阅读说明：本技术 用于处理集成电路的切割晶片的技术 (Techniques for processing diced wafers of integrated circuits ) 是由 安托尼斯·亨德里库斯·尤立夫·坎菲斯 古伊多·阿尔贝曼 约翰尼斯·科布森 于 2020-10-14 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种用于处理具有由下层划片胶带支撑的多个集成电路的集成电路/胶带组件的技术涉及：将所述集成电路/胶带组件放置在具有结构(例如,内缘或柔性栓钉)的底部文件框架载体(FFC)框架上；将具有中心开口的顶部FFC框架放置在所述集成电路/胶带组件上方；以及使所述顶部与底部FFC框架匹配,使得在所述结构上拉住所述划片胶带,由此横向拉伸所述划片胶带,这使得将所述集成电路保持在一起的晶片锯架断裂。所述划片胶带的横向拉伸增加了在至少两个彼此正交的横向方向上的邻近的集成电路之间的距离,由此阻止所述邻近的集成电路在装运或存储以供后续处理期间发生碰撞。所得组件可以比常规FFC配置更薄,这使装运和存储更高效。(A technique for processing an integrated circuit/tape assembly having a plurality of integrated circuits supported by an underlying dicing tape involves: placing the integrated circuit/tape assembly on a bottom document frame carrier (FFC) frame having a structure (e.g., an inner edge or flexible pegs); placing a top FFC frame having a central opening over the integrated circuit/tape assembly; and mating the top and bottom FFC frames such that the dicing tape is pulled over the structure, thereby stretching the dicing tape laterally, which fractures a wafer saw frame holding the integrated circuits together. The lateral stretching of the dicing tape increases the distance between adjacent integrated circuits in at least two mutually orthogonal lateral directions, thereby preventing the adjacent integrated circuits from colliding during shipment or storage for subsequent processing. The resulting assembly can be thinner than conventional FFC configurations, which makes shipping and storage more efficient.)

1. An apparatus for holding an integrated circuit/tape assembly comprising a plurality of integrated circuits supported by an underlying dicing tape, the apparatus comprising:

a top Film Frame Carrier (FFC) frame having a central opening; and

a bottom FFC frame having a structure, wherein the dicing tape is pulled over the structure when the top and bottom FFC frames are mated together with the integrated circuit/tape assembly, thereby laterally stretching the dicing tape.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lateral stretching of the dicing tape occurs in at least two lateral directions orthogonal to each other to break a wafer saw frame holding the integrated circuits together.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the central opening in the top FFC frame is a circular opening that receives the integrated circuit in the integrated circuit/tape assembly.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the bottom FFC frame has a circular central opening.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising structure for holding the matched top and bottom FFC frames together.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the structure is a barbed peg integral with the bottom FFC frame and configured to be inserted through a peripheral hole in the top FFC frame.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lateral stretching of the dicing tape increases a distance between adjacent integrated circuits, thereby preventing the adjacent integrated circuits from colliding during shipping or storage.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an inner diameter of the central opening in the top FFC is larger than an outer diameter of the structure of the bottom FFC such that the dicing tape is stretched over the structure when the bottom FFC is mated to the top FFC.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the structure comprises a plurality of flexible pegs that stretch the dicing tape and secure the matching top and bottom FFC frames together.

10. A method for processing an integrated circuit/tape assembly comprising a plurality of integrated circuits supported by an underlying dicing tape, the method comprising:

placing the integrated circuit/tape assembly on a bottom FFC frame having a structure;

placing a top FFC frame having a central opening over the integrated circuit/tape assembly; and

mating the top and bottom FFC frames such that the dicing tape is pulled over the structure, thereby stretching the dicing tape laterally.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to integrated circuits and more particularly, but not exclusively, to techniques for processing diced wafers of integrated circuits for storage and shipment.

Background

This section introduces aspects that may help to better understand the disclosure. Accordingly, the statements in this section are to be read in this light and are not to be construed as admissions about which is prior art or which is not prior art.

