Chip carrier device

A chip carrier device includes a frame, a chip support and a limiter. The chip support is disposed on the frame, and includes a supporting film for chips to be adhered thereto. A peripheral portion of the supporting film is attached to a surrounding frame part of the frame. A crossing portion of the supporting film passes through a center of the supporting film, and interconnects two opposite points of the peripheral portion. The supporting film is formed with through holes. The limiter includes a limiting part that interconnects two opposite points of the surrounding frame part, that is positioned corresponding to the crossing portion, and that is positioned on one side of the supporting film where the chips are to be arranged.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority of Taiwanese Invention Patent Application No. 109100964, filed on Jan. 10, 2020.

FIELD

The disclosure relates to a chip carrier device, and more particularly to a chip carrier device adapted to hold chips in a chamber for sputter deposition.

BACKGROUND

To ensure thickness uniformity of thin films coated on chips in a chamber for sputter deposition, air cooling is often performed to maintain temperature uniformity among the chips. However, referring toFIG.1, for a conventional chip carrier device that includes an adhesive film201where chips202are adhered thereto, cooling air101blown toward the adhesive film201may cause deformation of the adhesive film201because the adhesive film201is soft and is supported merely by a surrounding frame203at a peripheral portion of the adhesive film201, which is disposed on a platform100. The deformation of the adhesive film201would move the chips202adhered thereto from their original positions with respect to the platform100, disrupting temperature uniformity among the chips202and as a result, thickness uniformity of thin films coated on the chips202may not be ensured.

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20170117184 discloses a double-sided adhesive film that is utilized to hold chips on one side and have a supporting plate adhered to the opposite side. The supporting plate is perforated, and has a shape corresponding to that of the double-sided adhesive film to provide full support. In this way, the aforementioned issue of deformation of the adhesive film may be alleviated. However, utilization of the double-sided adhesive film may increase manufacturing cost, and the chamber for sputter deposition may be contaminated by chemical substances coming from the dual-sided adhesive film during sputter deposition.

SUMMARY

Therefore, an object of the disclosure is to provide a chip carrier device as an alternative solution.

According to the disclosure, the chip carrier device is adapted to hold a plurality of chips in a chamber for sputter deposition. The chip carrier device includes a frame, a chip support and a limiter.

The frame includes a surrounding frame part.

The chip support is disposed on the frame, and includes a supporting film. The supporting film is adapted for the chips to be arranged on and adhered to one side of the supporting film. The supporting film includes a peripheral portion and at least one crossing portion. The peripheral portion corresponds in shape to the surrounding frame part, and is attached to the surrounding frame part. The at least one crossing portion passes through a center of the supporting film, and interconnects two opposite points of the peripheral portion. The supporting film is formed with a plurality of through holes which are in groups with each of the groups being encircled by the peripheral portion and the at least one crossing portion. The through holes are each adapted for placement of a respective one of the chips such that a portion of the respective one of the chips is exposed there through. The through holes are spaced apart from each other and arranged in arrays, such that the chips are spaced apart from each other and arranged in positions respectively corresponding to the through holes.

The limiter includes at least one limiting part that interconnects two opposite points of the surrounding frame part, that is positioned corresponding to the at least one crossing portion, and that is positioned on the one side of the supporting film where the chips are to be adhered to.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring toFIGS.2and3, an embodiment of a chip carrier device according to the disclosure is illustrated. The chip carrier device is adapted to hold a plurality of chips32in a chamber for sputter deposition.

The chip carrier device includes a frame2, a chip support3and a limiter4.

The frame2includes a surrounding frame part21. In this embodiment, the surrounding frame part21is a circular ring, but the shape of the surrounding frame part21is not limited thereto. The surrounding frame part21may be made of heat-resistant material such as iron or stainless steel.

The chip support3is disposed on the frame2, and includes a supporting film31that is adapted for the chips32to be arranged on and adhered to one side of the supporting film31.

