target placement location of the die 104) of a partial region of the carrier board 106 acquired by the third camera (i.e., the third sensor 154c) of the die placement sensing apparatus 154.

[0229] According to various embodiments, the "real-time carrier target fiducial" can be generated after the third camera (i.e., the third sensor 154c) acquires an image of the carrier 106. Specifically, the third camera (i.e., the third sensor 154c) can acquire an image of the local marks 192 (e.g., all of the local marks 192 or a set / subset of the local marks 192 corresponding to the target placement locations of the dies 104) on the carrier 106. Thereafter, the "real-time carrier target fiducial" can be generated based on the image of the local marks 192 acquired by the third camera (i.e., the third sensor 154c). Thus, the "real-time carrier target fiducial" can correspond to or be associated with the local marks 192 of the carrier 106. According to various embodiments, the local marks 192 can be, but are not limited to, physical local marks 192 disposed on a die attach tape 107, which in turn can be disposed on the carrier 106. Thereafter, the "real-time carrier target fiducial" can be superimposed or overlaid (e.g., by the controller 190) on the carrier 106 (and / or the die attach tape 107) based on the local marks 192. For example, the "real-time carrier target fiducial" can be positioned and / or oriented relative to the local marks 192.

[0230] As Figure 15A According to various embodiments, when the pick-up head 134a is positioned within or aligned with the field of view of the second camera (i.e., the second sensor), the second camera (i.e., the second sensor 154b) of the die placement sensing device 154 can be used to acquire an image of the die 104 while the die 104 is held on the pick-up head 134a. According to various embodiments, based on the image of the die 104 acquired by the second camera, and the determined placement of the die 104 relative to the corresponding target placement location on the carrier 106 (e.g., determined based on the global marks 191 and / or the local marks 192), the sensing device 150 and / or the controller 190 in communication therewith can identify and detect misalignment of the die 104 and the target location at the corresponding target placement location in any position (e.g., horizontal and / or vertical, or x-axis and / or y-axis). In other words, the second camera can capture an image of the die 104 on the pick-up head 134a to determine (e.g., by the sensing device 150 and / or the controller 190) whether there is a positional misalignment (e.g., translational / linear misalignment) of the die 104 relative to the positioning (e.g., translational / linear positioning) of the carrier 106.

[0231] According to various embodiments, the above-described processes by the sensing device 150 and / or the controller 190 in communication therewith can also involve quantifying the extent or magnitude of any positional misalignment (i.e., the relative translational / linear offset between the chip 104 and its target position at the corresponding target landing site on the carrier board 106). The above-described quantification can involve determining any displacement of the chip 104 along the x-axis and / or the y-axis, or relative to a predefined reference (e.g., a virtual Cartesian coordinate frame). Based on the above-determined information, the controller 190 can then control the movement of the carrier board support unit 110 to position and align the chip 104 to its (translational / linear) target position, according to various embodiments.

[0232] According to various embodiments, the pick-and-place head 134a of the chip taping device 100 and the chip 104 held thereby can be moved or rotated to a preset angle to align the chip 104 with the second camera (i.e., the second sensor 154b) so that the second camera can acquire an image of the chip 104. According to various embodiments, the pick-and-place head 134a holding the chip 104 can be static or dynamic during the acquisition of the image by the second camera.

[0233] According to various embodiments, the second camera (i.e., the second sensor 154b) can send the acquired image of the chip 104 to the controller 190. According to various embodiments, the controller 190 can have a processor and can process the image acquired by the second camera to determine whether there is a positional misalignment between the chip 104 and its corresponding target position at the target landing site. According to various embodiments, the controller 190 can determine whether there is a (translational / linear) positional misalignment between the chip 104 and its corresponding target landing site on the carrier board 106 by comparing the position of the chip 104 on the pick-and-place head 134a (e.g., determined based on fiducials or physical features of the chip 104 itself) and the position at the corresponding target landing site on the carrier board 106. According to various embodiments, the controller 190 can also determine any positional misalignment between the chip 104 and its corresponding target position at the target landing site. The above information can be stored in a memory for use by the controller 190 to move the carrier board support unit 110 and the carrier board 106 held thereby.

[0234] Figure 18A A sample image of a chip 104 acquired by the second camera of the chip taping device 100 in Figure 18B is shown. According to various embodiments, Figure 18A A chip 104 with translational misalignment is shown. Relative to a Cartesian coordinate frame, Figure 18B A sample image in Figure 19A to Figure 19D is shown.

