Using backgrind wafer tape to enable wafer mounting of bumped wafers

Abstract

A method and apparatus are disclosed for mounting a wafer on a mount and thinning the wafer. The wafer includes a front surface having bumps with an adhesive tape having a backing attached thereto and a back surface. The front surface of the wafer is mounted facedown on a suction surface with the backing of the adhesive tape abutting the surface. The wafer is then suctioned, after which the back surface of the wafer undergoes a grinding process to thin the wafer. Since the backing attached to the bumps on the wafer is substantially planar and sits substantially flat on the suction surface of the wafer mount, the force exerted on the wafer from the thinning process does not overcome the suction force holding the wafer on the wafer mount. Thus, the bumped wafer may be thinned without damaging the bumps and the active surface of the wafer.

1 . A wafer having bumps on a surface thereof for a material removal operation, comprising: 
 a tape having an adhesive and a backing attached to at least a portion of said bumps of said surface having bumps thereon of said wafer, said tape conforming at least a portion of said adhesive of said tape to said bumps, said backing of said tape has a substantially planar surface after said conforming.    
     
     
         2 . The wafer of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a wafer mount having a suction surface temporarily connected to the backing of said tape using a suction force.    
     
     
         3 . The wafer of  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 said wafer cut to form at least one semiconductor die after removing wafer material from said back surface.    
     
     
         4 . The wafer of  claim 3 , further comprising a portion of said adhesive removed from said wafer prior to said cutting.  
     
     
         5 . The wafer of  claim 1 , wherein said attaching a tape having an adhesive and a backing conforms said backing to include a substantially planar surface on at least a portion thereof.  
     
     
         6 . The wafer of  claim 1 , wherein said attaching a tape having an adhesive and a backing conforms at least a portion of said adhesive of said tape to said bumps to form a substantially planar surface on said backing of said tape.  
     
     
         7 . The wafer of  claim 1 , wherein said wafer comprises a wafer having a thickness of at least about 12 mils.  
     
     
         8 . The wafer of  claim 1 , wherein said wafer has a thickness in the range of between about 6 mils and about 12 mils.  
     
     
         9 . The wafer of  claim 1 , wherein said wafer has a back surface ground to remove material therefrom.  
     
     
         10 . The wafer of  claim 1 , wherein said wafer has material removed therefrom by chemical-mechanical polishing said back surface of said wafer.  
     
     
         11 . The combination of a wafer having bumps on a surface thereof and a mount for a material removal operation comprising: 
 a tape having an adhesive and a backing attached to at least a portion of said bumps of said surface having bumps thereon of said wafer, said tape conforming at least a portion of said adhesive of said tape to said bumps, said backing of said tape has a substantially planar surface after said conforming; and    a wafer mount having a suction surface temporarily connected to the backing of said tape using a suction force.    
     
     
         12 . The combination of  claim 11 , wherein said attaching a tape having an adhesive and a backing conforms said backing to include a substantially planar surface on at least a portion thereof.  
     
     
         13 . The combination of  claim 11 , wherein said attaching a tape having an adhesive and a backing conforms at least a portion of said adhesive of said tape to said bumps to form a substantially planar surface on said backing of said tape.  
     
     
         14 . The combination of  claim 11 , wherein said wafer comprises a wafer having a thickness of at least about 12 mils.  
     
     
         15 . The combination of  claim 11 , wherein said wafer has a thickness in the range of between about 6 mils and about 12 mils.  
     
     
         16 . The combination of  claim 11 , wherein said wafer has a back surface ground to remove material therefrom.  
     
     
         17 . The combination of  claim 11 , wherein said wafer has material removed therefrom by chemical-mechanical polishing said back surface of said wafer.  
     
     
         18 . An in-process wafer having bumps on a surface thereof for a material removal operation, comprising: 
 a tape having an adhesive and a backing attached to at least a portion of said bumps of said surface having bumps thereon of said wafer, said tape conforming at least a portion of said adhesive of said tape to said bumps, said backing of said tape has a substantially planar surface after said conforming.    
     
     
         19 . The wafer of  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 a wafer mount having a suction surface temporarily connected to the backing of said tape using a suction force.    
     
     
         20 . The wafer of  claim 19 , further comprising: 
 said wafer cut to form at least one semiconductor die after removing wafer material from said back surface.    
     
     
         21 . The wafer of  claim 20 , further comprising a portion of said adhesive removed from said wafer prior to said cutting.  
     
