Visual identification of semiconductor dies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9899332-B2
Application number	US-201615046639-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 18, 2016
Priority date	Feb 18, 2016
Publication date	Feb 20, 2018
Grant date	Feb 20, 2018

Abstract

Systems and methods for visual identification of semiconductor dies are described. In some embodiments, a method may include: receiving a semiconductor wafer having a plurality of dies and printing a unique visual identification mark on each of the plurality of dies. In other embodiments, a method may include receiving an electronic device comprising a die and a package surrounding at least a portion of the die and reading, from the electronic device, a unique visual identification mark that encodes a Cartesian coordinate of the die relative to a reference point on a semiconductor wafer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
a die; and
a package surrounding the die, wherein the electronic device includes a unique visual identification mark, wherein each character in the unique visual identification mark follows a decimal alphabet and includes at least one line that connects two adjacent sides of bond pads of the die, wherein the unique visual identification mark encodes a Cartesian coordinate of the die relative to a reference point on a semiconductor wafer.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the unique visual identification mark further encodes a wafer identification of the semiconductor wafer.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the unique visual identification mark further encodes a lot identification of the semiconductor wafer.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the unique visual identification mark includes laser scribed or tip scrubbed bond pads or terminals.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein one or more corners of each bond pad or terminal are marked, scratched, or cut in a manner corresponding to a respective numeral.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein at least one character of the decimal alphabet includes at least two lines that together connect three adjacent sides of the bond pads of the die.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein at least one character of the decimal alphabet includes at least three lines that together connect four adjacent sides of the bond pads of the die.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein at least one character of the decimal alphabet includes at least four lines that together connect four adjacent sides of the bond pads of the die.

9. An electronic device, comprising:
a die; and
a package associated with the die, wherein the electronic device includes a unique visual identification mark to identify a die location on a semiconductor wafer, wherein each character in the unique visual identification mark follows a decimal alphabet and includes at least one line that connects two adjacent sides of bond pads of the die.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein at least one character of the decimal alphabet includes at least two lines that together connect three adjacent sides of the bond pads of the die.

11. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein at least one character of the decimal alphabet includes at least three lines that together connect four adjacent sides of the bond pads of the die.

12. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein at least one character of the decimal alphabet includes at least four lines that together connect four adjacent sides of the bond pads of the die.

13. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the unique visual identification mark encodes a Cartesian coordinate of the die relative to a reference point on the semiconductor wafer.

14. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the unique visual identification mark further encodes a wafer identification of the semiconductor wafer.

15. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the unique visual identification mark further encodes a lot identification of the semiconductor wafer.

16. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the package is of an epoxy molding compound.

17. An electronic device, comprising:
a die; and
a package associated with the die, wherein the electronic device includes a unique visual identification mark to identify a die location on a semiconductor wafer, wherein each character in the unique visual identification mark follows a decimal alphabet and includes at least one mark that connects two adjacent sides of bond pads of the die.

18. The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein at least one character of the decimal alphabet includes at least two marks that together connect three adjacent sides of the bond pads of the die.

19. The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein at least one character of the decimal alphabet includes at least three marks that together connect four adjacent sides of the bond pads of the die.

20. The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein at least one character of the decimal alphabet includes at least four marks that together connect four adjacent sides of the bond pads of the die.

Assignees

• Texas Instruments Inc

Inventors

• Butler Kenneth Michael
• Cherukuri Kalyan Chakravarthy
• Butler Stephanie Watts
• Kalyanaraman Venkataramanan
• Payne Hubert Joseph
• Contractor Yazdi Dinshaw

Classifications

• H10W46/607

  Located on parts of packages, e.g. on encapsulations or on package substrates · CPC title

• H10W46/601

  for use after dicing · CPC title

• H10W46/401

  for identification or tracking · CPC title

• H10W46/106

  digital information, e.g. bar codes · CPC title

• H10W46/103

  alphanumeric information, e.g. words, letters or serial numbers · CPC title