Methods of prototyping and manufacturing with cleanspace fabricators

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10651063-B2
Application number	US-201615241419-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2016
Priority date	Jun 18, 2005
Publication date	May 12, 2020
Grant date	May 12, 2020

Abstract

The present invention provides various aspects for processing multiple types of substrates within cleanspace fabricators or for processing multiple or single types of substrates in multiple types of cleanspace environments. In some embodiments, a collocated composite cleanspace fabricator may be capable of processing semiconductor devices into integrated circuits and then performing assembly operations to result in product in packaged form.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of producing customized touch screen type products comprising:
receiving a customized product definition comprising selections by a user of user selectable aspects, wherein the custom user selections create processing flows for a tailored touch screen type product;
introducing a metallic case into a cleanspace fabricator, wherein:
the cleanspace fabricator comprises a first matrix comprising at least two discrete processing tools, each discrete processing tool comprising a tool body and a tool port, the at least two discrete processing tools oriented one on top of the other along a vertical, wherein said at least two discrete processing tools are partially located in a first fabricator cleanspace comprising a first boundary and a second boundary and each of the at least two discrete processing tools is capable of independent operation and removable in a discrete fashion relative to other discrete processing tools;
introducing a glass substrate into the cleanspace fabricator, wherein the glass substrate design is consistent with the custom user selections;
attaching the glass substrate to the metallic case, wherein the metallic case design is consistent with the custom user selections;
adding an unpackaged and diced integrated circuit chips upon a layer supported upon the glass substrate, wherein the integrated circuit layer design is consistent with the custom user selections;
adding an energization element upon a layer supported upon the glass substrate; and
adding an encapsulating layer upon the integrated circuits and the energization element upon the full glass substrate, wherein an additive manufacturing step is used to pattern the encapsulating layer.

2. The method of producing products of claim 1 additionally comprising;
forming a touchscreen device within the cleanspace fabricator from processing of a semiconductor substrate and the glass substrate, wherein the touchscreen device has customized security aspects.

3. The method of producing products of claim 1 additionally comprising:
introducing electronic switches and electronic interconnects into the cleanspace fabricator.

4. The method of producing products of claim 1 wherein the energization element comprises one or more of battery components or fuel cell components.

5. The method of producing products of claim 1 wherein the cleanspace fabricator operates without humans occupying any portion of the cleanspace.

6. The method of producing products of claim 1 additionally comprising:
removing a first discrete processing tool through a wall on the periphery of the cleanspace; and removing a second discrete processing tool through a wall on the periphery of the cleanspace, wherein the second discrete processing tool is oriented on top of the first discrete processing tool other along a vertical.

7. The method of producing products of claim 1 additionally comprising drilling a 3DIC via in a substrate within the same cleanspace that is used to form the energization element.

8. The method of producing products of claim 1 additionally comprising forming a conductive epoxy into a conductive interconnect within the same cleanspace that is used to form the energization element.

9. The method of producing products of claim 1 additionally comprising:
handing an integrated circuit to a tool port of a first discrete processing tool with a first type of automation equipment sized to handle an integrated circuit; and receiving the glass substrate comprising the integrated circuit out of the tool port of the first discrete processing tool with a second type of automation equipment sized to handle the glass substrate.

10. The method of producing products of claim 1 additionally comprising: processing laser sintering, depositing metal interconnects, forming solder interconnects, and forming a battery anode with discrete tools interfacing with the same cleanspace.

11. A method of producing customized touch screen type products comprising:
utilizing a single cleanspace fabricator to perform processing, wherein:
the cleanspace fabricator comprises a first matrix comprising at least two discrete processing tools, each discrete processing tool comprising a tool body and a tool port, the at least two discrete processing tools oriented one on top of the other along a vertical, wherein said at least two discrete processing tools are partially located in a first fabricator cleanspace comprising a first boundary and a second boundary and each of the at least two discrete processing tools is capable of independent operation and removable in a discrete fashion relative to other discrete processing tools;
receiving a customized product definition comprising selections by a user of user selectable aspects, wherein the custom user selections create processing flows for a tailored touch screen type product;
introducing a glass substrate into the cleanspace fabricator, wherein the glass substrate design is consistent with the custom user selections;
attaching the glass substrate to a metallic case, wherein the metallic case design is consistent with the custom user selections;
adding an integrated circuit upon a layer supported upon the glass substrate, wherein the metallic case design is consistent with the custom user selections;
adding an energization element upon a layer supported upon the glass substrate;
forming a customized touchscreen device within the cleanspace fabricator from processing of the semiconductor substrate and the glass substrate;
introducing electronic switches and electronic interconnects into the cleanspace fabricator; and wherein the cleanspace fabricator operates without humans occupying any portion of the cleanspace.

Assignees

• Flitsch Frederick A

Inventors

• Flitsch Frederick A

Classifications

• H10P72/3216

  using a general scheme of a conveying path within a factory · CPC title

• H10P72/0612

  Production flow monitoring, e.g. for increasing throughput · CPC title

• H10P72/0402

  Apparatus for fluid treatment (H10P72/0441, H10P72/0448 take precedence) · CPC title

• H10P72/0458 Primary

  vertical arrangement · CPC title

• G05B19/418

  Total factory control, i.e. centrally controlling a plurality of machines, e.g. direct or distributed numerical control [DNC], flexible manufacturing systems [FMS], integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] or computer integrated manufacturing [CIM] · CPC title