[0235] According to various embodiments, when a translational misalignment is determined between chip 104 and its target placement location, controller 190 can control carrier support unit 110 to move carrier 106. In this manner, controller 190 can perform corrective movements on carrier 106 via carrier support unit 110 to move chip 104 relative to carrier 106 (before or simultaneously with chip 104 being placed or mounted onto carrier 106), thereby correcting any translational / linear misalignment. Thus, when chip 104 is placed or mounted onto carrier 106, chip 104 will be aligned with the corresponding target placement location on carrier 106.

[0236] According to various embodiments, the second camera (i.e., the second sensor 154b) and / or the controller 190 communicating therewith can determine the relative position of the center of the chip 104 and the center of the target position at its target placement location, so as to control the carrier support unit 110 to move the carrier 106 to align with the target position.

[0237] According to various embodiments, the second camera (i.e., the second sensor 154b), the controller 190, and the carrier support unit 110 (and the carrier 106 it holds) can cooperate to perform a correction movement to correct any translational misalignment of the chip 104 relative to the carrier 106. Thus, the chip 104 and the carrier 106 are aligned before or during the placement or mounting of the chip 106 onto the carrier 106.

[0238] According to various embodiments, the first camera and the second camera can be configured for different purposes. Specifically, both the first camera and the second camera can be used to determine different arrangement offsets or misalignments between the target arrangement (e.g., orientation and / or position) at corresponding target placement locations on the chip 104 and the carrier 106. According to various embodiments, by having different cameras perform specific tasks, the chip placement apparatus 100 can more accurately determine and correct any deviations of the chip 104 during the placement process.

[0239] like Figure 15A As shown, according to various embodiments, the second camera may be located downstream of the first camera (e.g., along the movement path or curved path 136a of the chip 104 from the diced wafer 102 to the carrier 106). In this configuration, any angular misalignment between the chip 104 and the corresponding target placement position on the carrier 106 is first determined and corrected (e.g., by the first camera), followed by any translational misalignment between the chip 104 and the corresponding target placement position on the carrier 106 (e.g., by the second camera). However, in other embodiments, the second camera may also be located upstream of the first camera. Therefore, any translational misalignment of the chip 104 may be determined and corrected before any angular misalignment of the chip 104 is determined and corrected.

[0240] According to various embodiments,Figure 19A A schematic perspective view of the carrier plate 106 with fiducials is shown when the carrier plate 106 has fiducials.

[0241] According to various embodiments, Figure 19A A schematic perspective view of the carrier plate 106 with fiducials is shown when the carrier plate 106 has fiducials.

[0242] According to various embodiments, the global marks 191 and / or the local marks 192 can be formed directly on the carrier plate 106 itself (see Figure 19B ), or on the adhesive tape holding mechanism (e.g. a suction cup on the carrier plate 106), or on the die attach tape 107 placed on top of the carrier plate 106 (see Figure 4A ).

[0243] According to various embodiments, the die attach tape 107 can be light transmissive. In other words, the die attach tape 107 can be transparent or translucent. In this way, when the global marks 191 and / or the local marks 192 are provided directly on the carrier plate 106, the global marks 191 and / or the local marks 192 on the carrier plate 106 can still be acquired and determined by the third camera even if the die attach tape 107 is located between the carrier plate 106 and the third camera.

[0244] According to various embodiments, Figure 19B A die attach process using the die attach apparatus 100 in Figure 19C is shown.

[0245] As shown in Figure 19D , according to various embodiments, the die attach process can start with loading materials. When loading materials, a diced wafer 102 can be loaded to the wafer supply unit 120, a barcode of the diced wafer 102 is checked, a wafer map of the diced wafer 102 is downloaded, and a wafer center and a first die 104 are determined. Subsequently, the diced wafer 102 is moved by moving the wafer supply unit 120, the first die 104 is aligned to a predetermined pick-up position, so as to be aligned to the ejector head 162 of the ejector 160. Thus, the center of the first die 104 can be aligned to and intersected or coincided with the center of the ejector head 162 of the ejector 160. In addition, the carrier plate 106 can also be moved to a proper position to wait for the first die 104 to be attached to the attach face 106a of the carrier plate 106.

[0246] Then, the first die 104 is ejected by the ejector head 162 of the ejector 160, and the first die 104 is picked up by the pick-up head 134a of the pick-up moving unit 132a, as shown in Figure 20 .

