Advanced Packaging High-Capacity Mode Digital Lithography Tool

Abstract

An exemplary method of packaging a substrate may include rotating and aligning the substrate to a predetermined angular position. The method may include transporting the substrate to a measurement station. The method may include measuring the topology of the substrate at the measurement station. The method may include applying a first chucking force to the substrate to flatten the substrate. The method may include generating a mapping of die patterns on the exposed surface of the substrate. The method may include transporting the substrate to a printing station. The method may include applying a second chucking force to the substrate to flatten the substrate against the surface of the printing station. The method may include adjusting a printing pattern based on the mapping of die patterns. The method may include printing the printing pattern on the exposed surface of the substrate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross-Reference to Related Applications

[0001] This application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 872,546 entitled "ADVANCED-PACKAGING HIGH-VOLUME-MODE DIGITAL-LITHOGRAPHY-TOOL" filed on July 25, 2022, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002]

[0002] The present technology relates to components and apparatuses for semiconductor manufacturing. More specifically, the present technology relates to lithography systems and other semiconductor processing equipment used in advanced packaging.

Background Art

[0003]

[0003] Integrated circuits are achieved by a process that creates complexly patterned layers of material on a substrate surface. After an integrated circuit is formed on a substrate, the substrate is typically diced into individual dies. Once semiconductor manufacturing of a die is completed, the die is usually attached to a PCB board or positioned to be in electrical communication with other die components to enable the die to perform its designed functions. To achieve these objectives, it is first necessary to "package" one or several dies to connect signals and accommodate the feature size difference between the die and the PCB board. When packaging dies using conventional techniques, the dies must be positioned within a tolerance of several hundred to tens of micrometers. However, in accordance with Moore's Law, as dies become smaller and more powerful, packaging also needs to evolve to the next generation so as not to affect die performance.

[0004]

[0004] In recent dies, the limit dimensional tolerance for die handling can be at the level of a few micrometers or sub-micrometers. Furthermore, due to the "warpage effect" caused by the aggregation of dissimilar materials and the "die shift / rotation problem" caused by the tolerances of the die pick and place mechanism, conventional packaging solutions are no longer suitable for the current challenges because they cannot provide sufficient precision to handle more advanced dies.

[0005]

[0001] Therefore, improved systems and methods are needed that can be used to efficiently package dies. These and other needs are addressed by current technology. [Overview of the project]

[0006]

[0005] An exemplary method for packaging a substrate may include rotating and aligning the substrate to a predetermined angular position. The method may include transporting the substrate to a measurement station. The method may include measuring the topology of the substrate at the measurement station. The method may include applying a first chuck force to the substrate to flatten it. The method may include generating a die pattern mapping on the exposed surface of the substrate. The method may include transporting the substrate to a printing station. The method may include applying a second chuck force to the substrate to flatten it against the surface of the printing station. The method may include adjusting the print pattern based on the die pattern mapping. The method may include printing the print pattern on the exposed surface of the substrate.

[0007]

[0006] In some embodiments, the method may include varying the magnitude of a first chuck force in a region of the substrate based on the topology of the substrate. The first chuck force may be applied using either or both a vacuum chuck and / or an electrostatic chuck. The method may include remeasuring the topology of the substrate after applying the first chuck force. Measuring the topology of the substrate may include collecting data from either or both a capacitive sensor and / or an optical sensor. Adjusting the print pattern based on die pattern mapping may include adjusting at least a portion of the print pattern based on either or both the lateral position and / or rotational position of at least one die on the substrate. The substrate may include a first substrate. The method may include rotating and aligning a second substrate to a predetermined angular position while printing a print pattern on the exposed surface of a first substrate, transporting the second substrate to a measurement station, measuring the second topology of the second substrate at the measurement station, applying a third chuck force to the second substrate to flatten it, and generating a second mapping of the die pattern on the exposed surface of the second substrate. The method may also include transporting the second substrate to a buffer station. The method may also include transporting the second substrate to a printing station. The method may also include applying a fourth chuck force to the substrate to flatten it against the surface of the printing station. The method may also include adjusting the second print pattern on the second substrate based on the second mapping of the die pattern. The method may also include printing the second print pattern on the exposed surface of the substrate.

[0008]

[0007] Some embodiments of the present technology may encompass a method for packaging substrates. The method may include rotating and aligning a plurality of substrates to predetermined angular positions. The method may include measuring the topology of each substrate. The method may include applying a first chuck force to each substrate in order to flatten each substrate. The method may include generating a die pattern mapping to the exposed surface of the substrates. The method may include transporting each substrate to a printing station. The method may include applying a second chuck force to each substrate in order to flatten each substrate to the surface of the printing station. The method may include adjusting the respective printing pattern for each substrate based on the die pattern mapping to each substrate. The method may include printing the respective printing pattern on the exposed surface of each substrate.

