Apparatus and methods for coverlay removal and adhesive application

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for synchronously removing coverlay film from an adhesive film and applying an adhesive strip cut from the adhesive film to cover one or more reject die sites and/or functional die sites on semiconductor package support elements are disclosed. Reject die sites on defective substrates are covered prior to encapsulation.

1 - 3 . (cancelled)  
     
     
         4 . An apparatus for attaching an adhesive-film strip to a support element, comprising: 
 a length of adhesive film, where the length of adhesive is larger than the adhesive-film strip;    a drive mechanism for advancing the length of adhesive film;    a film cutting blade;    an adhesive-film attachment portion; and    a support-element feeder portion to feed the support element to the adhesive-film attachment portion, where the support element comprises a wire bond slot, and the support-element feeder portion is configured to feed the support element to the adhesive-film attachment portion such that the wire bond slot is in general alignment with the adhesive-film strip.    
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , where the adhesive-film attachment portion and the support-element feeder portion are configured to attach the adhesive-film strip to the support element such that the adhesive-film strip covers from about 70% to about 98% of the wire bond slot.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , where the adhesive-film strip is sized to cover from about 70% to about 98% of the wire bond slot.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , further comprising a film guide for guiding the adhesive film into the adhesive-film attachment portion.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , further comprising an adhesive-film storage portion.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , where the adhesive-film storage portion comprises a reel.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , where the drive mechanism comprises a first push wheel and a second push wheel, the length of adhesive film comprises a first side and a second side, and the first push wheel is in engagement with the first side and the second push wheel is in engagement with the second side.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , where at least one of the first push wheel or the second push wheel is pressed into engagement with the length of adhesive film by a spring.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , where the length of adhesive film comprises an adhesive portion and a coverlay portion, the adhesive portion separates from the coverlay portion after the length of adhesive film comes into engagement with the push wheels, and the coverlay portion is pulled from the adhesive portion by the rotation of the first push wheel or the second push wheel.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , where the coverlay portion is pinched between the first push wheel or the second push wheel and a pinch roller.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising an idler assembly, where the idler assembly comprises an idler roller in engagement with the coverlay portion.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , where the idler roller exerts pressure on the coverlay portion, and the pressure exerted by the idler roller on the coverlay portion is variable.  
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , where the idler assembly further comprises a spring and the spring presses the idler roller into engagement with the coverlay portion.  
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , where the adhesive-film attachment portion comprises a cutter block, and the cutter block presses a section of the length of adhesive film into engagement with the cutter blade.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , where the section of the length of adhesive film is the adhesive-film strip, and the cutter block presses the adhesive-film strip into engagement with the support element.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , where the adhesive-film attachment portion further comprises a piston, and the cutter block presses the adhesive-film strip into engagement with the support element by operation of the piston.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , where the cutter block comprises a vacuum passage, and the section of the length of adhesive film is held in engagement with the cutter block by vacuum pressure.