US20010008249A1 - Method and apparatus for release and optional inspection for conductive preforms placement apparatus - Google Patents
Method and apparatus for release and optional inspection for conductive preforms placement apparatus Download PDFInfo
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- US20010008249A1 US20010008249A1 US09/309,697 US30969799A US2001008249A1 US 20010008249 A1 US20010008249 A1 US 20010008249A1 US 30969799 A US30969799 A US 30969799A US 2001008249 A1 US2001008249 A1 US 2001008249A1
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Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- H05K3/00—Apparatus or processes for manufacturing printed circuits
- H05K3/30—Assembling printed circuits with electric components, e.g. with resistor
- H05K3/32—Assembling printed circuits with electric components, e.g. with resistor electrically connecting electric components or wires to printed circuits
- H05K3/34—Assembling printed circuits with electric components, e.g. with resistor electrically connecting electric components or wires to printed circuits by soldering
- H05K3/3457—Solder materials or compositions; Methods of application thereof
- H05K3/3478—Applying solder preforms; Transferring prefabricated solder patterns
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B23K—SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- B23K3/00—Tools, devices, or special appurtenances for soldering, e.g. brazing, or unsoldering, not specially adapted for particular methods
- B23K3/06—Solder feeding devices; Solder melting pans
- B23K3/0607—Solder feeding devices
- B23K3/0623—Solder feeding devices for shaped solder piece feeding, e.g. preforms, bumps, balls, pellets, droplets
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- H05K2203/00—Indexing scheme relating to apparatus or processes for manufacturing printed circuits covered by H05K3/00
- H05K2203/03—Metal processing
- H05K2203/0338—Transferring metal or conductive material other than a circuit pattern, e.g. bump, solder, printed component
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- H05K2203/00—Indexing scheme relating to apparatus or processes for manufacturing printed circuits covered by H05K3/00
- H05K2203/04—Soldering or other types of metallurgic bonding
- H05K2203/041—Solder preforms in the shape of solder balls
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- H05K2203/00—Indexing scheme relating to apparatus or processes for manufacturing printed circuits covered by H05K3/00
- H05K2203/08—Treatments involving gases
- H05K2203/082—Suction, e.g. for holding solder balls or components
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T29/00—Metal working
- Y10T29/49—Method of mechanical manufacture
- Y10T29/49002—Electrical device making
- Y10T29/49117—Conductor or circuit manufacturing
- Y10T29/49124—On flat or curved insulated base, e.g., printed circuit, etc.
- Y10T29/4913—Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T29/00—Metal working
- Y10T29/49—Method of mechanical manufacture
- Y10T29/49002—Electrical device making
- Y10T29/49117—Conductor or circuit manufacturing
- Y10T29/49124—On flat or curved insulated base, e.g., printed circuit, etc.
- Y10T29/49147—Assembling terminal to base
Definitions
- This invention relates in general to the field of conductive preform placement systems for surface mount technology, and in particular to a method and apparatus for the release and optional inspection of a pattern of conductive preforms from a locating mechanism onto electronic pads that are on a receiving substrate such as for a ball grid array (BGA) applicator.
- BGA ball grid array
- Conventional methods for manufacturing surface mount components, or for manufacturing circuit supporting substrates for surface mount components typically include methods for placing conductive preforms, e.g., solder balls, solder spheres, and preformed solder bumps, on electronic pads arranged in a predetermined placement pattern that is sometimes called a ball grid array (BGA).
- conductive preforms e.g., solder balls, solder spheres, and preformed solder bumps
- a known method for placing conductive preforms on electronic pads on a substrate utilizes a locating plate placed over the electronic pads on the substrate to guide the conductive preforms to drop through a pattern of openings within the locating plate onto the electronic pads.
- the electronic pads having been pre-deposited with solder paste, the conductive preforms then adhere to the electronic pads via the solder paste.
- flux, conductive epoxy, or other tacky mediums may be used to temporarily secure the conductive preforms to the electronic pads prior to permanent attachment. During a reflow operation, the conductive preforms fuse to the electronic pads on the substrate.
- the first known method of releasing the conductive preforms from the locating plate is using the tackiness of the tacky medium to pull the conductive preforms from the openings in the locating plate during separation of the locating plate and the substrate. This method does not ensure the conductive preforms are dislodged from the locating plate.
- a second known method utilizes a hot-air knife to reflow the conductive preforms while using the locating plate to maintain alignment of the conductive preforms to the electronic pads of the substrate.
- This method additionally suffers from a hot-air knife, reflow heating step that unevenly distributes heat over the solder balls in the stencil plate.
- the heating step applied while the conductive preforms are in the locating plate may cause the conductive preforms to melt and adhere to the locating plate.
- the conductive preforms may change shape to geometrically couple themselves to the locating plate and cause manufacturing defects with missing solder spheres or long term reliability risks with lifted pads.
- a heating-knife motion control mechanism can be expensive.
