Mounting device and mounting method

Abstract

Provided are a mounting device and a mounting method for relatively easily supplying a mounting head with a semiconductor chip having an activated electrode surface. Specifically, provided are a mounting device and a mounting method using the same, the mounting device comprising: a chip supply unit that picks up a semiconductor chip; a mounting unit that performs face-down mounting of the semiconductor chip picked up by the chip supply unit on a substrate; a chip transport mechanism that transports the semiconductor chip from the chip supply unit to the mounting unit; and a surface treatment means that performs surface activation treatment on an electrode surface of the semiconductor chip in order to improve bondability with an electrode surface of the substrate, the surface treatment means being disposed so as to perform the surface activation treatment on the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip being transported by the chip transport mechanism.

Description

Mounting device and mounting method

[0001] The present invention relates to a mounting apparatus and a mounting method for mounting a semiconductor chip on a substrate, and more particularly to a mounting apparatus and a mounting method for mounting a semiconductor chip with the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip facing the electrode surface of the substrate.

[0002] One form of mounting a semiconductor chip on a substrate such as a wiring board is face-down mounting, in which the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip faces the electrode surface of the substrate.

[0003] In face-down mounting, the process from when a semiconductor chip is attached to a dicing tape to when it is transported toward a mounting head is shown in FIGS.

[0004] 29(a), the semiconductor chip C is provided in a state where a wafer attached to a dicing tape is diced into individual pieces, where the side of the semiconductor chip C opposite to the electrode surface, i.e., the side on which the electrode B is not provided, is attached to the dicing tape DT.

[0005] The semiconductor chip C attached to the dicing tape DT is pushed up by a needle 131 from the opposite side of the electrode surface through the dicing tape DT, as shown in Figure 29(b), and from that state is adsorbed and held from the electrode surface side by a collet 143, as shown in Figure 29(c), and is then handed over to the collet 143 when the dicing tape DT is peeled off, as shown in Figure 29(d).

[0006] Thereafter, the collet 143 holding the semiconductor chip C is inverted as shown in Fig. 30(a), and the semiconductor chip C held by the relay head 18 from the side opposite the electrode surface as shown in Fig. 30(b) is transferred to the chip slider 66 as shown in Fig. 30(c), and the chip slider 66 holds the semiconductor chip C and transports it to just below the mounting head as shown in Fig. 30(d). Thereafter, the semiconductor chip C is lowered while being held by the mounting head from the side opposite the electrode surface, and the electrodes B are joined to the electrodes of the substrate.

[0007] By the way, while the semiconductor chip C attached to the dicing tape is held by the mounting head, the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip C comes into contact with the collet 143 and the chip slider 66, but it has rarely been a problem that the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip C comes into contact with other objects. This is because solder bumps are often used as the electrodes of the semiconductor chip C, and the surface of ordinary solder is covered with an oxide film, so even if the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip C comes into contact with the collet or the chip slider, the effect on the surface condition of the electrode B is minimal.

[0008] JP 2022-153687 A JP 2022-156324 A JP 2022-072566 A JP 2022-157318 A JP 2008-004722 A JP 2020-057750 A

[0009] However, with the recent advances in high-precision mounting, research is underway into mounting methods that activate electrode surfaces to minimize dimensional changes associated with bonding temperature and pressure. In these mounting methods, rather than using protruding electrodes like bump electrodes, research is also underway into practical applications of methods that activate the insulating regions (other than the electrode portions) of the semiconductor chip electrode surface to achieve surface-to-surface contact with the insulating regions of the substrate. Adding hydroxyl groups and other additives is well known to be effective in activating such insulating regions. Furthermore, removing impurities and contamination from the electrode surface to expose the metal surface is also effective in activating the electrode metal surface and improving bonding. As described above, activating the electrode surface can significantly reduce bonding temperatures and pressures compared to untreated cases. Plasma treatment is effective for both adding hydroxyl groups and removing contamination from the insulating regions of the electrode metal surface, and is often used to improve bonding.

[0010] However, even if activation treatment is performed, the activation state of the electrode surface is significantly reduced due to contact of the electrode surface with other substances.

[0011] For this reason, along with the method for activating the electrode surface of a semiconductor chip, the method for transferring and delivering the electrode surface of a semiconductor chip to a mounting head without bringing the electrode surface into contact with other substances is becoming increasingly important.

[0012] Therefore, various methods are being considered that, based on the premise that the electrode surfaces of a large number of semiconductor chips that have been singulated on a dicing tape will be activated all at once (using low-pressure plasma, etc.), prevent the electrode surfaces of the semiconductor chips from coming into contact with other substances until the semiconductor chips are picked up from the dicing tape and held by the mounting head.

[0013] In Patent Document 1, the semiconductor chip is dropped with its electrode surface facing downwards and held in a floating state, and the semiconductor chip C is transported in the floating state. In Patent Document 2, the floating semiconductor chip C is held by an attachment tool 42 as shown in Figure 31, making it possible to transport the semiconductor chip C without the electrode surface coming into contact with other substances. However, both Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 have the drawback that when the semiconductor chip is dropped, it requires time-consuming adjustments to float the entire electrode surface without contacting other substances (maintaining horizontality).

[0014] In Patent Documents 3 and 4, it is possible to hold a semiconductor chip from the electrode surface side without contact, and by applying this to a collet 143 or a chip slider 66, it is possible to avoid contact between the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip C and a substance (solid) in the steps shown in Figures 29 and 30. However, in both Patent Documents 3 and 4, in addition to being expensive due to the precision structure, it is necessary to prepare an optimal shape for each shape of the semiconductor chip C, which raises concerns about increased equipment costs.

[0015] Furthermore, for example, Patent Document 5 discloses a configuration in which atmospheric pressure plasma is irradiated onto the electrode surface of a semiconductor chip held by a mounting head to activate the surface. With this configuration, even if the electrode surface comes into contact with a collet or chip slider, the electrode surface can be activated by atmospheric pressure plasma after that. However, it takes time to activate electrode surfaces covered with oxide films or dirt with atmospheric pressure plasma, and this time adds to the takt time, which is undesirable as it reduces the productivity of the mounting device.

[0016] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides a mounting apparatus and a mounting method that allow a semiconductor chip with an activated electrode surface to be relatively easily provided to a mounting head.

[0017] In order to solve the above problems, the invention of claim 1 is a mounting device comprising: a chip supply unit that picks up semiconductor chips; a mounting unit that mounts the semiconductor chips picked up by the chip supply unit face-down on a substrate; a chip transport mechanism that transports the semiconductor chips from the chip supply unit to the mounting unit; and surface treatment means that performs a surface activation process on electrode surfaces of the semiconductor chips to improve bonding between the electrode surfaces of the substrate, wherein the surface treatment means is positioned to perform the surface activation process on the electrode surfaces of the semiconductor chips being transported by the chip transport mechanism.

[0018] The invention described in claim 2 is the mounting device described in claim 1, wherein the chip transport mechanism transports the semiconductor chip together with an attachment tool that holds the semiconductor chip from the side opposite the electrode surface, and the mounting device is provided with a tool slider that holds the surface of the attachment tool that holds the semiconductor chip outside an area that holds the outer periphery of the semiconductor chip, and the tool slider has suction holes that communicate with a pressure reduction flow path on the surface that comes into contact with the attachment tool, and the attachment tool has a first pressure reduction flow path that communicates with the pressure reduction flow path of the mounting section to suction the semiconductor chip, and a second pressure reduction flow path that is independent of the first pressure reduction flow path and communicates with the pressure reduction flow path of the tool slider to suction the semiconductor chip.

[0019] The invention described in claim 3 is the mounting apparatus described in claim 2, which performs the surface activation treatment on the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip while the semiconductor chip is held by the attachment tool.

[0020] The invention described in claim 4 is the mounting apparatus described in claim 3, wherein the surface activation process is performed on the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip while the attachment tool is held by the tool slider.

[0021] A fifth aspect of the present invention is the mounting apparatus according to the second aspect, wherein the semiconductor chip is transferred from the chip transport mechanism to the mounting unit while being held by the attachment tool.

[0022] The invention described in claim 6 is the mounting device described in claim 2, wherein the tool slider has a tool suction hole for holding the attachment tool, which is independent of the pressure reduction flow path that communicates with the second pressure reduction flow path of the attachment tool, and a tool pressure reduction flow path that communicates with the tool suction hole.

