Techniques and mechanisms for bonding a first wafer to a second wafer in the presence of a fluid, the viscosity of which is greater than a viscosity of air at standard ambient temperature and pressure. In an embodiment, a first surface of the first wafer is brought into close proximity to a second surface of the second wafer. The fluid is provided between the first surface and the second surface when a first region of the first surface is made to contact a second region of the second surface to form a bond. The viscosity of the fluid mitigates a rate of propagation of the bond along a wafer surface, which in turn mitigates wafer deformation and/or stress between wafers. In another embodiment, the viscosity of the fluid is changed dynamically while the bond propagates between the first surface and the second surface.

Techniques and mechanisms for bonding a first wafer to a second wafer in the presence of a fluid, the viscosity of which is greater than a viscosity of air at standard ambient temperature and pressure. In an embodiment, a first surface of the first wafer is brought into close proximity to a second surface of the second wafer. The fluid is provided between the first surface and the second surface when a first region of the first surface is made to contact a second region of the second surface to form a bond. The viscosity of the fluid mitigates a rate of propagation of the bond along a wafer surface, which in turn mitigates wafer deformation and/or stress between wafers. In another embodiment, the viscosity of the fluid is changed dynamically while the bond propagates between the first surface and the second surface.

A method for self-assembling microelectronic components includes providing a self-aligning substrate having protrusions, each having a thickness greater than 1 m and an upper face and flanks, the upper face and the flanks being hydrophobic. The method also includes providing dies, each die having a first face and a second hydrophilic face, and providing a self-assembling substrate. Finally, the method includes obtaining, by capillary effect, the self-alignment of each die through the first face thereof on a protrusion of the self-aligning substrate, then obtaining the assembly of the dies through the second hydrophilic face thereof on the self-assembling substrate by direct adhesion. Such a method has application in the industrial production of 3D integrated circuits.

A method for self-assembling microelectronic components includes providing a self-aligning substrate having protrusions, each having a thickness greater than 1 m and an upper face and flanks, the upper face and the flanks being hydrophobic. The method also includes providing dies, each die having a first face and a second hydrophilic face, and providing a self-assembling substrate. Finally, the method includes obtaining, by capillary effect, the self-alignment of each die through the first face thereof on a protrusion of the self-aligning substrate, then obtaining the assembly of the dies through the second hydrophilic face thereof on the self-assembling substrate by direct adhesion. Such a method has application in the industrial production of 3D integrated circuits.

A stacked wafer assembly is made by forming a grid of grooves corresponding to projected dicing lines in a face side of each of two wafers, thereby forming demarcated areas on the face side of each of the two wafers. One of the wafers is installed with demarcated areas face upwardly, and thereafter liquid is supplied to the demarcated areas in a quantity just enough to stay on upper surfaces of the demarcated areas without overflowing. The other wafer is placed over the one wafer with demarcated areas of the other wafer facing the respective demarcated areas of the one wafer, thereby bringing respective central positions of the facing demarcated areas of the wafers into self-alignment with each other under the surface tension of the liquid sandwiched between the facing demarcated areas. The liquid is removed to bring the wafers into intimate contact with each other.

A method for mounting components on a substrate is provided. The method includes providing a positioning plate which has a plurality of through holes. The method further includes supplying components each having a longitudinal portion on the positioning plate. The method also includes performing a component alignment process to put the longitudinal portions of the components in the through holes. In addition, the method includes connecting a substrate to the components which have their longitudinal portions in the through holes and removing the positioning plate.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device that includes an insulated circuit board having a conductive pattern, a first semiconductor chip with a rectangular shape connected through a first joining material to the conductive pattern, a second semiconductor chip with a rectangular shape disposed on the conductive pattern separated from the first semiconductor chip and connected through a second joining material to the conductive pattern, a terminal disposed above the semiconductor chips, respectively connected to the first and second semiconductor chips through third and fourth joining materials, the terminal having a through-hole above a place between the first and second semiconductor chips, the method including a positioning step in which the first and second semiconductor chips are respectively positioned at at least three positioning places, and at least one of the positioning places is positioned with a positioning member inserted into the through-hole.

A method of bonding a first substrate to a second substrate, wherein the first substrate includes first electrical contacts on a top surface of the first substrate, and wherein the second substrate includes second electrical contacts on a bottom surface of the second substrate. The method includes forming a block of polyimide on the top surface of the first substrate, wherein the block of polyimide has a rounded upper corner, and vertically moving the top surface of the first substrate and the bottom surface of the second substrate toward each other until the first electrical contacts abut the second electrical contacts, wherein during the moving, the second substrate makes contact with the rounded upper corner of the polyimide causing the first and second substrates to move laterally relative to each other.

Hybrid bonding systems and methods for semiconductor wafers are disclosed. In one embodiment, a hybrid bonding system for semiconductor wafers includes a chamber and a plurality of sub-chambers disposed within the chamber. A robotics handler is disposed within the chamber that is adapted to move a plurality of semiconductor wafers within the chamber between the plurality of sub-chambers. The plurality of sub-chambers includes a first sub-chamber adapted to remove a protection layer from the plurality of semiconductor wafers, and a second sub-chamber adapted to activate top surfaces of the plurality of semiconductor wafers prior to hybrid bonding the plurality of semiconductor wafers together. The plurality of sub-chambers also includes a third sub-chamber adapted to align the plurality of semiconductor wafers and hybrid bond the plurality of semiconductor wafers together.

A guide apparatus configured to transfer light-emitting devices in a liquid onto a substrate is provided. The guide apparatus includes a base configured to support the substrate; and a guide member configured to couple with the base to be seated on a mounting surface of the substrate in a state in which the substrate is supported on a surface of the base, wherein the guide member includes guide holes configured to respectively guide the light-emitting devices in the liquid to be disposed on the mounting surface of the substrate.