[0009]

[0008] In some embodiments, the method may include determining the magnitude of a first chuck force at several locations across the area of ​​each substrate required to flatten each substrate. Based on the determination, the method may include varying the magnitude of the first chuck force across the area of ​​each substrate. Rotating and aligning each substrate to a predetermined angular position involves identifying alignment marks on each substrate and rotating each substrate to align the alignment marks to the predetermined angular position. The method may include: The method may include inverting each substrate to expose the unprinted surface of each substrate. The method may include rotating and aligning each substrate to a predetermined angular position. The method may include measuring the topology of each substrate. The method may include applying a third chuck force to each substrate to flatten each substrate. The method may include generating an additional die pattern mapping on the unprinted surface of each substrate. The method may include transporting each substrate to a printing station. The method may include applying a fourth chuck force to each substrate to flatten each substrate against the surface of the printing station. The method may include adjusting an additional print pattern based on the additional die pattern mapping. The method may include printing an additional print pattern on the unprinted surface of each substrate. The first chuck force may differ for at least one of the multiple substrates. The first chuck force for each substrate may be equal to the second chuck force for each substrate. The method may include transporting at least some of the multiple substrates to a buffer station. Each of at least some of the multiple substrates can be transported from the buffer station to the printing station. This method measures the bevel on the packaging edge of each substrate. This may include: Adjusting the print pattern based on the die pattern mapping may include calculating one or more differences between the print pattern and the die pattern mapping, and adjusting the position of at least a portion of the print pattern based on one or more differences.

[0010]

[0009] Some embodiments of the present technology may include a substrate packaging system. The system may include a robotic transport system having a plurality of robotic arms. The system may include a substrate aligner for aligning a substrate to a predetermined angular position. The system may include at least one measurement station. At least one measurement station may include a topology sensor. At least one measurement station may include a die pattern sensor. At least one measurement station may include an adaptive chuck mechanism communicatively coupled to the topology sensor. The system may include a printing station. In some embodiments, the system may include a substrate buffer station positioned between at least one measurement station and the printing station.

[0011]

[0010] Such technologies can offer a number of advantages over conventional systems and techniques. For example, embodiments of the technology can provide a solution to address the problem of substrate warping when printing on a substrate. In particular, embodiments can implement an adaptive chuck mechanism that effectively flattens the substrate before the measurement and / or printing process. Embodiments of the technology can provide a solution to address the problem of die position drift before printing on a substrate. In particular, embodiments can implement an inline pattern correction function that effectively reduces print pattern errors before the printing process. Furthermore, the systems described herein can improve the throughput of the system by enabling the sequential and simultaneous printing and preparation of several substrates. These embodiments and other embodiments, along with their many advantages and features, are described in detail in the following description and accompanying drawings.

[0012]

[0011] Further understanding of the nature and advantages of the disclosed technology can be achieved by referring to the following parts of this specification and the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1]

[0012] This is a schematic top view of an exemplary packaging system according to some embodiments of the present technology. [Figure 1A]

[0013] This is a schematic top view of an exemplary packaging system according to some embodiments of the present technology. [Figure 1B]

[0014] This is a schematic side cross-sectional view of an exemplary packaging system according to several embodiments of the present technology. [Figure 2]

[0015] This is a schematic isometric view of an exemplary buffer station according to several embodiments of this technology. [Figure 3]

[0016] This describes the operation of an exemplary method for packaging a substrate according to some embodiments of this technology. [Figure 4A-4B]

[0017] This is a schematic top view of a sequence for packaging multiple substrates according to some embodiments of this technology. [Figure 4C-4D] This is a schematic top view of a sequence for packaging multiple substrates according to some embodiments of this technology. [Figure 4E-4F] This is a schematic top view of a sequence for packaging multiple substrates according to some embodiments of this technology. [Figure 4G-4H] This is a schematic top view of a sequence for packaging multiple substrates according to some embodiments of this technology. [Figure 4I] This is a schematic top view of a sequence for packaging multiple substrates according to some embodiments of this technology. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014]

[0018] Some diagrams are included as schematic representations. These diagrams are for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered to scale unless explicitly stated otherwise. Furthermore, as schematic representations, they are provided to aid understanding and may not include all aspects or information compared to realistic depictions, and may contain exaggerations for illustrative purposes.

[0015]

[0019] In the attached diagrams, similar components and / or features may have the same reference numeral. Furthermore, various components of the same kind may be distinguished according to their reference numerals by letters that distinguish similar components from each other. Where only the first reference numeral is used herein, the description is applicable to any one of the similar components having the same first reference numeral, regardless of the letters.