[0247] Referring to Figure 20According to various embodiments, the pickup head 134a of the subsequent pickup moving unit 132a can then rotate around the axis of rotation 135a (e.g., as shown in the figure). Figure 15A The wafer pick-up head 134a and the first chip 104 are rotated and moved along a curved path 136a. According to various embodiments, the wafer camera (i.e., sensor 152a) of the chip pick-up sensing device 152 can be pointed towards the wafer side of the diced wafer 102 to detect the chip 104 on the diced wafer 102. Therefore, the wafer camera (i.e., sensor 152a) can acquire an image of the diced wafer 102 at a predetermined pick-up position. According to various embodiments, the wafer supply unit 120 is movable to move the diced wafer 102 to align the next chip 104-1 to the predetermined pick-up position. The wafer camera (i.e., sensor 152a) can then acquire an image of the next chip 104-1 and determine its position before it is picked up. If the position of the next chip 104-1 is not aligned with the predetermined pick-up position (e.g., the center of the ejector head 162 of the ejector 160), the movable wafer supply unit 120 can move the dicing wafer 102 for corrective movement to adjust the alignment of the next chip 104-1 with the predetermined pick-up position. Therefore, the pick-up of the first chip 104 can be controlled based on feedback from the sensing device 150.

[0248] like Figure 20 As shown, according to various embodiments, the pickup moving unit 132a can rotate the first chip 104 to a preset angle to align it with the first camera (i.e., the first sensor 154a) of the chip placement sensing device 154, so that the first camera can acquire an image of the first chip 104 dynamically or statically. When the first chip 104 is aligned with the first camera, another pickup head 134a-1 of the pickup moving unit 132a can pick up the next chip 104-1. According to various embodiments, the chip position data acquired by the first camera (i.e., the first sensor 154a) can be processed by the controller 190 to calculate any relative angular offset (i.e., angular misalignment). According to various embodiments, when the first chip 104 is held in place by the pickup head 134a, the orientation of the first chip 104 can be determined and a corrective movement can be performed. According to various embodiments, the correction motion can be performed by a rotation mechanism 137 of the pickup head 134a, which can rotate the first chip 104 about its normal axis when the first chip 104 is held on the pickup head 134a, until the first chip 104 is aligned with the target orientation angle relative to its corresponding target placement on the carrier plate 106.

[0249] like Figure 20As shown, according to various embodiments, the pick-up movement unit 132a can rotate the first chip 104 to another preset angle to align with a second camera (i.e., the second sensor 154b) of the chip placement sensing device 154, so that the second camera acquires images of the first chip 104 dynamically or statically. When the first chip 104 is aligned with the second camera, another pick-up head 134a-2 of the pick-up movement unit 132a can pick up the next chip 104-2. According to various embodiments, the chip position data acquired by the second camera (i.e., the second sensor 154b) can be processed by the controller 190 and any relative translational offset (i.e., translational misalignment) can be calculated. According to various embodiments, a correction movement can be performed by moving the carrier board 106 by the carrier board support unit 110 before the chip 104 is placed or die-attached to the carrier board 106. The correction movement can ensure that the chip 104 is translationally aligned with respect to a target position at the corresponding target placement position on the carrier board 106.

[0250] According to various embodiments, before the first chip 104 is placed or die-attached to the carrier board 106, a third camera of the chip placement sensing device 154 can acquire images of the die-attach surface 106a of the carrier board 106 for determining the target placement position of the first chip 104 on the carrier board 106. According to various embodiments, the target placement position (i.e., the die-attach position) can be determined based on the global marker 191 and / or the local marker 192 disposed on the carrier board 106.

[0251] According to various embodiments, when the carrier board 106 has the global marker 191, the target placement positions of all chips 104 of the diced wafer 102 can be determined based on a virtual chip die-attach grid 193 generated based on the global marker 191. Therefore, the target placement position of the first chip 104 is determined based on the virtual chip die-attach grid 193 first, and the first chip 104 is placed or die-attached to the carrier board 106; then, the target placement position of the next chip 104-1 is already determined by the virtual chip die-attach grid 193.

[0252] According to various embodiments, when the carrier board 106 has local marks 192 (e.g., only local marks 192, without any global marks 191), the target placement position of the next chip 104-1 can be determined after the first chip 104 has been placed or picked onto the carrier board 106, but before the next chip 104-1 is placed or picked onto the carrier board 106. For example, after the first chip 104 has been placed or picked onto the carrier board 106, the carrier board 106 can be moved so that the local mark 192 on the carrier board 106 indicating the target placement position of the next chip 104-1 is within the field of view of the third camera (i.e., third sensor 154c) of the chip placement sensing device 154. Then, the third camera (i.e., third sensor 154c) can acquire an image of the local mark 192, which can be used to identify the target placement position of the next chip 104-1.

