The vacuum pump 61a may be connected to the second space 72 of the base member 70 via the regulator 61b and the electromagnetic valve 61c. The pressure sensor 61d may be disposed between the electromagnetic valve 61c and the second space 72. The electromagnetic valve 61c and the pressure sensor 61d may be disposed in the case 60h of the head body portion 60, and the vacuum pump 61a and the regulator 61b may be disposed outside the case 60h.

The vacuum pump 61a may supply negative pressure to the second space 72 of the base member 70. The regulator 61b may adjust a magnitude of negative pressure supplied to the second space 72 of the base member 70. The electromagnetic valve 61c may switch between a first state in which the second space 72 is connected to the vacuum pump 61a and a second state in which the second space 72 is released to the atmosphere. When the second space 72 is in the first state, the semiconductor chip CH may be absorbed and held by the holding portion 50. When the second space 72 is in the second state, the semiconductor chip CH may be released from the holding portion 50. The pressure sensor 61d may be used to determine whether the holding portion 50 absorbs and holds the semiconductor chip CH.

The positive pressure supply portion 62 may include a servo valve 62a, a compressor 62b, regulators 62c and 62f, pressure sensors 62d, 62g, and 62j, a vacuum pump 62e, electromagnetic valves 62h and 62i, and a throttle valve 62k. The servo valve 62a, the pressure sensor 62j, the throttle valve 62k, and the electromagnetic valve 62i may be disposed in the case 60h of the head body portion 60. The compressor 62b, the regulators 62c and 62f, the pressure sensors 62d and 62g, the vacuum pump 62e, and the electromagnetic valve 62h may be disposed outside the case 60h.

The servo valve 62a may have a first side port connected to the compressor 62b, an exhaust port connected to the vacuum pump 62e, and a secondary side port connected to the first space 71 of the base member 70. The compressor 62b may be connected to the first side port of the servo valve 62a via the regulator 62c, and the pressure sensor 62d may be disposed between the regulator 62c and the servo valve 62a. The vacuum pump 62e may be connected to the exhaust port of the servo valve 62a via the regulator 62f and the electromagnetic valve 62h, and the pressure sensor 62g may be disposed between the regulator 62f and the electromagnetic valve 62h. The first space 71 of the base member 70 may be connected to the secondary side port of the servo valve 62a via the electromagnetic valve 62i, and the pressure sensor 62j and the throttle valve 62k may be disposed between the servo valve 62a and the electromagnetic valve 62i.

The servo valve 62a may be a nozzle flapper-type servo valve, and may be controlled by a controller, which is not illustrated. The servo valve 62a may include two variable throttle valves, and may adjust a flow rate of positive pressure supplied from the compressor 62b and a flow rate of negative pressure supplied from the vacuum pump 62e to adjust a magnitude of positive pressure supplied to the first space 71 of the base member 70.

The compressor 62b may be a positive pressure source, and may supply positive pressure to the servo valve 62a. A magnitude of positive pressure, supplied from the compressor 62b to the servo valve 62a, may be detected by the pressure sensor 62d and adjusted by the regulator 62c. The vacuum pump 62e may be a negative pressure source, and may supply negative pressure to the servo valve 62a. A magnitude of negative pressure, supplied from the vacuum pump 62e to the servo valve 62a, may be detected by the pressure sensor 62g and adjusted by the regulator 62f. The electromagnetic valve 62h may switch between a first state in which the exhaust port of the servo valve 62a is connected to the vacuum pump 62e and a second state in which the exhaust port of the servo valve 62a is released to the atmosphere.

The pressure sensor 62j may detect a magnitude of positive pressure supplied from the servo valve 62a to the first space 71 of the base member 70. An output of the pressure sensor 62j may be feedbacked to the servo valve 62a. The throttle valve 62k may adjust a flow rate of positive pressure supplied from the servo valve 62a to the first space 71 of the base member 70. The electromagnetic valve 62i may switch between a first state in which the first space 71 is connected to the servo valve 62a and a second state in which the first space 71 is released to the atmosphere.

The head body portion 60 may include components other than the components described above, or may not include some components, among the components described above. For example, the head body portion 60 may not include the electromagnetic valve 62i or the pressure sensor 62j. In some example embodiments, the head body portion 60 may include a flow rate sensor between the servo valve 62a and the solenoid valve 62i, instead of the pressure sensor 62j.

The negative pressure supply portion 61 may not include the vacuum pump 61a. In this case, negative pressure may be supplied to the second space 72 of the base member 70 from a negative pressure source such as a vacuum pump provided outside the semiconductor bonding apparatus 1. Similarly, the positive pressure supply portion 62 may not include the compressor 62b or the vacuum pump 62e. In this case, positive pressure and negative pressure may be supplied to the servo valve 62b from a positive pressure source and a negative pressure source provided outside the semiconductor bonding apparatus 1, respectively.

As used herein, the term “positive pressure” may refer to a pressure higher than a pressure of an environment in which the semiconductor bonding apparatus 1 is installed, and the term “negative pressure” may refer to a pressure lower than the pressure of the environment in which the semiconductor bonding apparatus 1 is installed. Accordingly, when the semiconductor bonding apparatus 1 is installed in the atmosphere, “positive pressure” may refer to a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure, and “negative pressure” may refer to a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure. In addition, when the semiconductor bonding apparatus 1 is installed in a clean room, “positive pressure” may refer to a pressure higher than a pressure in the clean room, and “negative pressure” refers to a pressure lower than the pressure in the clean room. The pressure in the clean room may be generally set to a pressure even higher than atmospheric pressure.

