Pick and Place
Pick & Place - The Concept
Careful die handling is paramount to maintain overall quality and good die
yields from the wafer once it has been sawn. Due to the delicate nature of the
product (particularly on the active side of the die), using a Pick and Place
machine allows us to apply the absolute minimum contact and relative force
required to remove die from the foil ring frame after saw. Although there are
circumstances where a degree of manual removal is necessary it is always
preferable to opt for an automated process by using a Pick & Place machine as
the possibility mechanical damage to the die is greatly reduced. Pick & Place
automation is also necessary to deal with high volumes and enables us to offer
fast output turn-arounds which are simply not possible otherwise. A good example
to use would be a small transistor, even our most dextrous and experienced clean
room operative could not hope to manually remove 1,750 die in an hour! Lastly,
the use of an automatic Pick and place machine also enables us to guarantee 100%
die orientation, this ensures complete compatibility with end customer equipment
where once again high-speed production is required.
Pick & Place - The Process
The sawn wafer remains on the ring frame and is fixed to a plate in the centre
of the Pick & Place machine. The foil supporting the sawn wafer is now stretched
to increase the space between each die. The operator manually adjusts the X & Y
co-ordinates to centre on a die by viewing it on a magnified screen. The actual
die are removed from the foil through the use of single or multiple ejector pins
which push up from under the foil and release the die by applying pressure to
the backside. To collect the raised die, a vacuum powered mechanical arm sweeps
across, picks up the die and releases it into the appropriate carrier. Although
the Pick & Place machine requires expert calibration to set-up, once this is
done an operator can systematically remove the die one by one from the foil and
deposit them into their chosen output carrier very quickly.
Pick & Place - Capabilities
- 2x DE35i Manual Pick & Place
- 1x System A45 Automatic die handling pick and place system
- Capable of traying 5000 bare die per hour
- Offers improved die handling - enhance die yield - ensure die reliability
- Delicate die handling
- Up to 8" (200mm) wafer diameter capability
- Picks die from 0.008" to over 0.6" sq.
- Safe handling of 'bumped' die for 'flip-chip' applications
- Die can be sorted into waffle or vacuum-release (Gelpack) trays
- Automatic die orientation
- Fast turn-around for volume orders