Hyperbaric Sawing for Packaged Devices
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
As packaged electronic device sizes shrink, 'fly off' events during sawing operations become more frequent, causing damage and increased costs due to the need for tape sawing operations, which are costly and not compatible with all device testing equipment.
Innovation Solution
A process chamber maintaining pressure greater than one atmosphere is used, equipped with a vacuum chuck and a saw that cuts through mold compound and package substrates in saw streets to separate devices, increasing the holding force and reducing fly off events without the need for tape.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional atmospheric pressure sawing is used, then device sizes can be processed, but fly off events occur causing device damage and increased costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the pressure parameter from atmospheric to hyperbaric (greater than one atmosphere) to prevent device fly off during sawing. This parameter change increases the holding force on devices and eliminates the harmful fly off effect without requiring additional mechanical fixtures or tapes.
2Reliability
If tape sawing operations are used to prevent fly off, then device stability improves, but costs increase substantially and compatibility with testing equipment is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the tape fixture from the sawing process by using hyperbaric pressure to provide sufficient holding force directly through the chuck. This removes the complexity of tape application, UV curing, and tape removal processes while maintaining device stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The hyperbaric environment provides self-service holding force through pressure differential, eliminating the need for external tape fixtures. The pressure itself serves the function of securing devices during sawing without requiring additional materials or processes.
3Productivity
If device sizes are reduced to increase density, then manufacturing efficiency improves, but fly off events occur more frequently
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses hyperbaric pressure to compensate for the reduced stability of smaller devices during sawing. The increased pressure provides sufficient holding force even for miniaturized devices, allowing high-density packaging without sacrificing reliability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The increased pressure in the process chamber effectively prevents device fly off during sawing, reducing damage and costs associated with tape sawing operations, while ensuring compatibility with various device testing equipment.
Implementation Method 1
a process chamber configured for a pressure greater than one atmosphere, having a device chuck configured to support electronic devices
Implementation Method 2
a saw in the process chamber configured to cut through the mold compound and package substrates
Data Source
AI summary
In a described example, an apparatus includes: a process chamber configured for a pressure greater than one atmosphere, having a device chuck configured to support electronic devices that are mounted on package substrates and partially covered in mold compound, the electronic devices spaced from one another by saw streets; and a saw in the process chamber configured to cut through the mold compound and package substrates in the saw streets to separate the molded electronic devices one from another.