U.S. patent application number 11/647162 was filed with the patent office on 2007-05-10 for manufacturing method of semiconductor device and semiconductor device.
This patent application is currently assigned to RENESAS TECHNOLOGY CORP.. Invention is credited to Tsutomu Ida, Yoshihiko Kobayashi, Tomoaki Kudaishi, Hirokazu Nakajima, Toshiharu Niitsu, Susumu Sato, Yoshinori Shiokawa, Koki Tanimoto, Tomio Yamada.
Application Number | 20070105283 11/647162 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34543767 |
Filed Date | 2007-05-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070105283 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kobayashi; Yoshihiko ; et
al. |
May 10, 2007 |
Manufacturing method of semiconductor device and semiconductor
device
Abstract
In a dividing method according to the present invention, a
wiring board formed of ceramic is forced up (upper swing) by a
lower clamp claw of a clamper, and some of a protruded wiring board
portion protruding from a conveying chute is pressed against a
support body to perform a first division under bending stress.
Thereafter, the upward-located clamper is rotatably swung (lower
swing) downward to allow an upper clamp claw to press down the
protruded wiring board portion, thereby performing a reverse
division at the first division section again as a second division.
Since the second division allows a tensile force to act on a
remaining and thin non-divided resin portion, the non-divided resin
portion is torn off. Thus, the perfect division is enabled.
Fractionalizing is done by a one-row division and an individual
division so that each semiconductor device is formed.
Inventors: |
Kobayashi; Yoshihiko;
(Tateshina, JP) ; Sato; Susumu; (Komoro, JP)
; Tanimoto; Koki; (Komoro, JP) ; Yamada;
Tomio; (Komoro, JP) ; Nakajima; Hirokazu;
(Saku, JP) ; Kudaishi; Tomoaki; (Komoro, JP)
; Shiokawa; Yoshinori; (Komoro, JP) ; Niitsu;
Toshiharu; (Komoro, JP) ; Ida; Tsutomu;
(Komoro, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MATTINGLY, STANGER, MALUR & BRUNDIDGE, P.C.;Suite 370
1800 Diagonal Road
Alexandria
VA
22314
US
|
Assignee: |
RENESAS TECHNOLOGY CORP.
|
Family ID: |
34543767 |
Appl. No.: |
11/647162 |
Filed: |
December 29, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10961041 |
Oct 12, 2004 |
|
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11647162 |
Dec 29, 2006 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
438/127 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01L 2924/01079
20130101; H05K 2201/09036 20130101; H01L 2924/15153 20130101; H05K
2203/302 20130101; H01L 2924/3011 20130101; H01L 21/481 20130101;
H05K 1/0306 20130101; H01L 2924/1517 20130101; H05K 3/0052
20130101; H05K 2201/0909 20130101; H01L 2924/30107 20130101; H05K
3/284 20130101; H01L 2924/01078 20130101; H01L 2924/19041 20130101;
H01L 2924/181 20130101; H01L 2224/48227 20130101; H01L 2924/181
20130101; H01L 2924/00012 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
438/127 |
International
Class: |
H01L 21/00 20060101
H01L021/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 28, 2003 |
JP |
2003-367435 |
Claims
1-20. (canceled)
21. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus in which electronic
parts are mounted in a plurality of areas respectively, and a
wiring board including the electronic parts sealed with an
insulating resin is divided every said areas, said semiconductor
manufacturing apparatus comprising: a base including the wiring
board placed thereover; a first device part disposed so as to serve
as a fulcrum among the plurality of areas adjacent to one another,
lying over the wiring board; and a second device part for moving
one end of the wiring board from an upper surface of the base to an
upward direction with the first device part as the fulcrum in a
state in which the wiring board is placed over the base, and
thereafter moving the one end thereof from the upper surface of the
base to a downward direction with the first device part as the
fulcrum thereby to divide the wiring board among the areas adjacent
to one another.
22. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim
21, wherein the insulating resin comprises a silicone resin having
an elastic modulus of 200 MPa or less at a temperature of
150.degree. C. or higher, and the wiring board comprises
ceramic.
23. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim
22, further including the second device part for moving the one end
of the wiring board to an angle of 80.degree. or more from the
upper surface of the base to the upward direction with the first
device part as the fulcrum and thereafter moving the one end
thereof to an angle of 10.degree. or more from the upper surface of
the base to the downward direction with the first device part as
the fulcrum to thereby divide the wiring board among the areas
adjacent to one another.
24. An apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor device in which
electronic parts are mounted over a wiring board and the electronic
parts are sealed with an insulating resin, comprising a function
which adsorbs the insulating resin portion by vacuum adsorption and
inspecting a flatness of an upper surface of the insulating resin.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application claims priority from Japanese patent
application No. 2003-367435 filed on Oct. 28, 2003, the content of
which is hereby incorporated by reference into this
application.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a
semiconductor device such as a hybrid integrated circuit device
(hybrid IC) and a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and to,
for example, a technique effective if applied to the manufacture of
a semiconductor device built in a cellular phone.
[0003] As one manufacturing method of a semiconductor device such
as a hybrid integrated circuit device, there is known, for example,
a technique for mounting a bare chip and other parts over unit
sections of a package base substrate, which can be taken or picked
up in multi form, thereafter sealing the bare chip and other parts
with an insulating resin to form a sealing resin and then cutting
the package base substrate together with the resin to thereby
manufacture semiconductor devices based on the unit sections (see,
for example, a patent document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent
Publication No. Hei 11(1999)-31704)).
[0004] The patent document 1 has pointed out that a problem arises
in that when the sealing resin is formed by a potting method, the
surface of the sealing resin is hard to be flattened, and when a
semiconductor device manufactured as a result thereof is
surface-mounted to a circuit substrate, sorbability based on a
vacuum adsorption nozzle is degraded.
[0005] On the other hand, there is known a semiconductor device
having a structure wherein a semiconductor chip and chip parts are
mounted over one surface of a module substrate and covered with an
insulating resin to form a sealing or encapsulating section. When,
in this case, a semiconductor device in which chip parts are fixed
to a module substrate by solder connections and an encapsulating
section is formed of a high elastic resin, is connected to a
mounting board by solder reflow, solder of the solder-connected
portion in the encapsulating section is remelted so that a
malfunction such as a short occurs. The short occurs due to the
fact that, for example, when solder is remelted, expanded pressure
produced due to its melting peels or strips an interface between
each chip part and a resin for forming the encapsulating section or
an interface between the resin and the module substrate, and solder
flows into it so that electrode terminals at both ends of the chip
part are connected by solder. Therefore, there has been proposed a
semiconductor device wherein in place of the high elastic resin, a
resin (e.g., resin having an elastic modulus of 200 MPa or less at
a temperature of 150.degree. C. or more: e.g., silicone resin)
having low elastic modulus is used to form an encapsulating
section. The semiconductor device is capable of preventing a short
because even if solder in the encapsulating section is remelted
upon mounting reflow, pressure produced due to its melting
expansion is relaxed by the low elastic resin (see, for example, a
patent document 2 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No.
2000-208668)).
[0006] Also the patent document 2 has described that a resin is
applied onto the full surface of a multi-pickup substrate by a
printing method and cured by baking to form a batch encapsulating
section, and thereafter the multi-pickup substrate is subjected to
primary division inclusive of the batch encapsulating section to
manufacture semiconductor devices. As the resin, a silicone resin
or a low elastic epoxy resin is used. As to the division, a one-row
division (primary division) and fractionalization (secondary
division) are performed twice, whereby a module (semiconductor
device) is manufactured.
[0007] The patent document 2 has described that when a soft
silicone resin is used upon division, the division is not perfectly
done and hence a non-divided spot occurs, and the division is
carried out by laser or dicing.
[0008] On the other hand, a semiconductor device such as a high
frequency power amplifier device employed in a transmitting unit is
known as a semiconductor device mounted over a mounting board of a
cellular phone. The present semiconductor device has a structure
wherein, for example, an electronic part comprising active parts
(active elements) such as a transistor, etc. and passive parts
(passive elements) such as a resistor, a capacitor, etc. is mounted
over the upper surface of a module substrate having a wiring board
structure. A plurality of electrode terminals (external electrode
terminals) are provided over the back surface of the module
substrate, and hence the present semiconductor device results in a
surface-mounting semiconductor device. The module substrate is
formed of a low temperature calcined substrate (low temperature
calcined multilayer wiring board) formed of ceramic (see, for
example, a patent document 3 (Japanese Unexamined Patent
Publication No. Hei 9(1997)-116091)).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The semiconductor device built in a cellular phone is used
in a high frequency region. In a semiconductor device (hybrid
integrated circuit device) including a filter high frequency
circuit, a filter wiring is formed in a substrate by calcination
upon its manufacture. In this case, a material low in impedance
such as copper (Cu), silver (Ag) is used to form the filter wiring.
Since Cu and Ag are low in melting point, there is a need to
fabricate the substrate by low temperature calcination. Thus, the
substrate makes use of a low temperature calcined substrate (low
temperature calcined multilayered wiring board).
[0010] In the hybrid integrated circuit device, passive elements
such as a chip resistor, a chip capacitor or the like are mounted
over wirings (lands) of the module substrate by solder connections.
This solder is remelted upon connecting a semiconductor device to a
mounting board by reflow (temporary heat treatment), thus leading
to such a short as described above. Thus, in order to prevent the
short caused by solder remelted within the encapsulating body, the
present applicant uses such a silicone resin or low elastic epoxy
resin as described in the patent document 2 as a resin for forming
the encapsulating body. Then, the multi-pickup substrate (wiring
board) is divided together with the resin layer for forming the
encapsulating body (one-row division based on the primary division,
and fractionalization by secondary division) to thereby fabricate a
semiconductor device.
[0011] In this case, the division is done using small grooves
(division lines) for division, which are defined in the lower
surface of the wiring board. As described even in the patent
document 2, however, when a resin layer provided over the full
surface of a wiring board 150 is formed of a silicone resin layer
151 as shown in FIG. 34, a non-divided resin portion 152
occurs.
[0012] An object of the present invention is to provide a method of
manufacturing a semiconductor device using a silicone resin or a
low elastic epoxy resin as an encapsulating material, which is
capable of reliably performing division in such a manner that a
non-divided resin portion does not remain, and a semiconductor
manufacturing apparatus.
[0013] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
method of manufacturing a semiconductor device in which an
encapsulating body that covers the full surface of a wiring board
is formed by printing a silicone resin or a low elastic epoxy
resin, which method is capable of checking whether the flatness of
the surface of the encapsulating body is good or bad, and a
semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.
[0014] The above, other objects and novel features of the present
invention will become apparent from the description of the present
specification and the accompanying drawings.
