Substrate film structure

Abstract

The invention relates to a carrier for supporting a substrate film during the chip-substrate assembly and bonding process. The carrier provides enhanced rigidity to the substrate film. The degree of rigidity and/or flexibility provided can be controlled by selection of the carrier dimensions, configuration and material choice. Advantages of embodiments of the carrier include easier handling, reduced probability of defective end products, and increased control in choosing the thinness of the substrate film. For example, the substrate film carrier can be used for lead-over-chip (LOC) assemblies and lead-under-chip (LUC) assemblies to create ball grid arrays (BGA), pin grid arrays (PGA), dual in-line packages (DIP), and the like.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A reinforced flexible tape comprising: 
 a plurality of semiconductors mounted to a flexible tape;    at least two side bars in mechanical communication with said flexible tape; and    a plurality of cross bars in mechanical communication with said flexible tape, whereby said side bars and said cross bars provide rigidity during the manufacturing process.    
     
     
         2 . The reinforced flexible tape of  claim 1 , wherein said flexible tape comprises a first plurality of indexing holes and wherein said side bars include a second plurality of indexing holes substantially aligned with said first plurality of indexing holes.  
     
     
         3 . The reinforced flexible tape of  claim 1 , wherein said flexible tape further comprises at least two side rails and wherein said side bars are substantially aligned with said side rails.  
     
     
         4 . The reinforced flexible tape of  claim 1 , wherein said flexible tape further comprises end rails and wherein said end bars are substantially aligned with said end rails.  
     
     
         5 . The reinforced flexible tape of  claim 1 , wherein said flexible tape comprises cross rails that are substantially aligned with said cross bars.  
     
     
         6 . The reinforced flexible tape of  claim 1 , wherein said flexible tape is adapted to electrically interface with said plurality of dies.  
     
     
         7 . An assembly, comprising: 
 a substrate film; and    a carrier comprising side bars which are in mechanical communication with said substrate film.    
     
     
         8 . The assembly of  claim 7 , wherein said side bars are BT resin.  
     
     
         9 . The assembly of  claim 7 , wherein said side bars are a thickened layer of polymide.  
     
     
         10 . The assembly of  claim 7 , wherein said side bars are layers of polymide.  
     
     
         11 . The assembly of  claim 7 , wherein said side bars are layers of copper.  
     
     
         12 . The assembly of  claim 7 , wherein said side bars are layers of solder resist.  
     
     
         13 . The assembly of  claim 7 , wherein said side bars have alignment holes formed therein.  
     
     
         14 . The assembly of  claim 7 , wherein said carrier further comprises cross bars which are in mechanical communication with said substrate film.  
     
     
         15 . The assembly of  claim 7  wherein said cross bars are BT resin.  
     
     
         16 . The assembly of  claim 7 , wherein said cross bars are a thickened layer of polymide.  
     
     
         17 . The assembly of  claim 7 , wherein said cross bars are layers of polymide.  
     
     
         18 . The assembly of  claim 7 , wherein said cross bars are layers of copper.  
     
     
         19 . The assembly of  claim 7 , wherein said cross bars are layers of solder resist.  
     
     
         20 . An assembly, comprising: 
 a film including a plurality of substrate units with said plurality of substrate units being adapted to electrically interface with a plurality of dies; and    a carrier in mechanical communication with said film for providing enhanced rigidity to said film by being sized and configured to add material at selected regions of said film.    
     
     
         21 . The assembly of  claim 20 , wherein said plurality of substrate units are grouped into substrate sets.  
     
     
         22 . The assembly of  claim 21 , wherein said substrate sets comprises three substrate units.  
     
     
         23 . The assembly of  claim 22 , wherein said carrier further comprises a plurality of cross bars and wherein each cross bar is located near a substrate set.  
     
     
         24 . The assembly of  claim 20 , wherein said plurality of dies comprise lead-over-chips (LOC).  
     
