The Role of Pick and Place in Fan‐Out Wafer‐Level Packaging

This chapter introduces the requirements for a fan‐out bonder going through the core capabilities of an advanced die attach machine. These are die feeding, substrate handling, die flipping, fluxing, constant bond heat, pulse heat, accuracy, and clean capability. Pick and place (P&P) is a crucial subprocess for fan‐out and embedded wafer‐ and panel‐level packaging, as it is an essential contribution to the package cost of ownership. With a focus on P&P for fan‐out and embedded packaging, it makes sense to introduce four process types labeled by the face‐up or face‐down orientation and additionally by the chip‐first or chip‐last assembly process. Initially, it seemed that standard flip‐chip bonders fulfill all P&P requirements for fan‐out wafer‐level and panel‐level packaging. The chapter focuses on how to avoid fan‐out bonding pitfalls and introduce field‐proven procedures for fan‐out bonder qualification. Pulse heat refers to heating where the temperature has to follow a dynamic temperature ramp during the die attach process.