Semiconductor chip packaging apparatus and method

Claim 1

An inboard bonding apparatus for bonding semiconductor chips to a continuous strip of carriers for said chips, prior to bonding each of the resultant carrier-mounted chips to a substrate, said carrier strip comprising a series of carrier units each of which comprises A. a flexible transparent film base, B. metallic conductor patterns on one surface of film (A) for electrical contact between the chip and the substrate, and C. metallic bonding pads on patterns (B) for contact between patterns (B) and the chip; there being index holes in said strip between said carrier units; wherein said apparatus comprises, in operative disposition, a. an inboard block under which the carrier strip is passed, with the surface bearing conductor patterns (B) facing away from said inboaRd block having a transparent plate therein and a cavity disposed between the transparent plate and the path of the carrier strip; b. inboard feeding means for feeding said carrier strip past block (a); c. inboard supply means for supplying oriented chips singly and face up underneath and to the surface of the carrier strip which bears conductor patterns (B), as that surface is positioned under the transparent plate in inboard block (a); d. an inboard bonding tool disposed under the transparent plate, carrier strip and chip; e. index means for locking the carrier strip in place under the transparent plate during bonding operations; f. means for locking the chip in place under the carrier and adjacent to the bonding pads of the carrier; g. means for examining the chip to carrier alignment through the transparent plate; h. means for adjusting the chip to carrier alignment; i. inboard pressure means for raising the bonding tool (d) and pushing the terminals of the active side of the chip into contact with the pads (C) of the carrier unit, and applying pressure thereto; j. inboard bonding means for bonding the carrier pads (C) to the chip terminals after means (i) has functioned; k. inboard retracting means to retract tool (d) after bonding; and l. inboard advancing means to advance the chip after it has been bonded to the carrier, and thus advance to the transparent plate another carrier unit and chip for the bonding operation.

Claim 21

A method for packaging semiconductor chips using a strip of carrier units each of which comprises A. a flexible transparent film base, B. metallic conductor patterns on one surface of film (A), for electrical contact between the chip and the substrate, and C. metallic bonding pads on patterns (B) for contact between patterns (B) and the chip; there being index holes on said strip between said carrier units; wherein said method comprises: a. feeding said carrier strip under an inboard block with the surface bearing conductor patterns (B) facing away from said inboard block, said inboard block having a transparent plate therein and a cavity disposed between the transparent plate and the path of the carrier strip; b. applying oriented chips singly and face up underneath and to the surface of the carrier strip which bears conductor patterns (B), as that surface is positioned under the transparent plate in inboard block (a); c. rigidly holding the carrier strip in place under the transparent plate during bonding operations; d. locking the chip in place under the carrier and adjacent to the bonding pads of the carrier; e. examining the chip-two-carrier alignment through the transparent plate; f. making any necessary adjustments of the chip-two-carrier alignments; g. pushing the terminals of the active side of the chip into contact with the pads (C) of the carrier unit and applying pressure thereto; h. bonding the carrier pads (C) to the chip terminals after step (g); i. advancing the chip after it has been bonded to the carrier, and thus advancing to the transparent plate another carrier unit and chip for the bonding operation; j. feeding a continuous strip of carrier-mounted chips between two plates of an outboard bonding block; k. feeding an oriented substrate to said outboard bonding block to a position under the carrier-mounted chip; l. die bonding the die bonding pads on the substrate to the nonactive face of the chip by means of a die bonding part of said outboard bonding block; m. outboard bonding of the conductor patterns (B) to the substrate conductors by applying pressure to an outboard bonding tool movable through the plate which is adjacent to the surface of the carrier strip which does not bear conductor patterns (B); n. retracting said outboard bonding tool after the outboard bonding and retracting at least one of the plates; o. advancing the resultant package out from between the two plates of said outboard bonding block.

Claim 22

A method for packaging semiconductor chips using a strip of carrier units each of which comprises A. a flexible transparent film base, B. metallic conductor patterns on one surface of film (A), for electrical contact between the chip and the substrate, and C. metallic bonding pads on patterns (B) for contact between patterns (B) and the chip; there being index holes on said strip between said carrier units; wherein said method comprises: a. feeding said carrier strip under an inboard block with the surface bearing conductor patterns (B) facing away from said inboard block, said inboard block having a transparent plate therein and a cavity disposed between the transparent plate and the path of the carrier strip; b. applying oriented chips singly and face up underneath and to the surface of the carrier strip which bears conductor patterns (B), as that surface is positioned under the transparent plate in inboard block (a); c. rigidly holding the carrier strip in place under the transparent plate during bonding operations; d. locking the chip in place under the carrier and adjacent to the bonding pads of the carrier; e. examining the chip-two-carrier alignment through the transparent plate; f. making any necessary adjustments of the chip-two-carrier alignments; g. pushing the terminals of the active side of the chip into contact with the pads (C) of the carrier unit and applying pressure thereto; h. bonding the carrier pads (C) to the chip terminals after step (g); i. advancing the chip after it has been bonded to the carrier, and thus advancing to the transparent plate another carrier unit and chip for the bonding operation; j. feeding a continuous strip of carrier-mounted chips between two plates of an outboard bonding block; k. feeding an oriented substrate to said outboard bonding block to a position under the carrier-mounted chip; l. die bonding the die bonding pads on the substrate to the nonactive face of the chip by means of a die bonding part of said outboard bonding block; m. outboard bonding of the conductor patterns (B) to the substrate conductors by applying pressure to an outboard bonding tool movable through the plate which is adjacent to the surface of the carrier strip which does not bear conductor patterns (B); n. retracting said outboard bonding tool after the outboard bonding and retracting at least one of the plates; o. advancing the resultant package out from between the two plates of said outboard bonding block.