Die-level traceability mechanism for semiconductor assembly and test facility

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a novel method, system and computer program product for tracing die units during material transfer from, for example, one factory or lot to another (and efficiently maintaining correspondence between die data and an individual die during, e.g., a lot transfer process). One or more embodiments of the present invention are intended to improve the mechanism of die-level traceability by assigning individual die IDs to each die unit in, e.g., each lot, and associating a range of die IDs with a corresponding index string. When, for example, some dies are transferred from, e.g., a first lot to a second lot, the entire die information associated with the first lot is copied to the second lot, and a different index string is assigned to the second lot to indicate the actual dies or range of dies that have been transferred. The first lot's index string is then adjusted to indicate the dies remaining after the transfer.

1 . A method for maintaining die information during manufacturing operations, comprising: 
 storing, in a database, one or more die strings identifying one or more die units, wherein the die units are at least one of a first set of die units associated with a source object, a second set of die units which have transferred from the source object to a receiving object, and a third set of die units which are die units remaining at the source object after the second set of die units have transferred from the source object to the receiving object;    storing, in the database, an assignment of a first index string to one or more die strings identifying the first set of die units associated with the source object;    storing, in the database, an assignment of a second index string to one or more die strings identifying the second set of die units which have transferred from the source object to the receiving object;    storing, in the database, a third index string reflecting one or more die strings identifying the third set of die units, wherein the third set of die units are the die units remaining at the source object after the transfer of the second set of die units from the source object to the receiving object; and    storing, in the database, an association of the third index string to the die strings identifying the third set of die units remaining at the source object.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the one or more die strings identifying the first set of die units, the second set of die units, and the third set of die units are indexed by die coordinates or by a sequence number range.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the index strings include one or more ranges to identify one or more die strings identifying one or more die units, wherein the die units are at least one of the first set of die units associated with the source object, the second set of die units which have transferred from the source object to the receiving object, and the third set of die units which are the die units remaining at the source object after the second set of die units have transferred from the source object to the receiving object.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising storing, in the database, an assignment of one or more user-defined strings in one-to-one correspondence to the one or more die strings identifying the first set of die units, the second set of die units, and the third set of die units.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising storing, in the database, one or more die coordinate patterns of a wafer of a product type, wherein the database includes a die picking order table to store the one or more die coordinate patterns of the wafer of the product type, wherein the die picking order table is assigned in one-to-one correspondence to one or more die strings identifying the second set of die units and the third set of die units.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the database includes a die history table to store the first index string identifying the first set of die units, the second index string identifying the second set of die units, the third index string identifying the third set of die units, and the die strings associated with the second set of die units and the third set of die units.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6  further comprising: 
 searching the die history table for die strings that match at least one die unit identified by the user for which a die history is to be retrieved, wherein the user identifies the die unit by at least a die ID;    retrieving the source objects and receiving objects which include the die strings that match the die ID; and    creating the die history of the identified die unit, including the retrieved source objects and receiving objects.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising generating a report comprising the die history of the identified die unit.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 storing, in the database, object information related to the transfer operation of die units from the source object to the receiving object, wherein the object information includes an object type, an object activity, date, time, and user name; and    storing, in the database, a history of one or more of source objects and receiving objects.    
   
   
       10 . A system for storing die information for die units during manufacturing operations comprising: 
 a manufacturing system tool to generate one or more die strings; and    a database coupled to the manufacturing system tool to store a plurality of index strings and the one or more die strings generated by the manufacturing system tool, wherein the one or more die strings are associated with one or more die units wherein the die units are at least one of a first set of die units associated with a source object, a second set of die units which have transferred from the source object to a receiving object, and a third set of die units which are die units remaining at the source object after the second set of die units have transferred from the source object to the receiving object.    
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the database includes a die history table to store the index strings and die strings associated with the second set of die units and the third set of die units.  
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the database includes a die picking order table to store one or more die coordinate patterns of a wafer of a product type, wherein the die picking order table is assigned in one-to-one correspondence to one or more die strings.  
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the manufacturing system tool is a die-bonder tool.  
   
   
       14 . A computer-implemented method comprising: 
 providing a user interface facilitating user input identifying one or more die units, wherein the user interface allows the user to input at least a die ID;    receiving, via the user interface, a user request for a die history of the identified one or more die units; and    displaying, in the user interface, one or more of source objects and receiving objects associated with the identified one or more die units.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising displaying object information related to the transfer operation of one or more die units from the source object to the receiving object, wherein the object information includes an object type, an object activity, date, time, and user name.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising: 
 providing a second user interface enabling a user to display a history of one or more of the source objects and the receiving objects;    receiving, via the second user interface, a user request for the history of the identified one or more of the source objects and the receiving objects; and    displaying the history of the identified one or more of the source objects and the receiving objects.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising: 
 providing a third user interface facilitating user input identifying one or more die units to assign to a receiving object, wherein the third user interface allows the user to input an index range or allows the user to select at least one die unit from a die ID list; and    receiving, via the third user interface, a user request to assign the one or more die units to the receiving object.    
   
   
       18 . A system comprising: 
 a user interface to facilitate user input identifying one or more die units, wherein the user interface allows the user to input at least a die ID, wherein the user interface receives a user request for a die history of the identified one or more die units; and    an application server coupled to the user interface to provide the die history of the identified one or more die units based on the user input received by the user interface, wherein the user interface is to receive the die history from the application server and to display the die history for the identified one or more die units.    
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 18  further comprising a second user interface to enable a user to display a history of one or more of the source objects and the receiving objects, wherein the application server is coupled to the second user interface to provide the history of one or more of the source objects and the receiving objects, wherein the second user interface is to receive the history of the one or more of the source objects and the receiving objects from the application server.  
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 18  further comprising a third user interface to facilitate user input identifying one or more die units to assign to a receiving object, wherein the third user interface allows the user to input an index range or allows the user to select the one or more die units from a die ID list, wherein the application server is coupled to the third user interface to assign the identified one or more die units to the receiving object.  
   
   
       21 . A computer readable medium comprising executable instructions which when executed on a processing system cause said processing system to perform a method comprising: 
 providing a user interface facilitating user input identifying one or more die units, wherein the user interface allows the user to input at least a die ID;    receiving, via the user interface, a user request for a die history of the identified one or more die units; and    displaying, in the user interface, one or more of source objects and receiving objects associated with the identified one or more die units.    
   
   
       22 . The computer readable medium of  claim 21  wherein the method further comprising displaying object information related to the transfer operation of one or more die units from the source object to the receiving object, wherein the object information includes an object type, an object activity, date, time, and user name.  
   
   
       23 . The computer readable medium of  claim 21  wherein the method further comprising: 
 providing a second user interface enabling a user to display a history of one or more of the source objects and the receiving objects;    receiving, via the second user interface, a user request for the history of the identified one or more of the source objects and the receiving objects; and    displaying the history of the identified one or more of the source objects and the receiving objects.    
   
   
       24 . The computer readable medium of  claim 21  wherein the method further comprising: 
 providing a third user interface facilitating user input identifying one or more die units to assign to a receiving object, wherein the third user interface allows the user to input an index range or allows the user to select at least one die unit from a die ID list; and    receiving, via the third user interface, a user request to assign the one or more die units to the receiving object.