Similarly, the term “released to the atmosphere” may mean that a pressure of the first space 71 or the second space 72 becomes the same as the pressure of the environment in which the semiconductor bonding apparatus 1 is installed. Accordingly, when the semiconductor bonding apparatus 1 is installed in the clean room, “released to the atmosphere” may mean that the pressure of the first space 71 or the second space 72 becomes the same as the pressure in the clean room.

According to the semiconductor bonding apparatus 1 of the present example embodiment configured as described above, the semiconductor chip CH may be absorbed and held via the porous plate member 80. For example, a peripheral region of the semiconductor chip CH may be absorbed and held by negative pressure supplied to a peripheral region of the second surface 82 of the porous plate member 80. A central region of the semiconductor chip CH may be pressed against the substrate WA by positive pressure supplied to a central region of the second surface 82 of the porous plate member 80, such that the central region of the semiconductor chip CH may be deformed into a convex shape downward (e.g., into a downward convex shape).

According to the semiconductor bonding apparatus 1 of the present example embodiment, a magnitude of positive pressure for forming the convex shape of the semiconductor chip CH may be controlled by the servo valve 62a, such that the convex shape of the semiconductor chip CH may be controlled with a higher degree of precision. For example, micro pressure around atmospheric pressure may be controlled with a higher degree of precision by the servo valve 62a, and the semiconductor chip CH may be deformed into a desired convex shape while suppressing excessive stress on the semiconductor chip CH.

In the semiconductor bonding apparatus 1 of the present example embodiment, for example, a result of measurement, performed by the shape sensor 40 for the semiconductor chip CH, may be feedbacked to the servo valve 62a, such that the semiconductor chip CH may be deformed to a desired convex shape.

Hereinafter, an operational effect of the servo valve 62a will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between input current to the servo valve 62a and supply pressure. In FIG. 4, a horizontal axis represents input current to the servo valve 62a, and a vertical axis represents pressure supplied to the first space 71 of the base member 70. In FIG. 4, three types of pressure changes are represented by a solid line, a broken line, and an alternated long and short dash line.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, in the semiconductor bonding apparatus 1 of the present example embodiment, a magnitude of pressure supplied to the first space 71 of the base member 70 may vary depending on input current of the servo valve 62a. For example, as the input current of the servo valve 62a increases, the pressure supplied to the first space 71 may increase. A magnitude or a variation range of the pressure supplied to the first space 71 may vary depending on a magnitude or a flow rate of positive pressure supplied from the compressor 62b and a magnitude or a flow rate of negative pressure supplied from the vacuum pump 62e.

Accordingly, according to the semiconductor bonding apparatus 1 of the present example embodiment, positive pressure supplied to the first space 71 of the base member 70 may be controlled by the servo valve 62a, thereby controlling pressure with a high degree of precision in the vicinity of atmospheric pressure. Thus, the convex shape of the semiconductor chip CH may be controlled with a higher degree of precision.

In the semiconductor bonding apparatus 1 of the present example embodiment, the servo valve 62a may be configured to block positive pressure when power is cut off so as to mitigate or prevent the semiconductor chip CH from blowing away even when power is unintentionally cut off. In addition, in the semiconductor bonding apparatus 1 of the present example embodiment, the servo valve 62a may be configured to supply negative pressure to the first space 71 of the base member 70 during any time other than a time period during which the semiconductor chip CH is being deformed into a convex shape.

Hereinafter, an operational effect of the throttle valve 62k will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 5.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between input current to the servo valve 62a, supply pressure, and the throttle valve 62k. In FIG. 5, a horizontal axis represents input current in the servo valve 62a, and a vertical axis represents pressure supplied to the first space 71 of the base member 70. In FIG. 5, a solid line represents a relationship between input current and pressure when the throttle valve 62k reduces a flow rate, and a broken line represents a relationship between input current and pressure when the throttle valve 62k does not reduce the flow rate.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, in the semiconductor bonding apparatus 1 of the present example embodiment, a variation range of pressure supplied to the first space 71 of the base member 70 may vary when the throttle valve 62k reduces the flow rate and when the throttle valve 62k does not reduce the flow rate. For example, when the throttle valve 62k does not reduce the flow rate, the pressure variation range may be a first range ΔP0. Conversely, when the throttle valve 62k reduces the flow rate, the pressure variation range may be a second range ΔP1 narrower than the first range ΔP0.

Accordingly, according to the semiconductor bonding apparatus 1 of the present example embodiment, a flow rate of gas flowing from the servo valve 62a toward the first space 71 may be reduced by the throttle valve 62k, thereby controlling pressure in a narrow variation range with a higher degree of precision. Thus, the convex shape of the semiconductor chip CH may be more precisely controlled. The throttle valve 62k may be a variable throttle valve or a fixed throttle valve.

Hereinafter, a pressing operation of the holding portion 50 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B.

FIG. 6A is a diagram illustrating force applied to a surface of the semiconductor chip CH by the semiconductor bonding apparatus