Joining method, joining device and method for manufacturing article

Abstract

To provide a technology advantageous to improve a yield of joining obtained by joining a first object and a second object.SOLUTION: A joining method for carrying a plurality of carriers respectively mounting a plurality of first objects thereon and a plurality of substrates with a plurality of second objects respectively formed to a joining device to join the first objects and the second objects is provided. The joining method includes: a first step for acquiring rank information including data showing a rank to which each of the first objects belongs about each of the plurality of carriers, and data showing a rank to which each of the second objects belongs about each of the plurality of substrates; a second step for determining an order of carrying the plurality of carriers and an order of carrying the plurality of substrates on the basis of the rank information; and a third step for carrying the plurality of carriers and the plurality of substrates to the joining device according to the carrying orders determined in the second step, and joining the first objects and the second objects.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a joining method, a joining device, and a method for manufacturing an article. [Background technology]

[0002] A technology has been proposed in which, when using a bonding apparatus to bond a first object and a second object, good objects are bonded together and defective objects are bonded together, thereby improving the yield of an item (such as a device) manufactured by bonding a first object and a second object (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2000-68296 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the conventional technology, when there is a bias in the number of non-defective products per transport unit of the first object and the second object sequentially supplied to the bonding device, it may be necessary to bond not only a combination of non-defective products but also a combination of non-defective products. Thus, in the conventional technology, the effect of improving the yield is not necessarily obtained sufficiently.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems in the conventional technology, and has an illustrative object to provide a technology that is advantageous for improving the yield of a joined product obtained by joining a first object and a second object. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a bonding method as one aspect of the present invention is a bonding method for transporting a plurality of carriers each carrying a plurality of first objects and a plurality of substrates each having a plurality of second objects formed thereon to a bonding apparatus to bond the first objects and the second objects, the method comprising: a first step of acquiring rank information including data indicating a rank to which each of the first objects belongs for each of the plurality of carriers and data indicating a rank to which each of the second objects belongs for each of the plurality of substrates; a second step of determining a transport order of the plurality of carriers and a transport order of the plurality of substrates based on the rank information; and a third step of transporting the plurality of carriers and the plurality of substrates to the bonding apparatus in accordance with the transport order determined in the second step, and bonding the first objects and the second objects.

[0007] Further objects or other aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, for example, it is possible to provide a technique that is advantageous for improving the yield of a bonded article obtained by bonding a first object and a second object. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a joining device according to one aspect of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a top view showing the wafer stage from the +Z direction. [Diagram 3] 5 is a flowchart for explaining a joining operation in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of rank information. [Diagram 5] 11 is a flowchart for explaining a process for determining a transfer order of a dicing frame and a wafer. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart for explaining a joining operation in the second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of rank information. [Figure 8] 11 is a flowchart for explaining a process for determining the transfer order, the number of joinings, and the replacement timing of the dicing frame and the wafer, respectively. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although the embodiments describe a number of features, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the features may be combined in any manner. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

[0011] In the following description, the carrier (first carrier) is a dicing frame on which multiple dies (first objects) on which semiconductor devices are formed and separated are mounted, and the substrate (second carrier) is a wafer on which multiple dies (second objects) including semiconductor devices are formed, but the carrier and substrate are not limited to these.

[0012] The first object may include, in addition to a singulated die, for example, a stack of several already singulated dies, a small piece of material, an optical element, a MEMS, a structure, etc.

[0013] The second object includes, in addition to the semiconductor device die formed on the wafer, for example, a silicon interposer having wiring formed on a silicon wafer, a glass interposer having wiring formed on a glass wafer, etc. The second object also includes an organic interposer having wiring formed on an organic panel (PCB), a wafer on which semiconductor devices are formed and a die including some semiconductor devices is already bonded to the wafer, etc.

[0014] Furthermore, the method of joining the first object and the second object is not limited. Examples of the method of joining the first object and the second object include bonding with an adhesive, temporary bonding with a temporary adhesive, hybrid bonding, atomic diffusion bonding, vacuum bonding, bump bonding, etc. In this way, the method of joining the first object and the second object includes various temporary bonding and permanent bonding methods.

[0015] As examples of industrial applications of the joining device according to one aspect of the present invention, the following application examples are considered.

[0016] A first application example is the manufacture of stacked memories. When the bonding apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is applied to the manufacture of stacked memories, the first object is a singulated memory die, and the second object is a memory die that is a semiconductor device formed on a wafer. In the manufacture of stacked memories, generally, about eight layers are stacked, so that in the bonding of the eighth layer, the second object is a substrate on which six layers of memory dies have already been bonded on the wafer. The final layer may be a driver die that drives the memory.

[0017] As a second application example, heterogeneous integration of a processor is conceivable. In contrast to the mainstream of conventional processors, which are SoCs in which logic circuits and SRAMs are configured in one semiconductor element, each element is manufactured on a separate wafer by applying an optimal process to each element, and then these elements are bonded to manufacture a processor. This makes it possible to reduce the cost of the processor and improve the yield. When the bonding device as one aspect of the present invention is applied to heterogeneous integration, the first object is a die such as an SRAM, an antenna, a driver, etc. that is singulated after probing. The second object is a logic die as a semiconductor device formed on a wafer. Usually, different dies are bonded sequentially, so that the number of bonded objects of the second object increases sequentially. For example, when bonding starts from an SRAM, when bonding the next die of the SRAM, the one with the SRAM bonded to the logic wafer becomes the second object.

[0018] As a third application example, 2.5D bonding using a silicon interposer is considered. A silicon interposer is a silicon wafer on which wiring is formed. In 2.5D bonding, a silicon interposer is used to bond individualized dies to electrically bond the dies. When a bonding device according to one aspect of the present invention is applied to die bonding to a silicon interposer, the first object is an individualized die, and the second object is a silicon interposer on which wiring is formed on a silicon wafer. Generally, since multiple types of dies are bonded to a silicon interposer, the second object also includes a silicon interposer to which several dies are bonded.

[0019] A fourth application example may be 2.1D bonding using an organic interposer or a glass interposer. An organic interposer is an organic panel (PCB substrate, CCL substrate) used as a package substrate on which wiring is formed. A glass interposer is a glass panel on which wiring is formed. 2.1D bonding is bonding a singulated die to an organic interposer or a glass interposer, and electrically bonding the dies with wiring on the interposer. When a bonding device according to one aspect of the present invention is applied to die bonding to an organic interposer, the first object is a singulated die, and the second object is an organic panel on which wiring is formed. When a bonding device according to one aspect of the present invention is applied to die bonding to a glass interposer, the first object is a singulated die, and the second object is a glass panel on which wiring is formed. Generally, since multiple types of dies are bonded to an organic interposer or a glass interposer, the second object may include an organic interposer or a glass interposer to which several dies are bonded.

[0020] As a fifth application example, heterogeneous substrate bonding is conceivable. For example, in the field of infrared image sensors, InGaAs is known as a highly sensitive material. Therefore, it is possible to manufacture a highly sensitive and high-speed infrared image sensor by using InGaAs for the sensor part that receives light and silicon that realizes high-speed processing for the logic circuit that extracts data. However, only small-diameter substrates (wafers) of InGaAs crystals, such as 4 inches, are mass-produced, which are smaller than the mainstream 300 mm silicon wafer. Therefore, a technology has been proposed in which an individualized InGaAs substrate is bonded onto a 300 mm silicon wafer on which a logic circuit is formed. The bonding apparatus as one aspect of the present invention can also be applied to heterogeneous substrate bonding in which substrates made of different materials and of different sizes are bonded. When the bonding apparatus as one aspect of the present invention is applied to heterogeneous substrate bonding, the first object is a small piece of material such as InGaAs, and the second object is a large-diameter substrate such as a silicon wafer. The small piece of material is a sliced ​​crystal, but it is preferable to cut it into a square shape.