[0023] The invention described in claim 7 is the mounting device described in claim 6, wherein the chip transport mechanism also has the function of transporting an attachment tool from the mounting section to the chip supply section, and the surface treatment means is capable of performing a cleaning treatment on the attachment tool being transported by the chip transport mechanism to the chip supply section side.

[0024] The invention described in claim 8 is the mounting device described in claim 1, wherein the chip transport mechanism has a U-shaped holding tool that holds the side opposite the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip, and the U-shaped holding tool is shaped to hold the semiconductor chip in a suspended state between two legs.

[0025] The invention described in claim 9 is the mounting device described in claim 1, which picks up the semiconductor chip from a diced wafer attached to a dicing tape, and which picks up the semiconductor chip by suctioning the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip with a collet in the chip supply section.

[0026] The invention described in claim 10 is the mounting apparatus described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the surface treatment means is atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation means that irradiates atmospheric pressure plasma onto the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip.

[0027] The invention described in claim 11 is a mounting apparatus described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the surface treatment means is an ultraviolet light irradiation means that irradiates ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 200 nm or less near the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip.

[0028] The invention of claim 12 is the mounting apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the surface treatment means is water spraying means that sprays deionized water onto the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip.

[0029] The invention described in claim 13 is an implementation method comprising a chip supply step of picking up a semiconductor chip, a mounting step of mounting the semiconductor chip picked up by the chip supply unit on a substrate, and a chip transport step of transporting the semiconductor chip from the chip supply unit to the mounting unit, wherein in the chip transport step, a surface activation process is performed on the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip to improve bonding with the electrode surface of the substrate.

[0030] The invention of claim 14 is the mounting method of claim 13, which uses an attachment tool that holds the semiconductor chip from the side opposite to the electrode surface in the chip transport process, and further includes a tool return process that transports the attachment tool to the chip supply unit after the mounting process, and which performs a tool cleaning process that cleans the attachment tool in the tool return process.

[0031] The invention described in claim 15 is the mounting method described in claim 13, in which the semiconductor chip is picked up from a diced wafer attached to a dicing tape, and in the chip supply process, the semiconductor chip is picked up with the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip in contact with a collet.

[0032] A sixteenth aspect of the present invention is the mounting method according to either the thirteenth or twelfth aspect, wherein the surface activation treatment is performed by irradiating atmospheric pressure plasma onto the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip.

[0033] The invention described in claim 17 is a mounting method described in either claim 13 or claim 14, wherein the surface activation treatment involves irradiating ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 200 nm or less near the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip.

[0034] An eighteenth aspect of the present invention is the mounting method according to either the thirteenth or fourteenth aspect, wherein the surface activation treatment is performed by spraying deionized water onto the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip.

[0035] The invention described in claim 19 is the mounting method described in claim 14, wherein the tool cleaning process includes irradiating the surface of the attachment tool that holds the semiconductor chip with atmospheric pressure plasma, irradiating with ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 200 nm or less, or spraying with deionized water.

[0036] According to the present invention, when picking up a semiconductor chip from a dicing tape, even if a collet that comes into contact with the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip is used, it is possible to provide the semiconductor chip with an activated electrode surface to the mounting head.

[0037] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a mounting apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a mounting apparatus according to a first modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating (a) a tool transport means, and (b) a chip slider in which a tool slider holds an attachment tool, according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the chip slider, and (a) is a diagram showing the appearance of the tool slider, (b) is a cross-sectional view of the attachment tool and the tool slider, and (c) is a cross-sectional view when the tool slider holds the attachment tool and functions as a chip slider. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the frame shape of the tool slider, and (a) is a top view of an example in which the frame surrounds the entire periphery, and (b) is a top view of an example in which one side of the frame is missing. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of an atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation means according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a control system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the mounting apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and (a) shows a state in which a semiconductor chip attached to a dicing tape is subjected to low-pressure plasma treatment, and (b) is a diagram illustrating a state in which a semiconductor chip attached to the dicing tape is picked up and held by a collet. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating the operation of the mounting device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and show (a) a state in which the collet holding the semiconductor chip is inverted, (b) a state in which the collet holding the semiconductor chip and the relay head are brought close to each other, (c) a state in which the attachment tool held by the relay head is in close contact with the semiconductor chip held by the collet, (d) a state in which the semiconductor chip has been transferred to the relay head via the attachment tool, (e) a state in which the semiconductor chip is held by the relay head together with the attachment tool, and (f) a state in which the relay head and the tool slider are brought close to each other in the same state.1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating the operation of the mounting apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and show (a) a state in which a tool slider is in close contact with an attachment tool holding a semiconductor chip, (b) a state in which the attachment tool holding a semiconductor chip has been transferred from a relay head to the tool slider, (c) a state in which the tool slider is transporting the attachment tool holding a semiconductor chip, (d) a state in which atmospheric pressure plasma is being irradiated onto the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip in the same state, (e) a state in which the tool slider has transported the attachment tool holding a semiconductor chip to directly below the mounting head, and (f) a state in which the attachment tool holding a semiconductor chip has been in close contact with a heater portion of the mounting head. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating the operation of the mounting apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and are views illustrating (a) a state in which an attachment tool holding a semiconductor chip is handed over to a mounting head, (b) a state in which the semiconductor chip held by the attachment tool approaches the substrate as the mounting head descends, (c) a state in which the mounting head is lowered to bring the semiconductor chip as close as possible to the substrate, (d) a state in which the semiconductor chip and the substrate are aligned and then the semiconductor chip is in close contact with the substrate, and (e) a state in which the attachment tool, which has released its hold on the semiconductor chip, rises together with the mounting head after the semiconductor chip and the substrate are bonded. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating the state of the attachment tool after mounting a semiconductor chip with a mounting device according to a second variant of the first embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) the attachment tool is raised together with the mounting head, (b) the tool slider is approaching, (c) the tool slider is in close contact, (d) the attachment tool is handed over to and held by the tool slider, (e) the attachment tool is being transported by the tool slider to the chip supply section, and (f) the attachment tool is in the same state while atmospheric pressure plasma is irradiated onto the surface holding the semiconductor chip.1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating the state of the attachment tool after mounting a semiconductor chip with a mounting apparatus according to a second modification of the first embodiment of the present invention, showing (a) a state where it has moved to the underside of the relay head, (b) a state where the relay head is in close contact with the attachment tool, and (c) a state where it has been handed over from the tool slider to the relay head.

[0024] FIGS. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a mode of cleaning the surface of the attachment tool that does not suction a semiconductor chip, being transported by the tool slider to the chip supply unit side, showing (a) a state where atmospheric pressure plasma is being irradiated with the surface that suctions a semiconductor chip facing downward, and (b) a state where atmospheric pressure plasma is being irradiated with the tool slider inverted so that the surface that suctions a semiconductor chip faces upward.

[0025] FIGS. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a mounting apparatus according to a third modification of the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] FIGS. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a state where atmospheric pressure plasma is irradiated to the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip when the relay head holds the attachment tool holding the semiconductor chip, in the fourth modification of the first embodiment of the present invention. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating the irradiation area of ​​atmospheric pressure plasma on the electrode surface of a semiconductor chip in embodiment 1 of the present invention, (a) showing an example in which almost the entire surface of the electrode surface is irradiated simultaneously, and (b) showing an example of a linear irradiation area.

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[0084] [0085Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a mounting device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1 illustrates a U-shaped holding tool according to the second embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a top view and (b) is a cross-sectional view. Fig. 2 illustrates a state in which the U-shaped holding tool according to the second embodiment of the present invention holds a chip component, where (a) is a view from the holding surface side and (b) is a diagram showing a state in which the U-shaped holding tool is inverted. Fig. 1 illustrates a mode in which a semiconductor chip is directly picked up from a dicing tape using a U-shaped holding tool, where (a) is a diagram showing an example of holding a chip component raised together with the dicing tape and (b) is a diagram showing an example of holding a chip component raised by a needle that has broken the dicing tape. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating the operation of a mounting apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention, showing (a) a state in which a collet holding a semiconductor chip is transported above a U-shaped holding tool, (b) a state in which the U-shaped holding tool is in close contact with the semiconductor chip held by the collet, (c) a state in which the semiconductor chip has been transferred to the U-shaped holding tool, (d) a state in which the U-shaped holding tool holding the semiconductor chip is inverted, (e) a state in which the semiconductor chip is being transferred by the U-shaped holding tool, and (f) a state in which atmospheric pressure plasma is irradiated onto the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip in the same state. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating the operation of a mounting apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention, showing (a) a state in which the U-shaped holding tool transports the semiconductor chip directly below an attachment tool of a mounting head, (b) a state in which the semiconductor chip is in close contact with the attachment tool, and (c) a state in which the semiconductor chip has been transferred to the attachment tool. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating the use of a method other than atmospheric pressure plasma for surface treatment in the present invention, showing (a) an example in which vacuum ultraviolet light is used, and (b) an example in which deionized water is used. This explains the operation of picking up a semiconductor chip from a dicing tape, and shows (a) a state in which a wafer attached to a dicing tape has been diced and separated into multiple semiconductor chips, (b) a state in which the semiconductor chip is being pushed up from the opposite side of the dicing tape, (c) a state in which the collet adsorbs the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip in the same state and rises, and (d) a state in which the semiconductor chip has been peeled off from the dicing tape and is held by the collet.1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating the process of transporting a semiconductor chip held by a collet to a mounting section, showing (a) the collet holding the semiconductor chip being inverted, (b) the state in which the semiconductor chip is transferred from the collet to a relay head, (c) the state in which the semiconductor chip is transferred from the relay head to a chip slider, and (d) the state in which the semiconductor chip is held by the chip slider and transported to the mounting head. This is an example of a form in which the semiconductor chip can be transported without the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip coming into contact with the chip slider.