- a second known method for placing solder balls on electronic pads on a substrate utilizes tubes to hold the solder balls over the electronic pads. Each tube applies a vacuum force to hold a solder ball to the end of the tube. After locating the tubes holding the solder balls over the electronic pads, the solder balls are placed on the electronic pads by removing the vacuum force from the tubes and vertically vibrating the tubes to release the solder balls onto the electronic pads. This is actually moving the tube, not applying an externally sourced vibrational energy to the tube.
- the apparatus for this second method tends to be complicated and can be expensive to produce and maintain. Since the conductive preforms are placed sequentially, the process is not conducive to cycle time. It also may not be suitable for micro-BGA placement where the pitch of the pads is very fine and requires tight tolerances in locating the solder spheres. The vibrations are used to break any static energy which would hold the solder sphere to the tube, but does not apply forces to positively separate the conductive preforms from the tube.
- a third known method for placing conductive preforms on electronic pads on a substrate utilizes a vacuum system coupled to conductive preform locating apparatus sometimes referred to as a placement head.
- the placement head consisting of a vacuum block and a locating plate, where the locating plate includes a pattern of openings. Each opening provides a vacuum force to lift a conductive preform into each opening.
- the conductive preforms are placed on the electronic pads by removing the vacuum force from the tubes and using a tacky media to release the solder balls onto the electronic pads.
- a forth known method for placing conductive preforms onto electronic pads uses preforms, where the preforms temporarily hold a pattern of conductive preforms within a removable holder.
- the use of preforms is not conducive to high volume production of these devices.
- the current removable holder is of water soluble material and require exposure to water for removal. It is not conducive to subject the said components to moisture, as this yields manufacturing defects and long term reliability risks.
- the entrapped moisture expands during the reflow process and the expansion of moisture trapped between the Integrated Circuit (IC) and the die attach pad causing them to separate.
- tacky medium such as flux paste is used to remove the conductive preforms from the locating apparatus and temporarily couple the conductive preforms proximate the electronic pads. Since the forces tend to separate the conductive preform from the electronic pad, the conductive preform is generally suspended within the tacky medium. When the tacky medium is heated, as required by the securing process, the conductive preforms are known to float off the electronic pads and sometimes fusing with adjacent conductive preforms creating a defect.
- Ball Grid Array technology is increasing as the advantages of the interconnect process are recognized.
- Two primary methods are used to assemble the components: 1) placing the spheres through a locating plate and 2) picking up the conductive preforms using vacuum, and generally placing them within a locating plate then transferring them to the component.
- a recognized problem in the high volume manufacturing process of these components is the assurance of the completeness of the pattern of conductive preforms. It is known that the completeness of the pattern is dependant upon ensuring a conductive preform is positioned within each of the locating mechanisms and subsequently transferred to the respective electronic pad.
- the current inspection system utilize vision which is costly and time consuming. It is also known that the conductive preforms tend to float off the electronic pads when simply placed upon the tacky media during the curing process.
- the preferred separation process would include a means to position the conductive preforms against the electronic pads, where the conductive preform would not float off the electronic pad during heating.
- What is desirable is a mechanism to ensure completeness of a pattern of conductive preforms, the separation between the conductive preform locating apparatus (locating plate, etc.) and the conductive preforms, depositing the conductive preforms onto a tacky media, and preferably locating the conductive preform proximate the electronic pad.
- One aspect of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for placing and/or locating a pattern of conductive preforms onto a corresponding pattern of electronic pads.
- the apparatus comprises a conductive preform locating mechanism which includes a means of creating a pattern of conductive preforms from a unorganized volume of conductive preforms. It can be recognized that one skilled in the art may apply the invention to any of the above mentioned or other methods for the location and/or placement of conductive preforms recognizing the spirit and intent of the present invention.
- Another aspect of the present invention includes a means to position an individual conductive preform in a respective locating mechanism within the conductive preform locating apparatus.
- the sum of the locating mechanisms create a pattern of locating mechanisms within the conductive preform locating apparatus to mimic the pattern of electronic pads on the receiving substrate.
- Another aspect of the present invention is the ability to separate the pattern of conductive preforms from the pattern of locating mechanisms within the conductive preform locating apparatus by placing an releasing mechanism proximate the pattern of locating mechanisms and either directly or indirectly providing a releasing force to the conductive preforms.
- the releasing force may be of mechanical means (as described in the original patent application), a compliant mechanical means, vibrational energy, bulk air pressure, directed air pressure, directed sound pressure waves, etc.
- Another aspect of the mechanical release embodiments of the present invention is the ability to utilize the release mechanism as a means to use electronic circuitry to inspect for completeness of the pattern of conductive preforms.
- Another aspect of the present invention is the ability to include this invention in a manual, semi-automated, or automated machine.
- FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a conductive preform locating apparatus illustrating the pattern of respective locating locations proximate the pattern of electronic pads on a receiving substrate.
- FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view illustrating a first method of positioning the conductive preforms within a conductive preform locating apparatus.
- FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view illustrating a second method of positioning the conductive preforms within a conductive preform locating apparatus.
- FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of a mechanical release mechanism, including an optional compliant mechanism and optional conductive preform presence inspection system.
- FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of a vibrational release mechanism.
- FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of an air pressure release mechanism.
- FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of a directed air pressure release mechanism.
- FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of a sound pressure wave release mechanism.
- FIG. 9 is a flow diagram illustrating locating, placing, and releasing conductive preforms onto electronic pads of a receiving substrate using a top loading conductive preform locating device.
- FIG. 10 is a flow diagram illustrating the method of locating, placing, and releasing conductive preforms onto electronic pads of a receiving substrate using a bottom loading conductive preform device.
- FIG. 4 , 5 , 6 ,and 7 illustrates the release mechanism distant from the conductive preform locating member 10 for ease of identification within the figure.
- the release mechanism described within each figure would normally be contacting or nearly contacting the conductive preform locating apparatus 10 .
- FIG. 1 illustrates an isometric view of a conductive preform locating apparatus 10 to illustrate the respective patterns between the conductive preform locating apparatus 10 and the receiving substrate 12 .
- the conductive preform locating apparatus 10 provides a means for creating a pattern of individual conductive preforms (conductive preforms are not illustrated in FIG. 1 for clarity) from a quantity of unorganized conductive preforms and placing the said pattern of individual conductive preforms onto a pattern of electronic pads 14 on a receiving substrate 12 .
- the pattern of individual conductive preforms is created by a pattern of locating mechanisms 16 within the conductive preform locating apparatus 10 .
- the pattern of locating mechanisms 16 may be created in any of numerous methods including those mentioned in the background or others developed by those skilled in the art, such as chemically etched or laser etched openings within a foil, series of tubes, machined plates or blocks, laminated foils, etc.
- FIG. 1 illustrates one known method utilizing etched individual openings 18 within a locating foil member 20 .
- the locating foil member 20 is generally coupled to a foil supporting member 22 .
- the present invention describes various methods and apparatuses to separate or release the conductive preforms from the conductive preform locating apparatus 10 and the utilization of other locating devices may not deviate the spirit or intent of the present invention. It can also be recognized that the said invention may be applied to a manual, semi-automated, or automated conductive preform locating apparatus 10 which achieve the same results, without deviating from the spirit or intent of the invention.
- FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of a representative conductive preform locating apparatus 10 where the volume of unorganized conductive preforms 34 are positioned within the individual locating mechanisms 18 from the top side 28 .
- the top side 28 is defined as the side of the locating foil member 20 opposing the side which contacts the receiving substrate 12 .
- a tacky media 26 is first applied to the pattern of electronic pads 14 , then the pattern of locating mechanisms 16 within the conductive preform locating apparatus 10 is located proximate the pattern of electronic pads 14 on the receiving substrate 12 , then the conductive preforms 30 are positioned within the locating mechanisms 16 .
- a volume of unorganized conductive preforms 34 is passed across the pattern of locating mechanisms 16 using a conductive preform loading mechanism 36 , such as a squeegee (illustrated), tilting, vibrations, airflow, or any other mechanism that can be recognized by one skilled in the art.
- the method of loading the conductive preforms should not be considered as a means to deviate from the spirit or intent of the invention.
- an individual conductive preform 30 is positioned to each respective individual locating mechanism 18 .
- the conductive preform locating apparatus 10 created the desired pattern of conductive preforms 32 .
- FIG. 2 illustrates a foil with apertures representing the locating foil member 20 and the individual locating mechanisms 18 respectively.
- the locating foil member may be manufactured by various methods such as chemically etching, laser etching, machining, plating, casting, etc. and of various materials such as stainless steel, brass, copper, nickel, phenalic, plastic, etc and should not be considered a limitation for the present invention.
- the smaller the difference between the diameter of the individual conductive preforms 30 and the diameter of the individual locating mechanism 18 the more accurate the placement. It can also be recognized that the smaller difference may require more force to ensure separation of the conductive preform 30 and the individual locating mechanism 18 .
- the pattern of conductive preforms 32 are transferred to the pattern of electronic pads 14 , where the pattern of conductive preforms 32 are temporarily coupled to the pattern of electronic pads 14 by a tacky media 26 .
- the present invention teaches various methods to ensure transfer of the pattern of conductive preforms 32 to the pattern of electronic pads 14 .
- FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of a representative conductive preform locating apparatus 10 where the volume of unorganized conductive preforms 34 are positioned within the individual locating mechanisms 18 from the bottom side 38 .
- the bottom side 38 is defined as the side of the locating foil member 20 which contacts the receiving substrate 12 .
- the pattern of locating mechanisms 16 within the conductive preform locating apparatus 10 is located proximate the pattern of electronic pads 14 on the receiving substrate 12 after having the individual conductive preforms 30 positioned within the individual locating mechanisms 18 .
- the conductive preform locating apparatus 10 is generally placed proximate a volume of unorganized conductive preforms 34 within a reservoir 52 .
- a primary vacuum force 46 is generally the mechanism used to position the individual conductive preforms 30 to each of the respective individual locating mechanisms 18 to create a pattern of conductive preforms 32 .