[0015] Summaries of the representative ones of the inventions
disclosed in the present application will be explained in brief as
follows:
[0016] (1) A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device,
according to the present invention comprises the steps of:
[0017] (a) preparing a wiring board having device mounting sections
and conductor layers in a plurality of areas of a first surface and
having external electrode terminals in a second surface opposite to
the first surface, and wherein the respective areas are brought
into fractionization by division at a final manufacturing
stage;
[0018] (b) mounting electronic parts in the plurality of areas
inclusive of solder connections;
[0019] (c) covering the plurality of areas with an insulating resin
to form a resin layer;
[0020] (d) preparing a division mechanism having a base (conveying
chute), a first device part (support body) which faces an upper
surface of the conveying chute with a predetermined interval
interposed therebetween, and a second device part (clamper)
disposed in such a manner that an upper clamp claw and a lower
clamp claw are respectively located on the upper and lower surface
sides of a protruded wiring board portion of the wiring board
placed over the conveying chute such that part thereof protrudes to
the division position side out of one edge of the conveying
chute;
[0021] (e) setting the wiring board to the upper surface of the
conveying chute in such a manner that a divided portion of the
wiring board coincides with the division position;
[0022] (f) as a first dividing step, rotating the clamper relative
to the support body to swing the protruded wiring board portion in
an upward direction, thereby dividing the wiring board at a point
where it contacts a fulcrum provided in the support body; and
[0023] (g) as a second dividing step, rotating the clamper in the
direction opposite to the direction of rotation in said step (f) to
swing the protruded wiring board portion downward and pressing the
wiring board against the conveying chute to divide the wiring board
again at a point divided by the first dividing step,
[0024] wherein the wiring board forms strip bodies in each of which
the areas are arranged in a row, according to a primary dividing
process based on the steps (e) through (g), and
[0025] wherein thereafter the strip body is divided every areas
according to a secondary dividing process based on the steps (e)
through (g) to thereby manufacture semiconductor devices.
[0026] The resin layer is formed by printing a resin (silicone
resin) having an elastic modulus of 200 MPa or less at a
temperature of 150.degree. C. or more onto the wiring board and
effecting defoaming processing and curing processing thereon. In
the step (f), the clamper placed in an origin position in a state
of pinching the protruded wiring board portion of the wiring board
placed over the upper surface of the conveying chute from above and
below in a non-contact state, is rotated by about 80.degree. to
120.degree. around the fulcrum in the upward direction. In the next
step (g), the clamper is rotated in the direction opposite to the
direction of rotation in the step (f) by an angle obtained by
adding a rotational angle ranging from 10.degree. to 45.degree. to
the rotational angle in the step (f).
[0027] A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus has such a
configuration as to have a predetermined space between the lower
surface of the support body and the surface of the resin layer of
the wiring board placed over the conveying chute. In the clamper
placed in such an origin position that the upper clamp claw and the
lower clamp claw are positioned on the upper and lower surface
sides of the protruded wiring board portion of the wiring board in
a set state, which is placed over the conveying chute and protrudes
from one edge of the conveying chute, the upper clamp claw and the
lower clamp claw are positioned with a predetermined gap defined
between the protruded wiring board portion and each of the upper
clamp claw and lower clamp claw. In the step (f), when the clamper
is rotated in the upward direction relative to the support body,
the protruded wiring board portion is forced up by the lower clamp
claw of the clamper in a state in which the upper clamper claw is
not brought into contact with the protruded wiring board portion,
thereby dividing the wiring board. In the step (g), when the
clamper is rotated in the downward direction with respect to the
support body, the protruded wiring board substrate portion is
forced up by the upper clamp claw of the clamper in a state in
which the upper clamp claw is not brought into contact with the
protruded wiring board portion to thereby divide the wiring board
perfectly.
[0028] The following semiconductor-manufacturing apparatus is used
in such a manufacturing method of the semiconductor device. The
semiconductor manufacturing apparatus divides a wiring board which
has electronic parts respectively mounted in plural areas of a
first surface and has external electrode terminals in a second
surface corresponding to each of the areas and corresponding to a
surface opposite to the first surface, and in which the plurality
of areas are covered with an insulating resin layer, according to
primary dividing processing on the basis of control of a control
system to form a strip body in which the areas are arranged in a
row, and thereafter divides the strip body every areas according to
secondary dividing processing to thereby manufacture semiconductor
devices. A one-row division mechanism for performing the primary
dividing process and an individual division mechanism for
performing the secondary diving processing respectively have a
conveying chute which places the wiring board over its upper
surface such that the resin layer assumes an upper surface, a
support body which faces the upper surface of the conveying chute
and faces the resin layer of the wiring board placed over the
conveying chute, and a clamper which is disposed in such a manner
that an upper clamp claw and a lower clamp claw are respectively
disposed on the upper and lower surface sides of a protruded wiring
board portion of the wiring board placed over the conveying chute
in such a way that part thereof protrudes to the division position
side out of one edge of the conveying chute, and are rotatably
controlled in upward and downward direction respectively. In the
primary dividing processing and the secondary dividing processing,
the wiring board is placed over and set to the upper surface of the
conveying chute such that each divided portion of the wiring board
coincides with the division position. Further, the protruded wiring
board portion that protrudes from the conveying chute is placed
between the upper clamp claw and the lower clamp claw. Next, the
clamper is rotated in the upward direction with respect to the
support body to swing the protruded wiring board portion in the
upward direction to allow it to contact a fulcrum provided in the
support body, thereby perform a first division for dividing the
wiring board. The clamper is rotated in the direction opposite to
the direction of rotation in the first division to swing the
protruded wiring board portion below the upper surface of the
conveying chute, thereby performing a second division for dividing
the wiring board at the corresponding point divided by the first
division.
[0029] The origin position where the work of the clamper of the
division mechanism is started, corresponds to a position where in a
state in which the wiring board is set to the upper surface of the
conveying chute, the upper clamp claw and the lower clamp claw are
located above and below the protruded wiring board portion in a
non-contact state and kept in its nipped state. The clamper is
configured so as to be capable of being rotated by at least
80.degree. to 120.degree. from the origin position about the
fulcrum in the upper direction and being rotated in the forward and
reverse directions over at least about 10 to 45 degrees in the
downward direction.
[0030] Also the semiconductor manufacturing mechanism includes a
control system that controls the entirety, a loader which supplies
the wiring board to the one-row division mechanism, a conveying
mechanism which conveys the strip body divided and formed by the
one-row division mechanism in its longitudinal direction and
supplies it to the individual division mechanism, an individual
conveying mechanism which sequentially and individually conveys
semiconductor devices divided and fractionalized by the individual
division mechanism to one to plural stages, and a pickup mechanism
which holds the semiconductor device at the final stage by a tool
under vacuum adsorption, conveys each non-defective product to a
non-defective storage unit under the control of the control system,
and conveys each defective product to a defective product storage
unit.
[0031] The pickup mechanism has a tool which adsorbs under vacuum a
semiconductor device onto a lower end surface, a drive unit which
holds the tool and three-dimensionally moves and controls the tool,
a vacuum source connected to the tool via a tubing or pipe
arrangement, a solenoid-operated valve which is connected to the
tubing in a communicating state and performs an on/off operation by
the control system, and a digital vacuum meter which is connected
between the solenoid-operated valve and the tool and measures the
degree of vacuum in the tool. Information about the degree of
vacuum measured by the digital vacuum meter is transmitted to the
control system. The control system controls the pickup mechanism
based on the information about the degree of vacuum. When the
degree of vacuum is greater than or equal to the reference degree
of vacuum, the control system conveys each semiconductor device to
the non-defective storage unit. When the degree of vacuum is less
than the reference degree of vacuum, the control system conveys
each semiconductor device to the defective product storage
unit.
[0032] Advantageous effects obtained by representative ones of the
inventions disclosed in the present application will be explained
in brief as follows:
[0033] (1) A resin layer formed by printing of a silicone resin is
subjected to defoaming processing and curing processing (bake
processing) after its printing. A heavy substance such as a filler
contained in a resin at the defoaming processing long in processing
time sinks from the upper surface side to the wiring board side at
its lower surface. As a result, the surface of the resin layer is
brought to a layer of a resin component hard to tear off. Thus, a
compression force merely acts on the layer of the resin component
in the surface layer of the resin layer even if the wiring board is
divided, in the case of such a division that the wiring board is
folded back to the resin layer side. Therefore, the resin portion
remains without the division of the wiring board (non-divided resin
portion remains). In the dividing method according to the present
invention, a wiring board formed of ceramic is forced up (upper
swing) by means of a lower clamp claw of a clamper, and some of a
protruded wiring board portion that protrudes from a conveying
chute is pressed against a support body to carry out a first
division under bending stress. Thereafter, the upward-located
clamper is rotatably swung (lower swing) downward to allow an upper
clamp claw to press down the protruded wiring board portion,
thereby performing a reverse division at the first division section
again as a second division. Since the second division allows a
tensile force to act on a remaining and thin non-divided resin
portion, the non-divided resin portion is torn off. Thus, the
perfect division is enabled. Fractionalizing is done by a one-row
division and an individual division so that each semiconductor
device is manufactured.