[0021] First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a bonding apparatus BD according to one aspect of the present invention. The bonding apparatus BD bonds an individualized die 51 (first object) to an arbitrary position of a wafer 6 (second carrier) as a substrate. The die 51 is provided in a state arranged (held) on a dicing tape attached to a dicing frame 5 (first carrier). In this specification, directions are indicated by an XYZ coordinate system as shown in each figure. Typically, the XY plane is a plane parallel to the horizontal plane, and the Z axis is an axis parallel to the vertical direction. The X axis, Y axis, and Z axis are shown as examples of directions that are orthogonal or intersect with each other.

[0022] 1, the bonding device BD has a pickup unit 3 and a bonding unit 4 arranged on a base 1 whose vibration is damped by a mount 2, a frame supply unit 7, and a wafer supply unit 8. The pickup unit 3, the bonding unit 4, the frame supply unit 7, and the wafer supply unit 8 function as a bonding unit that bonds the wafer 6 (the die 61 thereon) and the die 51. In this embodiment, the pickup unit 3 and the bonding unit 4 are arranged on one base 1, but the pickup unit 3 and the bonding unit 4 may be individually arranged on different bases.

[0023] The frame supply unit 7 includes a frame magazine 71 and a frame transport arm 72. The frame magazine 71 is configured to be removable, and is supplied from outside the device with a plurality of dicing frames 5 stored (mounted) therein. The frame transport arm 72 takes out the dicing frame 5 from the frame magazine 71, and transports (passes) the dicing frame 5 to the pickup unit 3. The frame transport arm 72 also transports (returns) the dicing frame 5 for which the bonding process has been completed from the pickup unit 3 to the frame magazine 71. Note that, in this embodiment, the dicing frame 5 is transported by only one frame transport arm 72, but a configuration in which a plurality of frame transport arms 72 are relayed may also be used. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of shortening the replacement time of the frame magazine 71 and the transport time of the dicing frame 5, the bonding device BD may have a plurality of frame supply units 7.

[0024] The wafer supply unit 8 includes a wafer pod 81 and a wafer transport arm 82. The wafer pod 81 is configured to be removable, and is supplied from outside the apparatus with a plurality of wafers 6 stored (mounted) therein. The wafer transport arm 82 takes out the wafer 6 from the wafer pod 81 and transports (passes) the wafer 6 to the bonding unit 4. The wafer transport arm 82 also transports (returns) the wafer 6, for which bonding processing has been completed, from the bonding unit 4 to the wafer pod 81. Note that, in this embodiment, the wafer 6 is transported by only one wafer transport arm 82, but a configuration in which a plurality of wafer transport arms 82 are relayed may be used. In addition, in order to increase cleanliness, after the wafer 6 is transported into the bonding apparatus BD, the wafer 6 may be transported via a mechanism for cleaning the wafer 6 inside the bonding apparatus BD or a mechanism for performing pre-processing for bonding. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of shortening the time required for replacing the wafer pod 81 and the time required for transporting the wafer 6, the bonding apparatus BD may have a plurality of wafer supply units 8.

[0025] 1, the frame supply unit 7 and the wafer supply unit 8 are disposed at separate locations, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, from the viewpoint of saving space in the device, the frame supply unit 7 and the wafer supply unit 8 may be disposed adjacent to each other and may share part of the frame transport arm 72, the wafer transport arm 82, and the transport path including them.

[0026] The pickup unit 3 includes a pickup head 31 and a release head 32. The pickup unit 3 peels off the die 51 to be bonded to the wafer 6 from the dicing tape by the release head 32, and holds the die 51 peeled off from the dicing tape by suction (adsorption) with the pickup head 31. The pickup head 31 rotates the die 51 by 180 degrees, for example, and passes it to the bonding head 423 of the bonding unit 4.

[0027] The bonding unit 4 includes a stage base 41 and an upper base 42. A wafer stage 43 is mounted on the stage base 41. The wafer stage 43 is configured to be drivable in the X and Y directions by a driving mechanism (not shown) such as a linear motor. The wafer stage 43 may also be configured to be drivable for rotation about an axis parallel to the Z direction. However, instead of driving the wafer stage 43 for rotation about an axis parallel to the Z direction, the bonding head 423 may drive the die 51 for rotation about an axis parallel to the Z direction.

[0028] The wafer stage 43 is provided with a die observation camera 431. The die observation camera 431 captures an image of the die 51 held by the bonding head 423. The control unit 441 obtains the positions of the characteristic points (locations) of the die 51 held by the bonding head 423, the outer diameter dimension of the die 51, and the distance (flatness) in the height direction (Z direction) of a plurality of points on the measurement surface from the image obtained by the die observation camera 431. In this way, the die observation camera 431 cooperates with the control unit 441 to realize the function of measuring the positions of the characteristic points of the die 51, the outer diameter dimension of the die 51, and the flatness of the die 51.

[0029] In addition, a bar mirror 432 is provided on the wafer stage 43. The bar mirror 432 is used as a target of the interferometer 422. The wafer stage 43 holds the wafer 6 via a wafer chuck 433.

[0030] The upper base 42 is provided with a wafer observation camera 421. The wafer observation camera 421 captures an image of the wafer 6 held by the wafer stage 43 (wafer chuck 433). The control unit 441 obtains the positions of the characteristic points (locations) of the die 61 of the wafer 6 held by the wafer stage 43 and the distances (flatness) in the height direction (Z direction) of a plurality of points on the measurement surface of the wafer 6 from the image obtained by the wafer observation camera 421. In this way, the wafer observation camera 421 cooperates with the control unit 441 to realize a function of measuring the positions of the characteristic points (locations) of the die 61 of the wafer 6 and the flatness of the wafer 6. The wafer observation camera 421 may be, for example, a camera capable of measuring element patterns or marks formed on or inside the wafer using infrared light as measurement light.

[0031] The upper base 42 is further provided with an interferometer 422 for measuring the position of the wafer stage 43 using a bar mirror 432 , and a bonding head 423 for holding the die 51 delivered from the pickup head 31 .

[0032] When bonding the die 51 to the wafer 6, for example, the bonding head 423 is driven downward (-Z direction) to bond the die 51 held by the bonding head 423 to the wafer 6 held by the wafer stage 43. Alternatively, the wafer stage 43 or the wafer chuck 433 may be driven upward (+Z direction) to bond the die 51 held by the bonding head 423 to the wafer 6 held by the wafer stage 43.

[0033] In this embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which the pick-up head 31 rotates the die 51 by 180 degrees and passes it to the bonding head 423. However, one or more die holders may be provided between the pick-up head 31 and the bonding head 423, and the die 51 may be passed from the pick-up head 31 to the die holder, and then the die 51 may be passed from the die holder to the bonding head 423. Also, a drive mechanism for driving the bonding head 423 may be provided to drive the bonding head 423 so that the bonding head 423 receives the die 51 from the pick-up head 31. Note that the bonding device BD may have a plurality of pick-up heads, a plurality of release heads, and a plurality of bonding heads in order to improve productivity.