[0016]

[0020] Substrate processing may involve time-consuming processes for adding, removing, or altering materials on wafers or semiconductor substrates. Efficient substrate movement can reduce waiting times and improve substrate throughput. Additional chambers can be incorporated on the mainframe to increase the number of substrates processed within a cluster tool. While transport robots and processing chambers can be added sequentially by increasing the tool's length, space efficiency can decrease as the cluster tool's footprint expands. In response, this technology may include cluster tools with an increased number of processing chambers within a given footprint. To address the limited footprint around the transport robot, this technology can increase the number of processing chambers laterally outward from the robot. For example, some conventional cluster tools may include one or two processing chambers positioned around a centrally located section of the transport robot to maximize the number of chambers radially around the robot. This technology can extend this concept by incorporating additional chambers laterally outward as other rows or groups of chambers. For example, this technology can be applied to a cluster tool that includes three, four, five, six, or more processing chambers accessible from each of one or more robot access locations.

[0017]

[0021] As device features become smaller, the tolerances for the entire substrate surface can be reduced. In many cases, films and / or other material layers deposited on a substrate during processing can cause warping and / or other distortion of the substrate. This warping can lead to problems because during lithography (and other) processes, the design pattern applied to the substrate can be affected by the distorted shape of the substrate. This can result in defects in integrated circuits and / or other components fabricated from the substrate, reducing die yield. Furthermore, due to the tolerances of robotic pick-and-place machines that apply dies to substrates, as well as the viscous flow of epoxy covering the substrate and the dies, some or all of the dies positioned on the substrate may slightly shift from their intended positions or rotate. This can lead to defects such as conduction problems in the final integrated circuit, reducing the yield of a given substrate.

[0018]

[0022] This technology overcomes these challenges by providing a novel design platform that integrates a digital lithography system with other modules to create advanced packaging systems. The digital lithography system described herein can address challenges associated with smaller critical dimensions required when packaging smaller dies and / or more powerful dies. Embodiments may include different variations for individual packaging products and / or processes to meet the needs of specific applications. Embodiments of this technology may include measuring the topology of a substrate and using an adaptive chuck to substantially flatten the substrate. Several measurements of the substrate, including the actual layout of the dies on the substrate, may be captured while the substrate is being flattened. The substrate is then transported to a printing station, which can modify the printing layout to adjust the location of one or more print connections based on the actual layout of the dies. The substrate is flattened again and a print pattern may be printed on the substrate. Embodiments can also provide a modular station approach to substrate packaging, which may help improve substrate throughput by preparing several substrates while others are being printed. Therefore, this technology can improve yield, produce dies with better conductance, and / or improve throughput through the packaging system.

[0019]

[0023] While the remaining disclosure routinely identifies specific lithography processes that utilize the disclosed technology, it will be readily apparent that the system and methods are equally applicable to other chambers, as well as to processes that may occur in the described chambers. Therefore, the technology should not be considered limited to use only in these specific lithography processes or chambers. This disclosure discusses one possible system and chamber that may include a lid stack component according to an embodiment of the technology, before describing additional modifications and adjustments to this system according to embodiments of the technology.

[0020]

[0024] FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of an exemplary substrate packaging system 100 in accordance with some embodiments of the present technology. The system 100 may be used to perform semiconductor processing processes including lithography processes, as well as other deposition, etching, removal, and cleaning processes. Any aspects of the system 100 may also be combined with other processing chambers or systems, as would be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art.

[0021]

[0025] The system 100 may include a number of different stations or modules, each of which performs one or more specific tasks related to processing substrates. Substrates may be transported between the various stations using a robotic transfer system 105. The robotic transfer system 105 may include one or more robotic arms 110 that may grip and / or otherwise engage each substrate to transport the substrate between the various stations. The system 100 may include a number of storage units 115 (e.g., front opening unified pod (FOUP)) that may be used to store substrates before and / or after a printing process. In some embodiments, one or more of the storage units 115 may function as an intermediate storage area after one or more printing processes have been performed but before additional printing and / or other packaging processes are initiated. Although shown with four storage units 115, it will be appreciated that any number of storage units 115 may be included in a single system 100. For example, the system 100 may include at least about 1 storage unit, at least about 2 storage units, at least about 3 storage units, at least about 4 storage units, at least about 5 storage units, at least about 6 storage units, at least about 7 storage units, at least about 8 storage units, or more. In some embodiments, some or all of the storage units 115 may be used for multiple functions (e.g., pre-print storage, intermediate storage, post-print storage, etc.), while in other embodiments, some or all of the storage units 115 may be used for different functions.

[0022]

[0026] System 100 may include one or more substrate aligners 120, each aligning a substrate to a predetermined angular position. For example, each substrate aligner 120 may include one or more rotating supports and one or more optical sensors. The robotic transport system 105 can transport the substrates from the storage unit 115 to the rotating supports. The substrate aligner 120 can rotate the substrate until the corresponding optical sensor detects that a mark on the edge of the substrate (e.g., a notch or other visible alignment mark) has moved to a predetermined angular position. This alignment process can ensure that each substrate is properly oriented for subsequent printing processes. Although shown with a single substrate aligner 120, it will be understood that System 100 may include any number of substrate aligners 120. For example, System 100 may include at least about one substrate aligner, at least about two substrate aligners, at least about three substrate aligners, at least about four substrate aligners, or more. Furthermore, each substrate aligner 120 may include any number of rotating support units and optical sensor sets, which may enable a single substrate aligner 120 to align multiple substrates simultaneously, thereby helping to improve the throughput of the system 100.