[0253] As shown in FIG. 1, according to various embodiments, the first chip 104 can be placed or picked onto the carrier board 106 by the pick-and-place head 134a of the pick-and-place movement unit 132a. For example, the pick-and-place head 134a can be moved by the pick-and-place movement unit 132a to a position above the carrier board 106, and the pick-and-place head 134a can be lowered to pick up the first chip 104 from the wafer 102. Then, the pick-and-place head 134a can be moved to a position above the carrier board 106, and the pick-and-place head 134a can be lowered to place or pick the first chip 104 onto the carrier board 106. Figure 15A According to various embodiments, the pick-and-place head 134a can then rotate the first chip 104 to align the first chip 104 with the corresponding target placement position on the carrier board 106. Then, the pick-and-place head 134a can place or pick the first chip 104 onto the pick face 106a of the carrier board 106. For example, the pick-and-place head 134a can include a movable member 138 that can push the first chip 104 towards the pick face 106a of the carrier board 106 to pick the first chip 104 onto the carrier board 106. Thus, according to various embodiments, the placement and picking of the first chip 104 onto the pick face 106a of the carrier board 106 can be controlled based on feedback from the sensing device 150. Meanwhile, another pick-and-place head 134a-4 of the pick-and-place movement unit 132a-4 can pick up the next chip 104-2 from the wafer 102.

[0254] According to various embodiments, ​ FIG. 1 shows a schematic top view of a chip pick-and-place apparatus 100 having a first pick-and-place movement unit 132a and a second pick-and-place movement unit 132b.

[0255] Referring to ​ , according to various embodiments, the chip transfer module 130 of the chip pick-and-place apparatus 100 can have at least two pick-and-place movement units 132a, 132b that can perform angular correction movements to correct orientation misalignment of the chips 104 with respect to a target orientation at the corresponding target placement position, and perform translational correction movements to correct any translational misalignment of the chips 104 with respect to the carrier board 106, as described in ​ According to various embodiments, the first pick-and-place movement unit 132a can correspond to a flipping unit of the chip transfer module 130, while the second pick-and-place movement unit 132b can correspond to a chip attachment unit (non-flipping module) of the chip transfer module 130.

[0256] Referring to​ According to various embodiments, the first pickup moving unit 132a may interact with the wafer supply unit 120 to pick up the chip 104 from the diced wafer 102 held by the wafer supply unit 120, and to move (or transfer) the chip 104 from the first pickup moving unit 132a to the second pickup moving unit 132b. Specifically, according to various embodiments, the first pickup moving unit 132a and the second pickup moving unit 132b are arranged in series, so that the first pickup moving unit 132a can pick up the chip 104 from the diced wafer 102 held by the wafer supply unit 120 at its pickup position 131a, and can move the chip 104 to the release position 133a of the first pickup moving unit 132a for transfer to the second pickup moving unit 132b; then the second pickup moving unit 132b can receive the chip 104 from the first pickup moving unit 132a at its pickup position 131b, and move the chip 104 to its release position 133b to place the chip 104 on the carrier plate 106 held by the carrier plate support unit 110, thereby attaching the chip 104 to the carrier plate 106.

[0257] According to various embodiments, such as ​ As shown, the pickup head 134b of the second pickup moving unit 132b holding the chip 104 can be moved or rotated to a preset angle to align the chip 104 with the first camera (i.e., the first sensor 154a), so that the first camera can capture an image of the chip 104. According to various embodiments, the pickup head 134b holding the chip 104 can be static or dynamic when the first camera acquires an image.

[0258] Furthermore, the first camera (i.e., the first sensor 154a) can be configured to send or transmit the acquired image from the chip 104 to the controller 190 (e.g., ​ (As shown). According to various embodiments, controller 190 may be configured to process images acquired by the first camera to determine whether there is any angular misalignment between the target orientation of chip 104 and its corresponding target placement position. According to various embodiments, controller 190 may determine angular misalignment of chip 104 relative to its corresponding target placement position on carrier 106 by comparing the orientation of chip 104 held by pickup head 134b with the orientation of carrier 106 (e.g., based on global marker 191). According to various embodiments, controller 190 may also determine the precise magnitude of any angular misalignment or deviation between chip 104 and its corresponding target orientation. According to various embodiments, the above information may be stored in a memory for use by controller 190 (e.g., for controlling the rotation mechanism 137 of pickup head 134a of chip transfer module 130) to perform corrective movements, i.e., to correct the orientation of chip 104 and its target orientation at the corresponding target placement position.

