The present invention relates to the marking and identification of
defective die sites on a mounting substrate. A mounting substrate is
provided which is inspected and tested for visual and electrical defects.
Information relating to the functionality and/or various defects of one
or more die sites is then encoded in the form of a designator placed on
the substrate. The information encoded on the designator may then be read
or scanned by, for example, computer-driven video equipment and used in a
die-attach process to discriminately place semiconductor dice only on
known good die sites. Embodiments of the designator include information
encoded in the form of a bar code, a series of identifying marks, a strip
of magnetic tape or a computerized map of a mounting substrate.
Correlated data regarding die site functionality can then be
electronically transferred to a die-bonding apparatus.