[0023]

[0027] The system 100 may include at least one measurement station 125. Each measurement station may include at least one topology sensor, which may be used to determine the topology of each substrate along the z-direction (which may be perpendicular to the support surface of the measurement station 125). For example, a film layer deposited on a substrate may cause different stresses that result in warping or other warping of the substrate. The topology sensor may be used to identify any z-direction variability present on the substrate (i.e., contours or other non-planar areas). The topology sensor may include an optical sensor (e.g., a depth camera, mm-wave sensor, proximity sensor, etc.), a capacitance sensor that can determine the distance between the bottom surface of the substrate and the support surface of the measurement station 125 at different locations relative to the area of ​​the substrate by detecting capacitance at various locations, and / or other sensors that can detect the shape of the substrate in the z-direction. Each measurement station 125 may include one or more chuck mechanisms connected to the support surface of the measurement station 125. The chuck mechanisms may include a vacuum chuck, an electrostatic chuck, and / or other types of chuck mechanisms. The chuck mechanism can vary the chuck force across the substrate, thereby allowing the chuck to adaptively clamp the substrate to the support surface of the measurement station 125. For example, if a particular substrate includes areas with significant warping and areas with little warping, the clamping force can be increased in or near the areas with significant warping and / or decreased in the areas with little warping. This adaptive chuck force control allows the chuck mechanism to adjust the clamping force applied to each substrate to flatten the substrate to a substantially planar shape with little or no warping. This makes it possible, in some embodiments, to customize the chuck force on a per-substrate basis, so that each substrate receives a chuck force that flattens any given substrate to a substantially planar shape, regardless of the substrate topology. In this specification, substantially planar may mean approximately 95% or more planar, approximately 96% or more planar, approximately 97% or more planar, approximately 98% or more planar, approximately 99% or more planar, approximately 99.5% or more planar, or more.The chuck force may vary based on measurements from one or more topology sensors. For example, areas with greater and less warping can be detected (e.g., by mapping the topology of the substrate), and the chuck force can be changed accordingly. In some embodiments, the chuck force may be adjusted sequentially. For example, a first magnitude of chuck force (which may be uniform or uneven across a region of the substrate) may be applied, and the topology may be remeasured. If the substrate is not substantially planar, the magnitude of the chuck force may be adjusted at one or more locations, and the topology may be remeasured. This process may be repeated sequentially any number of times until the substrate is substantially planar.

[0024]

[0028] Each measurement station 125 may include one or more die pattern sensors. Each die pattern sensor may include an optical sensor, such as a camera, that can measure the position of each die present on the substrate. For example, many dies may be attached to the exposed surface of the substrate or otherwise coupled before the printing process. The positions of these dies may deviate from the design position due to pick-and-place errors and / or molding flow pressure. If printing is performed without correction, printed wires may not be properly connected to specific pads on the die. The die pattern sensor may measure the position and / or rotation (e.g., angular direction) of each die, which allows a mapping of the die pattern on the substrate to be generated and / or otherwise recorded. The mapping may be provided to the printing system to correct and / or otherwise adjust the print pattern to accommodate die position drift before the printing process begins. In some embodiments, each measurement station 125 may include one or more bevel sensors. The bevel sensors may be optical sensors that can be used to measure the bevel angle and / or topography of the packaging edges on each substrate. Although different topology sensors, die pattern sensors, and bevel sensors are shown, it will be understood that in some embodiments, one or more of the sensors may be combined into a single sensor. For example, a single optical sensor can be used to measure any combination of topology, die pattern, and / or bevel angle of a given substrate.

[0025]

[0029] As illustrated, system 100 includes two measurement stations 125, which are located on opposite sides of the substrate aligner 120. However, it will be understood that various embodiments may include any number of measurement stations 125. For example, system 100 may include at least about one measurement station, at least about two measurement stations, at least about three measurement stations, at least about four measurement stations, at least about five measurement stations, at least about six measurement stations, or more. Each measurement station 125 may include one or more substations, each substation capable of performing some or all of the measurement functions described according to measurement station 125. For example, each substation may include a dedicated topology sensor, a dedicated chuck mechanism, a dedicated die pattern sensor, and / or a dedicated bevel sensor. A given measurement station 125 may be provided with any number of substations. For example, each measurement station 125 may include at least about one substation, at least about two substations, at least about three substations, at least about four substations, or more. By providing multiple substations, each measurement station 125 can perform measurement operations on multiple boards simultaneously, which can help improve the throughput of the system 100.

