Methods and systems for imaging and cutting semiconductor wafers and other semiconductor workpieces
Methods and systems for imaging and cutting semiconductor wafers and other microelectronic device substrates are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a system for singulating microelectronic devices from a substrate includes an X-ray imaging system having an X-ray source spaced apart from an X-ray detector. The X-ray source can emit a beam of X-rays through the substrate and onto the X-ray detector, and X-ray detector can generate an X-ray image of at least a portion of the substrate. A method in accordance with another embodiment includes detecting spacing information for irregularly spaced dies of a semiconductor workpiece. The method can further include automatically controlling a process for singulating the dies of the semiconductor workpiece, based at least in part on the spacing information. For example, individual dies can be singulated from a workpiece via non-straight line cuts and/or multiple cutter passes.
1. A system for cutting a semiconductor wafer having multiple dies arranged in a two-dimensional array, the semiconductor wafer having a layer of material obscuring at least one alignment feature from detection by a visual or infrared imaging system, the system comprising:
means for positioning the semiconductor wafer between an X-ray source and an X-ray detector;
means for directing X-rays from the X-ray source through the layer of obscuring material on the semiconductor wafer proximate to the alignment feature;
means for detecting at least a portion of the X-rays passing through the layer of obscuring material with the X-ray detector to generate an X-ray image of the alignment feature;
means for automatically determining if any of the dies are misaligned relative to neighboring dies in the two-dimensional array, based at least in part on the X-ray image of the alignment feature; and
means for controlling the path of a wafer cutting device based at least in part on the X-ray image of the alignment feature, wherein if an individual die is misaligned relative to a neighboring die, the means for controlling controls the path of the wafer cutting device to automatically singulate the individual die from the two-dimensional array.
2. A system for cutting a semiconductor wafer, the semiconductor wafer having a layer of material obscuring at least one alignment feature from detection by a visual or infrared imaging system, the system comprising:
means for positioning the semiconductor wafer between an X-ray source and an X-ray detector, wherein the means for positioning include means for positioning the semiconductor wafer on a wafer chuck that supports the X-ray detector;
means for directing X-rays from the X-ray source through the layer of obscuring material on the semiconductor wafer proximate to the alignment feature;
means for detecting at least a portion of the X-ray passing through the layer of obscuring material with the X-ray detector to generate an X-ray image of the alignment feature; and
means for controlling the path of a wafer cutting device based at least in part on the X-ray image of the alignment feature.
3. A system for cutting a semiconductor wafer, the semiconductor wafer having a layer of material obscuring at least one alignment feature from detection by a visual or infrared imaging system, the system comprising:
means for positioning the semiconductor wafer between an X-ray source and an X-ray detector;
means for directing X-rays from the X-ray source through the layer of obscuring material on the semiconductor wafer proximate to the alignment feature;
means for directing X-ray from the X-ray source through the layer of obscuring material on the semiconductor wafer proximate to the alignment feature;
means for detecting at least a portion of the X-rays passing through the layer of obscuring material with the X-rays detector to generate an X-ray image of the alignment feature; and
means for controlling the path of wafer cutting device based at least in part on the X-ray image of the alignment feature, wherein the means for positioning include means for positioning the semiconductor wafer in a first position, and wherein the mean for controlling the path of a wafer cutting device include means for controlling the path of the wafer cutting device while it cuts the wafer in a second position spaced apart from the first position.
4. A system for cutting a semiconductor wafer, the semiconductor wafer having a layer of material obscuring at least one alignment feature from detection by a visual or infrared imaging system, the system comprising:
means for positioning the semiconductor wafer between an X-ray source and an X-ray detector;
means for directing X-rays from the X-ray source through the layer of obscuring material on the semiconductor wafer proximate to the alignment feature;
means for detecting at least a portion of the X-ray passing through the layer of obscuring material with the X-Ray detector to generate an x-ray image of the alignment feature;
means for determining the position of the alignment feature relative to a know datum based at least in part on the X-ray image of the alignment feature; and
means for controlling the path of a wafer cutting device based at least in part on the X-ray image of the alignment feature.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the means for controlling the path of a wafer cutting device include means for controlling the path of the wafer cutting devise based at least in part on the position of the alignment feature relative to the know datum.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein the means for positioning the semiconductor wafer between an X-ray source and an X-ray detector include means for positioning the semiconductor wafer on a wafer chuck that supports the X-ray detector.
7. The system of claim 1 wherein the means for positioning the semiconductor wafer between an X-ray source and an X-ray detector include means for positioning the semiconductor wafer in a first position, and wherein the means for controlling the path of a wafer cutting device include means for controlling the path of the wafer cutting device while it cuts the wafer in a second position spaced apart from the first position.
8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising means for determining the position of the alignment feature relative to a known datum based at least in part on the X-ray image of the alignment feature.
9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising means for determining the position of the alignment feature relative to a known datum based at least in part on the X-ray image of the alignment feature, wherein the means for controlling the path of a wafer cutting device include means for controlling the path of the wafer cutting device based at least in part on the position of the alignment feature relative to the known datum.
10. The system of claim 2 wherein the means for controlling include means for controlling the path of the wafer cutting device while it cuts the semiconductor wafer on the wafer chuck.
11. The system of claim 3 wherein the semiconductor wafer has multiple dies arranged in a two-dimensional array, and wherein the means for controlling include means for controlling the path of the wafer cutting device to cut around a periphery of an individual die and separate the die from the semiconductor wafer.
12. The system of claim 3 wherein the semiconductor wafer has multiple microelectronic devices, and wherein the means for controlling include means for controlling the path of the wafer cutting device to cut around a periphery of an individual microelectronic device and leave an approximately even distribution of fill material around the periphery of the microelectronic device.
13. The system of claim 4 wherein the semiconductor wafer has multiple microelectronic devices, and wherein the means for controlling include means for controlling the path of the wafer cutting device to cut around a periphery of an individual microelectronic device and leave an approximately even distribution of fill material around the periphery of the microelectronic device.
14. The system of claim 4 wherein the means for controlling include means for controlling the path of a laser cutting device based at least in part on the X-ray image of the alignment feature.
15. The system of claim 4 wherein the means for controlling include means for controlling the path of a water jet cutting device based at least in part on the X-ray image of the alignment feature.
16. The system of claim 4 wherein the means for controlling include means for controlling the path of a blade cutter based at least in part on the X-ray image of the alignment feature.