[0034] (2) A pickup mechanism, which conveys products brought to
semiconductor devices by being fractionized, vacuum-adsorbs and
holds a semiconductor device at a final stage by a tool but
measures the degree of vacuum in its held state. Then, the pickup
mechanism is controlled based on information about the degree of
vacuum. When the measured degree of vacuum is greater than or equal
to the reference degree of vacuum, the pickup mechanism conveys the
semiconductor devices to the corresponding non-defective product
storage unit. When the degree of vacuum is less than the reference
degree of vacuum, the pickup mechanism conveys the semiconductor
devices to the corresponding defective product storage unit. Thus,
only products in each of which the flatness of the surface of an
encapsulating body is satisfactory, can be shipmented. As a result,
the pickup of each semiconductor device is done reliably upon the
work of mounting of the semiconductor device by a user, thus making
it possible to carry out satisfactory mounting.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0035] FIGS. 1(a) to 1(c) are typical views showing a method of
manufacturing a semiconductor device, according to a first
embodiment of the present invention;
[0036] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an external
appearance of a semiconductor device manufactured by the
semiconductor device manufacturing method according to the first
embodiment of the present invention;
[0037] FIG. 3 is a typical enlarged cross-sectional view of the
semiconductor device;
[0038] FIG. 4 is a typical enlarged bottom-view of the
semiconductor device;
[0039] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of
part of a cellular phone with the semiconductor device built
therein;
[0040] FIG. 6 is a flowchart for describing the method of
manufacturing the semiconductor device, according to the first
embodiment of the present invention;
[0041] FIGS. 7(a) to 7(c) are cross-sectional views for describing
respective steps showing the method of manufacturing the
semiconductor device;
[0042] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a substrate dividing method at
the manufacture of the semiconductor device;
[0043] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing an external appearance
of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus employed in the
manufacture of the semiconductor device according to the first
embodiment of the present invention;
[0044] FIG. 10 is a typical plan view illustrating working stages
and their related mechanisms of the semiconductor manufacturing
apparatus;
[0045] FIG. 11 is a typical plan view showing part of a one-row
division mechanism of the semiconductor manufacturing
apparatus;
[0046] FIG. 12 is a typical cross-sectional view taken along line
A-A of FIG. 11;
[0047] FIGS. 13(a) to 13(d) are typical views showing respective
operation stages of the one-row division mechanism;
[0048] FIG. 14 is a typical view depicting substrate division
illustrative of a modification of the first embodiment;
[0049] FIG. 15 is a typical plan view showing an individual
dividing mechanism for individually dividing a substrate, of the
semiconductor manufacturing apparatus;
[0050] FIG. 16 is a typical cross-sectional view taken along line
B-B of FIG. 15;
[0051] FIG. 17 is a typical plan view depicting a slide manner for
eliminating a defective product in the individual dividing
mechanism;
[0052] FIG. 18 is a typical cross-sectional view taken along line
C-C of FIG. 17;
[0053] FIG. 19 is a graph showing a correlation between upper swing
angles at one-row division with respect to a silicone resin and the
remaining amount of resin (thickness of non-divided resin portion)
that covers the substrate;
[0054] FIG. 20 is a graph illustrating a correlation between
substrate division positions at the individual division and cutting
angles (lower swing angles) at their positions;
[0055] FIG. 21 is a graph showing a correlation between upper swing
angles at one-row division with respect to a low elastic epoxy
resin and the remaining amount of resin (thickness of non-divided
resin portion) that covers the substrate;
[0056] FIGS. 22(a) to 22(d) are typical views illustrating
respective operation stages of the individual dividing
mechanism;
[0057] FIG. 23 is a typical side view schematically showing a
thickness inspection mechanism of a thickness inspection stage of
the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus;
[0058] FIG. 24 is a typical side view schematically showing a
positioning mechanism of a positioning stage of the semiconductor
manufacturing mechanism;
[0059] FIG. 25 is a typical side view illustrating a size
inspection mechanism of a size inspection stage of the
semiconductor manufacturing apparatus;
[0060] FIGS. 26(a) to 26(c) are typical views showing the operation
of the size inspection mechanism;
[0061] FIG. 27 is a typical view schematically showing a pickup
mechanism for detecting whether planarization of each of products
is good or bad, which is employed in the semiconductor
manufacturing apparatus;
[0062] FIGS. 28(a) and 28(b) are typical views showing a vacuum
suction state of a product judged as a non-defective product by the
pickup mechanism and the state of flatness of a pre-division
substrate covered with a resin layer;
[0063] FIGS. 29(a) and 29(b) are typical views showing a vacuum
suction state of a product judged as a defective product by the
pickup mechanism and the state of flatness of a pre-division
substrate covered with a resin layer;
[0064] FIGS. 30(a) and 30(b) are typical views illustrating a
dividing mechanism employed in a semiconductor manufacturing
apparatus showing a second embodiment of the present invention and
a state of division by the dividing mechanism;
[0065] FIG. 31 is a typical view showing a state in which a
division position of a substrate cannot be determined;
[0066] FIG. 32 is a typical view showing a state of division by a
dividing mechanism illustrative of a modification of the second
embodiment of the present invention;
[0067] FIGS. 33(a) to 33(c) are typical views showing a state of
division of a strip body at each substrate position; and
[0068] FIG. 34 is a typical view illustrating a divided state of a
substrate covered with a conventional silicone resin.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0069] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will
hereinafter be described in detail with reference to the
accompanying drawings. Incidentally, elements each having the same
function are given like reference numerals through all the drawings
for describing the embodiments of the invention, and their
repetitive description will be omitted.
First Preferred Embodiment
[0070] The first embodiment will explain an example in which the
present invention is applied to the manufacture of a semiconductor
device (hybrid integrated circuit device) built in a cellular
phone. FIGS. 1 through 29 are drawings related to a method of
manufacturing a semiconductor device, showing the first embodiment
of the present invention, and a semiconductor manufacturing
apparatus. FIGS. 2 through 7 are drawings related to the
semiconductor device manufactured by the first embodiment. FIGS.
1(a) to 1(c) and FIGS. 8 through 29 are drawings related to the
semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.
[0071] As shown in FIG. 2, the semiconductor device (hybrid
integrated circuit device) 1 manufactured by the semiconductor
device manufacturing method according to the present embodiment
comprises, in appearance, a module substrate 2 constituted of a
square-shaped low temperature calcined laminated substrate, and an
encapsulator or encapsulating body 3 formed of an insulating resin
that covers the upper surface of the module substrate 2.
[0072] A low elastic resin is used as the resin for forming the
encapsulating body 3. As the low elastic resin, a resin having an
elastic modulus of 200 MPa or less at a temperature of 150.degree.
C. or more, or a resin having an elastic modulus of over 1 MPa to
under 200 MPa at the temperature of 150.degree. C. or more and an
elastic modulus of over 200 MPa at a temperature of 25.degree. C.
is used. A silicone resin is known as the resin having the elastic
modulus of 200 MPa or less at the temperature of 150.degree. C. or
more. An epoxy resin is known as the resin having the elastic
modulus of over 1 MPa to under 200 MPa at the temperature of
150.degree. C. or more and the elastic modulus of over 200 MPa at
the temperature of 25.degree. C. In the present embodiment, the
encapsulating body 3 is formed of the silicone resin.
[0073] As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of external electrode
terminals 4 are provided over the back surface of the encapsulating
body 3. FIG. 4 is a view showing the back surface of the
semiconductor device 1. Large and small square portions
respectively correspond to the external electrode terminals 4. The
edges of the external electrode terminals 4 are covered with an
insulating film 5 comprising an alumina coat film provided over the
back surface of the encapsulating body 3. And portions uncovered
with the insulating film 5 serve as substantial external electrode
terminal portions that contribute to connections. In FIG. 4, the
external electrode terminals 4 lying in an area surrounded by a
dotted lie frame correspond to ground electrodes respectively.
[0074] The thickness of the semiconductor device 1 is about 1.6 mm,
and the thickness of the module substrate 2 is about 0.75 mm, for
example. The module substrate 2 is a low temperature calcined
substrate (low temperature calcined alumina ceramic substrate) and
corresponds to a substrate having a laminated structure as shown in
FIG. 3. Conductor layers 7a, 7b and 7c are respectively provided in
the upper surface, middle layer and lower surface of the module
substrate 2. Conductors 7d, which extend through the respective
layers of the module substrate 2 and electrically connect any of
the conductor layers 7a, 7b and 7c, are provided. Further, recesses
8 are defined in the upper surface of the module substrate 2 at
predetermined spots. A device mounting conductor layer 7e is
provided even at the bottom of each of these recesses 8. A
semiconductor chip (active part: active element) 9 is fixed
(mounted) onto its corresponding conductor layer 7e through an
unillustrated adhesive interposed therebetween. Electrodes placed
over the upper surface of each semiconductor chip 9 and the
predetermined conductor layers 7a placed in the upper surface of
the module substrate 2 are respectively electrically connected to
one another by conductive wires 10. Respective pairs of conductor
layers 7a are provided in the upper surface of the module substrate
2. Electrode portions of chip type electronic parts 11, are
electrically connected via solder 12 to these pairs of conductor
layers 7a respectively. The chip type electronic parts 11 are
passive parts (passive elements) such as a chip resistor, a chip
capacitor, a chip inductor, etc. Circuit elements such as the
active elements, passive layers, etc. are mounted over a first
surface of the module substrate 2 as described above.
[0075] On the other hand, the insulating film 5 is selectively
formed in the lower surface of the module substrate 2. The
insulating film 5 partly cover the respective conductor layers 7c.
Square-shaped external electrode terminals, which form power supply
terminals, signal terminals, etc., are arranged in a row along the
edges of the module substrate 2 although they are discontinuous in
mid course.
[0076] As shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of ground electrodes 4f,
which also serve as external electrode terminals, are provided from
the interior of the module substrate 2 to, partly, its each edge.
The ground electrodes 4f are equivalent to ones obtained by
exposing, in subsection form, the conductor layers 7c formed in the
lower surface of the module substrate 2 over a wide area by the
insulating film 5. A plating film 15 is formed over the surface of
each of the external electrode terminals 4 exposed from the
insulating film 5 (see FIG. 3). Although not shown in the figure,
the plating film 15 comprises a first plating film corresponding to
a lower layer and a second plating film formed over the first
plating film. For example, the conductor layer 7c is equivalent to
one formed by printing paste containing Pt over Ag and calcining
it. The first plating film is Au and the second plating film is Ni.
This structure is similar even to the ground electrodes 4f.
[0077] Described specifically, the semiconductor device 1 according
to the present embodiment is a hybrid integrated circuit device 1
containing a power amplifier device (high frequency power amplifier
device), a duplexer, etc., which is operated at an operating
frequency of 800 MHz or higher. Thus, a description will be made of
a cellular phone (wireless communication device) incorporating the
semiconductor device 1 (high frequency power amplifier device)
according to the present embodiment therein. FIG. 5 is a block
diagram showing part of a dualband wireless communication device.
This is a block diagram showing a high frequency power amplifier
device having an amplification system for a GSM system and an
amplification system for a DCS system in a wireless communication
system, and part of a cellular phone of a dualband system capable
of these two communication systems.
[0078] The block diagram of FIG. 5 shows a part or section from a
high frequency signal processing IC (PF linear) 20 to an antenna
39. As shown in the same figure, a GSM signal sent from the high
frequency signal processing IC 20 is transmitted to an amplifier
(PA) 21 for GSM, and the output of the amplifier 21 is detected by
a coupler 22. The signal detected by the coupler 22 is fed back to
an automatic power control circuit (APC circuit) 23. The APC
circuit 23 is operated based on the detected signal to control the
amplifier 21. Similarly, a DCS signal sent from the high frequency
signal processing IC 20 is transmitted to an amplifier (PA) 24 for
DCS. The output of the amplifier 24 is detected by a coupler 25.
The signal detected by the coupler 25 is fed back to the APC
circuit 23. The APC circuit 23 is operated based on the detected
signal to control the amplifier 24.
[0079] The output of the amplifier 21 is transmitted to a filter 26
through an output terminal Pout1 and inputted to a duplexer 38
through a transmit-receive changeover switch 27. The antenna 39 is
connected to an output terminal of the duplexer 38. Similarly, the
output of the amplifier 24 is transmitted to a filter 35 through an
output terminal Pout2 and inputted to the duplexer 38 through a
transmit-receive changeover switch 36.
[0080] The transmit-receive changeover switches 27 and 36 are
changed over in response to control signals sent from control
terminals cont1 and cont2 to send out a signal received by the
antenna 39 to receiving terminals RX1 and RX2. These signals are
transmitted to the high frequency signal processing IC 20 through
the filters 30 and 37 and low noise amplifiers (LNAs) 31 and 38.