[0038] 1 is a schematic diagram of a mounting apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] A mounting device mounts a semiconductor chip on a substrate such as a wiring board, and the mounting device 1 in Figure 1 is configured to perform face-down mounting, in which the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip is mounted facing the electrode surface of the substrate.

[0040] The mounting apparatus 1 is roughly divided into a chip supply section 1A that picks up semiconductor chips C from a diced wafer W attached to a dicing tape, and a mounting section 1B that mounts the semiconductor chips C on a substrate.

[0041] The chip supply section 1A of the mounting device 1 includes a wafer transport means 11, a pickup stage 12, a push-up means 13, and a pickup section 14. The mounting section 1B includes a substrate stage 2, a lifting means 3, a mounting head 4, and a camera 5 with two upper and lower fields of view.

[0042] The mounting device 1 also includes a chip transport mechanism that transports the semiconductor chip C picked up by the chip supply unit 1A to directly below the mounting head 4 of the mounting unit 1B. In the mounting device 1, the chip transport mechanism includes a chip relay unit 15 having a relay head 8 and tool transport means 6 as its components.

[0043] In conventional mounting devices, chip transport was carried out as shown in Figure 30, but the chip transport performed by the chip transport mechanism of mounting device 1 has different characteristics from conventional ones, and its configuration and operation will be described later.

[0044] The wafer transport means 11 of the chip supply unit 1A holds the edge of the wafer ring 10 stored in the wafer rack 100 and transports it to the pickup stage 12 on the frame 120. Here, the wafer ring 10 holds the diced wafer W attached to (the upper side of) the dicing tape, and the wafer W is diced while stored in the wafer rack 100.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 29, the push-up means 13 pushes up the semiconductor chips C from below the dicing tape DT with needles 131.

[0046] The pickup unit 14 comprises a pickup head 142 provided with a collet 143 for holding a semiconductor chip C, horizontal rails 140 that allow the pickup head 142 to move laterally (in the X direction), and vertical rails 141 that allow the pickup head 142 to move vertically (in the Z direction). The pickup head 142 is rotatable so as to reverse the orientation of the collet 143.

[0047] Here, when the chip relay unit 15 receives the semiconductor chip C held by the collet 143 of the pickup unit 14 (from the opposite side of the electrode surface), the chip relay unit 15 holds the semiconductor chip C via the attachment tool 42. The chip relay unit 15 delivers the attachment tool 42 holding the semiconductor chip C to the tool slider 61 of the tool transport means 6, and the tool slider 61 moves the attachment tool 42 holding the semiconductor chip C along the transport rail 60 to directly below the mounting head 4. The chip relay unit 15 includes, as its components, a relay head 8 that holds the semiconductor chip C with the attachment tool 42 attached to it, a horizontal rail 150 that allows the relay head 8 to move in the horizontal direction (X direction), and an upper and lower rail 151 that allows the relay head 8 to move in the vertical direction (Z direction).

[0048] As shown in FIG. 3( a ), the tool transport means 6 is composed of a transport rail 60 and a tool slider 61 , and is capable of moving the tool slider 61 along the transport rail 60 .

[0049] The tool slider 61 is composed of a frame 611 surrounding an opening 610, and suction holes 61H are provided on the top surface of the frame 611. The suction holes 61H are connected to exhaust holes 61V shown in FIG. 4A via a pressure reduction flow path, and a plate-like object placed on the top surface of the frame 611 can be sucked by reducing the pressure from the exhaust holes 61V side. The shape of the frame 611 is not limited to one that surrounds the entire periphery as shown in FIG. 5A. For example, it may have a shape with missing sides as shown in FIG. 5B.

[0050] Fig. 3B shows a state in which the attachment tool 42 is mounted on the upper surface of the tool slider 61. When the tool slider 61 mounts the attachment tool 42, the surface of the attachment tool 42 that holds the semiconductor chip C faces downward, as shown in Fig. 4B. In addition, as shown in Fig. 4C, the shape of the frame 611 is such that the semiconductor chip C held by the attachment tool 42 fits into the opening 610 of the tool slider 61.

[0051] As shown in Figures 4(b) and 4(c), the attachment tool 42 has a first pressure reduction flow path 421P that leads from the suction hole 421H to the exhaust hole 421V, and a second pressure reduction flow path 422P that leads from the suction hole 422H to the exhaust hole 422V, and can hold the semiconductor chip C by reducing the pressure from at least one of the exhaust hole 421V and the exhaust hole 422V.

[0052] 4(c), if the exhaust hole 422V of the attachment tool 42 and the suction hole 61H of the tool slider 61 are designed to be aligned, it is possible to hold the attachment tool 42 in a state where it is holding a semiconductor chip C by reducing the pressure from the exhaust hole 61V side of the tool slider 61. In other words, by holding the attachment tool 42 with the tool slider 61, it is possible to make it function as a chip slider 62. Incidentally, the only decompression flow path provided in the tool slider 61 in FIG. 4(c) is one that communicates with the second decompression flow path 422P of the attachment tool 42, but it is also possible to provide a separate decompression flow path for suction-holding only the attachment tool 42.

[0053] In Figures 4(b) and 4(c) (and subsequent figures), the outer diameter dimensions of the tool slider 61 and the attachment tool 42 are drawn to be equal, but these dimensions do not need to be equal; it is sufficient that the positions of the suction hole 61H and the exhaust hole 422V are aligned.

[0054] The present invention is characterized in that a surface activation process is performed on the electrode surfaces of the semiconductor chips C transported by the chip transport mechanism in order to improve the bonding between the electrode surfaces of the substrate. In the mounting device 1 of the first embodiment, atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation means 7 is arranged as surface treatment means (for performing surface activation process) so that atmospheric pressure plasma is irradiated during the process in which the tool transport means 6 transports the semiconductor chips C.

[0055] An example of the atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation means 7 is shown in Figure 6. In Figure 6, the atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation means 7 is composed of a housing 70, an atmospheric pressure plasma generator 71, and a plasma generation power supply 72. Here, the housing 70 is used to prevent the atmospheric pressure plasma AP from diffusing to the outside when it contains harmful gases, or to suppress fluctuations in the atmospheric pressure plasma due to air currents in the surrounding atmosphere, and can be omitted when conditions such as no harmful gases are used and the surrounding atmosphere is windless are met.

[0056] The atmospheric pressure plasma generating unit 71 comprises a gas inlet 710, a nozzle 711, and a discharge unit 712. A portion of the gas introduced from the gas inlet 710 is ionized in the discharge unit 712 and irradiated as atmospheric pressure plasma AP from the nozzle 711. Here, high frequency power is supplied to the discharge unit 712 by the plasma generation power supply 72, and high frequency discharge causes ionization of the gas. Note that, since promotion of oxidation of the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip C by the atmospheric pressure plasma AP should be avoided, it is desirable that the gas introduced from the gas inlet 710 has a low oxygen concentration.

[0057] The mounting section 1B comprises a substrate stage 2, an elevating means 3, a mounting head 4, and a camera 5 with two upper and lower fields of view.

[0058] The substrate stage 2 is disposed on a base 200 and is composed of a suction table 23 that suction-holds the substrate, a Y-direction stage movement control means 22 that can linearly move the suction table 23 in the Y direction, and an X-direction movement control means 21 that can linearly move the Y-direction movement control means 22 in the X direction. With this configuration, the suction table 23 can move and align the substrate in the in-plane direction while holding it.