[0259] According to various embodiments, the pick-up head 134b holding the chip 104 of the second pick-up moving unit 132b can be moved or rotated to another preset angle for aligning the chip 104 with the second camera (i.e., the second sensor 154b) so that the second camera can acquire an image of the chip 104. According to various embodiments, the pick-up head 134b holding the chip 104 can be static or dynamic during the second camera acquires the image.

[0260] According to various embodiments, the second camera (i.e., the second sensor 154b) can be configured to send the acquired image of the chip 104 to the controller 190. The controller 190 can process the image acquired by the second camera to determine whether there is any positional misalignment between the chip 104 and the target position at its corresponding target placement location. According to various embodiments, the controller 190 can determine the translational misalignment of the chip 104 relative to the corresponding target placement location on the carrier board 106 by comparing the position of the chip 104 on the pick-up head 134b and the position of the corresponding target placement location on the carrier board 106. According to various embodiments, the controller 190 can also determine the exact amount of any positional misalignment or displacement between the chip 104 and the target position at its corresponding target placement location. According to various embodiments, the above information can be stored in a memory for use by the controller 190 for moving the carrier board support unit 110 and the carrier board 106 held thereby to perform a corrective motion for correcting any translational misalignment of the chip 104 relative to the carrier board 106.

[0261] While the present application has been particularly shown and described with reference to particular embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details can be made therein without departing from the scope of the application. The application is defined by the appended claims. Therefore, the scope of the application is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced therein.

Claims

1. A chip-on-patch device, characterized by, comprising: a carrier plate support unit having: at least one support element defining a support plane; a support frame operable to support a carrier plate against the at least one support element so as to hold the carrier plate on a side of the support plane, the carrier plate being parallel to the support plane; a wafer supply unit having a wafer holder operable to hold a diced wafer so as to separate the diced wafer from the support plane defined by the at least one support element of the carrier plate support unit and to orient the diced wafer so that an exposed surface thereof faces the side of the support plane on which the carrier plate is held; a die transfer module disposed between the carrier plate support unit and the wafer supply unit and operable to pick up a die from the diced wafer held by the wafer supply unit and to place the die on the carrier plate held by the carrier plate support unit so as to attach the die to the carrier plate; and a sensing device operable to provide feedback for controlling the picking up of the die from the diced wafer and / or the placing of the die on the carrier plate.

2. The die attach apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the wafer supply unit is operable to hold the diced wafer so that the exposed surface is substantially parallel to the support plane defined by the at least one support element of the carrier plate support unit.

3. The die attach apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the sensing device includes a die pick-up sensing device having at least one sensor for determining an arrangement of the die relative to a predetermined pick-up location for controlling the wafer supply unit to align the die with the predetermined pick-up location so as to pick up the die from the diced wafer.

4. The die attach apparatus of claim 2, wherein: the wafer supply unit is movable along a wafer movement plane for aligning the die with the predetermined pick-up location, the wafer movement plane being parallel to the support plane defined by the at least one support element of the carrier plate support unit.

5. The die attach apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the sensing device further includes at least one die placement sensing device having at least one sensor for determining an arrangement of the die held by the die transfer module relative to a target placement location on the carrier plate held by the carrier plate support unit for controlling the carrier plate support unit and / or the die transfer module for moving the die and the carrier plate relative to each other in an aligned manner so as to place the die on the carrier plate.

6. The die attach apparatus of claim 5, wherein: the die placement sensing device has at least one first sensor for determining a relative orientation of the die relative to a target orientation at the target placement location for controlling the die transfer module to orient the die so as to align to the target orientation.

7. The die attach apparatus of claim 6, wherein: ​ The chip transfer module is configured to rotate the chip about an axis extending through the chip to orient the chip to align with the target orientation.

8. The chip taping device of claim 6, wherein, The chip placement sensing device further has a second sensor for determining a relative position of a center of the chip with respect to a center of a target position at the target placement location to control the carrier support unit to move the carrier to align to the target position.

9. The chip taping device of claim 8, wherein, The carrier support unit is movable along a carrier movement plane for aligning to the target position; the carrier movement plane is parallel to a support plane defined by the at least one support element of the carrier support unit.

10. The chip taping device of claim 1, wherein, The chip transfer module includes a pick-up movement unit having at least one pick-up head movable between a pick-up position and a release position; when the at least one pick-up head is at the pick-up position, it faces the cut wafer held by the wafer supply unit and is aligned with the chip for picking up the chip from the cut wafer held by the wafer supply unit; and when the at least one pick-up head is at the release position, it faces away from the cut wafer held by the wafer supply unit and is directed to the carrier held by the carrier support unit. ​

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