[0034] The bonding apparatus BD further includes a control unit 441 configured with an information processing device (computer) including a CPU, a memory, etc. The control unit 441 generally controls each unit of the bonding apparatus BD, such as the pickup unit 3, the bonding unit 4, the frame supply unit 7, and the wafer supply unit 8, in accordance with a program stored in the storage unit, to operate the bonding apparatus BD. For example, in this embodiment, the control unit 441 functions as an acquisition unit that acquires rank information, which will be described later, and a determination unit that determines the transfer order of the dicing frames 5 and the transfer order of the wafers 6.

[0035] FIG. 2 is a top view showing the wafer stage 43 from the +Z direction. The wafer 6 is held by the wafer stage 43 via a wafer chuck 433. The wafer 6 or the wafer stage 43 is positioned with respect to the X direction and Y direction, which are orthogonal or intersect with each other, and the rotation around an axis parallel to the Z direction, which is orthogonal to the X direction and Y direction. Therefore, the wafer stage 43 is provided with a bar mirror 432, specifically, bar mirrors 432a and 432b. The bar mirror 432a is used as a target for the interferometers 422a and 422c. The control unit 441 can determine the position of the wafer stage 43 in the X direction based on the output from the interferometer 422a, and can determine the rotation (amount of rotation) of the wafer stage 43 around an axis parallel to the Z direction based on the output from the interferometers 422a and 422c. The bar mirror 432b is used as a target for the interferometer 422b. The control unit 441 can determine the position of the wafer stage 43 in the Y direction based on the output from the interferometer 422b. Based on the outputs from the interferometers 422a, 422b, and 422c, the control unit 441 feedback-controls the wafer 6 or the wafer stage 43 with respect to rotations about axes parallel to the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction perpendicular thereto. In this way, the interferometers 422 and the control unit 441 function as a positioning mechanism that positions the wafer 6 or the wafer stage 43 two-dimensionally with high accuracy.

[0036] A reference plate 434 is provided on (the upper surface of) the wafer stage 43. In this embodiment, a plurality of marks 434a, 434b, and 434c are arranged (drawn) on the reference plate 434. The reference plate 434 is made of a material with a low thermal expansion coefficient, and the marks 434a, 434b, and 434c are drawn with high positional accuracy. For example, the reference plate 434 is made of a quartz substrate, and the marks 434a, 434b, and 434c are drawn thereon using a drawing method for a semiconductor lithography process. The reference plate 434 has a surface at approximately the same height as the surface of the wafer 6, and can be observed by the wafer observation camera 421, but a separate camera for observing the reference plate 434 may be provided.

[0037] The wafer stage 43 may have a configuration in which a coarse movement stage that is driven in a large range and a fine movement stage that is driven in a small range with high accuracy are combined. In such a configuration, the die observation camera 431, the bar mirrors 432a and 432b, the wafer chuck 433, and the reference plate 434 are provided on the fine movement stage in order to realize high-accuracy positioning.

[0038] Here, a method of guaranteeing the origin position, magnification, X-axis and Y-axis directions (rotation) and orthogonality of the wafer stage 43 using the reference plate 434 will be described. The mark 434a is observed by the wafer observation camera 421, and the measurement value (output value) of the interferometer when the mark 434a is located at the center of the image acquired by the wafer observation camera 421 is set as the origin of the wafer stage 43. Next, the mark 434b is observed by the wafer observation camera 421, and the Y-axis direction (rotation) and the magnification in the Y direction of the wafer stage 43 are determined based on the measurement value of the interferometer when the mark 434b is located at the center of the image acquired by the wafer observation camera 421. Next, the mark 434c is observed by the wafer observation camera 421, and the X-axis direction (rotation) and the magnification in the X direction of the wafer stage 43 are determined based on the measurement value of the interferometer when the mark 434c is located at the center of the image acquired by the wafer observation camera 421.

[0039] In this way, the direction from the mark 434b to the mark 434a of the reference plate 434 is set as the Y axis of the bonding device BD, and the direction from the mark 434c to the mark 434a is set as the X axis of the bonding device BD, and calibration of the axis direction and orthogonality can be performed. Also, calibration can be performed using the distance between the mark 434b and the mark 434a as the scale reference for the Y axis of the bonding device BD, and the distance between the mark 434c and the mark 434a as the scale reference for the X axis of the bonding device BD.

[0040] In an interferometer, the measurement value fluctuates due to a change in the refractive index of the optical path caused by a change in air pressure or temperature. Therefore, it is desirable to perform calibration at any timing to guarantee the origin position, magnification, and the directions (rotations) and orthogonality of the X-axis and Y-axis of the wafer stage 43. In order to reduce the fluctuation in the measurement value of the interferometer, the space in which the wafer stage 43 is placed may be covered with a temperature-controlled chamber, and the temperature inside the temperature-controlled chamber may be controlled.

[0041] In this embodiment, the case where the reference plate 434 provided on the wafer stage 43 is observed by the wafer observation camera 421 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the reference plate 434 may be provided on the upper base 42, and the reference plate 434 provided on the upper base 42 may be observed by the die observation camera 431 to ensure the origin position, magnification, and X-axis and Y-axis directions (rotation) and orthogonality of the wafer stage 43. Also, instead of performing calibration by observing the reference plate 434, for example, calibration may be performed by abutting against a reference surface, or high-precision positioning may be performed using a position measuring instrument whose absolute value is guaranteed, such as a white light interferometer.

[0042] With reference to FIG. 3, the operation of the bonding device BD in the first embodiment, that is, a bonding operation (bonding method) for bonding the die 51 (first object) to the die 61 (second object) of the wafer 6 will be described. In this embodiment, the transfer order of the dicing frame 5 and the transfer order of the wafer 6 are determined so that the die 51 and the die 61 are bonded in the order of the highest priority among the combinations of the ranks of the die 51 and the die 61. Then, the dicing frame 5 and the wafer 6 are transferred according to the determined transfer order, and the die 51 and the die 61 are bonded. The priority order is set (predetermined) so that the more similar the ranks of the die 51 and the die 61 are, the higher the priority order is. For example, the combination in which the ranks of the die 51 and the die 61 are the same is set to have the highest priority order. Specifically, when the ranks of the die 51 and the die 61 are good or bad, the priority order is set so that the combination in which the die 51 and the die 61 are good and bad is set to have the highest priority order. The reason why the die 51 is bonded to the defective die 61 is that the die 51 needs to be bonded (arranged) to the defective die 61 in order to suppress deterioration of uniformity in the molding and bonding process. Here, if either one of the dies 51 and 61 is defective, the bonded product (device) in which the die 51 is bonded to the die 61 becomes defective. In this way, when a good product and a bad product are bonded, the good product is wasted, and the yield is reduced. Therefore, in order to avoid wasting the good product, it is preferable to set a priority order such that the defective die 51 is bonded to the bad die 61.

[0043] In S101, rank information is acquired for the plurality of dicing frames 5 stored in the frame magazine 71 and the plurality of wafers 6 stored in the wafer pod 81, which are supplied to the transport device BD and are to be transported. In semiconductor manufacturing, after semiconductor devices are manufactured on a wafer, for example, a prober is used to determine whether the device is good or bad. In some cases, the device may be classified (classified into a plurality of ranks) not only according to whether it is good or bad, but also according to performance (characteristics) such as speed. In this way, the rank information is a division determined from a class including (data related to) the quality of each of the dies 51 and 61, that is, data indicating the rank. Therefore, in this embodiment, rank information including data indicating the rank to which each of the dies 51 belongs for each of the plurality of dicing frames 5 and data indicating the rank to which each of the dies 61 belongs for each of the plurality of wafers 6 is acquired. In addition, as described above, the rank information is acquired from an external device different from the bonding device BD, such as a prober, before starting the transport of the dicing frame 5 or the wafer 6.