The wireless communication device enables GSM and DCS
communications.
[0081] As shown in FIG. 5, the semiconductor device 1 according to
the present embodiment has a structure wherein the amplifiers (PAs)
21 and 24, the couplers 22 and 25, the filters 26 and 35, the
transmit-receive changeover switches 27 and 36 and the duplexer 38
are formed integrally.
[0082] As shown in FIG. 6, such a semiconductor device 1 is
manufactured via process steps for preparing a substrate (S1),
mounting electronic parts (S2), forming a resin layer (S3) and
performing division (S4). FIGS. 7(a) through 7(c) are respectively
typical cross-sectional views showing the state of the substrate in
the respective steps. A substrate 2a comprising a low temperature
calcination ceramic wiring board for forming the module substrate 2
shown in the description of the structure of the semiconductor
device 1 is prepared (S1).
[0083] The substrate 2a is configured as a pattern in which
square-shaped areas (product forming sections) for manufacturing
one semiconductor device are arranged in line in matrix form. FIGS.
7(a) to 7(c) show part of the substrate 2a, i.e., a single or
unitary area (product forming section) 2c. A module substrate is
formed by dividing and fractionalizing the unitary area. Since a
wiring structure of the unitary area 2c corresponds to the
already-described structure of module substrate, it will be
omitted.
[0084] As shown in FIG. 7(a), recesses 8 are defined in a first
surface of each area (product forming section) 2c. A conductor
layer 7e is provided at the bottom of each recess 8. Conductor
layers 7a for connecting electrodes at both ends of each chip type
electronic part and wires are formed over the first surface.
External electrode terminals 4 are provided at predetermined spots
of the opposite surface, i.e., second surface of each area 2c of
the substrate 2a. Areas other than the external electrode terminals
4 are covered with an insulating film 5.
[0085] Thus, as shown in FIG. 7(b), the mounting of the electronic
parts is performed. That is, a semiconductor chip 9 is fixed onto
its corresponding conductor layer 7e at the bottom of each recess
8. Further, respective electrodes provided over the upper surface
of each semiconductor chip 9 and its peripheral conductor layers 7a
are connected by conductive wires 10. Also electrode portions at
both ends of each chip type electronic part 11 are connected to the
pair of conductive layers 7a by solder 12. The mounting of the
electronic parts (S2) is contained in the mounting of the
semiconductor chips 9 and the mounting of the chip type electronic
parts 11 and also includes electrical connections among the
conductor layers 7a and 7e of the substrate 2a, the semiconductor
chips 9 and the chip type electronic parts 11.
[0086] Next, as shown in FIG. 7(c), a resin layer 3a is formed over
a first surface of the substrate 2a (S3). The resin layer 3a is
formed by printing a resin having an elastic modulus of 200 MPa or
less at a temperature of 150.degree. C. or higher to a
predetermined thickness (e.g., thickness ranging from 0.75 mm to
0.8 mm), effecting defoaming processing on it and performing its
curing processing (bake processing). Described specifically, a
silicone resin is printed. After its printing, bubbles contained in
the resin layer are defoamed (deaerated). This defoaming processing
is performed by leaving the substrate 2a under a vacuum atmosphere
(53 hpa) for about 10 to 20 minutes. The bake processing is carried
out by leaving the substrate 2a under an atmosphere at 150.degree.
C. for 90 minutes.
[0087] The silicone resin is used to prevent a short with remelting
of solder in an encapsulating body upon mounting of the
semiconductor device on a mounting board by reflow. To this end, a
resin having an elastic modulus of over 1 MPa to under 200 MPa at a
temperature of 150.degree. C. or more and an elastic modulus of
over 200 HPa at a temperature of 25.degree. C. can also be used. A
low elastic epoxy resin is used as the resin.
[0088] Next, a fail mark is applied onto an exposed surface of the
substrate 2a formed with the resin layer 3a, i.e., a second surface
thereof with respect to a defective product by an inkjet method or
the like. The fail mark is detected in a subsequent process and a
product with the fail mark applied thereon is eliminated. The fail
mark is applied onto the same position as the second surface of the
substrate 2a by the ink jet method or the like after detection of a
fail mark (fail mark applied for a substrate initial failure and an
assembly failure in advance) applied onto the upper surface of the
substrate by recognition before printing in S3 of FIG. 6.
[0089] Next, the substrate 2a is divided (S4) together with the
resin layer 3a to form such a semiconductor device 1 as shown in
FIG. 3. This division is performed according to a primary dividing
process and a secondary dividing process. The primary dividing
process is of a one-row dividing process and corresponds to such
division of the substrate 2a as to form a strip body in which areas
thereof are arranged in a row. The secondary dividing process is of
an individual dividing process and is equivalent to such division
as to sequentially divide the strip body at the boundaries among
the areas and bring it into fractionalization thereby to form the
semiconductor device 1.
[0090] In the present embodiment, the division at each of the
primary dividing process (one-row division) and the secondary
dividing process (individual division) is performed by such a
semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 43 as shown in FIG. 9. The
semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 43 has its front face and a
plurality of openable/closable doors 54. A control panel 46 is
provided at its front face. Although not shown in the drawing in
particular, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 43 is
provided thereinside with a control system capable of, for example,
effecting arithmetic processing on drive control of respective
mechanism portions and detected information (measured information)
obtained by various detections and driving and controlling
respective portions, based on the information.
[0091] As indicated by a flowchart shown in FIG. 8, the
semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 43 is capable of performing
respective step operations such as preparation of a
post-encapsulation substrate (S11), one-row division (S12),
individual division (S13), selection of a defective product (S14),
thickness detection (S15), size detection (S16), flatness detection
(S17), and selection of non-defective/defective product (S18).
[0092] FIG. 10 is a typical plan view showing respective working
stages and their related mechanisms of the semiconductor
manufacturing apparatus. In FIG. 10, a one-row dividing stage A, a
fail mark detecting stage B, an individual division stage C, a
thickness detecting stage D, a positioning stage E, a size
detecting stage F, a non-defective product holding stage G and a
defective product holding stage H are disposed. These stage
portions are respectively configured of predetermined units.
[0093] At the one-row dividing stage A, a substrate (wiring board)
2a having a resin layer, in which product forming sections (areas)
are disposed in matrix form, is pitch-fed sequentially and
subjected to division for each row. Racks designated at numerals 51
and 51 are sequentially set to a substrate loader by manual.
Substrates 2a placed in a stacked state, which are set to the
substrate loader 50, are sequentially fed out to the one-row
dividing stage A one by one by means of a substrate supply
mechanism 52. Although not shown in the drawing, the substrate
supply mechanism 52 takes a pusher configuration. The substrates 2a
are fed out one by one by means of the pusher. Then, the substrates
2a are pitch-fed to the one-row dividing stage A by means of an
unillustrated conveying mechanism. At the one-row dividing stage A,
each substrate 2a is divided one row by one row so that slender
strip bodies 2g are formed. The strip body 2g has a structure in
which the product forming sections (areas) are arranged in a row
therein.
[0094] In the present embodiment, the two divisions of the primary
dividing process (one-row division) for forming the strip body 2g,
and the secondary dividing process (individual division) for
dividing the strip body 2g at the boundaries among the respective
areas (product forming sections) to provide fractionization thereof
are performed in the case of the division of the substrate 2a.
These divisions are performed by a division mechanism of such a
mechanism as shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b). Incidentally, even if
one referred to above is called simply "substrate 2a" in the
following description, it means the substrate 2a having the resin
layer 3a in the description up to the individual division.
[0095] The division mechanism includes a base (conveying chute) 55
which places the substrate 2a (wiring board) over its upper surface
such that the resin layer 3a serves as an upper surface, and a
first device part (support body) 56 which faces the upper surface
of the conveying chute 55 and faces the resin layer 3a of the
substrate 2a placed over the conveying chute 55. A second device
part (clamper) 59 is placed which is disposed in such a manner that
an upper clamp claw 57 and a lower clamp claw 58 are positioned on
the upper and lower surface sides of a protruded wiring board
portion 2j of the substrate 2a, which is placed over the conveying
chute 55 such that part thereof protrudes toward the division
position side out of one edge (right edge in this figure) of the
conveying chute 55. As shown in FIG. 1(a), the clamper 59 having
such an attitude as to pinch the protruded wiring board portion 2j
of the substrate 2a, comprising a flat plate placed over the
conveying chute 5 in a flat state from the side in a state
(non-contact state) in which it is not brought into contact with
the substrate 2a and the resin layer 3a, is called "clamper" at the
origin position. The clamper 59 at the origin position is set in
such a manner that the upper clamp claw 57 and the lower clamp claw
58 are held in front of the protruded wiring board portion 2j with
a clearance or gap ranging from about 0.2 to 0.3 mm being defined
therebetween.
[0096] In the state in which the substrate 2a is being placed over
the conveying chute 55, a gap of a predetermined size is defined
between the resin layer 3a on the upper side of the substrate 2a
and the lower surface of the support body 56. This aims to first
bring the resin layer 3a placed over the upper surface of the
substrate 2a into contact with the right edge of the support body
56 when the clamper 59 is turned upward to raise the protruded
wiring board portion 2j with the lower clamp claw 58 and to divide
the substrate 2a (and the resin layer 3a) at its contact portion.
The portion where the resin layer 3a placed over the upper surface
of the substrate 2a is first brought into contact with the support
body 56, i.e., the right edge is called a fulcrum or support point
56a.
[0097] The lower surface of the support body 56 is made flat in
such a manner that when the protruded wiring board portion 2j is
forced up, the substrate 2a with the resin layer is first brought
into contact with the fulcrum 56a. The gap between the resin layer
3a and the lower surface of the support body 56 is also set so as
to range from about 0.2 to 0.3 mm.
[0098] With the rotation of the clamper 59 in the upward direction,
the lower clamp claw 58 forces up the protruded wiring board
portion 2j. Therefore, bending stress is exerted on the substrate
2a with the fulcrum 56a as the center so that division occurs in
the substrate portion brought into contact with the fulcrum 56a.
Thus, the positions of the fulcrum and a line segment extending
downward from the fulcrum are called division positions.
[0099] In order to facilitate the division of the substrate 2a,
grooves (division grooves) 2p are defined in the second surface
(lower surface in FIG. 1) of the substrate 2a as shown in FIG.
1(a). The division grooves 2p are provided at predetermined
intervals. Although a portion (line segment) on the right end side
to be first divided is indicated by a thick line in FIG. 1(a), a
groove (division groove) 2p is provided even on the lower surface
side of the substrate 2a, which coincides with such a line segment.
Each of the grooves 2p is formed as a groove having a V-shaped
section such that the concentration of stress is easy to occur
therein. In the drawings for subsequent description of division
inclusive of FIG. 1, the division grooves 2p are shown only in FIG.