- the primary vacuum force 46 is applied through a primary vacuum port 44 into a vacuum chamber 40 and distributed in a manner to apply a vacuum loading force 50 to each respective individual locating mechanisms 18 through individual vacuum ports 48 .
- the vacuum chamber 40 is created by placing a vacuum chamber housing 42 over the pattern of locating mechanisms 16 and sealing the assembly except for the primary vacuum port 44 (which is coupled to the source of the primary vacuum force 46 ) and the pattern of locating mechanisms 16 .
- the vacuum loading force 50 positions a individual conductive preform 30 within a respective individual locating mechanism 18 , where the individual conductive preform 30 is captured within the individual locating mechanism 18 and against a backing member 54 .
- the conductive preform locating apparatus 10 is then located proximate the pattern of electronic pads 14 where the pattern of conductive preforms 32 are to be deposited.
- FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of a representative conductive preform locating apparatus 10 including one embodiment of the present invention, where the pattern of conductive preforms 32 is separated from the conductive preform locating apparatus 10 by a pattern of mechanical release members 60 .
- the sum of the individual release members 62 compose a pattern of mechanical release members 60 similar to the pattern of locating mechanisms 16 , such that there is an individual mechanical release member 62 for each respective individual locating mechanism 18 .
- the individual mechanical release members 62 protrude through the respective individual locating mechanisms 18 and mechanically separate the individual conductive preforms 30 from the individual locating mechanisms 18 .
- Each individual mechanical release member 62 may include a compliant member 64 contained by a compliant member casing 66 to provide compliance to each individual mechanical release member 62 .
- the pattern of mechanical release members 60 are located within a mechanical release supporting structure 68 .
- the use of a compliant member maintains the spirit and intent of the original patent application applying a mechanical releasing force to the conductive preforms 30 .
- the use of a compliant member provides for a less complicated requirement for the mechanism which operates the release mechanism, allowing the compliance to compensate for the travel distance of the operating mechanism and planarity of the mechanical release mechanism 11 to the conductive preform locating apparatus 10 .
- the previous application described springs above the mechanical release apparatus 11 , whereas the compliance in this figure is shown for each individual mechanical release member 62 .
- a pin shaped release structure is disclosed in Hertz patent application Ser. No. 08/789,883. It is recognized that one can accomplish the same shape using many various methods, including those taught in the original application. Based upon the initial teachings, one skilled in the art could also recognize achieving the same goal by machining a pattern of holes within the mechanical release supporting structure 68 and placing fixed or compliant pins within the machined pattern of holes. This feature can be enhanced by assembling compliant pins such as “Golf-T” test probes 70 within the same locations as the fixed pins, recognizing the “Golf-T” test probes 70 would include an individual release member 62 , a compliant member 64 , and a compliant member casing 66 .
- the “Golf-T” test probes 70 are spring-loaded pins which partially protrude from a casing such as a compliant member casing 66 .
- the individual release member 62 would be in the form of a cylinder where a contacting area 72 used to separate the individual conductive preforms 30 from the individual locating mechanisms 18 is enlarged from the cylinder and the contacting area 72 is concave.
- the “Golf-T” test probes are one suggestion, and it should be recognized that there are many other methods of creating an apparatus which is within the spirit and intent of the present invention. The result is the transfer of the pattern of conductive preforms 32 from the conductive preform locating apparatus 10 to the tacky media 26 on the pattern of electronic pads 14 , preferably proximate the electronic pads 13 .
- FIG. 4 may additionally provide a means for inspecting presence of the conductive preforms.
- test pins as the release members 62 , one can create a continuous circuit when contacting the individual conductive preforms 30 .
- the continuous circuit may be created by either the completion of a circuit where the compliant member 64 would be compressed allowing the release member 62 to close a circuit, or where the release member 62 would contact the conductive preform 30 and conductive preform 30 would close a circuit.
- a first side of the circuit 56 would be attached to the release member 62 and a second side of the circuit 58 would be attached to either each compliant member casing 66 , the conductive preform locating apparatus 10 or a conductive member 59 .
- the conductive member 59 would be required is the conductive preform locating apparatus is nonconductive.
- the conductive member 59 would preferably be placed under the conductive preform locating apparatus 10 prior to loading the conductive preforms into the conductive preform locating apparatus 10 .
- the electrical conductivity of the conductive preform locating apparatus 10 or the conductive member 59 would provide a second side of the circuit to each conductive preform 30 .
- the circuit would be continuous when the first side of the circuit 56 provides a electrical path to the mechanical release member 62 which contacts the electrically conductive individual conductive preforms 30 which then contact the second side of the circuit 58 provided through the conductive member 59 or the conductive preform locating apparatus 10 .
- the circuit would be continuous when the first side of the circuit 56 provides an electrical path the to second side of the circuit 58 where the second side of the circuit is electrically connected to the compliant member casing 66 and the circuit is completed by the motion of the mechanical release member 62 upon contacting the conductive preforms 30 .
