Method in an Integrated Circuit (IC) Manufacturing Process for Identifying and Redirecting IC's Mis-Processd During Their Manufacture

1. A manufacturing process for an integrated circuit device, said manufacturing process redirecting one or more integrated circuit devices that have been mis-processed, each integrated circuit device having a substantially unique identification code, the method comprising: storing data and the identification code of each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices, said data indicating a process flow within the manufacturing process for each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices; reading the identification code of each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices; accessing the data stored and the identification code of each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices; evaluating the data accessed for each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices; identifying any integrated circuit devices having undergone a process flow within the manufacturing process different from the process flow of their stored data; and redirecting any integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices identified as having been mis-processed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein storing data comprises storing the identification code of each of the integrated circuit devices and a die location on an electronically stored wafer map.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein storing data comprises storing data at a probe.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein storing data comprises storing data and the identification code of each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices to indicate each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices is one of a good integrated circuit device usable for assembly and back-end testing and a bad integrated circuit device suitable for being discarded.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein reading the identification code of each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices comprises electrically retrieving a unique fuse identification programmed into each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein reading the identification code of each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices comprises optically reading a unique identification code provided on each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein optically reading the unique identification code provided on each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices comprises optically reading a unique laser fuse identification programmed into each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein reading the identification code of each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices comprises reading the identification code of each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices at an opens/shorts test in the manufacturing process.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing the data stored and the identification code of each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices comprises accessing the data stored and the identification code of each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices at an opens/shorts test in the manufacturing process.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating the data comprises evaluating the data accessed for each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices to identify any bad integrated circuit devices having accidentally undergone an assembly procedure within the manufacturing process.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating the data comprises evaluating the data at an opens/shorts test in the manufacturing process.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein redirecting any integrated circuit device identified as having been mis-processed comprises discarding any integrated circuit device identified as having been mis-processed.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein redirecting occurs before a back-end test procedure within the integrated circuit device manufacturing process.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprises assembling the integrated circuit devices into packaged integrated circuit devices after storing data and before reading the identification code of each of the integrated circuit devices.

15. A method of manufacturing integrated circuit devices from semiconductor wafers, the method comprising: providing a plurality of semiconductor wafers; fabricating a plurality of integrated circuit devices on each wafer of the plurality of semiconductor wafers; causing each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices on each wafer of the plurality of semiconductor wafers to store a substantially unique identification code; storing data and the identification code of each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices indicating the manufacturing process flow for each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices; separating each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices on each wafer of the plurality of semiconductor wafers, forming one integrated circuit device of a plurality of integrated circuit devices; assembling each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices into an integrated circuit device; reading the identification code of each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices; accessing the data stored and the identification code associated with each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices; evaluating the data accessed for each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices identifying any integrated circuit devices having undergone a manufacturing process flow different from the indicated manufacturing process flow of their stored data; redirecting any integrated circuit device identified as having undergone a manufacturing process flow different from the indicated manufacturing process flow of its stored data; and back-end testing any non-redirected integrated circuit devices.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein fabricating a plurality of integrated circuit devices on each wafer of the plurality of semiconductor wafers comprises fabricating integrated circuit devices selected from a group comprising Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) devices, Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) devices, Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM) devices, and processor devices.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein causing each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices on each wafer of the plurality of semiconductor wafers to store a substantially unique identification code comprises programming each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices on each wafer of the plurality of semiconductor wafers to permanently store a unique fuse identification.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein programming each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices on each wafer of the plurality of semiconductor wafers to permanently store a unique fuse identification comprises programming at least one of the fuses and the anti-fuses in each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices on each wafer of the plurality of semiconductor wafers to permanently store a unique fuse identification.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein assembling each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices into an integrated circuit device comprising: picking each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices from its wafer; placing each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices onto an epoxy coated bonding site of one of a plurality of lead frames; curing the epoxy on the bonding site of each of the lead frames; wire bonding each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices to its associated lead frame; injection molding each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices and the associated lead frame to form one of a plurality of integrated circuit device packages, each having projecting leads; de-flashing the projecting leads of each integrated circuit device package of the plurality of integrated circuit device packages; curing each integrated circuit device package of the plurality of integrated circuit device packages; electroplating the projecting leads of each integrated circuit device package of the plurality of integrated circuit device packages; singulating each integrated circuit device package of the plurality of integrated circuit device packages into one of a plurality of discrete integrated circuit devices; and testing each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices for opens and shorts.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein assembling each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices into an integrated circuit device comprises assembling each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices into an integrated circuit device selected from a group comprising a wire bond/lead frame integrated circuit device, a Chip-On-Board (COB) integrated circuit devices a flip-chip integrated circuit device, and a Tape-Automated Bonding (TAB) integrated circuit device.

