Merit Sensor - Handling and Mounting MEMS

Merit Sensor produces all dies on 4- and 6-inch silicon wafers, which are sawn and delivered on dicing tape.

The dicing tape is attached to a metal wafer frame (see figure 1) that is suitable for most automated die bonders. Any unit that is marked with a black ink dot is considered a bad unit.

Receiving and Storing MEMS Silicon Dies

All wafers assembled on dicing tape will be delivered in plastic clamshells (see figure 1), which are then inserted into an antistatic zip-lock bag. One bag can contain multiple clamshells with wafers. There will be a label (see figure 2) on each clamshell, containing the part number, purchase order number (if applicable), lot number (including wafer number), and quantity of good dies. The lot and wafer number will also be written on the dicing tape.

The bags should be opened only in a cleanroom and subsequently stored in an environment that is dark and dry, preferably in a nitrogen-filled cabinet. The inventory storage temperature should be between 19 and 26 °C. The storage time of diced wafers inside a proper storage environment is approximately 5 years. Storage longer than 5 years or in an environment that is uncontrolled or different than that which has been specified may result in picking problems, such as the dies sticking when they are picked and the wires not bonding due to corrosion of the aluminum bonding pads on the dies.