- the second described electrically continuous path does not require that the conductive preforms be conductive upon all potential areas of contact, nor the requirement of a conductive member 59 or conductive-conductive preform locating apparatus 10 .
- the separate conductive member 59 would be less desirable as it must be removed prior to placement of the pattern of conductive preforms 32 .
- a logic circuit (not shown) can compare continuity to determine presence of the conductive preforms 30 to determine the completeness of the pattern of conductive preforms 32 .
- the logic circuit can be of many variations, as designed by anyone skilled in the art. The logic circuit and actual means to create a continuous circuit should not be limiting the spirit or intent of the embodiment.
- FIG. 5 is a cross sectional side view of a second embodiment of the present invention.
- the cross sectional side plan view of the conductive preform placement apparatus 10 illustrates a release mechanism which utilizes vibrational energy to release the pattern of conductive preforms 32 from the pattern of locating mechanisms 16 .
- the use of vibrational energy does not dictate the requirement that the individual release members 62 contact the individual conductive preforms 30 to separate the individual conductive preforms 30 from the respective individual locating mechanisms 18 .
- the second embodiment of the present invention does not require customization or alignment for each pattern. By adding a backing member 74 , the vibrational energy directs the separation of the individual conductive preforms 30 away from the conductive preform locating apparatus 10 and onto the respective individual electronic pads 13 .
- the backing member 74 includes two surfaces, a vibrational contacting surface 76 and a locating mechanism contacting surface 78 . Although requiring more design considerations, it can be recognized that the vibrational contacting surface 76 may be the same side as the locating contacting surface 78 , keeping within the spirit and intent of the present invention.
- the vibrational energy may be transferred to the surface of the backing member 74 using any of known vibrational source devices, including but not limited to an off-balanced motor 84 , a piezoelectric transducer (not shown), or a mass resonant vibrator.
- FIG. 5 illustrates the use of an off-balanced motor 84 coupled to a resilient tapping member 82 via a motor coupling member 86 .
- the resilient tapping member 82 and the backing member 74 are coupled to a primary fixture 86 creating a vibrational release apparatus 90 which may be brought to and from the locating mechanisms 18 .
- the vibrational release apparatus 90 may be coupled to a controlling mechanism (not shown) by a coupling mechanism 88 .
- FIG. 5 illustrates one method of creating and applying vibrational energy to the backing member.
- the illustration utilizes an off-balanced motor 84 which is energized through wires 92 .
- the off-balanced motor 84 When the off-balanced motor 84 is energized, the off-balanced motor 84 generates a vibration; the vibration causes the resilient tapping member 82 to oscillate 94 , causing a resilient tapping member 82 to tap the backing member 74 .
- the force resulting from the tapping causes the individual conductive preforms 30 to separate from the individual locating mechanisms 18 .
- the backing member ensures that the individual conductive preforms 30 are separated towards the individual electronic pads 13 . It can be recognized that one skilled in the art may include the backing member 74 within the vibrational source or within the individual locating mechanisms 18 such as described in the original patent application.
- the tapping generates a sudden shock, whereas the vibration generates a slower separation and may utilize gravity to overcome the potential of the releasing away from the individual electronic pads 13 . It should be recognized that either vibrational or tapping forces may be created and applied in numerous ways without deviating from the spirit or intent of the present embodiment. The result is the transfer of the pattern of conductive preforms 32 from the conductive preform locating apparatus 10 to the tacky media 26 on the pattern of electronic pads 14 .
- FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of a general air pressure release mechanism 100 .
- the general air pressure release apparatus 100 requires a passage within each individual locating mechanism 18 to allow the flow of air 114 to provide a releasing force 118 to the individual conductive preforms 30 .
- the advantage to this system over the vibrational release apparatus 90 is the lack of electrical requirements and mechanical wear on the components of the apparatus.
- the advantage over the mechanical release apparatus 11 is the lack of requirements for aligning the pattern of mechanical release members 60 to the pattern of locating mechanisms 16 .
- the general air pressure release apparatus 100 takes incoming air flow 114 provided by an air pressure source 112 such as a compressor or in house pressurized air supply and distributes the incoming air flow 114 within an expansion chamber 102 to provide a distributed air pressure 116 against the conductive preform locating apparatus 10 on the side opposing the desired direction for release.
- the expansion chamber 102 is an area which includes an inlet port 110 and an enclosure 103 .
- the enclosure 103 may consist of an inlet port 110 , a top surface 104 , a side surface 106 , and an open area 108 .
- the air pressurizes within the expansion chamber 102 and releases against the least resistant path, the passages through the individual locating mechanisms 18 .
- the escaping air provides the releasing force 118 to the individual conductive preforms 30 to cause them to separate from the individual locating mechanisms 18 .
- the result is the transfer of the pattern of conductive preforms 32 from the conductive preform locating apparatus 10 to the tacky media 26 on the pattern of electronic pads 14 .
- FIG. 7 illustrates a directed air pressure release apparatus 120 , similar to the general air pressure release apparatus 100 with the addition of a pattern of air exit ports 126 to direct the escaping air into a pattern of directed release airflow forces 128 similar to the pattern of locating mechanisms 16 .