[0026]

[0030] The system 100 may include at least one printing station 135. Each printing station 135 may include one or more stages and / or other support surfaces capable of supporting the underside of a substrate. In some embodiments, each stage may be movable such that the movement of the stage moves the substrate (or substrate carrier) relative to the printing mechanism of the printing station 135. In some embodiments, the printing mechanism is movable, but the substrate remains stationary. The printing station can print various features onto the substrate using digital lithography techniques. For example, connections between dies and electrical connectors (such as copper columns) can be printed onto the substrate using the printing station 135.

[0027]

[0031] In some embodiments, system 100 may include a thermal module that can be used to bake or otherwise heat the substrate after the completion of the printing process. For example, the substrate may be baked to help stabilize the printed pattern before performing other processing or packaging steps, such as removing photosensitive materials processed during photolithography and / or removing non-photosensitive materials after photolithography. Integrating a thermal module into system 100 may help process a larger number of substrates / dies and improve the throughput of system 100.

[0028]

[0032] System 100 may include several buffer stations 130. Each buffer station 130 may include several load slots and / or unload slots, which may be used to hold individual substrates before and / or after a printing process is performed. For example, each buffer station 130 may be located between each of the measurement stations 125 and each printing station 135. While one or more substrates are being printed, substrates that have completed their measurement operations may be transported by the robot transport system 105 from the measurement station 125 to one of the load slots in the buffer stations 130. Once a printing process(s) is complete, the printed substrates may be transported by the robot transport system 105 from the printing station 135 to one of the unload slots in the buffer stations 130, and unprinted substrates may be transported from the load slots to the printing station 135. While unprinted substrates are being printed, previously printed substrates may be transported from the unload slots to their respective storage units 115.

[0029]

[0033] As illustrated, the measurement station 125 may be positioned adjacent to the printing station 135, but the measurement station 125 may be positioned elsewhere within the system 100. For example, as shown in Figures 1A and 1B, the measurement station 125a may be positioned within the frame of the factory interface 140 (which may include part or all of the robot transport system 105), the measurement station 125b may be positioned alongside the factory interface 140, the measurement station 125c may be positioned in front of and / or instead of one or more of the storage units 115, and / or the measurement station 125d may be positioned adjacent to the printing station 135 (similar to the measurement station 125 shown in Figure 1). In various embodiments, other locations for the measurement stations are also possible.

[0030]

[0034] Figure 2 shows a schematic isometric view of an exemplary buffer station 200 according to several embodiments of the present technology. Figure 2 may show further details regarding the components within the system 100 (e.g., buffer station 130). The buffer station 200 is understood to include any features or aspects of the buffer station 130 described above in several embodiments. Any aspect of the buffer station 200 may also be combined with other processing chambers or systems, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. The buffer station 200 may include several slots 205. Each slot 205 may be sized to receive substrates that can be transported to and from the slot 205 by a robotic transport system (e.g., robotic transport system 105). The slots 205 may be arranged in one or more vertical rows, each row containing several slots 205. As shown, the buffer station 200 includes two rows, each having nine slots 205, but other configurations are possible. For example, each buffer station 200 may include at least about one column, at least about two columns, at least about three columns, at least about four columns, or more. Each column may include at least about one slot, at least about two slots, at least about three slots, at least about four slots, at least about five slots, at least about six slots, at least about seven slots, at least about eight slots, at least about nine slots, at least about ten slots, at least about twelve slots, at least about fourteen slots, at least about sixteen slots, at least about eighteen slots, or more. In some embodiments, each slot 205 may be designated as either an unload slot (e.g., for receiving printed boards from a printing station) or a load slot (e.g., for receiving unprinted boards from a measurement station). In other embodiments, some or all of the slots 205 may be used interchangeably as both unload and load slots.

[0031]

[0035] Figure 3 shows the operation of an exemplary method 300 for packaging a substrate according to several embodiments of the present technology. The method may be performed within a variety of processing systems, including the processing system 100 described above, and any of the aforementioned measurement stations and / or buffer stations, or other measurement stations and / or buffer stations according to embodiments of the present technology. The method 300 may include several optional steps, which may or may not be specifically associated with certain embodiments of the method according to the present technology.

[0032]

[0036] Method 300 may include a packaging method which may include steps for packaging dies, such as integrated circuits and / or other electrical components. The method may include optional steps before starting Method 300, or the method may include additional steps. For example, Method 300 may include steps performed in a different order than those illustrated. In operation 305, Method 300 may include rotating and aligning the substrate to a predetermined angular position. For example, the substrate may be transported and / or otherwise transported from a storage unit (e.g., storage unit 115) to a substrate aligner. The substrate may include several dies arranged on one or both sides of the substrate. Several electrical connectors, such as copper columns, may be arranged on some or all of the dies. The packaging process may involve electrically connecting the dies and electrical connectors, for example, by printing conductive connections between each die and electrical connector.