[0059] The lifting means 3 is fixed by a gate-type frame (not shown), and has a vertical drive shaft that is provided perpendicular to the suction table 23, and the mounting head 4 is connected to the vertical drive shaft. The lifting head 3 drives the mounting head 4 up and down, and also has the function of applying a pressure according to a setting.

[0060] The mounting head 4 holds the semiconductor chip C and brings it into close contact with the substrate held on the suction table 23 in a parallel state. The mounting head 4 includes a heater unit 41, an attachment tool 42, and a tool position control means 43. The heater unit 41 is connected to the lifting means 3 via the tool position control means 43. The heater unit 41 has a heat generating function and heats the semiconductor chip C via the attachment tool 42. The heater unit 41 also has a function of suction-holding the attachment tool 42 using a reduced pressure flow path. The attachment tool 42 suctions and holds the semiconductor chip C from the side opposite the electrode surface and is replaced depending on the shape of the semiconductor chip C. The tool position adjustment means 43 adjusts the position of the heater unit 41 in a vertical plane relative to the up / down drive shaft of the lifting means 3, thereby controlling the positions (within the XY plane in FIG. 1 ) of the attachment tool 42 and the semiconductor chip C held by the attachment tool 42.

[0061] The upper and lower dual field of view camera 5 is used to align the semiconductor chip C held by the attachment tool 42 arranged on the mounting head 4 with a predetermined location on the substrate held by the substrate stage 2, and when obtaining positional information of the semiconductor chip C and the substrate, the chip recognition mark provided on the semiconductor chip C is observed with the upper field of view, and the substrate recognition mark provided at the mounting location on the substrate is observed with the lower field of view camera.

[0062] As shown in the block diagram of Figure 7, the mounting device 1 is equipped with a wafer transport unit 11, a pickup stage 12, a push-up means 13, a pickup unit 14, a chip relay unit 15, a tool transport means 6, an atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation means 7, a substrate stage 2, a lifting means 3, a mounting head 4, and a control unit 9 connected to a top and bottom dual field of view camera 5.

[0063] The control unit 9 essentially consists of a CPU and a storage device as its main components, and interfaces with each device as necessary. The control unit 9 also has a built-in program, which allows it to perform calculations using acquired data and output the results of the calculations. It is also desirable for the control unit 9 to have the ability to record acquired data and calculation results and use them as new calculation data.

[0064] The control unit 9 is connected to the wafer transport unit 11 and controls the operation of gripping the wafer ring 10 and transporting it to the pickup stage 12. Furthermore, the control unit 9 may control the transport of the wafer ring 10 in a direction returning it to the wafer rack 100 after the pickup of the semiconductor chips C is completed.

[0065] The control unit 9 is connected to the pickup stage 12 and controls the in-plane position of the pickup stage 12 so that the semiconductor chip C to be picked up is positioned above the needle 131 .

[0066] The control unit 9 is connected to the push-up means 13 and controls the up and down movement of the needle 131 .

[0067] The control unit 9 is connected to the pickup unit 14 and controls the suction operation of the semiconductor chip C pushed up by the needle 131 and the orientation and spatial position of the pickup head 142 after the semiconductor chip C is picked up by suction.

[0068] The control unit 9 is connected to the chip relay unit 15 and controls whether the relay head 8 picks up the attachment tool 42 and whether the semiconductor chip C is picked up via the attachment tool 42 , as well as the spatial position of the relay head 8 .

[0069] The control unit 9 is connected to the tool transport means 6 and controls whether the tool slider 61 picks up the attachment tool 42 and the semiconductor chip C, and the position of the tool slider 61 moving along the transport rail 60 .

[0070] The control unit 9 is connected to the atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation means 7, controls whether or not atmospheric pressure plasma is generated, and adjusts various parameters of the atmospheric pressure plasma (voltage of the plasma generation power supply, gas composition, etc.) as necessary.

[0071] The control unit 9 is connected to the substrate stage 2, and controls the operation of the X-direction stage movement control means 21 and the Y-direction stage movement control means 22 to control the in-plane movement of the suction table 23. The control unit 9 also controls the suction table 23 to control suction holding and release of the substrate.

[0072] The control unit 9 is connected to the lifting means 3 and has the function of controlling the position of the mounting head 4 in the vertical direction (Z direction) and also controlling the pressure applied when the semiconductor chip C is pressure-bonded to the substrate.

[0073] The control unit 9 is connected to the mounting head 4 and has the function of controlling the suction, holding and release of the semiconductor chip C by the attachment tool 42, the heating temperature of the heater unit 41, and the positions of the heater unit 41 and the attachment tool 42 in the XY plane using a tool position control means 43.

[0074] The control unit 9 is connected to the upper and lower dual field of view camera 5, and has the function of controlling the horizontal (in the XY plane) and vertical (Z direction) drive, as well as acquiring image data of the upper and lower fields of view. The control unit 9 also has an image processing function, and has the function of calculating the positions of the board recognition mark and the chip recognition mark from the images acquired by the upper and lower dual field of view camera.

[0075] 1, the collet 143 is turned over before transferring the semiconductor chip C to the relay head 8, but if the collet 143 performs a rotational operation in addition to picking up the semiconductor chip C, this may hinder the shortening of the takt time. Therefore, as a first modification of the first embodiment, the device may be configured such that the rotational operation is performed on the relay head 8 side, as in the mounting device 1000 of FIG.

[0076] The process in which the mounting device 1 picks up the semiconductor chip C attached to the dicing tape and mounts it on the substrate will be described below with reference to FIGS. 8 to 11. FIG.

[0077] 8(a) shows a state in which a semiconductor chip C is attached to a dicing tape DT. The semiconductor chip C is formed by dicing a wafer W attached to the dicing tape DT and dividing it into individual pieces. The dicing tape DT holds the semiconductor chip C from the side opposite the electrode surface. For convenience, the figure shows the electrodes B of the semiconductor chip C as protruding, but this is not limited to this. The present invention is even more effective in a mounting configuration in which the electrode tips do not protrude and an insulating region other than the electrodes is bonded to the surface of a substrate, such as a semiconductor chip C used for so-called hybrid bonding.

[0078] 8(a) shows the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip C being treated with low-pressure plasma VP. The treatment with low-pressure plasma VP removes the oxide film on the electrode and forms functional groups such as hydroxyl groups in the insulating region. Once the oxide film on the metal electrode is removed and functional groups such as hydroxyl groups are formed in the insulating region, the semiconductor chip C can be tightly attached to the substrate S and the electrodes can be bonded together at a relatively low temperature and low overpressure.

[0079] 8(a) is performed in a low-pressure chamber after dicing the wafer W and while the semiconductor chips C are being picked up from the dicing tape DT. For this reason, the mounting apparatus 1 in FIG. 1 is based on the premise that the wafer W that has been treated with the low-pressure plasma VP is stored in the wafer rack 100, but a chamber for performing the low-pressure plasma treatment may be disposed between the wafer rack 100 and the pick-up stage 12.

[0080] Figure 8(b) shows the state in which the collet 143 adsorbs and holds the semiconductor chip C picked up from the dicing tape DT, and the process leading to this state is as explained using Figures 20(a) to 20(d).

[0081] As shown in FIG. 8B, in the present invention, the collet 143 comes into contact with the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip C and holds it by suction.

[0082] After the collet 143 holds the semiconductor chip C, the pickup head 142 of the mounting device 1 shown in Figure 1 rotates around the Y direction in the figure, and the semiconductor chip C rotates together with the collet 143, as shown in Figure 9 (a), so that the electrode surface faces downward.

[0083] Thereafter, the pickup head 140 is moved along the horizontal rail 140 and the upper and lower rails 141 (or the relay head 8 is moved along the horizontal rail 150 and the upper and lower rails 151), and the collet 143 is positioned opposite the relay head 8, as shown in Figure 9(b).

[0084] 9B, the relay head 8 depressurizes the depressurization passage 80P communicating with the suction hole 80H, thereby suction-holding the attachment tool 42. In this state, the attachment tool 42 is aligned with the relay head 8 so that the first suction hole 421H communicates with the depressurization passage 81P.

[0085] 9C, the semiconductor chip C approaches and adheres to the attachment tool 42. In this state, the first suction holes 421H and the second suction holes 422H of the attachment tool 42 are both in close contact with the side of the semiconductor chip C opposite the electrode surface.