     
         25 . The assembly of  claim 20 , wherein said plurality of dies comprise lead-under-chips (LUC).  
     
     
         26 . The assembly of  claim 20 , wherein said film comprises polymide.  
     
     
         27 . The assembly of  claim 20 , wherein each one of said plurality of substrate units includes a substantially central cavity.  
     
     
         28 . The assembly of  claim 20 , wherein each one of said plurality of substrate units is flanked by a pair of slots.  
     
     
         29 . The assembly of  claim 20 , wherein each one of said plurality of substrate units includes a pair of adhesive tabs.  
     
     
         30 . The assembly of  claim 20 , wherein each one of said plurality of substrate units includes a plurality of alignment holes.  
     
     
         31 . An assembly for attachment of integrated circuits, comprising: 
 a film including a plurality of substrate units;    a plurality of dies in electrical contact with said plurality of substrate units; and    a carrier in mechanical communication with said film for providing enhanced rigidity to said film.    
     
     
         32 . The assembly of  claim 31 , wherein said plurality of dies is wire bonded to said plurality of substrate units.  
     
     
         33 . The assembly of  claim 31 , wherein said film comprises a thin, flexible tape.  
     
     
         34 . The assembly of  claim 31 , in combination with a plurality of encapsulating devices to form a plurality of ball grid array (BGA) packages.  
     
     
         35 . A method for supporting a substrate film comprising: 
 connecting side bars to a substrate film; and    connecting cross bars to said substrate film, whereby said side bars and said cross bars provide rigidity during the manufacturing process.    
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein said act of connecting side bars comprises substantially aligning a plurality of indexing holes in said side bars with a plurality of indexing holes in said substrate film.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein said act of connecting said side bars substantially aligns said side bars with side rails in said substrate film.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein said act of connecting said cross bars substantially aligns said cross bars with cross rails in said substrate film.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 35  further comprising the act of interfacing said substrate film with a plurality of dies.  
     
     
         40 . A method of manufacturing an assembly comprising: 
 connecting side bars to a substrate film;    transporting said side bars and said substrate film through a manufacturing process; and    removing said side bars after at least a portion of said manufacturing process.    
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40  further comprising the act of constructing said side bars with BT resin.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 40  further comprising the act of constructing said side bars with a thickened layer of polymide.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 40  further comprising the act of combining layers of polymide to construct said side bars.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 40  further comprising the act of combining layers of copper with a polymide film to construct said side bars.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 40  further comprising the act of combining layers of solder resist with a polymide file to construct said side bars.  
     
     
         46 . An method of processing semiconductor dies comprising: 
 forming a plurality of substrate units within a film;    interfacing said substrate units with a plurality of dies;    adding support material at selected regions of said film so as to provide enhanced rigidity to said substrate units; and    removing at least a portion of said support material at the completion of at least a portion of a manufacturing process.    
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46  wherein the act of interfacing said substrate units connects leads from said dies to said substrate units.  
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 46  wherein the act of interfacing said substrate units connects leads over said dies to said substrate units.  
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 46  wherein the act of interfacing said substrate units connects leads under said dies to said substrate units.  
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 46  further comprising the act of forming a central cavity in said substrate units.  
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 46  wherein said act of adding said support material connects support edges to said film.  
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 46  wherein said act of adding said support material thickens the edges of said film.  
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 46  wherein said act of adding said support material connects support cross bars to said film.  
     
     
         54 . A method of manufacturing integrated circuits comprising: 
 forming a plurality of substrate units within a substrate film;    interfacing a plurality of dies to said plurality of substrate units; and    connecting a carrier to said film to enhance the rigidity of said film.    
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 54 , wherein the act of interfacing wire bonds said dies to said plurality of substrate units.  
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 54  further comprising the act of forming said film with a flexible tape.  
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 54  further comprising the act of removing said substrate units from said substrate film.  
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 54  further comprising the act of forming holes in said carrier.