Abstract:
A semiconductor apparatus substrate according to the present invention has a substrate, a piece-substrate that has been punched out of the substrate and pushed back to the original position, an opening unit formed in a region of the substrate that substantially surrounds the piece-substrate, and a support unit installed inside the opening unit. As a result of this configuration, in transporting the semiconductor apparatus substrate after the piece-substrate has been pushed back, the piece-substrate is prevented from falling off the semiconductor apparatus substrate.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a push-back substrate, a semiconductor apparatus in which a push-back substrate is used, and the manufacturing method of a push-back substrate. 
     The Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H8-32185 discloses a conventional technology in this field. 
     In this reference, a push-back substrate is disclosed. Here, the term push-back refers to a technique for obtaining a piece-substrate that is used for manufacturing a semiconductor apparatus or the like. This technique is performed as follows. First, a prescribed portion of a substrate is punched to obtain a piece-substrate. An opening is created after the piece-substrate is removed. The piece-substrate is then pushed back into the opening to form a piece-substrate to be used for manufacturing a semiconductor apparatus or the like. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to obtain a semiconductor apparatus substrate capable of preventing a pushed-back piece-substrate from being detached from the semiconductor apparatus substrate. 
     To achieve the above-stated objective, a semiconductor apparatus substrate according to the present invention has a substrate, a piece-substrate that has been punched out of the substrate and pushed back to the original position, an opening unit formed in a region of the substrate that substantially surrounds the piece-substrate, and a support unit installed inside the opening unit. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a top view showing the first embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a magnified view of one of the substrate pieces shown in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 shows a manufacturing method of a semiconductor apparatus according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 shows a variation of the first embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 shows a variation of the second embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 shows the second embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 7 shows the third embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 8 shows problems of the conventional technology. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIGS. 1 and 2 are top views showing the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows the entire substrate. FIG. 2 is a magnified view of one of the substrate pieces shown in FIG.  1 . 
     In FIG. 2, the piece-substrate  3  has been punched out of the resin substrate  4 , pushed back and returned to the resin substrate  4 . 
     Slits  8  are formed along each side of the substrate piece  3  in the peripheral portion of the piece-substrate  3  in the frame of the substrate  4 . A suspending unit  9  is formed at each corner of the piece-substrate  3  to support the piece-substrate  3 . A frame unit  11  is formed surrounding the piece-substrate  3 . 
     Support bars  13  are formed crossing the slits  8 . These support bars  13  are linearly shaped. In FIG. 2, three support bars  13  are formed on each side of the piece-substrate  3 , although in alternative embodiments (not shown) only one support bar  13  may be formed on each side of the piece-substrate  3 . 
     These support bars  13  are formed when the piece-substrates  3  and the slits  8  are punched out of the resin substrate  4  leaving the support bars  13 , the suspending unit  9 , and the frame unit  11 . 
     FIG. 8 shows a case in which no support bar is formed. Since there is no support bar between the frame unit  11  and the frame of the resin substrate  4  in this case, each side of the frame unit  11  is curved outward creating a gap  12  between the frame unit  11  and the frame of the resin substrate  4 . By forming at least one support bar  13  across each slit  8  along each side of the piece-substrate  3  in this manner, the frame unit  11  is pushed by the support bars  13  when the piece-substrate  3  is pushed back and supported by the frame of the resin substrate  4 . Therefore, no gap is created between the frame unit  11  and the frame of the resin substrate  4 . 
     The number of support bars  13  are determined taking into consideration the manner in which gaps are generated and the width of the support bars  13 . 
     Thus, according to the first embodiment, a gap is prevented from being created between the frame unit  11  and the frame of the substrate  4  by forming support bars  13  between the frame unit  11  and the frame of the resin substrate  4  across each of the slits  8 . As a result, the piece-substrate  3  can be firmly held with the frame of the resin substrate  4 . 
     Therefore, in transporting or assembling the semiconductor apparatus substrate, the piece-substrates  3  are prevented from falling off the semiconductor apparatus substrate. 
     With reference to FIG. 3, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor apparatus using the resin substrate  4  thus formed will be explained. 