[0086] Once the semiconductor chip C is in close contact with the attachment tool 42, the pressure in the pressure-reducing passage 81P communicating with the first suction hole 421H is reduced, and then the suction of the semiconductor chip C by the collet 143 is released.

[0087] When the suction by the collet 143 is released, the semiconductor chip C is adsorbed and held by the attachment tool 42 at the first suction hole 421H due to the reduced pressure in the pressure-reducing flow path 81P, and the suction of the semiconductor chip C by the collet 143 can be released as shown in Figure 9 (d).

[0088] The relay head 8 holding the semiconductor chip C via the attachment tool 42 moves along the horizontal rail 150 and the upper and lower rails 151 in the state shown in Figure 9 (e) and moves to above the tool slider 61 waiting on the chip supply section 1A side of the conveying rail 60 (left side of Figure 1).

[0089] Figure 9(f) shows the state in which the relay head 8 is placed above the tool slider 61, and the operation of transferring the attachment tool 42 holding the semiconductor chip C from the relay head 8 to the tool slider 61 begins.

[0090] First, from a state in which the exhaust holes 422V and the suction holes 61H are aligned as shown in Fig. 9(f), the attachment tool 42 is mounted on the tool slider 61 as shown in Fig. 10(a), and the pressure is reduced in the pressure-reducing flow path 61P that communicates from the suction holes 61H to the outside, whereby the semiconductor chip C is sucked and held at the suction holes 422H via the second pressure-reducing flow path 422P. Then, when the suction of the attachment tool 42 by the relay head 8 and the suction of the semiconductor chip C via the attachment tool 42 are released, the attachment tool 42 holding the semiconductor chip C is transferred to the tool slider 61 as shown in Fig. 10(b).

[0091] As shown in FIG. 10B, the attachment tool 42 and the semiconductor chip C released from the relay head 8 become movable along the transport rail 60 together with the tool slider 61.

[0092] Thereafter, the chip slider 62 starts to move in the state shown in FIG. 10C, and the semiconductor chip C can be transported to a position directly below the mounting head 4.

[0093] 1, the mounting device 1 has atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation means 7 disposed midway along the transport rail 60 as the chip slider 62 is transported toward the mounting head 4. Here, the atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation means 7 irradiates atmospheric pressure plasma AP upward, and the interior is not depressurized, so the suction force of the attachment tool 42 is maintained, and the semiconductor chip C is held in a state where the electrode surface faces downward and is exposed, as shown in FIG. 10(c). Therefore, the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip C can be irradiated with atmospheric pressure plasma AP as shown in FIG. 10(d).

[0094] This atmospheric pressure plasma AP irradiation removes and cleans the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip C, removing any dirt or oxide film, and also allows the hydroxyl groups in the insulating region to be re-formed. Contamination caused by the contact of the collet with the electrode surface when the semiconductor chip C is picked up from the dicing tape DT can be removed with a relatively short exposure to atmospheric pressure plasma AP, restoring the activity of the electrode surface achieved by the low-pressure plasma. If gold, which is resistant to oxidation, is used as the electrode of the semiconductor chip C, it is possible to perform only the removal of dirt using atmospheric pressure plasma AP without performing the surface activation treatment using low-pressure plasma VP as shown in FIG. 8( a).

[0095] As shown in Figure 10(d), the processing is performed with the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip C facing downward, so even if the dirt peeled off from the electrode surface by the atmospheric pressure plasma processing aggregates, it will fall by gravity and separate from the electrode surface.

[0096] Furthermore, the transportation of the semiconductor chip C can be performed in parallel with the mounting process by the mounting head 4 (of the previously transported semiconductor chip C). Therefore, the atmospheric pressure plasma treatment has almost no effect on the takt time. If the time required for the atmospheric pressure plasma treatment is longer than the mounting process, a configuration may be adopted in which multiple semiconductor chips C (held by attachment tools 42 mounted on the tool slider 61) enter the atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation means 7.

[0097] The semiconductor chip C, whose electrode surface has been irradiated with atmospheric pressure plasma by the atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation means 7, is transported directly below the mounting head 4 in the state shown in FIG. 10(c).

[0098] 10(e) shows the state in which the tool slider 61 has reached directly below (the heater section 41 of) the mounting head 4. In FIG. 10(e), the suction holes 410H of the heater section 41 depressurize the depressurization flow path 410P to adsorb the attachment tool 42 to the heater section 41. Furthermore, if the suction holes 411H are aligned with the first exhaust holes 421V, the semiconductor chip C can be adsorbed to the attachment tool 42 by depressurizing the depressurization flow path 411P.

[0099] 10( e), the mounting head 4 is lowered (or the tool slider 61 is raised) to align the suction holes 411H with the first exhaust holes 421V, and the attachment tool 42 is brought into close contact with the heater section 41. In this state, the pressure in the pressure-reducing flow paths 410P and 411P is reduced, as shown in FIG. 10( f), and the attachment tool 42 is suctioned at the suction holes 410H and fixed to the heater section 41, and the semiconductor chip C is also suctioned at the suction holes 421H of the attachment tool 42 via the first pressure-reducing flow path 421P. Therefore, by releasing the reduced pressure in the pressure-reducing flow path 61P communicating with the suction holes 61H of the tool slider 61 and setting it to atmospheric pressure (or a pressure slightly higher than atmospheric pressure), and then raising the mounting head 4, the attachment tool 42 holding the semiconductor chip C is released from the tool slider 61 and rises in close contact with the heater section 42 ( FIG. 11( a)).

[0100] 11A, the tool slider 61 is retracted from directly below the mounting head 4, and then the mounting head 4 is lowered as shown in FIG. 11B to bring the semiconductor chip C close to the substrate S.

[0101] In this process, the relative positional relationship between the semiconductor chip C and the substrate S is determined by the upper and lower dual field of view camera 5, and the tool position control means 43 of the mounting head 4 is driven to align the substrate S with the semiconductor chip C. Note that the use of the upper and lower dual field of view camera to observe the recognition marks on the semiconductor chip C and the substrate S during alignment is not limited to the upper and lower dual field of view camera. For example, an infrared camera or the like that uses a wavelength that passes through the semiconductor chip may be used to observe both recognition marks from above the semiconductor chip.

[0102] 11(c) shows the state in which the semiconductor chip C is brought as close as possible to the substrate S. From this state, as shown in FIG. 11(d), the electrodes B of the semiconductor chip C are brought into contact with the electrodes E of the substrate S and then brought into close contact, bonding the two electrodes. At this time, if the electrode E side of the substrate S is also activated (by removing oxide films and foreign matter), the electrodes B of the semiconductor chip C can be bonded to the electrodes E of the substrate S at a relatively low temperature and with a low load. In other words, dimensional changes and positional deviations due to heat and load are suppressed, and high-precision mounting can be achieved.

[0103] 11( e), the mounting head 4 releases the reduced pressure in the reduced pressure flow path 411P while holding the attachment tool 42, and then moves up. In this way, the semiconductor chip C is released from the attachment tool 42 and fixed to the substrate S.

[0104] The above is the process up to mounting the semiconductor chip C picked up from the wafer W at a predetermined position on the substrate S, but normally a plurality of semiconductor chips C are mounted on the substrate S. For this reason, the next semiconductor chip C to be mounted is transported from the chip supply section 1A to the mounting section 1B, but prior to this, it is necessary to detach the attachment tool 42 from the heater section 41 from the state shown in FIG.

[0105] Therefore, if the attachment tool 42 detached from the heater unit 41 is not to be used continuously, the tool slider 61 can be returned to the chip supply unit 1A side when the attachment tool 42 is released as shown in FIG. 11A. However, in this case, a means for retrieving the attachment tool 42 detached from the heater unit 41 is added, and a separate tool supply means for supplying new attachment tools 42 to the relay head 8 is also required. Therefore, if the attachment tool 42 detached from the heater unit 41 is not to be used continuously, more components must be added to the mounting device 1 (the device becomes larger), and the number of attachment tools 42 required also increases. Here, because the attachment tool 42 is specialized depending on the chip shape of the semiconductor chip C, if a large number of different types of attachment tools 42 are required, the number of attachment tools 42 to be stored also increases accordingly.

[0106] Given this background, it is desirable to add a tool return process to the mounting apparatus 1 of Figure 1, in which the attachment tool 42, after mounting the semiconductor chip C on the substrate S, is returned from the mounting section 1B to the chip supply section 1A using the tool transport means 6.