- the directed air pressure release apparatus 120 requires a passage within each individual locating mechanism 18 to allow the flow of air 114 to provide a releasing force 118 to the individual conductive preforms 30 .
- the directed air pressure release apparatus 120 takes incoming air flow 114 provided by an air pressure source 112 and, optionally using a diffuser 130 , distributes the incoming air flow 114 within an expansion chamber 102 .
- the expansion chamber 102 escapes through the path of least resistance, the pattern of air exit ports 126 .
- the expansion chamber 102 is an area which includes an inlet port 110 and an enclosure 103 .
- the enclosure 103 may consist of an inlet port 110 , a top surface 104 , a side surface 106 , a bottom surface and a pattern of air exit ports 126 .
- the air pressurizes within the expansion chamber 102 and releases against the least resistant path, the pattern of air exit ports 126 .
- a diffuser 130 may be included to equally distribute the inlet airflow 114 across the pattern of air exit ports 126 . It should be recognized that a diffuser may be included in the previous embodiment.
- the directed release airflow forces 128 provides the releasing force 118 to the individual conductive preforms 30 to cause them to separate from the individual locating mechanisms 18 .
- the result is the transfer of the pattern of conductive preforms 32 from the conductive preform locating apparatus 10 to the tacky media 26 on the pattern of electronic pads 14 .
- FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of a directed sound pressure wave release apparatus 140 .
- the sound pressure wave apparatus 140 utilizes a transducer 142 generates sound pressure waves 144 .
- the transducer 142 may be of any known sound generating apparatus, such as speaker, ultrasonic horn, mass resonant generator, etc. understanding the effectiveness may be based upon the selected frequency or variations in frequencies, amplitude, and distance.
- the sound pressure waves provide a release force 118 which separates the conductive preforms 30 from the locating apparatus 10 .
- the sound pressure waves 144 cause the individual components of the system, more specifically, the conductive preforms 30 and the conductive preform locating apparatus 10 to oscillate at their natural frequencies.
- FIG. 9 is an operational flow diagram demonstrating the method for locating, placing, and releasing a pattern of conductive preforms 32 onto a pattern of electronic pads 14 of a receiving substrate 12 using a topside 28 loading conductive preform locating device 10 .
- the first top-loading placement step 200 to positioning the conductive preforms 30 is to place a tacky media 26 onto the electronic pads 14 of the receiving substrate 12 .
- This can be accomplished through various known techniques.
- One method which can be used would be to apply a tacky media 26 such as flux, solder paste, or conductive epoxy, onto the electronic pads 14 by dispensing, screen printing or other well known processes.
- the second top-loading placement step 202 is to align the pattern of locating mechanisms 16 within a conductive preform locating apparatus 10 to the pattern of electronic pads 14 of the receiving substrate 12 . This can be accomplished through various means such as but not limited to mechanical alignment, vision-assisted alignment, or any other known method of aligning two patterns as by one skilled in the art.
- the third top-loading placement step 204 is to position the individual conductive preforms 30 from a volume of unorganized conductive preforms 34 into the individual locating mechanisms 18 through various means such as: Passing volume of unorganized conductive preforms 34 across the pattern of locating mechanisms 16 using a conductive preform loading mechanism 36 , such as a squeegee (illustrated), vibrations, airflow, or any other mechanism that can be recognized by one skilled in the art (see FIG. 2). It should be recognized that the conductive preforms 30 may be loaded into the conductive preform locating apparatus 10 in numerous ways without deviating from the spirit or intent of the present embodiment.
- the forth top-loading placement step 206 is to locate the release mechanism (any of the described or implied embodiments) proximate the conductive preform locating apparatus 10 .
- the release mechanism would be located to the side of the conductive preform locating apparatus 10 opposing the pattern of electronic pads 14 . Where alignment is required, the alignment may be of any means described above.
- the fifth top-loading placement step 208 is to energize and/or activate the release mechanism such that the release mechanism applies a releasing force 94 , 118 to the conductive preforms 30 or the conductive preform locating apparatus 10 .
- the sixth top-loading placement step 210 is to separate the conductive preform locating apparatus 10 and the receiving substrate 12 resulting in the release and placement of a pattern of conductive preforms 32 onto the tacky media 26 deposited on the pattern of electronic pads 14 .
- the seventh top-loading placement step 212 is to de-energize the release mechanism and separate it from the conductive preform locating apparatus 10 to allow for the conductive preform locating apparatus 10 to be reloaded with the individual conductive preforms 30 for the next cycle of operation.
- the final top-loading placement step 214 in the process is to optionally remove the component from the apparatus and secure the conductive preforms 30 to the pattern of electronic pads 14 on the receiving substrate 12 .
- the securing (bonding) process would be respective of the material used for the tacky media 26 . Some examples would be reflow for flux or solder paste or curing for conductive epoxy. It should be recognized that there are many other methods of placing, and releasing conductive preforms onto electronic pads of a receiving substrate using a top loading conductive preform locating device apparatus which is within the spirit and intent of the present invention.