[0033]

[0037] The transport of the substrate may be performed by a robotic transport system (e.g., robotic transport system 105) including one or more transport robots, each containing at least one robotic arm capable of gripping, supporting, and / or engaging the substrate in any other way. Once positioned on the substrate aligner, alignment marks on the substrate may be identified, for example, by using optical sensors. The substrate can be rotated to align the alignment marks to a predetermined angular position. This alignment may ensure that the substrate is properly oriented in subsequent steps of the packaging process.

[0034]

[0038] Once the substrate is aligned, in operation 310, the substrate may be transported to a measurement station by a robotic transport system or the like. At the measurement station, in operation 315, the topology of the substrate may be measured. For example, data may be collected at several locations across the substrate using one or more optical sensors, capacitive sensors, and / or other z-axis sensors. This data may be used to determine whether there are any contours or other deformations that prevent the substrate from being substantially planar. In operation 320, a first chuck force may be applied to the substrate to flatten it. The chuck force may be used to reduce or eliminate warping or other curvature of the substrate before other measurement and / or printing processes, and may be used to make the substrate at least substantially planar. The magnitude of the first clamping force may vary in a given area of ​​the substrate based on the topology of the substrate. For example, if a particular substrate includes areas with significant warping and areas with little warping, the clamping force may be increased in or near the areas with significant warping and / or decreased in the areas with little warping. This adaptive chuck force control allows the chuck mechanism to adjust the clamping force applied to each substrate to flatten the substrate to a substantially planar shape, with little to no warping or other curvature. The chuck force may vary based on measurements from one or more topology sensors. In some embodiments, the chuck force may be adjusted sequentially. For example, a first magnitude chuck force (which may be uniform or uneven across a region of the substrate) may be applied, and the topology may be remeasured. If the substrate is not substantially planar, the magnitude of the chuck force may be adjusted, and the topology may be remeasured. This process may be repeated sequentially any number of times until the substrate is substantially planar.

[0035]

[0039] While the first clamping force is applied, method 300 may, in operation 325, include generating a mapping of the die patterns on the exposed surface of the substrate. The mapping may include data indicating the precise location of each die on the substrate (e.g., lateral position and / or angular direction). For example, while the substrate is clamped in a substantially planar shape, one or more optical sensors can be used to image and / or otherwise determine the actual layout of the dies placed on the substrate. This layout may deviate from the designed layout due to factors such as tolerances of the robot's pick-and-place device, bevel pography, and shifts that may occur during the application of epoxy coating to the dies. In certain embodiments, the sensors may detect the position of the corners and / or marks provided thereon on each die, thereby allowing the sensors to more accurately determine the position and / or orientation of each die. The method may optionally include measuring the bevel angle on the edge of the packaging of each substrate, which may be done using one or more optical sensors. Once the die pattern mapping and / or bevel angle measurements are generated, the chuck force can be reduced and / or eliminated, thereby allowing the substrate to be transported to the printing station in operation 330.

[0036]

[0040] In the printing station, during operation 335, a second chuck force may be applied to the substrate to flatten it relative to the surface of the printing station. For example, a similar adaptive chuck mechanism may be included in the printing station and used to selectively apply a chuck force to the substrate to make it substantially planar. In some embodiments, the chuck force may vary over a region of the substrate. For example, the second chuck force may be based on the previously measured topology of the substrate and / or the final chuck force used by the measurement station, and the second chuck force may be the same as, or substantially the same as, the final first chuck force applied by the chuck mechanism of the measurement station, thereby ensuring that the substrate is substantially planar on the surface of the printing station. In particular, using the same chuck force in the measurement station and the printing station can reproduce the actually measured die layout in the printing station, which can improve the accuracy of the printing process. In some embodiments, the method may optionally include measuring the topology of the substrate before and / or after applying the second chuck force in a manner similar to the process used in the measurement station (e.g., using one or more topology sensors). This allows the printing station to verify that the substrate is substantially planar when the printing process begins.

[0037]

[0041] In operation 340, the print pattern may be adjusted based on the mapping of the die pattern and / or bevel topography. For example, a processor in the printing station may receive and analyze the mapping and calculate any deviations of the dies present on the substrate (e.g., lateral displacement and / or rotation and / or unexpected topography close to the bevel). Based on the deviations, the print pattern may be adjusted to account for such deviations to ensure that connections between the dies and any electrical connectors (e.g., copper posts and / or other contacts) are made when printing is complete. For example, the arrangement of printable connectors may be altered so that the connections between the dies and the associated electrical connectors are made correctly, even if one or more dies are misaligned from their design positions. Once the print pattern has been adjusted to account for the deviations, in operation 345, the print pattern may be printed on the exposed surface of the substrate.