[0107] In the tool return step, if the tool slider 61 of the tool transport means 6 is configured as shown in FIG. 4, when no chip component C is present, the second suction holes 422H shown in FIG. 4(b) are not blocked, making it difficult to suction only the attachment tool 42 even when the pressure reduction flow path 61P is reduced. Therefore, to ensure reliable tool return, it is desirable to provide the frame 611 with tool suction holes 611H for suction-holding the attachment tool 42 (FIG. 12). The tool suction holes 611H do not overlap with either the first suction holes 421H or the second suction holes 422H of the attachment tool 42. Furthermore, the tool pressure reduction flow path 611P, which communicates with the tool suction holes 611H, is independent of the pressure reduction flow path 61P.

[0108] The tool return process when the tool slider 61 has a tool suction hole 611H in addition to the suction hole 61H as shown in Fig. 12 will be described with reference to Fig. 13 and Fig. 14. Note that Figs. 9 to 11 are views seen from the X direction where the suction hole 61H enters the cross section, while Figs. 13 and 14 are views seen from the Y direction where the tool suction hole 611H enters the cross section.

[0109] Fig. 13(a) shows a state in which the mounting head 4 has risen further from the state shown in Fig. 11(e). After this, Fig. 13(b) shows a state in which the tool slider 61, which had been retracted to a different position from the state shown in Fig. 11(a), is positioned close to and directly below the mounting head 4.

[0110] 13C, the mounting head 4 is lowered to bring the tool slider 61 into close contact with the attachment tool 42. In this state, the tool suction hole 611H of the tool slider 61 faces the flat surface of the attachment tool 42, and therefore, by depressurizing the tool depressurization flow path 611P, the attachment tool 42 is held by suction to the tool slider 61.

[0111] The attachment tool 42 is transferred to the tool slider 61 and fixed thereto as shown in FIG. 13(d) by releasing the suction hold by the heater unit 41 and raising the mounting head 4. This makes it possible to transport the tool slider 61 toward the chip supply unit 1A (in the −X direction) as shown in FIG. 13(e). After the attachment tool 42 is moved to the lower side of the relay head 8 as shown in FIG. 14(a), the relay head 8 is lowered as shown in FIG. 14(b) to bring the attachment tool 42 into close contact with the attachment tool 42 and hold it by suction. Then, the suction by the tool slider 61 is released (by opening the tool pressure reduction channel 611P) and the relay head 8 is raised, whereby the attachment tool 42 transferred from the tool slider 61 is held by the relay head 8 as shown in FIG. 14(c).

[0112] The state in which the attachment tool 42 is held by the relay head 8 in this manner is the state in which it is used at the stage shown in Fig. 9(b). That is, by adding the tool returning process, one attachment tool 42 can be used repeatedly. That is, it is no longer necessary to have a large number of attachment tools 42 of the same shape.

[0113] However, repeated use of one attachment tool 42 may result in the accumulation of dirt on the attachment tool 42. If dirt accumulates on the attachment tool 42, there is an increased concern that the flatness of the surface that holds the semiconductor chip C may decrease, or that foreign matter may be transferred to the semiconductor chip C, resulting in a decrease in mounting quality.

[0114] For this reason, one method is to periodically remove the attachment tool 42 and clean it, but increasing the frequency of cleaning affects the takt time. On the other hand, it has been found that the surface treatment means used for surface activation is also effective for cleaning the surface of the attachment tool 42.

[0115] 13( e), when the attachment tool 42 is transported to the chip supply unit 1A, atmospheric pressure plasma AP may be irradiated onto the attachment tool 42 as a tool cleaning process, as shown in FIG. 13( f). In this way, a second modification of the first embodiment is an embodiment in which the mounting apparatus (mounting apparatus 1, mounting apparatus 1000) has the function of the tool return process and performs the tool cleaning process while the attachment tool 42 is being transported to the chip supply unit 1A.

[0116] In this variant example 2 of embodiment 1, the surface treatment means used for surface activation of the semiconductor chip C is also used for the tool cleaning process, so the attachment tool 42 can be used continuously without any additional components, thereby reducing running costs without increasing equipment costs.

[0117] 13(f), the surface of the attachment tool 42 that holds the semiconductor chip C is cleaned, but it is also possible to clean the surface that does not hold the semiconductor chip C. In other words, repeated attachment and detachment to and from the relay head 8 and the heater unit 41 can cause dirt and the like to accumulate on the surface of the attachment tool 42 that does not hold the semiconductor chip C, so cleaning is effective.

[0118] When cleaning the surface of the attachment tool 42 that does not hold the semiconductor chips C, the attachment tool 42 is held by the tool slider 61 and transported to the chip supply unit 1A as shown in Fig. 13(e), and atmospheric pressure plasma AP can be irradiated from above as shown in Fig. 15(a) (since the surface that holds the semiconductor chips C faces downwards). Here, when using an atmospheric pressure plasma device that is used to clean the surface of the attachment tool 42 that holds the semiconductor chips C, an inversion function can be added to the tool slider 61, and atmospheric pressure plasma AP can be irradiated as shown in Fig. 15(b).

[0119] In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4(c), if a tool recognition mark AT (a first tool recognition mark AT1, a second tool recognition mark AT2) is provided on the semiconductor chip holding surface of the attachment tool 42, the positional relationship with the chip recognition mark AC (a first chip recognition mark AC1, a chip recognition mark AC2) can be determined by observing from below.

[0120] Furthermore, if the attachment tool 42 is made transparent (to wavelengths to which the imaging means is sensitive), the tool recognition marks AT (first tool recognition mark AT1, second tool recognition mark AT2) can be observed from above through the attachment tool 42.

[0121] 16 may be used as a third modification of the first embodiment of the present invention. The mounting apparatus 1001 differs from the mounting apparatus 1 in that it is provided with an upper view camera 5U that observes the chip slider 62 from below while it is being transported toward the mounting head 4, and in that it is provided with a space above the heater section 41 of the mounting head 4 to accommodate a lower view camera 5D.

[0122] In the mounting device 1001, the upper view camera 5U can acquire position information of the chip recognition mark AC relative to the tool recognition mark AT, and the lower view camera 5D can acquire position information of the tool recognition mark relative to the substrate recognition mark AS (by providing a through hole or making transparent the corresponding location of the heater section 41).

[0123] Therefore, it is possible to align the semiconductor chip C with respect to the substrate S via the tool recognition mark AT. In particular, as shown in FIG. 11C, highly accurate mounting is possible by aligning and crimping the semiconductor chip C while it is brought as close as possible to the substrate S. Furthermore, since the upper view camera 5U can observe the chip recognition mark AC relative to the tool recognition mark AT even while the mounting head 4 is in operation, there is no adverse effect on the mounting takt time. That is, in the third modification of the first embodiment, mounting with activated electrode surfaces of the semiconductor chip can be performed with high precision and at high speed.

[0124] The present invention uses atmospheric pressure plasma to remove dirt and foreign matter that occurs when the collet comes into contact with the electrode surface of a semiconductor chip, and performs atmospheric pressure plasma treatment in parallel with the mounting head mounting the preceding semiconductor chip. Therefore, atmospheric pressure plasma treatment can be performed after the semiconductor chip is transferred from the collet to the relay head and before it is held by the mounting head.

[0125] 17 shows a mounting apparatus 1002 as a fourth modification of the first embodiment of the present invention. The mounting apparatus 1002 is configured so that atmospheric pressure plasma AP is irradiated onto the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip C held by the relay head 8 via the attachment tool 42, as shown in FIG.

[0126] In the mounting device 1002 of Figure 17, atmospheric pressure plasma is irradiated in the state of Figure 9(e), and thereafter the semiconductor chip C is mounted on the substrate S through the process except for Figure 10(d) without the electrode surface coming into contact with other solid substances.

[0127] While Figures 10(d) and 18 show a configuration in which atmospheric pressure plasma AP is simultaneously irradiated onto all electrodes of the semiconductor chip C, as in Figure 19(a), the irradiation configuration of the atmospheric pressure plasma AP is not limited to this. For example, as in Figure 19(b), a linear irradiation area may be moved in the cross direction to sequentially irradiate the electrode surfaces of the semiconductor chip C with atmospheric pressure plasma AP. In such an irradiation configuration, the same effect can be achieved even if the nozzle 711 is oriented as in Figure 20(b) instead of as in Figure 20(a). Furthermore, by using the configuration as in Figure 20(b), even if foreign matter falls from the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip C, it is possible to prevent the foreign matter from entering the nozzle 711 and entering the discharge portion 712 via the nozzle (which could cause abnormal discharge).