In Integrated Circuit (IC) fabrication, it is known to form many instances of an integrated circuit on a single substrate wafer, then separate those instances for packaging into separate packaged IC devices. In some IC fabrication techniques, after integrated circuits are formed on a wafer, a dicing tape is applied to one surface of the wafer, and plasma dicing is applied to the other side of the wafer to remove most, but not all, of the substrate material that holds different instances of the integrated surface together. The remaining substrate material, referred to as a saw frame (saw bow), is an elongated substrate material that connects adjacent integrated circuits together. The cut wafer/tape assembly is then secured within a Film Frame Carrier (FFC) that allows the dicing tape and thus the wafer to be stretched in all directions within the plane of the wafer, breaking the saw frame and establishing physical separation between adjacent integrated circuits. Such stretching of the dicing tape requires fixing/fastening. The assembly, now consisting of dicing tape supporting many separate integrated circuits and secured within the FFC, can be stored and/or shipped for subsequent processing (i.e., packaging of individual integrated circuits) without risk of damage to the integrated circuits due to adjacent integrated circuits colliding with one another during movement of the assembly.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a conventional one-piece FFC frame 100 having a circular opening 102. The FFC frame 100, which may be made of metal or plastic, may hold the dicing tape, but may not be used to stretch the dicing tape and fix the stretching alone.

Fig. 2A is a cross-sectional side view showing a diced wafer/tape assembly 210 having integrated circuits 212 interconnected by a saw frame 214 and supported by dicing tape 216. As shown in fig. 2A, FFC outer ring 220 and FFC frame 100 of fig. 1 are positioned above assembly 210, and FFC inner ring 230 is positioned below. The FFC outer and inner clamp rings 220, 230 form a set of clamp rings that enable the dicing tape 216 to be stretched and secured between the two rings, after which the FFC frame 100 can be severed from the assembly. As shown in fig. 2A, the inner diameter of the circular opening 102 in both the FFC outer ring 220 and the FFC frame 100 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the FFC inner ring 230. It should be noted that the dicing tape 216 extends laterally beyond the integrated circuit 212 such that at least some of the bottom surface of the FFC frame 100 rests on the periphery of the dicing tape 216. To secure the assembly 210 within the FFC frame 100, an eccentric press (not shown), for example, is used to push the FFC inner ring 230 through the circular opening 102 of the FFC frame 100 and into the FFC outer ring 220.

Figure 2B is a cross-sectional side view of the configuration of figure 2A after FFC inner ring 230 has been pushed into FFC outer ring 220. As the FFC inner ring 230 is pushed through the circular opening 102 of the FFC frame 100 and into the FFC outer ring 220, the tight fit between those components ensures that the dicing tape 216 is laterally stretched, thereby breaking the saw frame 214 of fig. 2A and leaving a gap 215 between adjacent integrated circuits 212 in the resulting integrated circuit/tape assembly 240, which has now been secured to the FFC frame 100 as an assembly 250 for further processing (e.g., storage and/or shipping).

Fig. 2C is a cross-sectional side view of three examples of the assembly 250 of fig. 2B stacked on top of one another for storage and/or shipping.

One of the problems with the conventional FFC of fig. 1-2 is that the height of the resulting assembly 250 is undesirably large. In an exemplary embodiment, the height of the conventional assembly 250 of FIG. 2B is about 3.5 mm. Accordingly, the assembly 250 occupies a substantial volume of space for shipping and storage. Furthermore, the clamp rings 220 and 230 are expensive compared to the cost of the FFC frame 100.

Fig. 2D is a cross-sectional side view of the assembly 260 after (i) the dicing tape 216 of fig. 2B has been cut away at the interface between the FFC frame 100 and the two concentric rings 220 and 230 and (ii) the FFC frame 100 has been removed. These steps are performed just prior to placing the assembly 260 in the die bonder after shipping and/or storage. This technique is not preferred for high density wafers and/or for wafers having a diameter of 300mm or greater than 300 mm.