[0044] In the following, an example will be described in which two dicing frames D11 and D12 are stored in the frame magazine 71, and three wafers W11, W12, and W13 are stored in the wafer pod 81. In this case, the rank information acquired in S101 includes data indicating the number of dies 51 (the number of good products and the number of defective products) for each of the dicing frames D11 and D12, as shown in FIG. 4. The rank information acquired in S101 also includes data indicating the number of dies 61 (the number of good products and the number of defective products) for each of the wafers W11, W12, and W13, as shown in FIG. The number of dies 61 formed on each of the wafers W11, W12, and W13 is basically greater than the number of dies 51 mounted on each of the dicing frames D11 and D12.

[0045] In S102, the order (transport order) of transporting the dicing frames D11 and D12 and the order (transport order) of transporting the wafers W11, W12, and W13 are determined based on the rank information acquired in S101. For example, based on the rank information shown in Fig. 4, each of the dicing frames D11 and D12 and each of the wafers W11, W12, and W13 are evaluated according to a predetermined evaluation criterion, and the order of transporting them is determined. Here, the transfer order is determined so that the die 51 and the die 61 are bonded in the order of combinations with the highest priority as described above as the evaluation criterion, specifically, so that the die 51 and the die 61 are bonded in a combination of non-defective products and a combination of defective products.

[0046] In S103, the dicing frames D11 and D12 are transported to the pickup unit 3 and the wafers W11, W12 and W13 are transported to the bonding unit 4 according to the transport order determined in S102, and the die 51 and the die 61 are bonded. At this time, the die 51 and the die 61 are bonded so that good products and defective products are bonded. If it is not possible to bond good products or defective products, a good die 51 and a defective die 61 are bonded, or a defective die 51 and a good die 61 are bonded. The order of bonding the individual dies 51 and the die 61 is arbitrary as long as the number of bonds in the combination of good products and the number of bonds in the combination of defective products are maximized.

[0047] In S103, for example, when bonding of all the dies 51 mounted on the dicing frame 5 is completed, the dicing frame 5 is replaced with the next dicing frame 5. Similarly, for example, when bonding of all the dies 61 formed on the wafer 6 is completed, the wafer 6 is replaced with the next wafer 6. At this time, the dicing frame 5 and wafer 6 to be transferred next follow the transfer order determined in S102.

[0048] When the rank information shown in FIG. 4 is acquired, in S102, for example, the transfer order is determined so that the dicing frames are transferred in the order of dicing frames D12 and D11, and the wafers are transferred in the order of wafers W11, W12, and W13. As a result, in S103, all the dies 51 and dies 61 can be bonded in combinations of non-defective products and combinations of defective products. Also, even if the dicing frames are transferred in the order of dicing frames D11 and D12, and the wafers are transferred in the order of wafers W11, W13, and W12, all the dies 51 and dies 61 can be bonded in combinations of non-defective products and combinations of defective products. In this way, when there are multiple transfer orders that maximize the number of bonds in combinations of non-defective products and the number of bonds in combinations of defective products, one of the transfer orders may be determined in S102.

[0049] In S102, it is not necessary to determine the transport order that maximizes the number of connections between combinations of non-defective products and the number of connections between combinations of defective products. In S102, it is sufficient to determine the transport order that can increase the number of connections between combinations of non-defective products and the number of connections between combinations of defective products, compared to a case where the transport order is not explicitly determined. Note that the specific method for determining the transport order is arbitrary.

[0050] In this embodiment, the rank information has been described as two-level ranking data indicating the pass / fail quality of each of the dies 51 and 61, but as described above, the number of ranking levels may be any number of levels or more, and the criteria may be any criteria other than pass / fail.

[0051] In addition, in this embodiment, combinations of the same rank, such as a combination of non-defective products and a combination of defective products, are prioritized, but combinations of the same rank do not necessarily have to be prioritized. For example, within a range in which the rank of the die 51 and the rank of the die 61 are similar (i.e., bonding of the die 51 and the die 61 is permitted), a combination of any rank may be prioritized. It is sufficient that the priority order of the combination of any rank is uniquely determined.

[0052] 5, the process (S102) for determining the transfer order of the dicing frames 5 and the transfer order of the wafers 6 will be specifically described. Here, the total number of wafers 6 stored in the wafer pod 81 (supplied to the bonding device BD) is set to N, and the total number of dicing frames 5 stored in the frame magazine 71 (supplied to the bonding device BD) is set to M. In addition, the total number of non-defective dies 61 formed on the N wafers 6 is set to Cg, and the total number of non-defective dies 51 mounted on the M dicing frames 5 is set to Dg.

[0053] In S1021, a dicing frame 5 and a wafer 6 to be processed are selected. Specifically, from M dicing frames 5, m dicing frames 5 and n=N wafers for which "Cg≦total number of good dies 51 mounted on m dicing frames 5" are selected, i.e., all wafers 6 are selected. If the condition is not satisfied even after selecting M dicing frames 5, n wafers 6 and m=M dicing frames 5 for which "Dg≦total number of good dies 61 formed on n wafers" are selected, i.e., all dicing frames 5 are selected.

[0054] In S1022, the transfer order is determined for the n wafers 6 and m dicing frames 5 selected in S1021 so that they are transferred in descending order of the number of non-defective dies. In other words, the transfer order of the n wafers 6 and the transfer order of the m dicing frames 5 are determined so that the wafers 6 are transferred in descending order of the number of non-defective dies 61, and the dicing frames 5 are transferred in descending order of the number of non-defective dies 51.

[0055] For example, consider a case where m dicing frames 5 are dicing frames D11 and D12, n wafers 6 are wafers W11, W12 and W13, and the number of non-defective dies is the same as the number of non-defective dies in the rank information shown in Fig. 4. In this case, the transfer order of the dicing frames 5 is determined to be dicing frames D11, D12, and the transfer order of the wafers 6 is determined to be wafers W13, W12, W11, by the process shown in Fig. 5.

[0056] In this embodiment, the transfer order of the wafers 6 and the transfer order of the dicing frames 5 are determined so that the wafers 6 are transferred in descending order of the number of non-defective dies, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in S1022, the transfer order may be determined so that the n wafers 6 and the m dicing frames 5 selected in S1021 are transferred in descending order of the number of defective dies.

[0057] In this way, according to this embodiment, it is possible to increase the number of bonded non-defective dies 51 and 61, and the number of bonded defective dies 51 and 61. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the yield of bonded products (devices) obtained by bonding the dies 51 and 61 (improve the yield).

[0058] <Second embodiment> In the first embodiment, it is assumed that the same dicing frame 5 and wafer 6 are transported only once and used to bond the die 51 and die 61. On the other hand, if the die 51 and die 61 are bonded while exchanging the dicing frame 5 and wafer 6, respectively, it is possible to maximize the number of bonded dies 51 and 61 between non-defective products and the number of bonded dies 51 and 61 between defective products. However, if the number of times the dicing frame 5 and wafer 6 are exchanged increases, the productivity of the bonding device BD will decrease due to the overhead required for the exchange. In this embodiment, a bonding method that can increase the number of bonded dies 51 and 61 between non-defective products and the number of bonded dies 51 and 61 between defective products without decreasing the productivity of the bonding device BD will be described.