[0038]

[0042] In some embodiments, after printing the print pattern, the substrate may be transported to a storage unit (e.g., storage unit 115). In some embodiments, the substrate may be transported directly from the printing station to the storage unit, but in other embodiments, the substrate may be transported to a buffer station before being transported to the storage unit. For example, a printed substrate may be transported to a buffer station, a new substrate may be loaded into the printing station, and then the printed substrate may be transported to the storage unit while other substrates are being printed. Such an arrangement may help improve the throughput of the processing system.

[0039]

[0043] In some embodiments, after printing, the substrate can undergo additional processing steps. For example, a die can be positioned on the underside of the substrate. In such embodiments, the substrate may be inverted, and the measurement / printing process may be repeated on the unprinted side of the substrate.

[0040]

[0044] In many cases, several substrates can be measured and / or printed simultaneously. For example, a processing system may include multiple substrate aligners, measurement stations, buffer stations, and / or printing stations, and each component of the processing system can handle one or more substrates at a time. This makes it possible to prepare and print a large number of substrates simultaneously. Furthermore, several substrates can be processed sequentially, and some substrates can be prepared while others are being printed. For example, while several substrates are being printed, some substrates may be aligned by one or more substrate aligners, measured at a measurement station, moved to a storage unit, and / or stored at a buffer station.

[0041]

[0045] Figures 4A–4I show an exemplary sequence 400 for processing several substrates 480. Sequence 400 may include any number of substrate processing systems, including the substrate processing system 100 described herein. Sequence 400 may represent various steps of Method 300 or other processing steps. Although illustrated to allow printing and / or preparation of four substrates simultaneously, it will be understood that any number of substrates can be processed simultaneously at a given station. In operation 405, several substrates 480a can be engaged from one or more storage units 115. Each substrate 480a may be transported in operation 410 to one or more substrate aligners 120, where the substrates 480a are aligned in a predetermined angular direction. In some embodiments, the substrates may be aligned sequentially, while in other embodiments, each substrate 480a may be aligned simultaneously. Once aligned, in operation 415, each of the substrates 480a may be transported to a measurement station 125. The measurement station 125 may be a single unit, or it may be a plurality of measurement stations 125, each capable of corresponding to one or more substrates 480a. At each measurement station 125, each substrate 480a may be chucked and / or measured as described herein. Once the measurement operation is complete, in operation 420, each substrate 480a may be transported to the printing station 135, which may adjust the print pattern based on the measurements from the measurement station 125 and / or print various features (e.g., connections between dies and corresponding connectors such as copper columns) on the substrate 480a as described elsewhere herein.

[0042]

[0046] While substrate 480a is being printed, several substrates 480b may be prepared for printing. For example, in operation 425, substrates 480b may be engaged from one or more storage units 115 and transported to one or more substrate aligners 120. Once aligned, in operation 430, each of the substrates 480b may be transported to a measurement station 125. Once the measurement operation is complete, in operation 435, each substrate 480b may be transported to a buffer station 130. The substrates 480b may remain in the buffer station 130 while substrate 480a completes its printing process. In operation 440, substrate 480a may be transported to an open slot in the buffer station 130, and then substrate 480b may be transported to the printing station 135. While substrate 480b is being printed, substrate 480a may be transported to a storage unit 115 in operation 445. The process flow described above may be continuous, and it will be understood that when one or more stations in the processing system become available, additional boards 480 can be introduced into the flow, which may help to further improve the throughput of the processing system.

[0043]

[0047] The above description includes numerous details for explanatory purposes to facilitate understanding of the various embodiments of this technology. However, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that certain embodiments can be implemented without some of these details, or with additional details.

[0044]

[0048] While several embodiments are disclosed, those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications, alternative structures, and equivalents can be used without departing from the essence of the embodiments. Furthermore, to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the Art, some well-known processes and elements are omitted. Therefore, the above description should not be construed as limiting the scope of the Art.

[0045]

[0049] Where a range of values ​​is provided, each of the intervening values ​​between the upper and lower limits of that range is understood to be specifically disclosed down to the smallest unit of the lower limit (unless explicitly indicated otherwise in the context). Narrower ranges between any two stated values ​​or between unstated intervening values ​​within a stated range, and other stated or intervening values ​​within such ranges, are included. The upper and lower limits of such narrow ranges may, individually, be included in or excluded from this range. Each range that includes either, neither, or both of the limit values ​​is also included in the Art, provided that there are limit values ​​specifically excluded within the stated range. Where a stated range includes one or both limit values, it also includes ranges that exclude either or both of the contained limit values.

[0046]

[0050] In this specification and the appended claims, the singular “a, an” and “the” imply a plural meaning (unless explicitly indicated otherwise in the context). Thus, for example, “a region” refers to multiple such regions, and “the aperture” refers to one or more openings and equivalents known to those skilled in the art, and so on.