Disclosure of Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for holding an integrated circuit/tape assembly comprising a plurality of integrated circuits supported by an underlying dicing tape, the apparatus comprising:

a top Film Frame Carrier (FFC) frame having a central opening; and

a bottom FFC frame having a structure, wherein the dicing tape is pulled over the structure when the top and bottom FFC frames are mated together with the integrated circuit/tape assembly, thereby laterally stretching the dicing tape.

In one or more embodiments, the lateral stretching of the dicing tape occurs in at least two lateral directions orthogonal to each other to break a wafer saw frame holding the integrated circuits together.

In one or more embodiments, the central opening in the top FFC frame is a circular opening that receives the integrated circuit in the integrated circuit/tape assembly.

In one or more embodiments, the bottom FFC frame has a circular central opening.

In one or more embodiments, the apparatus further comprises a structure for holding the matched top and bottom FFC frames together.

In one or more embodiments, the structure is a barbed peg integral with the bottom FFC frame and configured to be inserted through a peripheral hole in the top FFC frame.

In one or more embodiments, the structure is a barbed peg configured to be inserted through a peripheral hole in the bottom FFC frame and a corresponding peripheral hole in the top FFC frame.

In one or more embodiments, the structure is a barbed structure integral with the bottom FFC frame and configured to engage a periphery of the top FFC frame.

In one or more embodiments, the lateral stretching of the dicing tape increases the distance between adjacent integrated circuits, thereby preventing the adjacent integrated circuits from colliding during shipping or storage.

In one or more embodiments, the inner diameter of the central opening in the top FFC is larger than the outer diameter of the structure of the bottom FFC, such that the dicing tape is stretched over the structure when the bottom FFC is mated to the top FFC.

In one or more embodiments, the structure includes a plurality of flexible pegs that stretch the dicing tape and secure the matching top and bottom FFC frames together.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for processing an integrated circuit/tape assembly comprising a plurality of integrated circuits supported by an underlying dicing tape, the method comprising:

placing the integrated circuit/tape assembly on a bottom FFC frame having a structure;

placing a top FFC frame having a central opening over the integrated circuit/tape assembly; and

mating the top and bottom FFC frames such that the dicing tape is pulled over the structure, thereby stretching the dicing tape laterally.

In one or more embodiments, the lateral stretching of the dicing tape occurs in at least two lateral directions orthogonal to each other to break a wafer saw frame holding the integrated circuits together.

In one or more embodiments, the central opening in the top FFC frame is a circular opening that receives the integrated circuit in the integrated circuit/tape assembly.

In one or more embodiments, the bottom FFC frame has a circular central opening.

In one or more embodiments, the method further comprises holding the matched top and bottom FFC frames together using a structure.

In one or more embodiments, the structure is a barbed peg integral with the bottom FFC frame and inserted through a peripheral hole in the top FFC frame.

In one or more embodiments, the structure is a barbed peg inserted through a peripheral hole in the bottom FFC frame and a corresponding peripheral hole in the top FFC frame.

In one or more embodiments, the structure is a barbed structure integral with the bottom FFC frame and engaging the periphery of the top FFC frame.

In one or more embodiments, the lateral stretching of the dicing tape increases the distance between adjacent integrated circuits, thereby preventing the adjacent integrated circuits from colliding during shipping or storage.

In one or more embodiments, the structure includes an edge, and an inner diameter of the central opening in the top FFC is greater than an outer diameter of the edge of the bottom FFC, such that the dicing tape is stretched over the edge when the bottom FFC is mated to the top FFC.

In one or more embodiments, the structure includes a plurality of flexible pegs that stretch the dicing tape and secure the matching top and bottom FFC frames together.