[0059] 6 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the bonding apparatus BD in the second embodiment, that is, a bonding operation (bonding method) for bonding a die 51 (first object) to a die 61 (second object) of a wafer 6. In this embodiment, the transfer order of the dicing frame 5 and the wafer 6, the number of bonds between the die 51 and the die 61, and the exchange timing of the dicing frame 5 and the wafer 6 are determined so that the die 51 and the die 61 are bonded to each other in a non-defective and defective manner. Then, the dicing frame 5 and the wafer 6 are transferred and exchanged according to the determined transfer order and exchange timing, and the die 51 and the die 61 are bonded to each other in the determined number of bonds.

[0060] In S201, rank information is acquired regarding a plurality of dicing frames 5 stored in a frame magazine 71 that has been supplied to the transport device BD and is to be transported from the frame magazine 71 and a plurality of wafers 6 stored in a wafer pod 81. The acquisition of rank information is similar to S101 described in the first embodiment, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

[0061] In S202, based on the rank information acquired in S201, the transfer order of the dicing frame 5 and the wafer 6, the number of dies 51 and dies 61 to be joined, and the timing of replacing the dicing frame 5 and the wafer 6 are determined. For example, the transfer order of the dicing frame 5 and the wafer 6 is determined so that the dies 51 and dies 61 are joined in a non-defective and defective order. Similarly, the number of dies 51 and dies 61 to be joined (joining number) and the timing of replacing the dicing frame 5 and the wafer 6 are determined so that the dies 51 and dies 61 are joined in a non-defective and defective order.

[0062] In S203, the dicing frame 5 and the wafer 6 are transported and exchanged according to the transport order and exchange timing determined in S202, and the die 51 and the die 61 are bonded with the number of dies to be bonded determined in S202. Specifically, the dicing frame 5 is transported to the pickup unit 3 and the wafer 6 is transported to the bonding unit 4 according to the transport order determined in S202. Next, the dies 51 and 61 are bonded between non-defective products and between defective products with the number of dies to be bonded determined in S202. Note that the order of bonding between the individual dies 51 and 61 is arbitrary as long as it is the number of dies to be bonded determined in S202. Then, the dicing frame 5 and the wafer 6 are exchanged according to the exchange timing determined in S202. Note that the exchange timing is not necessarily the timing when bonding of all the dies 51 mounted on the dicing frame 5 or bonding of all the dies 61 formed on the wafer 6 is completed. Furthermore, the next dicing frame 5 and wafer 6 to be transferred when the dicing frame 5 and wafer 6 are replaced will follow the transfer order determined in S202.

[0063] With reference to Fig. 7, a specific example of determining the transfer order of the dicing frame 5 and the wafer 6, the number of dies 51 and dies 61 bonded to each other, and the timing of replacing the dicing frame 5 and the wafer 6 will be described. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of rank information acquired in S201. As shown in Fig. 7, the rank information acquired in S201 includes, for example, data indicating the number of dies 51 (the number of good products and the number of defective products) for each of the dicing frames D21 and D22. The rank information acquired in S201 also includes, for example, data indicating the number of dies 61 (the number of good products and the number of defective products) for each of the wafers W21, W22, and W23.

[0064] In this embodiment, first, the dicing frame D21 and the wafer W21 are transported, and 18 (joining number) non-defective dies 51 and dies 61 are joined together, and 2 (joining number) defective dies 51 and dies 61 are joined together. At this point, since the joining of all dies 61 formed on the wafer W21 is completed, the wafer W21 is replaced with the wafer W22. Meanwhile, the dicing frame D21 still has unjoined dies 51 that have not been used for joining, but at the same time that the wafer W21 is replaced with the wafer W22 (i.e., at the same time as the wafer is replaced), the dicing frame D21 is also replaced with the dicing frame D22.

[0065] Next, between the dicing frame D22 and the wafer W22, 17 (the number of bonds) of non-defective dies 51 and dies 61 are bonded, and 3 (the number of bonds) of defective dies 51 and dies 61 are bonded. At this point, bonding of all dies 61 formed on the wafer W22 is completed, so the wafer W22 is replaced with the wafer W23.

[0066] Next, seven (the number of bonds) of non-defective dies 51 and dies 61 are bonded to each other between the dicing frame D22 and the wafer W23, and three (the number of bonds) of defective dies 51 and dies 61 are bonded to each other between the dicing frame D22 and the wafer W23. Since bonding of all the dies 51 mounted on the dicing frame D22 is now complete, the dicing frame D22 is replaced with the dicing frame D21.

[0067] Finally, five (joining number) non-defective dies 51 and dies 61 are joined to each other between the dicing frame D21 and the wafer W23, and five (joining number) defective dies 51 and dies 61 are joined to each other between the dicing frame D21 and the wafer W23.

[0068] By determining the transport order of the dicing frame 5 and the wafer 6, the number of dies 51 and dies 61 to be joined, and the timing of replacing the dicing frame 5 and the wafer 6 as described above, it is possible to join both good dies and defective dies for all dies 51 and 61.

[0069] In the example shown in FIG. 7, the wafer 6 needs to be replaced at least twice, and the dicing frame 5 needs to be replaced at least once. The timing for replacing the dicing frame 5 is during bonding of the die 61 formed on the wafer 6 to be transported for the second time. However, in the above-mentioned specific example, the wafer 6 is replaced twice, and the dicing frame 5 is also replaced twice, but the timing for replacing the dicing frame 5 is the same as the timing for replacing the wafer 6. This allows the time required for replacing the dicing frame 5 to be covered (hidden) by the time required for replacing the wafer 6, so that the productivity is not reduced compared to the case where the number of times the dicing frame 5 is replaced is minimized. Note that, when there are a plurality of transport orders and replacement timings that maximize the number of bondings between combinations of non-defective products and combinations of defective products and do not reduce productivity, any of the transport orders and replacement timings may be selected in S202.

[0070] In addition, in S202, it is not necessary to determine the transport order and replacement timing that maximize the number of connections between combinations of non-defective products and combinations of defective products. In S202, it is sufficient to determine the transport order and replacement timing that can increase the number of connections between combinations of non-defective products and combinations of defective products, compared to a case in which the transport order and replacement timing are not explicitly determined. Note that the specific method for determining the transport order and replacement timing is arbitrary.

[0071] Furthermore, when the yield is prioritized over the productivity, it is not necessary to determine the transport order and the replacement timing so that the productivity does not decrease. For example, the transport order and the replacement timing may be determined so that the number of joining combinations of non-defective products and defective products is increased within the range of the allowable decrease in productivity. Note that the specific method for determining the transport order and the replacement timing is arbitrary.

[0072] In this embodiment, the rank information has been described as two-level ranking data indicating the pass / fail quality of each of the dies 51 and 61, but as described above, the number of ranking levels may be any number of levels or more, and the criteria may be any criteria other than pass / fail.

[0073] Furthermore, the physical configuration of the bonding device that realizes the bonding operation (FIG. 6) in this embodiment is the same as the configuration of the bonding device BD shown in FIG 1, but it is necessary to be able to simultaneously exchange the dicing frame 5 and the wafer 6. Therefore, in this embodiment, in the bonding device BD shown in FIG 1, the transport paths for transporting the dicing frame 5 and the wafer 6 must be independent of each other.