1(a) but they are omitted in FIG. 1(b) and subsequently.
[0100] A conveying claw 60 shown on the left side pitch-feeds the
substrate 2a lying over the conveying chute 55. The portion to be
first divided is aligned with its corresponding division position
upon the first dividing operation. After this setting, each
division groove 2p is always placed in its corresponding division
position by pitch-feeding.
[0101] The clamper 59 can be rotated in upward and downward
direction, respectively, from the state being placed in the origin
position. As to the rotation of the clamper 59, the clamper 59 is
configured so as to be capable of being rotated from the origin
position with the fulcrum as the center to at least 80.degree. to
120.degree. in the upper direction and being rotated in the forward
and reverse directions over at least about 10 to 45 degrees in the
downward direction.
[0102] In such a division mechanism, as shown in FIG. 1(b), the
clamper 59 placed in the origin position is rotated in the upward
direction with the fulcrum 56a as the center to swing the protruded
wiring board portion 2j upward and allow it to contact the fulcrum
56a provided at the support body 56, thereby dividing the substrate
2a (first division). However, in the rotation in such a one return
direction, although described later, the surface layer portion of
the resin layer 3a over the upper surface of the substrate 2a is
not divided even if the substrate 2a formed of ceramic is divided,
as indicated in an enlarged form on the right side of FIG. 1(b), so
that a non-divided resin portion 3s occurs. That is, a division
section (division line) 62 results in a state of stopping in the
course of the resin layer 3a.
[0103] Thus, as shown in FIG. 1(c), the clamper 59 is rotated in
the direction opposite to the direction of rotation at the first
division to swing the protruded wiring board portion 2j below the
upper surface of the conveying chute 55, thereby perfectly dividing
the substrate 2a at the spot (division section 62) divided by the
first division (second division). In the second division, as in the
case of an upper drawing indicated in an enlarged form below FIG.
1(c), the end faces of the divided substrates constituted of
ceramic firstly collide with each other and hence tensile stress
acts on the non-divided resin portion 3s. As a result, the leading
end of the division section (division line) 62 continues to extend
to the non-divided resin portion 3s as indicated in an enlarged
form below FIG. 1(c), whereby the non-divided resin portion 3s is
also divided perfectly at the end. Incidentally, the turning angles
or the like at the first division and the second division will be
explained in the description of the one-row division mechanism.
[0104] The one-row division mechanism and the individual division
mechanism are also basically configured such as shown in FIG. 1.
However, the one-row division mechanism is different from the
individual division mechanism in that, for example, since the
former is wide in division width as compared with the latter, the
conveying chute 55 and the support body 56 are made broadscale in
structure, there is a need to cause the support body 56 to have
rigidity since a large force is exerted on the support body 56, and
a first division angle is made large. Incidentally, portions that
perform the same action will be explained using the same names and
the same reference numerals in the description of the one-row
division mechanism and the individual division mechanism.
[0105] The respective portions will next be explained along the
direction of an arrangement of the stages of the semiconductor
manufacturing apparatus 43. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the
conveying chute 55 for placing each substrate 2a over its upper
surface is disposed at the section of the one-row division stage A.
A sheet of substrate 2a is delivered to the conveying chute 55 by
the substrate loader 50. The substrate 2a is pitch-fed to the right
side by a conveying claw 60 in FIGS. 11 and 12. The conveying claw
60 is supported by a support arm 61. The support arm 61 is attached
to an unillustrated drive unit and performs pitch-feeding and a
tact operation to transfer the substrate 2a to its corresponding
division position sequentially. A support body 56 is located above
the right end of the conveying chute 55. The support body 56
comprises a lower section having a fulcrum or support point 56a,
and a plate-shaped section 65 connected to the lower section. A rod
66b of a vertically movable cylinder 66 is fixed to the upper end
of the plate-shaped section 65 and serves so as to move the support
body 56 upward and downward by the vertical movements of the rod
66b. When the substrate 2a is placed over the conveying chute 55,
the support body 56 is raised.
[0106] The clamper 59 referred to above is disposed over the
extension of the right end of the conveying chute 55. A lower clamp
claw 58 is fixed to a support block 68 rotated vertically about the
center of rotation 67 (see FIG. 11). Also, an upper clamp claw 57
has bot ends fixed with bolts 69. Both ends of the support block 68
are fixed to their corresponding rotatable shafts 71a and 71b,
which are respectively supported by support members 70a and 70b.
One end of one rotatable shaft 71a is fixed to the support block
68, and a driven pulley 72 is fixed to the other end thereof. Also
the other rotatable shaft 71b is rotatably supported by the support
member 70b via a bearing.
[0107] The driven pulley 72 is mounted on a drive belt 76 mounted
on a drive pulley 75 fixed to a rotatable shaft 74 of a division
swing motor 73. Thus, the rotatable shaft 71 is rotated in the
forward and reverse directions under forward/reverse rotational
drive of the one-row division swing motor 73. As a result, the
clamper 59 is rotated vertically. As shown in FIG. 12, the center
of rotation 67 is set to the position where it coincides with the
fulcrum 56a of the support body 56.
[0108] A description will now be made of the rotating angles of
upper and lower swings of the clamper in the one-row division
mechanism and the individual division mechanism. FIGS. 19 and 20
show data obtained by experiments and analyses made by the present
inventors. FIG. 19 is a graph showing a correlation between upper
swing angles at one-row division of the substrate and the remaining
amount of resin (the thickness of the non-divided resin portion)
that covers the substrate. When the thickness of the resin layer 3a
is set as 800 .mu.m, for example, the substrate 2a formed of
ceramic is divided at about an upper swing angle of about
20.degree. (see a point P indicated in the same graph), as is
understood from the graph of FIG. 19. When the upper swing angle is
70.degree., the thickness of the non-divided resin portion
(remaining amount of resin) results in about 250 .mu.m. When the
upper swing angle is 80.degree., the remaining amount of resin
(thickness) becomes approximately 220 .mu.m. It is understood that
when the upper swing angle is made large sequentially, the
remaining amount of resin becomes thin sequentially. Although most
ones are perfectly divided if the upper swing angle is set to
180.degree., the adoption of the upper swing angle of 180.degree.
is difficult from the relationship of layouts among the respective
mechanism portions.
[0109] Thus, checks were made, at the division of the strip body
2g, as to when the perfect division at the second division has
occurred where the upper swing angle was set to 120.degree.. FIG.
20 is a graph showing a correlation between substrate division
positions at the substrate individual division and cutting angles
(lower swing angles) at their positions.
[0110] The substrate 2a in which the areas (product forming
sections) are disposed rectangularly in matrix form, has a non-used
frame portion 2s that exists around the areas (product forming
sections) 2c arranged in matrix form in consideration of product
reliability as shown in FIG. 10. Thus, when the primary dividing
process is done to form a strip body 2g, a frame portion 80, which
protrudes toward the clamper 59 side upon the first division,
exists in the form in which divisions are sequentially made at
seven spots of numbers 0 to 6 corresponding to substrate positions
as shown in FIG. 20. FIGS. 33(a) to 33(c) show the divisions
(division positions 0, 1 and 6) at the respective substrate
positions. Incidentally, division processing will now be explained
under the configuration of FIG. 1. FIG. 33(a) shows a state in
which the frame portion 80 is forced up by the clamper 59 and
thereby divided at the division position 0. FIG. 33(b) shows a
state in which the first area (product forming section) 2c is swung
upward at the division position 1 to achieve its division. FIG.
33(c) shows a state in which the final area (product forming
section) 2c is swung downward to divide it from a frame portion 81
(at the division position 6). The frame portion 81 is placed over
the conveying chute 55. Owing to the existence of these frame
portions 80 and 81 short in length, the strip body is perfectly
divided at a lower swing angle of 26.degree. downwardly from the
state in which the clamper is placed in the origin position, in the
case of the first division. In the case of the final division, it
is perfectly divided at a lower swing angle of 28.degree.. The
angles are marked with minus (-) here since the clamper placed in
the origin position is swung downward. It is understood that the
strip body can be perfectly divided in a lower swing angular range
of -11.degree. to -15.degree. in the case of the respective
divisions at the substrate positions of 1 to 5. These data
correspond to the case in which the resin layer 3a is formed of a
silicone resin.
[0111] According to the result of other experiments made by the
present inventors, it was understood that when the upper swing
angle was 80.degree. and 90.degree. under the condition in which
the length of one row was set to about 75 mm, the substrate could
be divided at lower swing angles of approximately, 40.degree. and
35.degree. respectively.
[0112] From the above result of experiments, the present inventors
have found out that when the upper swing angle is increased upon
division of the substrate, the lower swing angle can be made small,
whereas when the upper swing angle is made small in reverse, there
is a need to increase the lower swing angle.
[0113] The first embodiment shows the example in which in the case
of the first division at each of the one-row division and the
individual division, the clamper 59 placed in the origin position
is rotated to the upper swing angle of 90.degree., and in the case
of the subsequent second division, the clamper 59 is rotated in the
reverse direction and turned up to an angular position of
20.degree. downwardly from the origin position. If the remaining
amount of resin (thickness) is set to 0.1 mm or less at the first
division here, then the substrate can be divided at a small angle
and reliably upon the second division.
[0114] A description will now be made of a case in which the resin
layer 3a is formed of a low elastic epoxy resin. FIG. 21 is a graph
showing a correlation between upper swing angles at the division of
a substrate in which a resin layer is formed of an epoxy resin
having a low elastic modulus and the remaining amount of resin
(thickness of non-divided resin portion) that covers the
substrate.
[0115] According to the result of other experiments made by the
present inventors, it was understood that when the upper swing
angle was 30.degree. and 40.degree. under the condition in which
the length of one row was set to about 75 mm, the substrate could
be divided at a lower swing angle of approximately, 30.degree..
[0116] From the above result of experiments, the present inventors
have found out that when the upper swing angle is increased upon
division of the substrate, the lower swing angle can be made small,
whereas when the upper swing angle is made small in reverse, there
is a need to increase the lower swing angle.
[0117] When the resin layer 3a is formed of the low elastic epoxy
resin, the clamper 59 placed in the origin position is rotated up
to an upper swing angle of 40' in the first division at each of the
one-row division and the individual division, and the clamper 59 is
rotated in the reverse direction in the subsequent second division
to turn up to an angular position of 30.degree. downwardly from the
origin position. Thus, the perfect division can be performed.
[0118] FIGS. 13(a) through 13(d) show a method of forming a strip
body 2g by the first division and the second division at the
one-row division mechanism. As shown in. FIG. 13(a), a substrate 2a
is positioned and placed over the upper surface of the conveying
chute 55.