21. A method of manufacturing Multi-Chip Modules from semiconductor wafers, the method comprising: providing a plurality of semiconductor wafers; fabricating a plurality of integrated circuit devices on each wafer of the plurality of semiconductor wafers; causing each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices on each wafer of the plurality of semiconductor wafers to store a substantially unique identification code; storing data and the identification code of each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices indicating a desired manufacturing process flow for each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices; separating each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices on each wafer of the plurality of semiconductor wafers from the wafer to form one of a plurality of integrated circuit devices; assembling one or more integrated circuit devices of the integrated circuit devices into each of a plurality of multi-chip modules; reading the identification code of each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices in each of the multi-chip modules; accessing the data stored and the identification code of each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices in each of the multi-chip modules; evaluating the data accessed for each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices in each of the multi-chip modules identifying any multi-chip modules having integrated circuit devices having undergone a manufacturing process flow that is different from the desired manufacturing process flow; redirecting any multi-chip modules identified as having integrated circuit devices having undergone a manufacturing process flow that is different from the desired manufacturing process flow; and back-end testing any non-redirected multi-chip modules.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the multi-chip modules are selected from a group comprising Single In-Line Memory Modules (SIMM's) and Dual In-line Memory Modules (DIMM's).

23. A method of manufacturing integrated circuit devices from semiconductor wafers, the method comprising: providing a plurality of semiconductor wafers; fabricating a plurality of integrated circuit devices on each wafer of the plurality of semiconductor wafers; electronically probing each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices on each wafer of the plurality of semiconductor wafers to identify good and defective integrated circuit devices on each wafer of the plurality of semiconductor wafers; programming each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices on each wafer of the plurality of semiconductor wafers to store a unique fuse identification; storing an electronic wafer map for each wafer that identifies locations of good and defective integrated circuit devices on the wafer associating each integrated circuit device on the wafer with its fuse identification; sawing each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices on each wafer of the plurality of semiconductor wafers from its wafer to form one of a plurality of discrete integrated circuit devices; automatically picking each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices from the wafer; placing each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices onto an epoxy coated bonding site of one of a plurality of lead frames; curing the epoxy on the bonding site of each lead frame of the plurality of lead frames; wire bonding each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices to an associated lead frame; injection molding each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices and the associated lead frame forming one of a plurality of integrated circuit device packages, each package having projecting leads; de-flashing the projecting leads of each integrated circuit device package of the integrated circuit device packages; curing each integrated circuit device package of the integrated circuit device packages; electroplating the projecting leads of each integrated circuit device package of the integrated circuit device packages; singulating each integrated circuit device package of the integrated circuit device packages into one of a plurality of discrete integrated circuit devices; testing each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices for opens and shorts; electrically retrieving the fuse identification associated with each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices; accessing the wafer map stored in association with the fuse identification associated with each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices; evaluating the wafer map accessed for each integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit devices identifying any defective integrated circuit device and any good integrated circuit device; discarding any integrated circuit device identified as a defective integrated circuit device; and back-end testing any integrated circuit device identified as a good integrated circuit device.