[0074] 8, a process (S202) for determining the transfer order of the dicing frame 5 and the wafer 6, the number of dies 51 and dies 61 to be bonded, and the timing of replacing the dicing frame 5 and the wafer 6 will be specifically described. Here, the total number of wafers 6 stored in the wafer pod 81 (supplied to the bonding device BD) is N, and the total number of dicing frames 5 stored in the frame magazine 71 (supplied to the bonding device BD) is M. In addition, the total number of non-defective dies 61 formed on the N wafers 6 is Cg, and the total number of non-defective dies 51 mounted on the M dicing frames 5 is Dg.

[0075] In S2021, the dicing frame 5 and wafer 6 to be processed are selected. The selection of the dicing frame 5 and wafer 6 to be processed is the same as S1021 described in the first embodiment, so a detailed description will be omitted here. Hereinafter, the n wafers 6 and m dicing frames 5 selected in S2021 are treated as the processing targets.

[0076] In S2022, a loop process is performed on n wafers 6 in order of the number of good dies 61. The end condition for the repetitive process is to perform the process on all n wafers 6. In the repetitive process, the wafer 6 under consideration is designated as wafer Wi. Among the dies 61 formed on wafer Wi, the number of good dies that have not been bonded and are not used for bonding is designated as Wig, and the number of defective dies that have not been used for bonding is designated as Wib, and these are managed as die information.

[0077] In S2023, a loop process is performed on the m dicing frames 5 in descending order of the number of non-defective dies 51. The end condition of the repetitive process is when either or both of the following conditions are met: the bonding of all dies 61 formed on the wafer Wi under consideration is determined; and the bonding of all dies 51 mounted on the m dicing frames 5 is determined. In the repetitive process, the dicing frame 5 under consideration is designated as dicing frame Dj. Among the dies 51 mounted on the dicing frame Dj, the number of non-defective dies that are not used for bonding is designated as Djg, and the number of defective dies that are not used for bonding is designated as Djb, and these are managed as die information.

[0078] In S2024, each of the wafer Wi and the dicing frame Dj is stacked in a transfer order queue for wafers and a transfer order queue for dicing frames, and the order stacked in each transfer order queue is determined as the transfer order. Regarding the dicing frame Dj, the same individual may be focused on (be the object of focus) over multiple repetitions of the iterative process. If the dicing frame already stacked at the end of the transfer order queue is the same individual as the dicing frame Dj being focused on in this iteration process, then such dicing frame Dj is not stacked in the transfer order queue. Then, for the wafer Wi, the value of the number Wig of non-bonded good dies (i.e., die information) is updated as if bonding has been performed. Specifically, when "Wig≧Djg", it is updated with the value of "Wig = Wig - Djg", and when "Wig < Djg", it is updated with "0". Also, the value of the number Wib of non-bonded defective dies (i.e., die information) is updated in the same way. Specifically, when "Wib≧Djb", it is updated with the value of "Wib = Wib - Djb", and when "Wib < Djb", it is updated with "0". Similarly, for the dicing frame Dj, the value of the number Djg of non-bonded good dies (i.e., die information) is updated as if bonding has been performed. Specifically, when "Wig≧Djg", it is updated with "0", and when "Wig < Djg", it is updated with the value of "Djg = DJg - Wig". Also, the value of the number Djb of non-bonded defective dies (i.e., die information) is updated in the same way. Specifically, when "Wib≧Djb", it is updated with "0", and when "Wib < Djb", it is updated with the value of "Djb = Djb - Wib".

[0079] The process of S2024 means the following three points. 1: In the combination of the transferred wafer Wi and the dicing frame Dj, determine the bonding of die 61 and die 51 between as many good products and defective products as possible. 2: When it has been decided that all dies 61 formed on the wafer Wi should be bonded, the dicing frame Dj is replaced at the same time as the wafer Wi is replaced. The dicing frame Dj to be transferred next (attention) is selected from the one with the largest number Djg of unbonded good dies at that time. 3: However, if the dicing frame with the largest number of unbonded good dies Djg is the same individual, the dicing frame Dj is not replaced, and only the wafer Wi is replaced.

[0080] In S2025, it is determined whether the dicing frame Dj+1 to be focused on (processed) in the next iteration is the same as the dicing frame Dj focused on in the current iteration (i.e., whether the same dicing frame Dj is selected). In S2024, the value of the number Djg of unjoined non-defective dies is updated, so that the same dicing frame Dj may be focused on in the next iteration. This means that if the same dicing frame Dj is focused on in the next iteration, it is not possible to join non-defective dies together or defective dies together. Therefore, if the same dicing frame Dj is selected, the process proceeds to S2026. On the other hand, if the same dicing frame Dj is not selected, the process proceeds to the next iteration of S2023.

[0081] In S2026, since bonding between good wafers Wi and dicing frames Dj and bonding between defective wafers cannot be performed, bonding in combinations of good and defective wafers is determined. Then, the values of the number of unbonded good die Wig, the number of unbonded defective die Wib, the number of unbonded good die Djg, and the number of unbonded defective die Djb (i.e., die information) are updated as if bonding has been performed in combinations of good and defective wafers. Specifically, for Wig, when "Wig≧Djb", it is updated with the value of "Wig=Wig-Djb", and when "Wig<Djb", it is updated with "0". Also, for Wib, when "Wib≧Djg", it is updated with the value of "Wib=Wib-Djg", and when "Wib<Djg", it is updated with "0". Similarly, for Djg, when "Wib≧Djg", it is updated with "0", and when "Wib<Djg", it is updated with the value of "Djg=DJg-Wib". Also, for Djb, when "Wig≧Djb", it is updated with "0", and when "Wig<Djb", it is updated with the value of "Djb=Djb-Wig". When S2026 ends, the process proceeds to the next iteration of S2023.

[0082] In the iterative process from S2022 to S2026, the bonding of all die 61 formed on n wafers 6 is determined, and the process of S202 is completed.

[0083] When the dicing frames 5 and wafers 6 supplied to the bonding apparatus BD are the number of good and defective die as shown in FIG. 7, in the process described in the first embodiment (FIG. 5), all die 51 and 61 cannot be bonded between good and defective ones. On the other hand, in the process described in this embodiment (FIG. 8), as described above, by appropriately determining the conveyance order, the number of bonds, and the replacement timing, all die 51 and 61 can be bonded between good and defective ones.

[0084] In this way, according to this embodiment, it is possible to increase the number of bonded non-defective dies 51 and 61, and the number of bonded defective dies 51 and 61. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the yield of bonded products (devices) obtained by bonding the dies 51 and 61 (improve the yield).

[0085] <Third embodiment> Even with the process described in the second embodiment (FIG. 8), depending on the number of good and bad dies 51 mounted on the dicing frame 5 and the number of good and bad dies 61 formed on the wafer 6, it is not necessarily possible to increase the number of bonded good products and the number of bonded defective products. In such a case, the results of the process described in the first embodiment (FIG. 5), the process described in the second embodiment (FIG. 8), and the case where the transfer order is not explicitly determined may be simulated, and the one that has the largest number of bonded good products and the largest number of bonded defective products may be selected. Also, within a range that is practically calculable, a brute force simulation may be performed while changing the transfer order and the replacement timing, and the one that has the largest number of bonded good products and the largest number of bonded defective products may be selected.