     
         22 . The wafer of  claim 18 , wherein said attaching a tape having an adhesive and a backing conforms said backing to include a substantially planar surface on at least a portion thereof.  
     
     
         23 . The wafer of  claim 18 , wherein said- attaching a tape having an adhesive and a backing conforms at least a portion of said adhesive of said tape to said bumps to form a substantially planar surface on said backing of said tape.  
     
     
         24 . The wafer of  claim 18 , wherein said wafer comprises a wafer having a thickness of at least about 12 mils.  
     
     
         25 . The wafer of  claim 18 , wherein said wafer has a thickness in the range of between about 6 mils and about 12 mils.  
     
     
         26 . The wafer of  claim 18 , wherein said wafer has a back surface ground to remove material therefrom.  
     
     
         27 . The wafer of  claim 18 , wherein said wafer has material removed therefrom by chemical-mechanical polishing said back surface of said wafer.  
     
     
         28 . A wafer having bumps on a surface thereof in a process for a material removal operation, comprising: 
 a tape having an adhesive and a backing attached to at least a portion of said bumps of said surface having bumps thereon of said wafer, said tape conforming at least a portion of said adhesive of said tape to said bumps, said backing of said tape has a substantially planar surface after said conforming.    
     
     
         29 . The wafer of  claim 28 , further comprising: 
 a wafer mount having a suction surface temporarily connected to the backing of said tape using a suction force.    
     
     
         30 . The wafer of  claim 29 , further comprising: 
 said wafer cut to form at least one semiconductor die after removing wafer material from said back surface.    
     
     
         31 . The wafer of  claim 30 , further comprising a portion of said adhesive removed from said wafer prior to said cutting.  
     
     
         32 . The wafer of  claim 28 , wherein said attaching a tape having an adhesive and a backing conforms said backing to include a substantially planar surface on at least a portion thereof.  
     
     
         33 . The wafer of  claim 28 , wherein said attaching a tape having an adhesive and a backing conforms at least a portion of said adhesive of said tape to said bumps to form a substantially planar surface on said backing of said tape.  
     
     
         34 . The wafer of  claim 28 , wherein said wafer comprises a wafer having a thickness of at least about 12 mils.  
     
     
         35 . The wafer of  claim 28 , wherein said wafer has a thickness in the range of between about 6 mils and about 12 mils.  
     
     
         36 . The wafer of  claim 28 , wherein said wafer has a back surface ground to remove material therefrom.  
     
     
         37 . The wafer of  claim 28 , wherein said wafer has material removed therefrom by chemical-mechanical polishing said back surface of said wafer.  
     
     
         38 . A wafer having bumps on a surface thereof in a material removal operation, comprising: 
 a tape having an adhesive and a backing attached to at least a portion of said bumps of said surface having bumps thereon of said wafer, said tape conforming at least a portion of said adhesive of said tape to said bumps, said backing of said tape has a substantially planar surface after said conforming.    
     
     
         39 . The wafer of  claim 38 , further comprising: 
 a wafer mount having a suction surface temporarily connected to the backing of said tape using a suction force.    
     
     
         40 . The wafer of  claim 39 , further comprising: 
 said wafer cut to form at least one semiconductor die after removing wafer material from said back surface.    
     
     
         41 . The wafer of  claim 40 , further comprising a portion of said adhesive removed from said wafer prior to said cutting.  
     
     
         42 . The wafer of  claim 38 , wherein said attaching a tape having an adhesive and a backing conforms said backing to include a substantially planar surface on at least a portion thereof.  
     
     
         43 . The wafer of  claim 38 , wherein said attaching a tape having an adhesive and a backing conforms at least a portion of said adhesive of said tape to said bumps to form a substantially planar surface on said backing of said tape.  
     
     
         44 . The wafer of  claim 38 , wherein said wafer comprises a wafer having a thickness of at least about 12 mils.  
     
     
         45 . The wafer of  claim 38 , wherein said wafer has a thickness in the range of between about 6 mils and about 12 mils.  
     
     
         46 . The wafer of  claim 38 , wherein said wafer has a back surface ground to remove material therefrom.  
     
     
         47 . The wafer of  claim 38 , wherein said wafer has material removed therefrom by chemical-mechanical polishing said back surface of said wafer.  
     
