Method of bonding a microelectronic die to a substrate and arrangement to carry out method

1. A method of bonding a die to a substrate of a die-substrate combination to form a microelectronic package comprising:

providing the die-substrate combination including a die, a substrate, pre-connection bumps and an underfill material, the pre-connection bumps and underfill material being disposed between the die and the substrate;

forming joints from the pre-connection bumps at a joint formation site to obtain an intermediate package;

curing the underfill material of the intermediate package at an underfill curing site to obtain the microelectronic package;

using a conveying device to transfer the intermediate package from the joint formation site to the underfill curing site; and

applying heat energy to the intermediate package during at least part of a transfer thereof from the joint formation site to the underfill curing site to control a temperature of the intermediate package.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying heat energy comprises using a traveling heater arrangement including:

a traveling heater; and

a traveling heater moving mechanism coupled to the traveling heater and adapted to guide the traveling heater adjacent the intermediate package during said at least part of a transfer thereof.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the traveling heater moving mechanism comprises a traveling heater track.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein applying heat energy comprises using a heater motion control system operatively coupled to the heater to control a motion of the heater adjacent the intermediate package during said at least part of a transfer thereof.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein applying heat energy comprises using a sensor coupled to the traveling heater to sense a speed and a position of the traveling heater during said at least part of a transfer of the intermediate package, the motion control system further being adapted to control the motion of the heater as a function of feedback from the sensor.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying heat energy comprises applying heat energy to control the temperature of the intermediate package in a range above a critical temperature thereof.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the critical temperature is about 180 degrees Celsius.

8. The method of claim 2 , wherein applying heat energy comprises using a heating control system coupled to the heater to control a heat energy of the traveling heater directed at the intermediate package.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein applying heat energy comprises using a sensor coupled to the heater to sense a heat energy thereof directed at the intermediate package, the heating control system further being adapted to control the heat energy of the traveling heater as a function of feedback from the sensor.

10. The method of claim 2 , wherein the traveling heater comprises at least one of an infrared heater, a convection heater, an inductive heater, a conduction heater, an ultraviolet heater and a ceramic heater.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the joint formation site includes a thermal compression bonder.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the underfill curing site includes a cure oven.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising bonding a plurality of die to a plurality of substrates of corresponding die-substrate combinations to form respective microelectronic packages therefrom, wherein:

forming joints comprises forming joints to obtain a plurality of intermediate packages from each of the corresponding die-substrate combinations;

curing comprises curing underfill material from each of the plurality of intermediate packages to obtain respective microelectronic packages therefrom;

using a conveying device comprises transferring the plurality of intermediate packages from the joint formation site to the underfill curing site on a carrier; and

applying heat energy comprises applying heat energy to the plurality of intermediate packages during at least part of a transfer thereof from the joint formation site to the underfill curing site.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pre-connection bumps comprise pre-solder bumps.

15. The method of claim 2 , wherein the traveling heater moving mechanism is adapted to guide the traveling heater at least one of above, to a side and below the intermediate package during said at least part of a transfer thereof.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein said at least part of a transfer of the intermediate package comprises an entire transfer of the intermediate package.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying heat energy comprises using a heated tunnel encompassing at least part of the conveying device to control a temperature of the intermediate package during said at least part of a transfer thereof.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying heat energy comprises using a heater to heat the conveying device to control a temperature of the intermediate package during said at least part of a transfer thereof.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein applying heat energy comprises using a heater to heat the carrier to control a temperature of the plurality of intermediate packages during said at least part of a transfer thereof.

20. An arrangement to bond a die to a substrate of a die-substrate combination to form a microelectronic package, the die-substrate combination including a die, a substrate, pre-connection bumps and an underfill material, the bumps and the underfill material being disposed between the die and the substrate, the arrangement comprising:

a joint formation site comprising a device to form joints between the die and the substrate from the pre-connection bumps to yield an intermediate package;

an underfill curing site comprising a device to cure the underfill material of the intermediate package to yield the microelectronic package;

a conveying device disposed to transfer the intermediate package from the joint formation site to the underfill curing site; and

a device to apply heat energy to the intermediate package during at least part of a transfer thereof from the joint formation site to the underfill curing site to control a temperature of the intermediate package.

21. The arrangement of claim 20 , wherein the joint formation site comprises a thermal compression bonder.

22. The arrangement of claim 20 , wherein the underfill curing site comprises a cure oven.

23. The arrangement of claim 20 , wherein the conveying device comprises a conveyor.

24. The arrangement of claim 20 , wherein a device to apply heat energy comprises a traveling heater arrangement including:

a traveling heater; and

a traveling heater moving mechanism coupled to the traveling heater and adapted to guide the traveling heater adjacent the intermediate package during said at least part of a transfer thereof.

25. The arrangement of claim 24 , wherein the traveling heater moving mechanism comprises a traveling heater track.

26. The arrangement of claim 24 , wherein the traveling heater moving mechanism comprises a heater motion control system operatively coupled to the heater to control a motion of the heater adjacent the intermediate package during said at least part of a transfer thereof.

27. The arrangement of claim 26 , wherein the heater motion control system comprises a sensor coupled to the traveling heater to sense a speed and a position of the traveling heater during said at least part of a transfer of the intermediate package, the motion control system further being adapted to control the motion of the heater as a function of feedback from the sensor.

28. The arrangement of claim 24 , wherein the traveling heater arrangement further comprises a heating control system coupled to the heater to control a heat energy of the traveling heater directed at the intermediate package.

29. The arrangement of claim 27 , wherein the heating control system comprises a sensor coupled to the heater to sense a heat energy thereof directed at the intermediate package, the heating control system further being adapted to control the heat energy of the traveling heater as a function of feedback from the sensor.

30. The arrangement of claim 20 , wherein the device to apply heat energy comprises at least one of a heated tunnel encompassing at least part of the conveying device and a heater to heat the conveying device to control a temperature of the intermediate package during said at least part of a transfer thereof.