     First, as shown in FIG.  3 ( a ), a wire  2  is formed in a predetermined area of the resin substrate  4 . This wire  2  can be formed, for example, by sticking a copper film or the like onto the resin substrate  4  and patterning the wire  2 . 
     Next, as shown in FIG.  3 ( b ), prescribed portions of the resin substrate  4  are punched to obtain piece-substrates  3 . After this, as shown in FIG.  3 ( c ), the piece-substrates  3  are pushed back to their original positions. 
     Next, as shown in FIG.  3 ( d ), a semiconductor device  5  is placed on each of the piece-substrates  3 . After this, as shown in FIG.  3 ( e ), the electrodes of each of the semiconductor devices  5  are electrically connected to the wire  2  using conductive wires  6 . 
     After this, as shown in FIG.  3 ( f ), within the region of each of the piece-substrates  3 , the semiconductor device  5  and the conductive wire  6  are sealed with a resin  7 . 
     After this, as shown in FIG.  3 ( g ), each of the piece-substrates  3 , on which the semiconductor device  5  is formed and sealed, is removed from the resin substrate  4 . 
     In this case, since the piece-substrates  3  are fixed on the resin substrate  4  after being punched out of the resin substrate  4  and pushed back into the resin substrate  4 , the piece-substrates  3  can be easily removed from the resin substrate  4  without requiring any particular apparatus. 
     The following variations of the first embodiment are possible. 
     As shown in FIG. 4, it is possible to use bent support bars  14 . Since such bent support bars have elasticity, they can elastically push back the frame unit  11 . 
     As another variation of the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, linear shaped support bars  13  and bent support bars  14  can be used in combination. 
     In FIG. 5, each side of the piece-substrate  3  is supported by one bent support bar  14  and two linear shaped support bars  13 . 
     FIG. 6 is a top view showing the second embodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that four circular stress relaxing holes  15  are formed on the frame of the resin substrate  4  between the four corners of the resin substrate  4  and the outside ends of the four suspending units  9 . 
     These circular stress relaxing holes  15  can be formed simultaneously when the slits  8  are punched. Four stress relaxing holes  15  are formed on the line of extension of the four suspending units  9  in the example shown in FIG.  6 . However, only one stress relaxing hole  15  may be formed at a position at which the maximum stress is applied. Any desired number of stress relaxing holes  15  can be formed. 
     Each corner  10  of the piece-substrate  3  is in contact with and supported by corresponding one of the suspending units  9 . The stress applied to each of the corners  10  is relaxed by the corresponding one of the stress relaxing holes  15 . As a result, no gap is created between the piece-substrate  3  and the frame unit  11 . 
     Thus, according to the second embodiment, simply by forming a circular stress relaxing hole  15  on the line of extension of the suspending unit  9 , the same effect is achieved as in the first embodiment. 
     FIG. 7 is a top view showing the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is identical to FIG. 6 except that FIG. 7 differs from FIG. 6 in the shape of each of the stress relaxing holes. 
     In the third embodiment, the shape of each of the stress relaxing holes  16  formed on the lines of extension of the suspending units  9  is a square. However, the stress relaxing holes  16  may be diamond shaped. Moreover, the stress relaxing holes  16  may be rectangles if they are formed in the mirror symmetry. The third embodiment shows that quadrangular stress relaxing holes  16  are formed. 
     The stress applied to each of the corners  10  is relaxed by the corresponding one of the quadrangular stress relaxing holes  16 . As in the second embodiment, no gap is created between the piece-substrate  3  and the frame unit  11 . 
     It should be noted that when four stress relaxing holes are formed at four positions, circular holes and quadrangular holes may be formed in combination. 
     For example, a circular hole, a quadrangular hole, a circular hole, and a quadrangular hole may be formed in this order or a circular hole, a circular hole, a quadrangular hole, and a quadrangular hole may be formed in this order at the four positions. 
     In the explanation above, the support bars and the stress relaxing holes are formed separately. However, they may be combined and formed in the same resin substrate. In this way, it becomes possible to prevent a gap from being created between the piece-substrates  3  and the frame unit  11  more effectively. 
     Moreover, if a semiconductor apparatus is manufactured using a semiconductor apparatus resin substrate, the piece-substrates are prevented from being detached from the resin substrate in the assembly process or the like. As a result, the production efficiency is improved, and the production cost is reduced.