     
         48 . The combination of a wafer having bumps on a surface thereof and a mount in a material removal operation comprising: 
 a tape having an adhesive and a backing attached to at least a portion of said bumps of said surface having bumps thereon of said wafer, said tape conforming at least a portion of said adhesive of said tape to said bumps, said backing of said tape has a substantially planar surface after said conforming; and    a wafer mount having a suction surface temporarily connected to the backing of said tape using a suction force.    
     
     
         49 . The combination of  claim 48 , wherein said attaching a tape having an adhesive and a backing conforms said backing to include a substantially planar surface on at least a portion thereof.  
     
     
         50 . The combination of  claim 48 , wherein said attaching a tape having an adhesive and a backing conforms at least a portion of said adhesive of said tape to said bumps to form a substantially planar surface on said backing of said tape.  
     
     
         51 . The combination of  claim 48 , wherein said wafer comprises a wafer having a thickness of at least about 12 mils.  
     
     
         52 . The combination of  claim 48 , wherein said wafer has a thickness in the range of between about 6 mils and about 12 mils.  
     
     
         53 . The combination of  claim 48 , wherein said wafer has a back surface ground to remove material therefrom.  
     
     
         54 . The combination of  claim 48 , wherein said wafer has material removed therefrom by chemical-mechanical polishing said back surface of said wafer.  
     
     
         55 . A wafer mount assembly and a wafer having a front surface having at least one bump thereon and a back surface, comprising: 
 an adhesive tape having an adhesive and a planar backing for a vacuum attachment, said adhesive tape for adhesively attaching a portion of said front surface of said wafer having said at least one bump thereon to a portion of said wafer mount assembly by said planar backing for a vacuum attachment.    
     
     
         56 . The assembly of  claim 55 , further comprising: 
 a wafer mount having a vacuum surface thereon, said vacuum surface of said wafer mount for abutting at least a portion of said backing of said adhesive tape, said vacuum surface including apertures therein for communicating a vacuum therethrough.    
     
     
         57 . The assembly of  claim 55 , wherein said backing of said adhesive tape includes a substantially planar surface for overlying said at least one bump.  
     
     
         58 . The assembly of  claim 57 , wherein said substantially planar surface of said backing of said adhesive tape provides an area for the application of a vacuum to at least a portion of said front surface of said wafer.  
     
     
         59 . The assembly of  claim 55 , wherein said backing includes a substantially planar surface overlying said at least one bump.  
     
     
         60 . The assembly of  claim 55 , wherein said adhesive attaches to said at least one bump.  
     
     
         61 . The assembly of  claim 55 , wherein said adhesive conforms to said at least one bump to form a substantially planar surface on at least a portion of said backing.  
     
     
         62 . The assembly of  claim 55 , wherein said adhesive tape substantially overlies another bump.  
     
     
         63 . The assembly of  claim 55 , wherein said wafer comprises a wafer having a thickness of at least 12 mils.  
     
     
         64 . The assembly of  claim 55 , wherein said at least one bump comprises a conductive bump for electrical connection.  
     
     
         65 . An assembly of a bumped wafer and a wafer mount for grinding, the assembly comprising: 
 a wafer having a front surface and a back surface thereof, said front surface having at least one bump thereon; and    a tape having an adhesive and a planar backing for vacuum attachment, said tape for adhesively attaching a portion of said front surface of said wafer having said at least one bump thereon.    
     
     
         66 . The assembly of  claim 65 , wherein said backing includes a substantially planar surface overlying said at least one bump.  
     
     
         67 . The assembly of  claim 65 , wherein said adhesive attaches to said at least one bump for forming a substantially planar surface oh said backing.  
     
     
         68 . The assembly of  claim 65 , wherein said adhesive conforms to said at least one bump to form a substantially planar surface on a portion of said backing.  
     
     
         69 . The assembly of  claim 65 , wherein said tape substantially covers said front surface of said wafer.  
     
     
         70 . The assembly of  claim 65 , wherein said at least one bump comprises a conductive bump for electrical connection.  
     
     
         71 . The assembly of  claim 65 , wherein said backing comprises a resilient material.  
     
     
         72 . The assembly of  claim 65 , wherein said wafer comprises a thickness of at least 12 mils prior to being mounted to said wafer mount.  
     
     
         73 . The assembly of  claim 65 , wherein said wafer comprises another thickness of one of about less than 6 mils and greater than about 6 mils and less than about 12 mils after grinding said back surface of said wafer.