[0119] Next, as shown in FIG. 13(b), the clamper 59 is rotated by
90.degree. (forward-rotated) upward about the fulcrum 56a to
perform the first division. With its rotation, a protruded wiring
board portion 2j that protrudes from one edge (right edge) of the
conveying chute 55 is forced up by the lower clamp claw 58 so that
the portion to be divided is brought into contact with the fulcrum
56a of the support body 56. As shown in FIG. 13(c), the clamper 59
is further raised so that bending stress is applied to the
protruded wiring board portion 2j about the fulcrum 56a. Thus, the
substrate 2a is perfectly divided as described above and a division
section 62 cuts into a resin layer 3a. At this time, however, a
non-divided resin portion 3s remains in the resin layer 3a as
described above and hence the substrate 2a is brought to a
perfectly non-divided state. Incidentally, the center of rotation
67 is indicated by a black circle in FIGS. 13(a) to 13(d). The
center of rotation 67 overlaps the fulcrum 56a.
[0120] Next, as shown in FIG. 13(d), the clamper 59 is rotated in
the reverse direction to allow the upper clamp claw 57 to push down
the protruded wiring board portion 2j to perform the second
division. The clamper 59 is rotated and moved downward at an angle
of about 35.degree. about the fulcrum 56a from the origin position
thereof. That is, the clamper 59 is rotated by 90.degree. from the
origin position by the forward rotation and thereafter reversely
rotated by 125.degree.. As a result, the substrate 2a is brought to
a state being held by the right edge of the conveying chute 55 and
the conveying claw 60 or the support body 56. Then, the clamper 59
is further rotated in the reverse direction so that tensile stress
is applied to the non-divided resin portion 3s as shown in the
lower right enlarged drawing of FIG. 13(d). That is, the end faces
of the divided substrates 2a constituted of ceramic firstly collide
with each other due to bending and hence tensile stress acts on the
non-divided resin portion 3s. Thus, the leading end of a division
section (division line) 62 continues to extend to the non-divided
resin portion 3s, whereby the non-divided resin portion 3s is also
divided perfectly at the end. This occurs instantaneously. Thus,
the strip body 2g is formed as shown in FIG. 10. The strip body 2g
results in such a structure that the areas (product forming
sections) are arranged in a row.
[0121] FIG. 14 is a typical view showing a substrate one-row
division illustrative of a modification of the first embodiment. In
FIG. 14, grooves (division grooves) 3p are defined even in the
surface of a resin layer 3a in association with the division
grooves 2p to make it easy to perform the division, thereby making
it easier to carry out the division. Forming the division grooves
3p in the surface of the resin layer 3a in this way makes it
possible to accurately determine each division position (division
line) in cooperation with the existence of the division grooves 2p
and make constant the size of a finally formed semiconductor device
1.
[0122] The fail mark detecting stage B and the individual division
stage C will next be described with reference to FIGS. 15 through
18 and FIGS. 22(a) to 22(d). The strip body 2g formed by one-row
division in the one-row dividing stage A is conveyed onto the
conveying chute 55 in which the fail mark detecting stage B and the
individual division stage C exist, by means of an unillustrated
conveying mechanism. The conveying mechanism serves as, for
example, a motor-driven conveyance claw-feeding mechanism often
used in general. A mechanism including the conveying chute 55, a
support body 56 having a fulcrum 56a placed over the right edge of
the conveying chute 55, and a clamper 59 disposed on the extension
side of the right edge of the conveying chute 55 is shown in FIGS.
15 and 16. Since the individual division mechanism is similar in
structure to the one-row division mechanism, similar component
parts use the same names as those of the one-row division
mechanism, and reference numerals will be explained with being
marked with dashes or apostrophes ('). In particular, the
description of the component parts identical in configuration and
operation to the one-row division mechanism will be omitted.
[0123] The conveying chute 55 of the individual division mechanism
is provided with a fail mark detection mechanism for detecting the
presence or absence of a fail mark on the lower surface of the
strip body 2g. The clamper 59 of the individual division mechanism
is provided with a structure having a selection mechanism for
eliminating a product (semiconductor device) with a fail mark upon
individual division. The clamper 59 takes such a configuration
(slide configuration) that the clamper 59 is slid to the side and
switched when it receives the semiconductor device with the fail
mark. FIGS. 15 and 16 are drawings illustrative of such an attitude
that the clamper receives a semiconductor device with no fail mark.
FIGS. 17 and 18 are drawings illustrative of such an attitude that
the clamper receives a semiconductor device provided with a fail
mark and causes it to pass to thereby allow a defective product
storage box 88 to hold the corresponding defective semiconductor
device.
[0124] As shown in FIG. 15, a clamper 59' having an upper clamp
claw 57' and a lower clamp claw 58' is located on the extension
side of the right end of a conveying chute 55' extending in the
horizontal direction. As shown in FIG. 16, a support body 56' is
disposed slightly above the right end of the conveying chute
55'.
[0125] In order to cause the conveying chute 55' to guide a slender
strip body 2g, a pair of guide pieces 83 is disposed over the upper
surface of the conveying chute 55' so as to have an interval
therebetween, which allows one strip body 2g to pass and guide. The
guide pieces 83 are fixed to the conveying chute 55' with bolts
84.
[0126] Part of the conveying chute 55' through which the strip body
2g passes, takes a structure which is formed in a transparent body
85 and detects whether a fail mark exists in each of areas (product
forming sections) of the strip body 2g, by a fail mark detection
mechanism disposed below the conveying chute 55'. The fail mark
detection mechanism comprises a projector 86 which applies light
onto the transparent body 85, and a monitor camera 87 which detects
the lower surface of the strip body 2g. Information of the fail
mark detection mechanism is transmitted to a control system where
it is processed. A selection mechanism is operated based on this
information to allow a defective product to drop and put in the
defective product storage box 88 located below the clamper 59' as
shown in FIG. 18.
[0127] The support body 56' of the individual division mechanism is
small in division force as compared with the support body 56 of the
one-row division mechanism. Thus, the rigidity of the support body
56' may be smaller than that of one employed in the one-row
division mechanism. The support body 56' can be configured as a
structure which is as thin as approximately 3.5 mm, for example.
The support body 56' has the advantage that a spatial region above
the support body 56' can be used effectively. Both ends of the
support body 56' are respectively fixed to the guide pieces 83 with
bolts 84. The support body 56' may be a single-sheet structure or a
double-sheet structure or the like.
[0128] A support block 68' controlled so as to rotate forward and
backward by a division swing motor 73' slidably controls the lower
clamp claw 58' in the direction (transverse direction) normal to
the direction of conveyance of the strip body 2g. The lower clamp
claw 58' is fixed onto a slide section 89, and the slide section 89
slides on the support block 68'. A slide mechanism is omitted. The
individual division mechanism is configured so as to directly
connect a drive pulley 75' of the division swing motor 73' to a
rotatable shaft 71a' by a coupling 95' to rotate the support block
68' forward and backward.
[0129] Three slender guide pieces 90 are fixed to the lower clamp
claw 58' with screws. For example, a defective product chute 92 is
formed of the central guide piece 90 and the guide piece 90
provided on the right side as viewed in the travelling direction of
the strip body 2g. The state of FIG. 15 shows the manner in which a
non-defective product chute 91 is capable of receiving each
non-defective product. The non-defective product chute 91 is
provided with a stopper 93, which is positioned onto the
non-defective product chute 91 so as to receive a semiconductor
device 1 slid within the inclined non-defective product chute
91.
[0130] Under the attitude that each defective product is accepted,
the lower clamp claw 58' is slid toward the left side as viewed in
the travelling direction of the strip body 2g. Thus, the defective
product chute 92 receives divided and fractionalized semiconductor
devices 1 as shown in FIG. 17. The defective product chute 92 is
provided with no stopper. Thus, the semiconductor devices 1, which
drop with being slid on the inclined non-defective chute 92, are
accommodated in the defective product storage box 88 as shown in
FIG. 18.
[0131] As shown in FIG. 15, the upper clamp claw 57' extends longer
than the lower clamp claw 58' in such a manner that the upper clamp
claw 57' always faces the sliding lower clamp claw 58', and has
both ends fixed to the support block 68' with screws.
[0132] FIG. 15 shows the attitude of the clamper 59' which accepts
each non-defective product, and FIG. 16 shows the state of the
clamper 59' returned to its origin position before the starting of
the individual division or after its completion. FIG. 17 shows the
attitude of the clamper 59' which accepts or takes up each
defective product, and FIG. 18 shows the state of the clamper 59'
which performs the individual division and is held in an inclined
state.
[0133] FIGS. 22(a) through 22(d) show fractionalization by the
first division and the second division in the individual division
mechanism, i.e., a method of forming each semiconductor device 1.
As shown in FIG. 22(a), a strip body 2g is positioned and placed
over the upper surface of its corresponding conveying chute
55'.
[0134] Next, as shown in FIG. 22(b), the clamper 59' is rotated by
about 120.degree. (forward-rotated) upward about the fulcrum 56a'
to perform the first division. With its rotation, a protruded
wiring board portion 2j' that protrudes from one edge (right edge)
of the conveying chute 55' is forced up by its corresponding lower
clamp claw 58' so that the portion to be divided is brought into
contact with the fulcrum 56a' of the support body 56'. As shown in
FIG. 22(c), the clamper 59' is further elevated so that bending
stress is applied to the protruded wiring board portion 2j' about
the fulcrum 56a'. Thus, the strip body 2g is perfectly divided as
described above and a division section 62' cuts into a resin layer
3a. At this time, however, a non-divided resin portion 3s' remains
in the resin layer 3a as described above and hence the strip body
2g is brought to a perfectly non-divided state. Incidentally, the
center of rotation 67' is indicated by a black circle in FIGS.
22(a) to 22(d). The center of rotation 67' overlaps the fulcrum
56a'.
[0135] Next, as shown in FIG. 22(d), the clamper 59' is rotated in
the reverse direction to allow the upper clamp claw 57' to push
down the protruded wiring board portion 2j' to perform the second
division. The clamper 59' is rotated and moved downward at an angle
of about 30.degree. about the fulcrum 56a' from its origin
position. That is, the clamper 59' is rotated by 120.degree. from
the origin position by the forward rotation and thereafter
reversely rotated by approximately 150.degree.. As a result, the
strip body 2g is brought to a state being held by the right edge of
the conveying chute 55' and the corresponding conveying claw 60' or
support body 56'. Then, the clamper 59' is further rotated in the
reverse direction so that tensile stress is applied to the
non-divided resin portion 3s' as shown in the lower right enlarged
drawing of FIG. 22(d). That is, the end faces of the divided
substrates 2a constituted of ceramic firstly collide with each
other due to bending and hence tensile stress acts on the
non-divided resin portion 3s'. Thus, the leading end of a division
section (division line) 62' continues to extend to the non-divided
resin portion 3s', whereby the non-divided resin portion 3s' is
also divided perfectly at last. The extension of the division
section (division line) 62' occurs instantaneously. Thus, each
substrate 2a results in a module substrate 2 by the individual
division, and resin layer 3a results in an encapsulating body
3.