[0047]

[0051] Furthermore, the terms “comprise(s) / comprising,” “contain(s) / containing,” and “include(s) / including,” when used in this specification and subsequent claims, are intended to identify the presence of a described feature, integer, component, or process, but not to exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, components, processes, operations, or groups.

Claims

1. A method for packaging a substrate, The circuit board is rotated to a predetermined angular position for alignment, Transporting the aforementioned substrate to the measurement station, The measurement station measures the topology of the substrate, In order to flatten the substrate, a first chuck force is applied to the substrate, To generate a die pattern mapping on the exposed surface of the substrate, Transporting the aforementioned substrate to the printing station, In order to flatten the substrate with respect to the surface of the printing station, a second chuck force is applied to the substrate, Adjusting the print pattern based on the mapping of the die pattern, Printing the print pattern on the exposed surface of the substrate Methods that include...

2. Based on the topology of the substrate, the magnitude of the first chuck force is changed over a certain region of the substrate. A method for packaging a substrate according to claim 1, further comprising:

3. The method for packaging a substrate according to claim 1, wherein the first chuck force is applied using one or both of a vacuum chuck and an electrostatic chuck.

4. After applying the first chuck force, the topology of the substrate is remeasured. A method for packaging a substrate according to claim 1, further comprising:

5. A method for packaging a substrate according to claim 1, wherein measuring the topology of the substrate includes collecting data from one or both of a capacitive sensor and an optical sensor.

6. Adjusting the print pattern based on the mapping of the die pattern means adjusting at least a portion of the print pattern based on either or both the lateral position and / or rotational position of at least one die on the substrate. A method for packaging a substrate according to claim 1, including the following:

7. The substrate includes a first substrate, The method described above is While printing the print pattern on the exposed surface of the first substrate, Rotating the second substrate to align it to the predetermined angular position, Transporting the second substrate to the measurement station, The second topology of the second substrate is measured at the measurement station. To flatten the second substrate, a third chuck force is applied to the second substrate, and To generate a second mapping of the die pattern on the exposed surface of the second substrate. A method for packaging a substrate according to claim 1, including the following:

8. Transporting the second substrate to the buffer station A method for packaging a substrate according to claim 7, further comprising:

9. Transporting the second substrate to the printing station, To flatten the second substrate with respect to the surface of the printing station, a fourth chuck force is applied to the substrate, Based on the second mapping of the die pattern, the second printed pattern of the second substrate is adjusted. Printing the second print pattern on the exposed surface of the substrate A method for packaging a substrate according to claim 8, further comprising:

10. A method for packaging a substrate, Rotating and aligning multiple circuit boards to predetermined angular positions, To measure the topology of each board, To flatten each substrate, a first chuck force is applied to each substrate, To generate a die pattern mapping to the exposed surface of the substrate, Transporting each circuit board to the printing station, In order to flatten each substrate with respect to the surface of the printing station, a second chuck force is applied to each substrate, Based on the mapping of the die pattern to each substrate, the respective printed patterns for each substrate are adjusted. Printing the respective print patterns on the exposed surface of each substrate Methods that include...

11. Determining the magnitude of the first chuck force at several locations across the region of each substrate required to flatten each substrate, Based on the above determination, the magnitude of the first chuck force is changed across the region of each substrate. A method for packaging a substrate according to claim 10, further comprising:

12. Each substrate is rotated to the predetermined angular position for alignment. Identifying the alignment marks on each of the aforementioned substrates, To align the alignment marks to the predetermined angular positions, each substrate is rotated. A method for packaging a substrate according to claim 10, including the following:

13. In order to expose the unprinted surface of each of the aforementioned substrates, each substrate is inverted, Each substrate is rotated to the predetermined angular position for alignment, Measuring the topology of each substrate, To flatten each substrate, a third chuck force is applied to each substrate, To generate additional die pattern mappings on the unprinted surface of each substrate, Transporting each substrate to the aforementioned printing station, To flatten each substrate with respect to the surface of the printing station, a fourth chuck force is applied to each substrate, Adjusting the additional print pattern based on the mapping of the additional die pattern, Printing the additional printing pattern on the unprinted surface of each substrate A method for packaging a substrate according to claim 10, further comprising:

14. The method for packaging a substrate according to claim 10, wherein the first chuck force is different for at least one of the plurality of substrates.

15. A method for packaging substrates according to claim 10, wherein the first chuck force of each substrate is equal to the second chuck force of each substrate.

16. Transporting at least some of the aforementioned multiple substrates to a buffer station. The method for packaging substrates according to claim 10, further comprising transporting each of the plurality of substrates from the buffer station to the printing station.

17. Measuring the bevel angle on the packaging edge for each substrate. A method for packaging a substrate according to claim 10, further comprising:

18. A method for packaging a substrate according to claim 10, wherein adjusting the print pattern based on the mapping of the die pattern includes calculating one or more differences between the print pattern and the mapping of the die pattern, and adjusting the position of at least a portion of the print pattern based on the one or more differences.

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