The supporting film31is a single-sided adhesive film, and may be implemented by a polyimide (PI) film, or a blue tape, which is also known as a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) film and is widely used in semiconductor fabrication.

The supporting film31includes a peripheral portion311and two crossing portions312. It should be noted that the number of the crossing portions312is not limited to the disclosure herein and may vary in other embodiments.

The peripheral portion311of the supporting film31corresponds in shape to the surrounding frame part21of the frame2, and the supporting film31has a diameter substantially equal to an outer diameter of the surrounding frame part21. The peripheral portion311of the supporting film31is attached to the surrounding frame part21of the frame2.

The crossing portions312intersect each other. Each of the crossing portions312passes through a center of the supporting film31, and interconnects two opposite points of the peripheral portion311.

The supporting film31is formed with a plurality of through holes313for placement of the chips32. The through holes313are in groups and each group is encircled by the peripheral portion311and the crossing portions312. In other words, the through holes313are distributed in areas defined by the peripheral portion311and the crossing portions312. The through holes313are spaced apart from each other and are arranged in arrays, such that the chips32are spaced apart from each other and are arranged in positions respectively corresponding to the through holes313. Each of the chips32has a portion exposed through the corresponding one of the through holes313. In this embodiment, said portion is a bottom portion of the chip32, including solder balls as shown inFIG.3.

The limiter4is made of the same kind of heat-resistant material as the surrounding frame part21in this embodiment, but may be made of a different kind of heat-resistant material in other embodiments. The limiter4includes two limiting parts41. It should be noted that the number of the limiting parts41is not limited to the disclosure herein and may vary in other embodiments. Each of the limiting parts41interconnects two opposite points of the surrounding frame part21of the frame2. The limiting parts41are positioned corresponding to the crossing portions312of the supporting film31, respectively. The limiting parts41are positioned on the one side of the supporting film31where the chips32are to be adhered to.

It is worth to note that in this embodiment, the limiting parts41and the surrounding frame part21are integrally formed as one piece. However, implementation of connections between the limiting parts41and the surrounding frame part21is not limited to the disclosure herein and may vary in other embodiments, such as by welding.

In order to provide sufficient support for the chips32while maintaining a reasonable amount of space for arrangement of the chips32on the supporting film31, in one embodiment, each of the limiting parts41of the limiter4and the crossing portions312of the supporting film31has a width ranging between 0.3 and 5 micrometers. In one embodiment, each of the limiting parts41and the crossing portions312has a width ranging between 0.3 and 3 micrometers, and the width of each of the limiting parts41is not greater than the width of each of the crossing portions312.

In a scenario of using the chip carrier device according to the disclosure, the chips32are first adhered to one side (i.e., the adhesive) of the supporting film31. The surrounding frame part21and the limiting parts41are then positioned on the one side of the supporting film31. The limiting parts41are positioned corresponding to the crossing portions312of the supporting film31, and the surrounding frame part21is adhered to the peripheral portion311of the supporting film31. After that, the chip carrier device which carries the chips32is put on a platform100in the chamber (not shown) for sputter deposition.

In one embodiment, the supporting film31includes only one crossing portion312that passes through the center of the supporting film31, and the limiter4includes only one limiting part41that is positioned corresponding to the crossing portion312of the supporting film31, accordingly.

The limiting part (s)41of the limiter4placed over the supporting film31to correspond in position with the crossing portion312of the supporting film31holds the supporting film31, which carries the chips32, in place against cooling air101blown toward the supporting film31. Specifically, each limiting part41of the limiter4abuts against the corresponding crossing portion312of the supporting film31to act as a strengthening structure for the supporting film31, thereby increasing stability of the supporting film31on the platform100and alleviating the degree of deformation of the supporting film31under influence of the air cooling101during sputter deposition. In this way, thickness uniformity of thin films coated on the chips32may be maintained, and quality of sputter deposition may be improved.