- FIG. 10 is a flow diagram illustrating the method of locating, placing, releasing conductive preforms onto electronic pads of a receiving substrate using a bottom loading conductive preform device.
- the first bottom-loading step 300 to placing and/or locating the conductive preforms 30 is to subject the conductive preform locating apparatus 10 to a volume of unorganized conductive preforms 34 .
- the individual conductive preforms 30 are positioned into the individual locating mechanisms 18 generally using a primary vacuum force 46 .
- the primary vacuum force 46 is applied through a primary vacuum port 44 into a vacuum chamber 40 and distributed in a manner to apply a vacuum loading force 50 to each respective individual locating mechanisms 18 through individual vacuum ports 48 .
- the vacuum chamber 40 is created by placing a vacuum chamber housing 42 over the pattern of locating mechanisms 16 and sealing the assembly except for the primary vacuum port 44 (which is coupled to the source of the primary vacuum force 46 ) and the pattern of locating mechanisms 16 .
- the vacuum loading force 50 positions an individual conductive preform 30 within a respective individual locating mechanism 18 , where the individual conductive preform 30 is captured within the individual locating mechanism 18 and against a backing member 54 .
- the conductive preforms 30 maintains the pattern to mimic that of the electronic pads 14 where the pattern of conductive preforms 32 are to be deposited (see FIG. 3). It should be recognized that the conductive preforms 30 may be positioned into the conductive preform locating apparatus 10 in numerous ways without deviating from the spirit or intent of the present invention.
- the second bottom-loading step 302 is to place a tacky media 26 onto the electronic pads 14 . This can be accomplished using any of various known techniques, such as screen printing, pin transfer, dispensing, etc.
- the tacky media may be flux, solder paste, conductive epoxy, or any other similar material recognized for the assembly of electronics devices.
- the third bottom-loading step 304 is to align a conductive preform locating apparatus 10 to the pattern of electronic pads 1 of the receiving substrate 12 . This can be accomplished through various means such as but not limited to alignment pins, manual, semi-automated, or automated means of alignment.
- the forth bottom-loading step 306 is to locate the release mechanism proximate the pattern of electronic pads 14 of the substrate 24 .
- the fifth bottom-loading step 308 is to energize and/or activate the release mechanism to release and deposit the pattern of conductive preforms 32 onto the electronic pad 14 (see FIGS. 4 through 8).
- the release force 118 may result from a mechanical release apparatus 11 , a vibrational release apparatus, an air pressure release apparatus, a directed air pressure release apparatus, or sound pressure waves apparatus.
- the sixth bottom-loading step 310 to placing and/or locating the pattern of conductive preforms 32 to the pattern of electronic pads 14 is to separate the conductive preform locating apparatus 10 from the electronic pads 14 and the receiving substrate 12 , positioning the pattern of conductive preforms 32 on the tacky media 26 .
- the seventh bottom-loading step 312 is to de-energize the release mechanism to allow for the conductive preform locating apparatus 10 to be re-loaded with the conductive preforms 30 for the next operation.
- the final bottom-loading step 314 in the process is to optionally remove the component from the apparatus and secure the conductive preforms 30 to the receiving electronic pads 14 of the substrate 24 .
- the securing or bonding process would be respective of the material used for the tacky media 26 .
- Some examples would be reflow for flux or solder paste or curing for conductive epoxy. It should be recognized that there are many other methods of placing, locating, and releasing conductive preforms onto electronic pads of a receiving substrate using a bottom loading conductive preform locating device apparatus which is within the spirit and intent of the present invention.
Abstract
Description
- Continuation in Part of patent application Ser. No. 08/789,883 filed Jan. 28, 1997 Eric L. Hertz and Allen D. Hertz for METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RELEASE AND OPTIONAL INSPECTION FOR CONDUCTIVE PREFORMS PLACEMENT APPARATUS
- This invention relates in general to the field of conductive preform placement systems for surface mount technology, and in particular to a method and apparatus for the release and optional inspection of a pattern of conductive preforms from a locating mechanism onto electronic pads that are on a receiving substrate such as for a ball grid array (BGA) applicator. The general concept of a release mechanism for a conductive preform placement and/or locating apparatus is taught in the parent patent application. This is a continuation-in-art of Ser. No. 08/789,883 filed Jan. 28, 1997.
- Conventional methods for manufacturing surface mount components, or for manufacturing circuit supporting substrates for surface mount components, typically include methods for placing conductive preforms, e.g., solder balls, solder spheres, and preformed solder bumps, on electronic pads arranged in a predetermined placement pattern that is sometimes called a ball grid array (BGA).
- A known method for placing conductive preforms on electronic pads on a substrate utilizes a locating plate placed over the electronic pads on the substrate to guide the conductive preforms to drop through a pattern of openings within the locating plate onto the electronic pads. The electronic pads having been pre-deposited with solder paste, the conductive preforms then adhere to the electronic pads via the solder paste. It is also recognized in the art that flux, conductive epoxy, or other tacky mediums may be used to temporarily secure the conductive preforms to the electronic pads prior to permanent attachment. During a reflow operation, the conductive preforms fuse to the electronic pads on the substrate.