[0136] The slide position of the lower clamp claw 58' is controlled
based on the information of the fail mark detection mechanism.
Thus, each semiconductor device 1 taken as non-defective is placed
over the non-defective product chute 91 of the lower clamp claw
58', whereas each semiconductor device 1 regarded as defective is
recovered into the defective product storage box 88.
[0137] Although only the lower clamp claw 58 has such a structure
as to slide laterally upon elimination of each product with the
fail mark in the present embodiment, both the upper clamp claw 57
and the lower clamp claw 58 may take such a structure as to slide
laterally.
[0138] The semiconductor devices 1 placed in the individual
division stage C are sequentially pick-up conveyed onto subsequent
plural stages by an individual conveying mechanism 97. In FIG. 10,
the individual conveying mechanism 97 is configured so as to cause
five arms 98 to extend on the stages, adsorb and hold the
semiconductor devices 1 under vacuum by vacuum adsorption tools
attached to portions below their leading ends although not shown in
the drawing and convey the same to the next stage.
[0139] A thickness detection mechanism is disposed in the thickness
detecting stage D. As shown in FIG. 23, a laser sensor 101a and a
photoreceptor 101b are placed at the side face of a stage 100 of
the thickness detecting stage D. The thickness of the semiconductor
device 1 placed over the stage 100 is measured according to the
irradiation of laser light 102 and the amount of light reception.
Such measured information is transmitted to a control system where
it is processed. A computing process related to it is performed by
the control system to make a decision as to a
non-defective/defective product. This information is stored. The
final stage is provided with a pickup mechanism which picks up
semiconductor devices 1 and which conveys a non-defective product
to a non-detective product storage unit and conveys a defective
product to a defective product storage unit. The thickness
detection information is also equivalent to one information which
determines by the pickup mechanism whether each product is good or
bad. If the product is determined as defective, then even ones
judged to be non-detective by other detection information are
conveyed to a defective product storage unit.
[0140] A positioning mechanism is placed in the positioning stage
E. As shown in FIG. 24, a pair of positioning claws 106, which
approaches a square-shaped semiconductor device 1 placed-over a
stage 105 of the positioning stage E and is spaced away therefrom
over one diagonal section 24 of the square semiconductor device 1,
is provided in association with the semiconductor device 1.
Recesses 107 whose bottoms are formed as right-angle recesses and
which correspond to a pair of corners of the square-shaped
semiconductor device 1, are respectively provided at the faced
leading-end surfaces of the pair of positioning claws 106. Thus,
the pair of positioning claws 106 is flexibly moved relative to the
center in association with the semiconductor device 1 placed over
the stage 105, so that the center of the semiconductor device 1 is
positioned to the center of the stage 100, whereby its positioning
is completed. Although the positioning is done by means of the pair
of two positioning claws in the present embodiment, the present
invention is not limited to it. For example, a method of performing
positioning by four positioning claws may be adopted.
[0141] A size detecting mechanism for detecting the size of each
semiconductor device is provided in the size detecting stage F. As
shown in FIG. 25 and FIGS. 26(a) through 26(c), a stage 110 of the
size detecting stage F has a detection hole 111 having a
predetermined size, which penetrates the stage 110 up and down. A
vertical shaft 112 controlled so as to move up and down is inserted
into the detection hole 111. An upper end of the vertical shaft 112
serves as a base 113, which places the semiconductor device 1
thereon.
[0142] A pocket section 114, which guides the semiconductor device
1 toward the center, is provided at the upper end portion of the
detection hole 111. The detection hole 111 serves as a hole
analogous to the semiconductor device 1, which can be inserted
through a slight clearance or gap. The detection hole 111 serves
as, for example, a hole larger by about 170 .mu.m than the designed
size of the semiconductor device 1. One, which cannot be inserted
within the detection hole 111 and is inclined within the detection
hole 111 as shown in FIG. 26(c), is judged to be defective in
size.
[0143] The pocket section 114 is formed by quadrangular
pyramid-shaped recess analogous to the semiconductor device 1 and
guides the semiconductor device 1 conveyed to the stage 111 to the
detection hole 111.
[0144] The stage 110 is shaped in the form of a cylindrical body
whose upper portion becomes thin over two stages. At an upper
cylindrical section 115 of the upper stage, a plurality of
light-transmitted holes 116 are provided so as to intersect the
detection hole 111. In FIGS. 26(a) to 26(c), three
light-transmitted holes 116 are provided. Projectors (light
emitters) 117 are provided at the outer ones of the respective
light-transmitted holes, whereas photodetectors 119 which receive
light 118 emitted from the projectors 117, are provided at the
outer others thereof. One light-transmitted hole 111 is provided in
one direction, and two light-transmitted holes 111 are provided in
parallel in the direction normal to it, thereby enhancing
reliability of size detection. The projectors 117 and the
photodetectors 119 are mounted above mounting holes 121 defined in
the middle cylindrical section 120. Power supply lines 117a and
119a connected to the projectors 117 and the photodetectors 119 are
connected to a control system such as a predetermined controller
through the mounting holes 121.
[0145] Upon size detection, the semiconductor device 1 is conveyed
to the pocket section 114 of the size detecting stage 110. As shown
in FIG. 26(a), the vertical shaft 112 that accepts the
semiconductor device 1 is elevated and stops at a predetermined
height, where its upper end is positioned to the lower portion of
the pocket section 114. Therefore, the semiconductor device 1
conveyed within the pocket section 114 is guided to the pocket
section 114, so that the semiconductor device 1 is placed over the
upper end of the vertical shaft 112.
[0146] Next, as shown in FIG. 26(b), the vertical shaft 112 is
lowered to a predetermined height (reference position). In this
state, the light 118 passes over the semiconductor device 1 in the
case of the semiconductor device 1 placed closely over the flat
base 113 of the vertical shaft 112. Therefore, the light 118 can be
received by the corresponding photodetector 119. This
light-receivable state is defined as a non-defective product. When
the semiconductor device 1 cannot be inserted into the detection
hole 111 and is inclined over the base 113 as shown in FIG. 26(c),
the light 118 emitted from the corresponding projector 117 is
struck on the semiconductor device 1 and does not reach the
corresponding photodetector 119. This results in size defective
information.
[0147] Measured information about the size is conveyed to the
control system where it is processed. A computing process related
to it is performed by the control system to make a decision as to a
non-defective/defective product. This information is stored. This
results in designation information which sorts the
non-defective/defective products by the pickup mechanism which
picks up the semiconductor device 1 at the final stage. Thus, the
size detection information is also equivalent to one information
which determines by the pickup mechanism whether each product is
good or bad. If the product is determined as defective, then even
ones judged to be non-detective by other detection information are
conveyed to a defective product storage unit.
[0148] The pickup mechanism is disposed over the size detecting
stage F, the non-defective product holding stage G and the
defective product holding stage H. The pickup mechanism is
configured so as to convey the held semiconductor device 1 to the
non-defective product storage unit of the non-defective holding
stage G or the defective product storage unit of the defective
product holding stage H on the basis of information about whether
the flatness of the semiconductor device 1 picked up by the size
detecting stage F is good or bad, based on the detection of its
flatness by a pickup mechanism to be described later, and go/no-go
information of the thickness detection/size detection.
[0149] As shown in FIG. 27, a pickup mechanism 124 has a tool
(nozzle) 125 which vacuum-adsorbs a semiconductor device 1 onto its
lower end surface. The tool 125 is three-dimensionally moved and
controlled by a drive unit 126 as shown in FIG. 10. That is, the
tool 125 is attached to a leading lower surface of an arm 127
corresponding to part of the drive unit 126. The arm 127 is
three-dimensionally moved by the drive unit 126. As shown in FIG.
27, a tubing or pipe arrangement 128 is connected to the tool 125
and a vacuum source 129 is connected to the tubing 128. A
solenoid-operated valve 130, which performs an on/off operation by
the control system, and a flow throttle valve 131 are connected to
the midway points of the tubing 128 in a communicating state. A
digital vacuum meter 132, which measures the degree of vacuum in
the tool 125, is connected to the tubing 128 between the
solenoid-operated valve 130 and the tool 125.
[0150] When the semiconductor device 1 is picked up at the size
detecting stage F, the degree of vacuum in the tool 125 is
measured. In FIG. 27, the stage 10 of the size detecting stage F is
simply indicated by a line. The tool 125 adsorbs and holds under
vacuum the surface side of an encapsulating body 3 formed of a
resin, of the semiconductor device 1. Therefore, the degree of
vacuum measured by the digital vacuum meter 132 varies greatly in
the case of such a silicone resin that its surface is undulated or
waved.
[0151] FIGS. 28(a) and 28(b) are typical views showing a vacuum
adsorbed state of a product judged as a non-defective product by
the pickup mechanism 124 and the state of flatness of the surface
of an encapsulating body 3. FIG. 28(b) shows the flatness at a
predetermined thickness of the encapsulating body 3. The difference
between a low spot and a high spot is less than or equal to 100
.mu.m. Incidentally, the sizes a and b of the encapsulating body 3
in FIG. 28(b) are a =7 mm and b 7 mm, for example.
[0152] When the flatness of the surface of a silicone resin,
corresponding to the surface of the encapsulating body 3 is
satisfactory as shown in FIG. 28(b) where a semiconductor device 1
is adsorbed under vacuum by the vacuum adsorption surface of the
lower end of the tool 125, a ring 125a formed of an elastic body,
which is lying in the vacuum adsorption surface, contacts the
encapsulating body 3 substantially over the full circumference, and
vacuum leakage is less reduced, thereby enhancing the degree of
vacuum (pressure of vacuum) in the tool 125.
[0153] FIGS. 29(a) and 29(b) are typical views showing a vacuum
adsorbed state of a product judged as a defective product by the
pickup mechanism 124 and the state of flatness of the surface of an
encapsulating body 3. FIG. 29(b) shows the flatness at a
predetermined thickness of the encapsulating body 3. The difference
between a low spot and a high spot reaches 150 .mu.m.
[0154] When the flatness of the surface of a silicone resin,
corresponding to the surface of the encapsulating body 3 is not
satisfactory as shown in FIG. 29(b) where a semiconductor device 1
is adsorbed under vacuum by the vacuum adsorption surface of the
lower end of the tool 125, some of a ring 125a is not brought into
contact with the encapsulating body 3 and a gap 133 defined
therebetween also becomes large. Thus, atmosphere air flows into
the tool 125 so that the degree of vacuum (pressure of vacuum) in
the tool 125 is reduced.
[0155] Therefore, the degree of vacuum in the tool 125 is measured.