[0086] <Fourth embodiment> Generally, the number of dies 51 mounted on the dicing frame 5 is different from the number of dies 61 (dies to which the dies 51 are bonded) formed on the wafer 6, so that in the bonding process, the timing of replacing the dicing frame 5 is not synchronized with the timing of replacing the wafer 6. In addition, the number of dicing frames 5 stored in the frame magazine 71 is different from the number of wafers 6 stored in the wafer pod 81, so that the timing of replacing the frame magazine 71 is not synchronized with the timing of replacing the wafer pod 81. Therefore, when bonding of all the dies 51 mounted on all the dicing frames 5 stored in the frame magazine 71 and supplied is completed, there is a possibility that an unbonded die 61 remains on the wafer 6 stored in the wafer pod 81 and supplied. In such a case, the die 51 mounted on the dicing frame 5 stored in the next frame magazine 71 supplied to the bonding device BD may be bonded to the unbonded die 61 remaining on the wafer 6. In this case, the processes (FIGS. 5 and 8) described in the first and second embodiments may be performed using the dicing frames 5 present in the bonding device BD at the time when the next frame magazine 71 is supplied to the bonding device BD as the parameter. The same applies to the case where unbonded dies 51 remain on the supplied dicing frame 5 stored in the frame magazine 71 at the time when bonding of all dies 61 formed on all wafers 6 stored in the wafer pod 81 and supplied is completed.

[0087] In this way, according to this embodiment, it is possible to increase the number of bonded non-defective dies 51 and 61, and the number of bonded defective dies 51 and 61. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the yield of bonded products (devices) obtained by bonding the dies 51 and 61 (improve the yield).

[0088] <Fifth embodiment> Consider a case where the bonding device BD has a plurality of frame supply units 7 and a plurality of wafer supply units 8. In this case, a new frame magazine 71 or a new wafer pod 81 may be supplied while the bonding device BD is performing a bonding process for bonding the die 51 mounted on the dicing frame 5 to the die 61 formed on the wafer 6. In this case, the processes (FIGS. 5 and 8) described in the first and second embodiments may be performed using all of the dicing frames 5 and wafers 6 already present in the bonding device BD and the newly supplied dicing frames 5 and wafers 6 as the parameters. In addition, the transfer order determined in the first embodiment and the transfer order, the number of bonds, and the exchange timing determined in the second embodiment do not necessarily need to be completed. For example, all of the dicing frames 5 and wafers 6 present in the bonding device BD may be used as the parameters and updated as appropriate.

[0089] Sixth Embodiment Up to this point, the description has been made on the assumption that all of the dies 51 mounted on the dicing frame 5 supplied to the bonding device BD and all of the dies 61 formed on the wafer 6 supplied to the bonding device BD are bonded. The reason for bonding the die 51 to the defective die 61 is that, as described above, in order to suppress deterioration of uniformity in the molding and bonding process, it is necessary to bond (arrange) the die 51 to the defective die 61 as well. On the other hand, it is not necessary to use all of the defective dies 51 for bonding. For example, consider a case where, at the time when bonding of all of the dies 61 formed on all of the wafers 6 supplied to the bonding device BD is completed, unbonded dies 51 that have not been bonded to the dies 61 remain on the dicing frame 5 supplied to the bonding device BD at the same time. In this case, if all of the unbonded dies 51 remaining on the dicing frame 5 are defective (a predetermined rank), it is not necessary to use all of them for bonding to the die 61. Then, the dicing frame 5 with the unbonded die 51 remaining therein may be returned to the frame magazine 71 and the frame magazine 71 may be replaced, or the dicing frame may be carried out as a unit from the bonding device BD.

[0090] In addition to not using the defective dies 51 that end up remaining on the dicing frame 5 for bonding, a certain number of defective dies 51 may be excluded from the population before determining the transport order of the dicing frame 5 and the wafer 6, and then the transport order may be determined.

[0091] In this embodiment, the dies 51 that are not used for joining are described as defective dies, but if the dies are classified into three or more ranks, the dies 51 that belong to a rank below a certain rank may not be used for joining.

[0092] Seventh embodiment In the first and second embodiments, examples have been described in which rank information acquired from an external device such as a prober is used as an index of priority, but such rank information can be updated as appropriate. For example, even if a die is determined in advance to be a good die by the prober, there is a possibility that foreign matter or the like may adhere to the die during transport to the bonding device BD, causing a bonding failure. In such a case, in addition to the rank information, foreign matter information indicating the presence or absence of foreign matter adhering to the die may be acquired, and if foreign matter is adhering to a die that has been determined to be a good die, the rank information may be updated to indicate that the die is defective. Note that the foreign matter information may be an image obtained by capturing an image of the die, and the presence or absence of foreign matter adhering may be determined from such an image.

[0093] Also, instead of directly using rank information acquired from an external device, other information may be used to update the rank information. For example, in order to improve productivity, dies whose ranks are measured in advance may be thinned out, and rank information including the ranks of only some of the dies on the dicing frame and wafer may be acquired. In such a case, the ranks of the dies included in the rank information may be statistically processed to infer and interpolate the ranks of the other dies, thereby determining the ranks of each die. The information used to determine the final rank and the method used to determine the rank are arbitrary.

[0094] Eighth embodiment A manufacturing method for manufacturing an article (semiconductor IC element, liquid crystal display element, MEMS, etc.) using the bonding apparatus BD in the above-mentioned embodiment will be described. This manufacturing method includes a step of preparing a plurality of carriers (dicing frames 5) on which a plurality of individualized first objects (dies 51) are mounted, and a step of preparing a plurality of substrates (wafers 6) on which a plurality of second objects (dies 61) are formed. This manufacturing method further includes a step of bonding the first object and the second object using a bonding device BD (bonding method (bonding operation)) to form a bonded product, and a step of manufacturing an article by processing the bonded product in other well-known processes. The other well-known processes include probing, dicing, bonding, packaging, and the like. The method for manufacturing an article in this embodiment is advantageous in at least one of the performance, quality, productivity, and production cost of the article compared to the conventional method.

[0095] The disclosure of the present specification includes the following joining method, joining apparatus, and method for manufacturing an article.

[0096] (Item 1) A bonding method for bonding the first objects and the second objects by transporting a plurality of carriers, each of which has a plurality of first objects mounted thereon, and a plurality of substrates, each of which has a plurality of second objects formed thereon, to a bonding apparatus, the method comprising: a first step of acquiring rank information including data indicating a rank to which each of the first objects belongs for each of the plurality of carriers, and data indicating a rank to which each of the second objects belongs for each of the plurality of substrates; a second step of determining a transfer order of the plurality of carriers and a transfer order of the plurality of substrates based on the rank information; a third step of transporting the plurality of carriers and the plurality of substrates to the bonding device in accordance with the transport order determined in the second step, and bonding the first object and the second object; A bonding method comprising the steps of:

[0097] (Item 2) In the second step, each of the plurality of carriers and each of the plurality of substrates are evaluated according to a predetermined evaluation criterion based on the rank information, and a transport order of the plurality of carriers and a transport order of the plurality of substrates are determined. 2. The bonding method according to item 1,

[0098] (Item 3) the evaluation criteria include a priority order determined in advance according to a combination of a rank of the first object and a rank of the second object; In the second step, a transfer order of the plurality of carriers and a transfer order of the plurality of substrates are determined such that the first objects and the second objects are bonded to each other in the combination having the highest priority. 3. The bonding method according to item 2,

[0099] (Item 4) 4. The joining method according to item 3, characterized in that the priority order is predetermined such that a combination having a more similar rank of the first object and a more similar rank of the second object has a higher priority order.