These and other aspects of the invention are apparent from and will be elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

Drawings

Embodiments of the present disclosure will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals identify similar or identical elements.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a conventional single piece FFC frame;

FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional side view showing a diced wafer/tape assembly with an FFC outer ring positioned above the assembly and the FFC frame of FIG. 1 and with an FFC inner ring positioned below;

FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional side view of the configuration of FIG. 2A after the FFC inner ring has been pushed into the FFC outer ring;

FIG. 2C is a cross-sectional side view of three examples of the assembly of FIG. 2B stacked on top of one another for storage and/or shipping;

FIG. 2D is a cross-sectional side view of the assembly of FIG. 2B after (i) the dicing tape at the interface between the FFC frame and the two concentric rings has been cut away and (ii) the FFC frame has been removed;

fig. 3A and 3B illustrate respective plan views of a top FFC frame and a bottom FFC frame of a film frame carrier according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional side view of a top FFC frame positioned above a bottom FFC frame along cut line A-A of FIGS. 3A and 3B;

FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional side view of the view corresponding to FIG. 4A after the top and bottom FFC frames have been mated together in conjunction with a diced wafer/tape assembly positioned therebetween, which is similar to the assembly of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional side view of the top and bottom FFC frames of FIGS. 4A and 4B mated together in conjunction with the integrated circuit/tape assembly of FIG. 2B positioned therebetween;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of a top FFC frame mated to a bottom FFC frame that stretches the dicing tape of an intermediate diced wafer/tape assembly in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of a top FFC frame mated to a bottom FFC frame that stretches the dicing tape of an intermediate diced wafer/tape assembly in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional side view of a top FFC frame mated to a bottom FFC frame that stretches the dicing tape of an intermediate diced wafer/tape assembly in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present disclosure;

figure 7B is a plan view of the top FFC frame of figure 7A.

It should be noted that the figures in this disclosure are not necessarily drawn to scale.

Detailed Description

Detailed illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure are disclosed herein. However, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative for purposes of describing example embodiments of the present disclosure. The present disclosure may be embodied in many alternate forms and should not be construed as limited to only the embodiments set forth herein. In addition, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of example embodiments of the disclosure.

As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises", "comprising", "includes" and/or "including" specify the presence of stated features, steps or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps or components. It should also be noted that, in some alternative implementations, the functions/acts noted may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two figures shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the figures may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality/acts involved.

Fig. 3A and 3B show respective plan views of a top FFC frame 310 and a bottom FFC frame 330 of a film frame carrier according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As represented in fig. 3A and 3B and as explained further below, bottom FFC frame 330 has a plurality of barbed pegs 334 positioned around its periphery, and top FFC frame 310 has a corresponding number of corresponding peg holes 314 positioned around its periphery. In addition, each FFC frame 310/330 has a corresponding circular opening 312/332 and the bottom FFC frame 330 has a circular inner edge 336.

Figure 4A is a cross-sectional side view of top FFC frame 310 positioned above bottom FFC frame 330 along cut line a-a of figures 3A and 3B. As shown in fig. 4A, barbed pegs 334 of bottom FFC frame 330 are aligned with peg holes 314 of top FFC frame 310. The barbed peg 334 has two opposing barbed teeth that deflect inwardly within the peg hole 314 when the top and bottom FFC frames are mated together. The bottom FFC frame 330 also has a rounded inner edge 336 that helps align the two FFC frames when they are mated together. It should be noted that the diameter of circular opening 332 of top FFC frame 310 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of edge 336 of bottom FFC frame 330 so that when the two frames are mated together, there will be a gap between inner surface 318 of top FFC frame 310 and outer surface 338 of edge 336 of bottom FFC frame 330.

Figure 4B is a cross-sectional side view of a view corresponding to figure 4A after the top FFC frame 310 and the bottom FFC frame 330 have been mated together with a cut wafer/tape assembly positioned therebetween, similar to the assembly 210 of figure 2A, with only the dicing tape 216 of the assembly 210 being shown in figure 4B. The ellipses (..) indicate that the rest of the component 210/240 is to the right of the view of fig. 4B. Figure 4B shows the barbed pegs 334 of the bottom FFC frame 330 fully engaged within the peg holes 314 of the top FFC frame 310 with the barbed teeth always mating the two FFC frames together. Figure 4B also shows a gap 340 between inner surface 318 of top FFC frame 310 and outer surface 338 of edge 336 of bottom FFC frame 330. When the two FFC frames 310 and 330 are mated together with the assembly 210 between them, the dicing tape 216 is pulled over the edge 336 of the bottom FFC frame 330, thereby stretching the dicing tape 216 laterally in all directions, breaking the saw frames 214 of the assembly 210 and creating a gap 215 between the integrated circuits 212 of fig. 2B. The matched FFC frame and intervening integrated circuit/tape assembly may then be processed for storage and/or shipment for subsequent processing.