Information about the measured degree of vacuum is sent to the
control system. The control system judges the semiconductor device
1 as a flatness defective product where the degree of vacuum is a
degree of vacuum less than the predetermined reference degree of
vacuum, judges the semiconductor device 1 as a non-defective
product where the degree of vacuum is a degree of vacuum greater
than or equal to the reference degree of vacuum, and controls the
pickup mechanism based on the results of judgements referred to
above.
[0156] On the other hand, a tray 135 is placed in the non-defective
product holding stage G as a non-defective product storage unit. A
defective product storage box 136 is placed in the defective
product holding stage H as a defective product storage unit. Thus,
when any of the thickness detection information, size detection
information and flatness detection information is regarded as
defective, the pickup mechanism 124 conveys the corresponding
semiconductor device 1 to the defective product storage box 136
under the control of the control system. When all the information
are judged as satisfactory, the corresponding semiconductor device
1 is accommodated in the tray 125 as a non-defective product. As
shown in FIG. 10, a rack 138 for holding or accommodating the tray
135 is placed in the non-defective product holding stage G. The
tray 135 is pitch-fed from the rack to a non-defective product
storage position. When the tray 135 becomes full, it is delivered
to a tray recovery table 139. The tray 135 lying on the tray
recovery table 139 is transferred to a predetermined location.
[0157] According to the first embodiment, the following
advantageous effects are brought about.
[0158] (1) A resin layer 3a formed by printing of a silicone resin
is printed and thereafter subjected to defoaming processing and
curing processing (bake processing). A heavy substance such as a
filler contained in a resin at the defoaming processing long in
processing time sinks from the upper surface side to the substrate
(wiring board) 2a side at its lower surface. As a result, the
surface of the resin layer 3a is brought to a layer of a resin
component hard to tear off. Thus, a compression force merely acts
on the layer of the resin component in the surface layer of the
resin layer 3a even if the substrate 2a is divided, in the case of
such a division that the substrate 2a is folded back to the resin
layer 3a side. Therefore, the resin portion remains without the
division of the substrate 2a (non-divided resin portion remains).
In a dividing method and a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus
according to the present invention, a protruded wiring board
portion 2j of a wiring board (substrate 2a, strip body 2g) formed
of ceramic is forced up (upper swing) by means of a lower clamp
claw 58 of a clamper 59, and some of the protruded wiring board
portion 2j is pressed against a support body to carry out a first
division under bending stress. Thereafter, the upward-located
clamper 59 is rotatably swung (lower swing) downward to allow an
upper clamp claw 57 to press down the protruded wiring board
portion 2j, thereby performing a reverse-division at the first
division section again as a second division. Since the second
division allows a tensile force to act on a remaining and thin
non-divided resin portion 3s, the non-divided resin portion 3s is
torn off. Thus, the perfect division is enabled. Fractionalizing is
done by a one-row division and an individual division so that each
semiconductor device 1 is manufactured.
[0159] (2) In the one-row division and the individual division, the
division position of each wiring board is determined at a fulcrum
56a, and division positions (division lines) are determined by
division grooves 2p defined in the wiring board. Therefore, it is
possible to make constant the size of a finally-formed
semiconductor device 1. Thus, the reliability of mounting at users
is enhanced.
[0160] (3) Since the cut residual of the resin layer 3a is set to
less than or equal to 0.1 mm upon the upper swing, the wiring board
can be separated without applying a load than required to the
wiring board upon the lower swing. Accordingly, a resin package
product stable even in view of the quality can be provided.
[0161] (4) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to
the present embodiment has a structure in which the clamper 59 that
forces up the protruded wiring board portion 2j or presses down the
protruded wiring board portion 2j do not hold the protruded wiring
board portion 2j with the protruded wiring board portion 2j being
directly pinched thereby. Although the wiring board placed over the
conveying chute 55 is also held with being interposed between the
conveying chute 55 and the fulcrum 56a of the support body 56, no
electronic part exists in this division section. Owing to these,
the division can be performed without damaging the wiring board and
mounting parts, and hence a resin package product excellent in
quality can be provided.
[0162] According to the first embodiment as apparent from the above
(1) through (4), a failure in division is hard to occur, and a high
reliable semiconductor device can be provided. It is also possible
to achieve yield enhancement. As a result, a semiconductor device
excellent in quality can be provided at low cost. It is possible to
provide, for example, a semiconductor device for a cellular
phone.
[0163] (5) In the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according
to the first embodiment, a pickup mechanism 124, which conveys
products brought to semiconductor devices 1 by being fractionized,
vacuum-adsorbs and holds a semiconductor device 1 at a final stage
by a tool 125 but measures the degree of vacuum in its held state.
Then, the pickup mechanism 124 is controlled based on information
about the degree of vacuum. When the measured degree of vacuum is
greater than or equal to the reference degree of vacuum, the pickup
mechanism 124 conveys the semiconductor devices 1 to the
corresponding non-defective product storage unit. When the degree
of vacuum is less than the reference degree of vacuum, the pickup
mechanism 124 conveys the semiconductor devices 1 to the
corresponding defective product storage unit. Thus, only products
in each of which the flatness of the surface of an encapsulating
body 3 is satisfactory, can be shipmented. As a result, the pickup
of each semiconductor device 1 is done reliably upon the work of
mounting of the semiconductor device 1 by a user, thus making it
possible to carry out satisfactory mounting.
[0164] (6) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to
the present embodiment has an excellent feature in that a substrate
2a whose surface is provided with a fail mark in a state being
formed with a resin layer 3a, is detected in a state of a strip
body 2g, and when the strip body 2g is divided and fractionalized,
the fractionalized ones can be selected and eliminated.
[0165] (7) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to
the present embodiment has another excellent feature in that since
the thickness of each individualized semiconductor device 1 can be
detected and each defective product can be eliminated by the pickup
mechanism 124, only non-defective products can be accommodated into
the tray 135.
[0166] (8) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to
the present embodiment has a further excellent feature in that
since the size of each individualized semiconductor device 1 can be
detected and each defective product can be eliminated by the pickup
mechanism 124, only non-defective products can be accommodated in
the tray 135.
[0167] (9) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to
the present embodiment is capable of accurately and reliably
dividing the substrate 2a and the strip body 2g. Semiconductor
devices 1 with fail marks attached thereto in advance can be
eliminated upon fractionalization. Further, the pickup mechanism
124 is capable of performing defective product elimination, based
on thickness detection information, size detection information and
flatness detection information detected at respective detecting
stages. Thus, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according
to the present embodiment has a still further excellent feature in
that a semiconductor device 1 excellent in quality can be
manufactured with high yields.
[0168] (10) The implementation of automatic division enables mass
production of resin package products, makes it easy to enlarge a
mounting area around a substrate and adapt to its size, and makes
it possible to adapt to a size reduction and package
diversification.
[0169] (11) With the use of the semiconductor manufacturing
apparatus according to the first embodiment, the manufacture of a
low elastic resin-sealed product can also be established which is
capable of preventing a short caused by re-melting of solder within
the encapsulating body 3 upon secondary mounting by customers.
[0170] (12) With the use of the semiconductor manufacturing
apparatus according to the first embodiment, it is possible to
improve the quality of a semiconductor device and reduce the
machining cost thereof.
[0171] (13) With the use of the semiconductor manufacturing
apparatus according to the first embodiment, a high frequency
module product can also be reduced in cost.
[0172] (14) With the use of the semiconductor manufacturing
apparatus according to the first embodiment, TAT (Turn around Time:
product development period) can be shortened.
[0173] (15) Laser- or dicing-based division involves the problem
that a cut section becomes white due to the fly-off and adhesion of
cuttings or chips and the cutting of contained silica. In contrast,
the present embodiment is capable of obtaining a clean divided
surface.
Second Preferred Embodiment
[0174] A second embodiment shows an example in which in a
semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, the division of a wiring
board is made satisfactory and the position to divide the wiring
board can be set accurately. FIGS. 30(a) and 30(b) is a typical
view illustrating a cutting mechanism for cutting a substrate
covered with a resin layer and its cut state.
[0175] As described in the first embodiment, the surface of the
resin layer 3a formed by printing is low in flatness due to an
undulation or the like. When the undulation is large, a resin layer
3a is not brought into contact with a fulcrum 56a of a support body
56 when a protruded wiring board portion 2j of a substrate 2a is
forced up, and a top portion 142 of an undulation 141 comes into
contact with the lower surface of the support body 56, as shown in
FIG. 31. It has turned out that since the position to which a
dividing force is applied, does not correspond to the position of
the fulcrum 56a in such a case, the division does not necessarily
start from the position of each division groove 2p even if the
division groove 2p is located substantially directly below the
fulcrum 56a, thereby causing the fear that the division position is
not specified.
[0176] The second embodiment shows the technique of resolving the
above failure in division. In the second embodiment, the support
body 56 is configured such that a lower surface thereof provided
face-to-face to a conveying chute 55 becomes a flat surface as
shown in FIG. 30(a). A protruding strip body 143, which protrudes
toward the conveying chute 55, is provided at the right end of the
lower surface of the support body 56. The protruding strip body 143
takes such a tapered section that it becomes thin gradually
downward. The protruding strip body 143 is made wide so as to be
capable of linearly contacting and supporting a wide substrate 2a
and a strip body 2g for the purpose of their division. The leading
edge of the protruding strip body 143 forms a fulcrum 56a.
[0177] According to such a division mechanism, when a clamper 59 is
swung upward as shown in FIG. 30(b), a lower clamp claw 58 forces
up a protruded wiring board portion 2j. With its upper swing, the
fulcrum 56a corresponding to the leading end of the protruding
strip body 143 is first brought into contact with the surface of a
resin layer 3a. Since the leading end of the protruding strip body
143 is sharp, the protruding strip body 143 is engaged in the resin
layer 3a in some degree. However, the position where it is engaged
therein, corresponds to such a position as to face each division
groove 2p. Therefore, division can be performed at the division
grooves 2p accurately and reliably. Thus, the size of a
semiconductor device 1 is always kept constant.
[0178] As is understood from the above description, the protruded
length of the protruding strip body 143 is set to such a length
that the surface of the resin layer 3a is not brought into contact
with the lower surface of the support body 56 in a state in which
the leading end of the protruding strip body 143 has been brought
into contact with the grooves (division grooves) 2p and engaged
therein.
[0179] FIG. 32 shows a modification of the second embodiment of the
present invention. The present example serves as a mechanism
considered in such a manner that one surface of a protruding
surface of a protruding strip body 143 is set to a surface normal
to an upper surface of a conveying chute 55, and the top or
protruding portion of an undulation of a resin layer 3a is made
hard to contact a lower surface of a support body 56 connected to
its vertical surface 144 and the vertical surface 144, thereby
carrying out partition satisfactorily.
[0180] While the invention made above by the present inventors has
been explained specifically based on the embodiments, the present
invention is not limited to the embodiments. It is needless to say
that various changes can be made thereto within the scope not
departing from the gist thereof.
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