[0100] (Item 5) 5. The joining method according to item 4, characterized in that the priority order is predetermined so that a combination in which the rank of the first object and the rank of the second object are the same has the highest priority order.

[0101] (Item 6) the rank information includes data on the quality of the first object and data on the quality of the second object, In the second step, a transport order of the plurality of carriers and a transport order of the plurality of substrates are determined such that the plurality of carriers are transported to the bonding apparatus in descending order of the number of non-defective products of the first objects and the plurality of substrates are transported to the bonding apparatus in descending order of the number of non-defective products of the second objects; In the third step, the first object and the second object are joined together such that non-defective objects are joined together and defective objects are joined together. 2. The bonding method according to item 1,

[0102] (Item 7) The bonding method according to any one of items 1 to 6, characterized in that in the second step, a timing for replacing the carrier and a timing for replacing the substrate are further determined based on the number of the plurality of first objects mounted on the carrier by rank and the number of the plurality of second objects formed on the substrate by rank.

[0103] (Item 8) 8. The bonding method according to item 7, wherein in the second step, a timing for replacing the carrier and a timing for replacing the substrate are determined so that the carrier and the substrate are replaced simultaneously.

[0104] (Item 9) 9. The bonding method according to any one of items 1 to 8, wherein in the first step, before starting transportation of the plurality of carriers and the plurality of substrates, the rank information is obtained from an external device different from the bonding device.

[0105] (Item 10) 10. The bonding method according to any one of items 1 to 9, wherein in the third step, for each of the plurality of substrates, the first object and the second object are bonded to each other such that the first object is bonded to all of the plurality of second objects.

[0106] (Item 11) 11. The joining method according to item 10, characterized in that in the third step, if all of the first objects not joined to the second object among the plurality of first objects mounted on the carrier have a predetermined rank, none of the first objects are used for joining to the second object.

[0107] (Item 12) 12. The bonding method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the number of the second objects formed on each of the plurality of substrates is greater than the number of the first objects mounted on each of the plurality of carriers.

[0108] (Item 13) A bonding apparatus that transports a plurality of carriers each having a plurality of first objects mounted thereon and a plurality of substrates each having a plurality of second objects formed thereon, and bonds the first objects and the second objects together, comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires rank information including data indicating a rank to which each of the first objects belongs for each of the plurality of carriers and data indicating a rank to which each of the second objects belongs for each of the plurality of substrates; a determination unit that determines a transfer order of the plurality of carriers and a transfer order of the plurality of substrates based on the rank information; a bonding unit that transports the plurality of carriers and the plurality of substrates to the bonding apparatus in accordance with the transport order determined by the determination unit and bonds the first object and the second object; A joining device comprising:

[0109] (Item 14) providing a plurality of carriers each carrying a plurality of first objects; providing a plurality of substrates each having a plurality of second objects formed thereon; A step of forming a joined object by joining the first object to the second object according to the joining method according to any one of items 1 to 12; treating the bonded article to produce an article; A method for producing an article, comprising the steps of:

[0110] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0111] BD: Bonding device 3: Pickup section 4: Bonding section 5: Dicing frame 51: Die 6: Wafer 61: Die 441: Control section

Claims

1. A bonding method for transporting a plurality of carriers, each of which has a plurality of first objects mounted thereon, and a plurality of substrates, each of which has a plurality of second objects formed thereon, to a bonding apparatus and bonding the first objects and the second objects, comprising: a first step of acquiring rank information including data indicating a rank to which each of the first objects belongs for each of the plurality of carriers, and data indicating a rank to which each of the second objects belongs for each of the plurality of substrates; a second step of determining a transfer order of the plurality of carriers and a transfer order of the plurality of substrates based on the rank information; a third step of transporting the carriers and the substrates to the bonding apparatus in accordance with the transport order determined in the second step, and bonding the first object and the second object together; A bonding method comprising the steps of:

2. In the second step, each of the plurality of carriers and each of the plurality of substrates are evaluated according to a predetermined evaluation criterion based on the rank information, and a transport order of the plurality of carriers and a transport order of the plurality of substrates are determined. The bonding method according to claim 1 .

3. the evaluation criteria include a priority order determined in advance according to a combination of a rank of the first object and a rank of the second object; In the second step, a transfer order of the plurality of carriers and a transfer order of the plurality of substrates are determined such that the first objects and the second objects are bonded to each other in the combination having the highest priority. The bonding method according to claim 2 .

4. 4. The joining method according to claim 3, wherein the priority order is determined in advance such that a combination of the first object and the second object having a more similar rank has a higher priority order.

5. 5. The joining method according to claim 4, wherein the priority order is determined in advance such that a combination in which the rank of the first object and the rank of the second object are the same has the highest priority order.

6. the rank information includes data on the quality of the first object and data on the quality of the second object, In the second step, a transport order of the plurality of carriers and a transport order of the plurality of substrates are determined such that the plurality of carriers are transported to the bonding apparatus in descending order of the number of non-defective products of the first objects among the plurality of carriers and in descending order of the number of non-defective products of the second objects among the plurality of substrates; In the third step, the first object and the second object are joined together such that non-defective objects are joined together and defective objects are joined together. The bonding method according to claim 1 .

7. The bonding method according to claim 1, characterized in that in the second step, a timing for replacing the carrier and a timing for replacing the substrate are further determined based on a number of the plurality of first objects mounted on the carrier by rank and a number of the plurality of second objects formed on the substrate by rank.

8. 8. The bonding method according to claim 7, wherein in the second step, a timing for replacing the carrier and a timing for replacing the substrate are determined so that the carrier and the substrate are replaced simultaneously.

9. 2. The bonding method according to claim 1, wherein in the first step, the rank information is obtained from an external device different from the bonding device before starting transportation of the plurality of carriers and the plurality of substrates.

10. 2. The bonding method according to claim 1, wherein in the third step, the first object and the second object are bonded to each of the plurality of substrates such that the first object is bonded to all of the plurality of second objects.

11. The joining method according to claim 10, characterized in that in the third step, if the rank of all of the first objects among the plurality of first objects mounted on the carrier that are not joined to the second object is a predetermined rank, none of the first objects are used for joining to the second object.

12. The bonding method according to claim 1 , wherein the number of the second objects formed on each of the plurality of substrates is greater than the number of the first objects mounted on each of the plurality of carriers.

13. A bonding apparatus that transports a plurality of carriers each having a plurality of first objects mounted thereon and a plurality of substrates each having a plurality of second objects formed thereon, and bonds the first objects and the second objects together, comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires rank information including data indicating a rank to which each of the first objects belongs for each of the plurality of carriers and data indicating a rank to which each of the second objects belongs for each of the plurality of substrates; a determination unit that determines a transfer order of the plurality of carriers and a transfer order of the plurality of substrates based on the rank information; a bonding unit that transports the plurality of carriers and the plurality of substrates to the bonding apparatus in accordance with the transport order determined by the determination unit and bonds the first object and the second object; A joining device comprising:

14. providing a plurality of carriers each carrying a plurality of first objects; providing a plurality of substrates each having a plurality of second objects formed thereon; forming a joined object by joining the first object to the second object according to the joining method according to any one of claims 1 to 12; treating the bonded article to produce an article; A method for producing an article, comprising the steps of:

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