[0128] In the embodiment described above, the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip C faces downward, and atmospheric pressure plasma AP is applied from below. This is because, if the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip C faces downward, any foreign matter on the electrode surface can be easily removed by gravity.

[0129] However, many commercially available atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation devices irradiate atmospheric pressure plasma downward. Therefore, there may be an embodiment in which such a commercially available plasma irradiation device is used as the plasma irradiation means. For example, if only a small amount of foreign matter is detached from the collet surface, there may be almost no foreign matter adhering to the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip C, and the electrode surface may be irradiated with atmospheric pressure plasma in a downward direction with the electrode surface facing upward.

[0130] Therefore, as a fifth modification of the first embodiment of the present invention, an operation of irradiating atmospheric pressure plasma with the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip C facing upward will be described with reference to Fig. 21. The operation of Fig. 21 is performed by modifying some of the functions of the mounting apparatus 1002 of Fig. 17. Specifically, the rotation function of the pickup head 142 is eliminated, and the rotation function is provided to the relay head 8.

[0131] 21(a) to 21(d), the semiconductor chip C with its electrode surface facing upward is transferred from the collet 143 that holds it from above to the attachment tool 42 with its holding surface facing upward, and then atmospheric pressure plasma AP is irradiated from above as shown in Fig. 21(e). After this, the relay head 8 is rotated, so that the attachment tool 42 holding the semiconductor chip C can be mounted on the tool slider 61.

[0132] Up to this point, the first embodiment has been described with reference to an example in which the semiconductor chip C is transported together with the attachment tool 42, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can also be applied to a semiconductor chip that is transported while suspended between two legs, as described in Patent Document 6.

[0133] The details of this will be described as embodiment 2. Fig. 22 is a schematic diagram of a mounting apparatus 1010 in embodiment 2. In the mounting apparatus 1010 in Fig. 22, the same symbols as in Fig. 1 have the same functions as the mounting apparatus 1.

[0134] In the second embodiment, a U-shaped holding tool 63 is used to transport the semiconductor chip C. Figure 24 explains an example of the configuration of the U-shaped holding tool 63, where Figure 23(a) is a top view seen from the surface holding the semiconductor chip C, and Figure 23(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 23(a). The U-shaped holding tool 63 shown in Figure 23 has a shaft 630, a main piece 631 connected to the shaft 630, and two leg pieces 632 extending in the same direction from the main piece 631, and both leg pieces 632 are provided with leg piece suction holes 63H used to hold the semiconductor chip C.

[0135] Figure 24 shows a state in which the U-shaped holding tool 63 is holding a semiconductor chip C. Figure 24(a) shows a state in which the semiconductor chip C is suspended between both legs 632 and held from the non-electrode surface side (the side opposite the electrode surface). The U-shaped holding tool 63 can rotate around the shaft 630 as a rotation axis, and Figure 24(b) shows a state in which the U-shaped holding tool 63 is inverted together with the semiconductor chip C.

[0136] Incidentally, by using a U-shaped holding tool 63 instead of the collet 143 in Fig. 29, it is possible in principle to pick up a semiconductor chip C from the dicing tape DT without mechanically contacting the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip C. That is, by making the thrust height of the needle 131 higher than that shown in Fig. 29(c), it is possible to hold the semiconductor chip C from the non-electrode surface side by arranging the leg piece 632 below the state in which it is lifted together with the dicing tape DT (Fig. 25(a)) or in which it is lifted by the needle 131 that has broken through the dicing tape DT (Fig. 25(b)).

[0137] 25(a), there are problems such as loosening of the dicing tape DT, and in the case of Fig. 25(b), there are problems such as the base material and adhesive of the dicing tape DT adhering to the needle 131. In other words, although it is theoretically possible to hold the semiconductor chip C from the non-electrode side at the same time as peeling it from the dicing tape DT, there are many problems. Therefore, in the second embodiment of the present invention, even though a U-shaped holding tool 63 is used, the electrode side is held by a collet 143 when picking up the semiconductor chip C.

[0138] Hereinafter, the procedure for mounting the picked-up semiconductor chip C on the substrate S using the mounting device 1010 of the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 26 and 27. FIG.

[0139] First, Figure 26(a) shows the state in which the semiconductor chip C picked up in the procedure shown in Figure 29 is held by the collet 143 and transported to the U-shaped holding tool 63 waiting at the left end of the transport rail 60 (opposite the mounting head 4). Then, as shown in Figure 26(b), the collet 143 is lowered to transfer the semiconductor chip C to the U-shaped holding tool 63 so that both sides of the chip overlap the legs 632. Then, by reducing the pressure in the flow path communicating with the leg suction holes 63H, the U-shaped holding tool 63 suction-holds the non-electrode side of the semiconductor chip C, and the collet 143 releases the suction and rises (Figure 26(c)). From this state, the U-shaped holding tool 63 is inverted (Figure 26(d)) so that the electrode side of the semiconductor chip C faces the electrode side of the substrate S, and in the state shown in Figure 26(e), it moves along the transport rail 60 toward the mounting head 4, thereby transporting the semiconductor chip C.

[0140] 26(e), the semiconductor chip C is in a state in which the electrode surface faces downward and is exposed, so if an atmospheric pressure irradiation unit 7 is provided along the way as in embodiment 1, the electrode surface can be irradiated with atmospheric pressure plasma AP. In other words, the activity of the electrode surface, which has been reduced by contact with the collet 143, can be restored by the atmospheric pressure plasma AP.

[0141] The electrode surfaces of the semiconductor chip C, whose activity has been restored, should not come into mechanical contact with other substances when being transferred to the mounting head 4. For this reason, when the semiconductor chip C is transported by the U-shaped holding tool 63, an attachment tool 420 is used to hold the semiconductor chip C in a position that avoids the legs 632 of the U-shaped holding tool 63.

[0142] FIG. 27 shows the process of transferring the semiconductor chip C held by the U-shaped holding tool 63 to the attachment tool 420 of the mounting head 4.

[0143] 27A shows a state in which the U-shaped holding tool 63 holding the semiconductor chip C is placed directly below the attachment tool 420. At this stage, the attachment tool 420 is held by suction to the heater part 41 by reducing the pressure in the flow path communicating with the suction hole 410H of the heater part 41.

[0144] 27B, the attachment tool 420 is lowered so that the bottom surface of the attachment tool 420 is brought into close contact with the non-electrode surface of the semiconductor chip C. When the attachment tool 420 is lowered, the bottom surface of the attachment tool 420 may be aligned by image recognition or the like to prevent interference between the bottom surface of the attachment tool 420 and the leg piece 632 of the U-shaped holding tool 63.

[0145] 27(b), the flow path communicating with the suction hole 420H is depressurized, causing the attachment tool 420 to suction the semiconductor chip C, and the suction and holding by the U-shaped holding means 63 is released. By releasing the suction, the U-shaped holding means 63 can be slid in the Y direction (in FIG. 23(a)), resulting in the state shown in FIG. 27(c). Furthermore, the U-shaped transport tool 63 can move along the transport rail 60 toward the chip supply unit 1010A.

[0146] Thereafter, the semiconductor chip C held by the attachment tool 420 is aligned with the substrate S and then mounted.

[0147] Although the second embodiment involves a process of bringing the collet 143 into close contact with the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip C, the present invention also includes a configuration in which atmospheric pressure plasma AP is irradiated onto the semiconductor chip C picked up from the dicing tape DT by the U-shaped holding tool 63, as shown in Fig. 25. For example, if the activity of the semiconductor chip C has decreased (due to a long-term shutdown of the mounting device, etc.) at the stage of picking it up from the dicing tape DT by the U-shaped holding tool 63, the activity may be restored by irradiating it with atmospheric pressure plasma AP during the transfer process.

[0148] Although the above has described an embodiment in which atmospheric pressure plasma is used as the surface activation treatment, the effective surface activation treatment in the present invention is not limited to this. Any surface activation treatment that can be performed while the semiconductor chip C is held by vacuum suction is also applicable, and examples are shown in Figure 28, where Figure 28(a) shows the state in which the surface activation treatment is performed using vacuum ultraviolet light (VUV), and Figure 28(b) shows the state in which the surface activation (surface cleaning) treatment is performed using deionized water (DIW).

[0149] In Figure 28 (a), ultraviolet irradiation means 77 is a surface treatment means, and vacuum ultraviolet light with a wavelength of 200 nm or less emitted from the ultraviolet irradiation means 77 converts oxygen near the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip C into ozonation, and the ozone activates the electrode surface.

