Abstract: An apparatus for breaking a wafer into individual devices. An anvil 100 is pressed against a flexible membrane 304 on which a wafer 300 is attached. A vacuum is applied to the anvil 100 which allows the flexible membrane 304 and the wafer 300 to be pressed against the face of the anvil 100. As the flexible membrane 304 is deformed against the anvil 100, the wafer 300 breaks into individual devices 302. Dicing debris that is created when the wafer 300 is broken falls into a base fixture 408 so that the debris does not contact and damage the devices 302.

Abstract: An apparatus for breaking a wafer into individual devices, and a method of using the same. An anvil 100 is pressed against a flexible membrane 304 on which a wafer 300 is attached. A vacuum is applied to the anvil 100 which allows the flexible membrane 304 and the wafer 300 to be pressed against the face of the anvil 100. As the flexible membrane 304 is deformed against the anvil 100, the wafer 300 breaks into individual devices 302. Dicing debris that is created when the wafer 300 is broken falls into a base fixture 408 so that the debris does not contact and damage the devices 302.

Abstract: A process for partially sawing the streets on semiconductor wafers. After sawing the streets can be covered by a protective material, and then the wafer continues its processing as before. After the wafer is broken, the protective material may or may not be removed. Additionally, the wafer may be broken into individual chips using a wedge piece that has a number of individual wedges on it, where the individual wedges press against the partially sawn streets, causing the wafer to break.

Abstract: A method is provided for forming a thermally enhanced molded cavity package of a type which includes a lid and which is for housing a microcircuit chip. The molded package includes a heat spreader and a lead frame. The method includes the steps of attaching the lead frame to one surface of the heat spreader. A mold press is secured or clamped to-the lead frame and to the opposite surface of the heat spreader. Molding compound is injected into the press to form the package body having an upper and a lower section. During molding, a cavity is provided in the package body having the first surface of the heat spreader as a cavity floor and a lid seat is constructed in the upper section of the package body for maintaining a lid received thereon substantially parallel with respect to the cavity floor. The heat spreader is bonded to at least one of the package body sections and to at least one of the leads of the lead frame.

Abstract: A method for electrically connecting integrated circuit copper-gold ball bond that connect a bond wire (18) with a bond pad (14) forms a palladium layer (16) in the electrical connection between the bond wire (18) and the bond pad (14). The connection avoids excessive stresses that arise from intermetallic formations between the bond wire (18) and the bond pad (14).

Abstract: Active sites (18) on a semiconductor wafer (14) are protected from particulate and fluid contaminants (40,42)while the wafer (14) is sawed into chips (16) by a tape (62) carrying a pattern of adhesive (64) which is congruent and registerable with saw paths (15) between the active sites (18). Adhering the tape (62) to the wafer (14) encapsulates each active site (18) beneath a non-adherent protective envelope which if formed by adhesive-free portions (68) of the tape (62) as sawing occurs along the saw paths (15) and the congruent adhesive pattern (64). After sawing, the adhesive (64) is treated, as by directing UV through the tape (62), to release the tape (62) from the chips (16).

Abstract: A process for partially sawing the streets on semiconductor wafers. After sawing the streets can be covered by a protective material, and then the wafer continues its processing as before. After the wafer is broken, the protective material may or may not be removed. Additionally, the wafer may be broken into individual chips using a wedge piece that has a number of individual wedges on it, where the individual wedges press against the partially sawn streets, causing the wafer to break.

Abstract: An (10) and method is provided for bonding wire (12) to the bond sites (28) of integrated circuits (14). In preferred embodiments gold wire (12) is bonded to aluminum bond pad (28). Apparatus (10) includes a high frequency ultrasonic energy source (20) designed to provide ultrasonic energy at frequencies above about 125 kHz. The ultrasonic energy is imparted to the bonding interface (32) via transducer (18) and capillary (16). The transducer is modified in length and tool clamp point (40) is sited on transducer (18) so that the wavelength of the high frequency ultrasonic energy is at the antinodal point in its application to interface (32) and thus is optimized. In the preferred embodiments of the process the ultrasonic energy is applied at about 350 kHz at ambient temperature. In this fashion, the bond formed between bond end (30) and bond pad (28) is optimized in terms of shear strength, bonding time and processing temperatures.

Abstract: An apparatus (10) and method is provided for bonding wire (12) to the bond sites (28) of integrated circuits (14). In preferred embodiments a bond end (30) on gold wire (12) is bonded to aluminum bond pad (28). Apparatus (10) includes a high frequency ultrasonic energy source (20) designed to provide ultrasonic energy at frequencies from about 100 kHz to about 125 kHz. The ultrasonic energy is imparted to the bonding interface (32) via transducer (18) and capillary (16). The transducer (18) is modified in length and tool clamp point (40) is sited on transducer (18) so that the high frequency ultrasonic energy is at the antinodal point in its application to interface (32) and thus is optimized. In preferred embodiments of the process, the ultrasonic energy is applied at about 114 kHz. In this fashion, the bond formed between bond end (30) and bond pad (28) is optimized in terms of shear strength, bonding time and processing temperatures.

Abstract: A linear, direct-drive microelectronic bonding apparatus (10) provides a bondhead mounting plate (20), a stationary magnetic circuit (21), a moving coil (22), a primary wire clamp housing (23), a transducer mount (24), and a high frequency ultrasonic transducer (25) (above 100 kHz), and a capillary (26). Bondhead assembly (16) is configured to present a collective axial wire path bore (27) along which wire (12) is fed to bond site (28) for forming microelectronic bond interconnections at bond site (28). In accordance with the invention, collective wire path bore (27) provides a protected method of feeding wire (12) to bonding site (28), while magnetic circuit (21) and moving coil (22) provide actuation in a substantially linear downward direction towards the bonding site. In contradistinction, prior art bonding strokes, rather than being substantially linear, are arc-like due to the capillary and transducer being perpendicular to one another.

Abstract: An apparatus (10) and method is provided for bonding wire (12) to the bond sites (28) of integrated circuits. In preferred embodiments gold wire (12) is bonded to aluminum bond pad (28). Apparatus (10) includes a high frequency ultrasonic energy source (20) designed to provide ultrasonic energy at frequencies above about 100 kHz causing the interface temperature required for adequate bonding to be greatly reduced. Heating element (19) applies thermal energy to interface (32) via capillary (16) and transducer (18). Therefore, according to the invention, less thermal energy is required from heater block (22) which is heating interface (32) via IC (14) and leadframe (15). In this fashion, leadframe (15) is maintained at a lesser temperature than in the prior art. Since leadframe (15) is at a lesser temperature, it can be plated with a material having a lower melting point (e.g. tin or solder). In preferred embodiments, leadframe (15) is substantially plated with tin (melting point 185.degree. C.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a wire bonding capillary having a body with a cylindrical upper portion and a contiguous lower tip portion, the tip portion having an exterior inward taper and an internal bore extending through the body, the bore having a first substantially constant cross sectional region extending through the cylindrical portion, a second inwardly tapering region contiguous to the first region, a third substantially constant cross sectional region contiguous to the second region, a fourth outwardly tapering region contiguous to the third region and a fifth outwardly tapered region contiguous to the fourth region having greater outward taper than the fourth region.