Figure 4C is a cross-sectional side view of top FFC frame 310 and bottom FFC frame 330 mated together with integrated circuit/tape assembly 240 of figure 2B positioned therebetween.

As shown in fig. 4A-4C, bottom FFC frame 330 can have an optional groove 342 that enables multiple instances of the assembly of fig. 4B to be stacked on top of each other for shipping and/or storage.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional side view of a top FFC frame 510 mated to a bottom FFC frame 530, the bottom FFC frame 530 stretching the dicing tape 216 of an intervening component 210/240, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Unlike the bottom FFC frame 330 of fig. 3A and 4A-4C, in which the barbed pegs 334 are integral with the bottom FFC frame, in the embodiment of fig. 5, the barbed pegs 550 are separate elements that are inserted through holes 540 in the bottom FFC frame 530 and then through corresponding holes 514 in the top FFC frame 510. It should be noted that the top FFC frame 510 can be identical to the top FFC frame 310 of FIGS. 3B and 4A-4C, and the bottom FFC frame 530 has edges 536 similar to the edges 336 of the bottom FFC frame 330 of FIGS. 3A and 4A-4C. The ellipses (..) indicate that the rest of the component 210/240 is to the right of the view of fig. 5.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional side view of a top FFC frame 610 mated to a bottom FFC frame 630, the bottom FFC frame 630 stretching the dicing tape 216 of the intervening component 210/240, according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, top FFC frame 610 need not have any peripheral apertures similar to apertures 314 and 514 of the previous embodiments. Alternatively, bottom FFC frame 630 has an outer barbed structure 642 with a barbed top 644 that engages the outer diameter of top FFC frame 610 and holds the mating FFC frames 610 and 630 together. Here, bottom FFC frame 630 also has edges 636 similar to edges 336 and 536 of the previous embodiment. The ellipses (..) indicate that the rest of the component 210/240 is to the right of the view of fig. 6.

Figure 7A is a cross-sectional side view of a top FFC frame 710 mated to a bottom FFC frame 730, the bottom FFC frame 730 stretching the dicing tape 216 of the intervening component 210/240, according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, instead of edges as in the previous embodiment, bottom FFC frame 730 has a plurality of flexible pegs 736 located around the inner edge of the frame, the plurality of flexible pegs 736 performing the dual function of stretching dicing tape 216 and fastening the two FFC frames 710 and 730 together. The arrows in fig. 7A indicate the direction in which the flexible pegs 736 bend when the two FFC frames are mated together. The ellipses (..) indicate that the rest of the component 210/240 is to the right of the view of fig. 7A.

Figure 7B is a plan view of the top FFC frame 710 of figure 7A. As shown in fig. 7B, the top FFC frame 710 has a plurality of notches 716 positioned around the inner edge of the frame and corresponding to the location of the flexible pegs 736 of the bottom FFC frame 730, wherein the notches 716 receive the flexible pegs 736 to support the mating of the frames together.

In certain embodiments, FFC top frames 310, 510 and 610, FFC bottom frames 330, 530 and 630, and barbed peg 550 are made of a suitable type of plastic and are formed by injection molding.

In certain embodiments, the height of an FFC of the present disclosure, as indicated by the height of the corresponding structure 334, 550, 642, or 736, is about 3 mm. In this way, the height of the two piece FFC of the present disclosure may be substantially equal to the height of the prior art FFC described above.

