Methods for fabricating semiconductor devices so as to stabilize the same when contact-bearing surfaces thereof face over test substrates

Abstract

One or more of stabilizers are formed or disposed on the surface of a semiconductor device or test substrate prior to orienting the semiconductor device so that a contact-bearing surface thereof faces the test substrate. Upon assembly of the semiconductor device and test substrate, the stabilizers prevent the semiconductor device from tipping or tilting relative to the test substrate. The stabilizers may be formed by selectively consolidating material under control of a program. The one or more stabilizers may be formed following the “recognition” of one or more features of the component on which they are to be fabricated.

1 . A method for fabricating a semiconductor device component to facilitate orientation of a semiconductor device adjacent to a test substrate with an active surface of the semiconductor device facing the test substrate, the method comprising: 
 providing at least one semiconductor device component including contacts; and    selectively consolidating material under control of a program to form at least one stabilizer on a surface of the at least one semiconductor device component in a location sufficient to at least partially temporarily stabilize an orientation of the semiconductor device component upon assembly with the test substrate.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing comprises providing at least one semiconductor device component including contacts positioned at or proximate to a centerline thereof.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein providing comprises providing at least one semiconductor device component, each contact of which is positioned at or proximate to a centerline thereof.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein selectively consolidating comprises forming a plurality of stabilizers on the surface.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein forming the plurality of stabilizers comprises forming at least one stabilizer of the plurality of stabilizers adjacent at least one corner of the surface.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein forming the plurality of stabilizers comprises forming a first stabilizer of the plurality of stabilizers adjacent a first edge of the surface and disposing a second stabilizer of the plurality of stabilizers adjacent a second, opposite edge of the surface.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein forming the plurality of stabilizers comprises forming a plurality of stabilizers on the surface to protrude a substantially uniform distance from the surface.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein selectively consolidating comprises forming the at least one stabilizer from a photopolymer.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein selectively consolidating comprises fabricating at least two adjacent, mutually adhered regions of the at least one stabilizer.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing comprises providing at least one semiconductor die.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing comprises providing a semiconductor wafer with a plurality of semiconductor dice.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing comprises providing a chip-scale package.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing comprises providing both the semiconductor device and the test substrate and wherein disposing comprises disposing at least one stabilizer on a surface of each of the semiconductor device and the test substrate.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: disposing at least one conductive structure in contact with at least one of the contacts of the at least one semiconductor device component.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein disposing at least one conductive structure comprises forming at least one solder bump on at least one of the contacts of the semiconductor device component.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein disposing at least one conductive structure comprises applying at least one structure comprising a solder, a metal, a metal alloy, a conductor-filled epoxy, a conductive epoxy, or a z-axis conductive elastomer to at least one of the contacts of the at least one semiconductor device component.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising selecting the at least one stabilizer to protrude from the surface at most a distance that the at least one conductive structure protrudes from the surface.  
   
   
       18 . A method for fabricating a semiconductor device component, comprising: 
 placing at least one of at least one semiconductor device component and at least one test substrate in a horizontal plane;    recognizing a location and orientation of at least one feature of the at least one semiconductor device component or the at least one test substrate;    fabricating at least one stabilizer comprising at least one region of semisolid material on a surface of the at least one semiconductor device component or the at least one test substrate by a programmed material consolidation process and at a location based on a recognized location and orientation of the at least one feature, the at least one stabilizer being configured to at least partially stabilize an orientation of at least one semiconductor device component upon disposal thereof face-down on a test substrate.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein placing comprises placing at least one semiconductor device component including contacts positioned at or proximate to a centerline thereof.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein placing comprises placing at least one semiconductor device component, each contact of which is positioned at or proximate to a centerline thereof.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 storing data including at least one physical parameter of at least one of the at least one semiconductor device component and the at least one stabilizer in computer memory and using the stored data in conjunction with a machine vision system to recognize the location and orientation of the at least one semiconductor device component.    
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , further including, in computer memory, at least one parameter of another semiconductor device component with which each the at least one semiconductor device component is to be assembled.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising: 
 using the stored data, in conjunction with the machine vision system, to selectively consolidate material to form the at least one region of semisolid material on at least one portion of the surface.    
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 21 , further including securing the at least one semiconductor device component to a carrier prior to placing the at least one semiconductor device component in the horizontal plane.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising: 
 recognizing a location of contacts of the at least one semiconductor device component.