[0150] 28(b), the surface treatment means is a water spraying means 78 that sprays deionized water (DIW) from a nozzle, and the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip C is washed with the deionized water, removing impurities and improving bonding. Furthermore, washing with deionized water is expected to improve bonding due to the effect of attaching hydroxyl groups.

[0151] The ultraviolet irradiation means 77 and water injection means 78 described above can be used in place of the atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation means 7 in Embodiments 1 and 2. In this case, it is desirable to select an appropriate surface treatment means depending on the state of the electrode surfaces of the semiconductor chip C and the substrate S (the material and shape of the electrodes, and the material of the insulating portion), and multiple types of surface treatment means may be combined as necessary.

[0152] In addition, in the second modification of the first embodiment, in addition to the atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation means 7, an ultraviolet irradiation means 77 or a water injection means 78 may be used for the surface activation treatment performed when the attachment tool 42 is transported to the chip supply unit 1A side, and multiple types of surface treatment means may be combined as necessary. Furthermore, the surface activation treatment of the semiconductor chips C and the cleaning treatment of the attachment tool 42 may be different types, and when multiple types are combined, the combination contents and order may be different.

[0153] As described above, various embodiments of the present invention have been described. Even if a process for picking up a semiconductor chip with an activated electrode surface from a dicing tape and mounting it on a substrate involves a step of contacting a collet with the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip, the electrode surface can be subjected to a surface activation treatment to restore the activated state while the semiconductor chip is being transported toward a mounting head. This eliminates the need for an expensive collet that holds the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip without contact. Furthermore, surface activation treatment can be performed on the semiconductor chip during transportation, allowing the activation of the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip to be restored with a simple configuration. This activated electrode allows bonding with the substrate electrode to be performed at a lower temperature and with a lower load, thereby suppressing dimensional changes due to thermal shrinkage and misalignment due to load, thereby improving mounting accuracy. Furthermore, surface activation treatment can be performed on the electrode surface of the next semiconductor chip to be mounted while the mounting head is mounting the semiconductor chip on the substrate, thereby preventing adverse effects on takt time.

[0154] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the case where semiconductor chips are picked up from a wafer attached to a dicing tape. For example, the present invention is also effective in a case where a semiconductor chip is picked up using a collet from a chip tray containing semiconductor chips with their electrode surfaces facing upwards and then mounted face-down on a substrate.

[0155] 1, 1000, 1001, 1002, 1010 Mounting device 1A, 1000A, 1001A, 1002A, 1010A Chip supply unit 1B, 1000B, 1001B, 1002B, 1010B Mounting unit 2 Substrate stage 3 Lifting means 4 Mounting head 5 Upper and lower two-view camera 5D Lower view camera 5U Upper view camera 6 Tool transport means 7 Atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation means 8 Relay head 9 Control unit 10 Wafer ring 11 Wafer transport means 12 Pickup stage 13 Push-up means 14 Pickup unit 15 Chip relay unit 20 Stage movement control means 21 X-direction stage movement control means 22 Y-direction stage movement control means 23 Suction table 40 Head main body 41 Heater unit 42, 420 Attachment tool 43 Tool position control means 60 Transport rail 61 Tool slider 61H Suction hole 61V Exhaust hole 61P Depressurization flow path 62 Tip slider 63 U-shaped holding tool 63H Leg piece suction hole 70 Housing 71 Atmospheric pressure plasma generation unit 72 Plasma generation power supply 100 Wafer rack 120 Frame 131 Needle 140 Horizontal rail 141 Upper and lower rails 142 Pickup head 143 Collet 150 Horizontal rail 151 Upper and lower rails 200 Base 420H Suction hole 420V Exhaust hole 421H First suction hole 421P First depressurization flow path 421V First exhaust hole 422H Second suction hole 422P Second depressurization flow path 422V Second exhaust hole 610 Opening 611 Frame 611H Tool suction hole 611P: Tool pressure reduction flow path 630: Shaft portion 631: Main piece 632: Leg piece 710: Gas inlet portion 711: Nozzle 712: Discharge portion AC, AC1, AC2: Chip recognition markAS, AS1, AS2 Substrate recognition mark AT, AT1, AT2 Tool recognition mark AP Atmospheric pressure plasma B Electrode C Semiconductor chip DT Dicing tape S Substrate W Wafer (semiconductor wafer)

Claims

1. A mounting device comprising: a chip supply unit which picks up a semiconductor chip; a mounting unit which mounts the semiconductor chip picked up by the chip supply unit face-down onto a substrate; a chip transport mechanism which transports the semiconductor chip from the chip supply unit to the mounting unit; and a surface treatment means which performs a surface activation process on an electrode surface of the semiconductor chip to improve bonding with an electrode surface of the substrate, the surface treatment means being positioned so as to perform the surface activation process on the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip being transported by the chip transport mechanism.

2. A mounting device as described in claim 1, wherein the chip transport mechanism transports the semiconductor chip together with an attachment tool that holds the semiconductor chip from the side opposite the electrode surface, and the device is provided with a tool slider that holds the surface of the attachment tool that holds the semiconductor chip outside an area that holds the outer periphery of the semiconductor chip, the tool slider having suction holes that communicate with a reduced pressure flow path on the surface that comes into contact with the attachment tool, and the attachment tool has a first reduced pressure flow path that communicates with the reduced pressure flow path of the mounting section to suction the semiconductor chip, and a second reduced pressure flow path that is independent of the first reduced pressure flow path and communicates with the reduced pressure flow path of the tool slider to suction the semiconductor chip.

3. A mounting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the surface activation process is performed on the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip while the semiconductor chip is held by the attachment tool.

4. A mounting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the surface activation process is performed on the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip while the attachment tool is held by the tool slider.

5. A mounting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the semiconductor chip is transferred from the chip transport mechanism to the mounting section while being held by the attachment tool.

6. A mounting device as described in claim 2, wherein the tool slider has a tool suction hole for holding the attachment tool, which is independent of a pressure reduction passage communicating with the second pressure reduction passage of the attachment tool, and a tool pressure reduction passage communicating with the tool suction hole.

7. A mounting device as described in claim 6, wherein the chip transport mechanism also has the function of transporting an attachment tool from the mounting section to the chip supply section, and the surface treatment means is capable of performing a cleaning treatment on the attachment tool being transported by the chip transport mechanism to the chip supply section.

8. A mounting device as described in claim 1, wherein the chip transport mechanism has a U-shaped holding tool that holds the side opposite the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip, and the U-shaped holding tool is shaped to hold the semiconductor chip in a suspended state between two legs.

9. A mounting device as claimed in claim 1, which picks up the semiconductor chip from a diced wafer attached to a dicing tape, and which picks up the semiconductor chip by adsorbing the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip with a collet in the chip supply section.

10. A mounting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the surface treatment means includes atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation means for irradiating the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip with atmospheric pressure plasma.

11. A mounting device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the surface treatment means includes an ultraviolet light irradiation means for irradiating an area near the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip with ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 200 nm or less.

12. A mounting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the surface treatment means includes water injection means for injecting deionized water onto the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip.

13. A mounting method comprising: a chip supplying step of picking up a semiconductor chip; a mounting step of mounting the semiconductor chip picked up by the chip supplying section onto a substrate; and a chip transporting step of transporting the semiconductor chip from the chip supplying section to the mounting section, wherein in the chip transporting step, a surface activation process is performed on the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip to improve bonding with the electrode surface of the substrate.

14. A mounting method as claimed in claim 13, comprising: in the chip transport step, an attachment tool is used to hold the semiconductor chip from the side opposite the electrode surface; and after the mounting step, a tool return step is performed to transport the attachment tool to the chip supply section; and in the tool return step, a tool cleaning process is performed to clean the attachment tool.

15. A mounting method as claimed in claim 13, comprising picking up the semiconductor chip from a diced wafer attached to a dicing tape, the semiconductor chip being picked up with its electrode surface in contact with a collet during the chip supply process.

16. A mounting method according to any one of claims 13 to 15, comprising irradiating the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip with atmospheric pressure plasma as the surface activation treatment.

17. A mounting method according to any one of claims 13 to 15, comprising irradiating ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 200 nm or less near the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip as the surface activation treatment.

18. A mounting method according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein the surface activation treatment comprises spraying deionized water onto the electrode surface of the semiconductor chip.

19. A mounting method according to claim 14, wherein the tool cleaning process includes irradiating the surface of the attachment tool that holds the semiconductor chip with atmospheric pressure plasma, irradiating with ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 200 nm or less, or spraying with deionized water.

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