While the present disclosure has been described in the context of an FFC in which the FFC frame has a circular opening, in alternative embodiments, the FFC frame may have an opening of a suitable shape (e.g., rectangular) other than circular, so long as the edges of the bottom FFC frame or flexible pegs form the appropriate shape to stretch the dicing tape of the wafer/tape assembly in a suitable manner. It should be noted that the circular or non-circular shape formed by the edges or flexible pegs should stretch the dicing tape at least in mutually orthogonal directions corresponding to the rows and columns of IC dies on the diced wafer in order to break the saw frame 214 of fig. 2A.

While the present disclosure has been described in the context of an FFC in which barbed structures 334, 550 and 642 are used to hold the top and bottom FFC frames together, in alternative embodiments other mechanisms, such as clips or clamps applied around the periphery of the mating FFC frame, are used to hold the top and bottom FFC frames together. In some embodiments, the matched FFC frames may be held together by a friction fit between the top and bottom FFC frames and the intervening dicing tape 216 that fills the gap between the FFC frames (e.g., 340 of fig. 4B).

In accordance with certain embodiments, an apparatus for holding an integrated circuit/tape assembly including a plurality of integrated circuits supported by an underlying dicing tape is disclosed. The apparatus comprises: (i) a top Film Frame Carrier (FFC) frame having a central opening; and (ii) a bottom FFC frame having a structure, wherein the dicing tape is pulled over the structure, thereby stretching the dicing tape laterally, when the top and bottom FFC frames are mated together in conjunction with the integrated circuit/tape assembly.

In accordance with certain embodiments, a method for processing an integrated circuit/tape assembly including a plurality of integrated circuits supported by an underlying dicing tape is disclosed. The method includes (i) placing an integrated circuit/tape assembly on a bottom FFC frame having a structure; (ii) placing a top FFC frame having a central opening over the integrated circuit/tape assembly; and (iii) mating the top with the bottom FFC frame such that the dicing tape is pulled over the structure, thereby stretching the dicing tape laterally.

Unless expressly stated otherwise, each numerical value and range should be interpreted as being approximate as if the word "about" or "approximately" preceded the value or range.

It will be further understood that various changes in the details, materials, and arrangements of the parts which have been described and illustrated in order to explain the embodiments of this disclosure may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the embodiments of the disclosure encompassed in the appended claims.

In this specification, including any claims, the term "each" may be used to refer to one or more specified characteristics of a plurality of previously recited elements or steps. When used with the open-ended term "comprising," the recitation of the term "each" does not exclude additional, unrecited elements or steps. Thus, it is to be understood that an apparatus can have additional unlisted elements and a method can have additional unlisted steps, where the additional unlisted elements or steps do not have the one or more specified characteristics.

The use of figure numbers and/or figure reference labels in the claims is intended to identify one or more possible embodiments of the claimed subject matter in order to facilitate the interpretation of the claims. Such use should not be construed as necessarily limiting the scope of those claims to the embodiments shown in the corresponding figures.

It should be understood that the steps of the exemplary methods set forth herein are not necessarily required to be performed in the order described, and the order of the steps of such methods should be understood to be merely exemplary. Likewise, additional steps may be included in such methods, and certain steps may be omitted or combined in methods consistent with various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Although elements in the appended method claims, if any, are recited in a particular sequence with corresponding labeling, those elements are not necessarily limited to being practiced in that particular sequence unless the claim recitations otherwise imply a particular sequence for practicing some or all of those elements.

All documents mentioned herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety or to provide a disclosure of what is specifically relied upon.

Reference herein to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. The appearances of the phrase "in one embodiment" in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments necessarily mutually exclusive of other embodiments. The same applies to the term "embodiment".

The embodiments covered by the claims in this application are limited to embodiments (1) realized by the present specification and (2) corresponding to statutory subject matter. Even within the scope of the claims, unrealized embodiments and embodiments corresponding to illegitimate subject matter may be explicitly disclaimed.

Unless otherwise specified herein, the use of the ordinal adjectives "first," "second," "third," etc., to refer to objects in a plurality of similar objects, merely indicate that different instances of such similar objects are being referred to, and are not intended to imply that the similar objects so referred to must be in a corresponding sequence or order, either temporally, spatially, in ranking, or in any other manner.