- The first known method of releasing the conductive preforms from the locating plate is using the tackiness of the tacky medium to pull the conductive preforms from the openings in the locating plate during separation of the locating plate and the substrate. This method does not ensure the conductive preforms are dislodged from the locating plate.
- A second known method utilizes a hot-air knife to reflow the conductive preforms while using the locating plate to maintain alignment of the conductive preforms to the electronic pads of the substrate. This method additionally suffers from a hot-air knife, reflow heating step that unevenly distributes heat over the solder balls in the stencil plate. Further, the heating step applied while the conductive preforms are in the locating plate may cause the conductive preforms to melt and adhere to the locating plate. Further, the conductive preforms may change shape to geometrically couple themselves to the locating plate and cause manufacturing defects with missing solder spheres or long term reliability risks with lifted pads. Furthermore, a heating-knife motion control mechanism can be expensive.
- A second known method for placing solder balls on electronic pads on a substrate utilizes tubes to hold the solder balls over the electronic pads. Each tube applies a vacuum force to hold a solder ball to the end of the tube. After locating the tubes holding the solder balls over the electronic pads, the solder balls are placed on the electronic pads by removing the vacuum force from the tubes and vertically vibrating the tubes to release the solder balls onto the electronic pads. This is actually moving the tube, not applying an externally sourced vibrational energy to the tube.
- The apparatus for this second method tends to be complicated and can be expensive to produce and maintain. Since the conductive preforms are placed sequentially, the process is not conducive to cycle time. It also may not be suitable for micro-BGA placement where the pitch of the pads is very fine and requires tight tolerances in locating the solder spheres. The vibrations are used to break any static energy which would hold the solder sphere to the tube, but does not apply forces to positively separate the conductive preforms from the tube.
- A third known method for placing conductive preforms on electronic pads on a substrate is taught in the original application utilizes a vacuum system coupled to conductive preform locating apparatus sometimes referred to as a placement head. The placement head consisting of a vacuum block and a locating plate, where the locating plate includes a pattern of openings. Each opening provides a vacuum force to lift a conductive preform into each opening. After locating the pattern of openings holding the conductive preforms proximate the pattern of electronic pads, the conductive preforms are placed on the electronic pads by removing the vacuum force from the tubes and using a tacky media to release the solder balls onto the electronic pads. A forth known method for placing conductive preforms onto electronic pads uses preforms, where the preforms temporarily hold a pattern of conductive preforms within a removable holder. The use of preforms is not conducive to high volume production of these devices. Additionally, the current removable holder is of water soluble material and require exposure to water for removal. It is not conducive to subject the said components to moisture, as this yields manufacturing defects and long term reliability risks. The entrapped moisture expands during the reflow process and the expansion of moisture trapped between the Integrated Circuit (IC) and the die attach pad causing them to separate.
- It is known that tacky medium such as flux paste is used to remove the conductive preforms from the locating apparatus and temporarily couple the conductive preforms proximate the electronic pads. Since the forces tend to separate the conductive preform from the electronic pad, the conductive preform is generally suspended within the tacky medium. When the tacky medium is heated, as required by the securing process, the conductive preforms are known to float off the electronic pads and sometimes fusing with adjacent conductive preforms creating a defect. The use of Ball Grid Array technology is increasing as the advantages of the interconnect process are recognized. Two primary methods are used to assemble the components: 1) placing the spheres through a locating plate and 2) picking up the conductive preforms using vacuum, and generally placing them within a locating plate then transferring them to the component. A recognized problem in the high volume manufacturing process of these components is the assurance of the completeness of the pattern of conductive preforms. It is known that the completeness of the pattern is dependant upon ensuring a conductive preform is positioned within each of the locating mechanisms and subsequently transferred to the respective electronic pad. The current inspection system utilize vision which is costly and time consuming. It is also known that the conductive preforms tend to float off the electronic pads when simply placed upon the tacky media during the curing process. The preferred separation process would include a means to position the conductive preforms against the electronic pads, where the conductive preform would not float off the electronic pad during heating.
- What is desirable is a mechanism to ensure completeness of a pattern of conductive preforms, the separation between the conductive preform locating apparatus (locating plate, etc.) and the conductive preforms, depositing the conductive preforms onto a tacky media, and preferably locating the conductive preform proximate the electronic pad.
- One aspect of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for placing and/or locating a pattern of conductive preforms onto a corresponding pattern of electronic pads. The apparatus comprises a conductive preform locating mechanism which includes a means of creating a pattern of conductive preforms from a unorganized volume of conductive preforms. It can be recognized that one skilled in the art may apply the invention to any of the above mentioned or other methods for the location and/or placement of conductive preforms recognizing the spirit and intent of the present invention.
- Another aspect of the present invention includes a means to position an individual conductive preform in a respective locating mechanism within the conductive preform locating apparatus. The sum of the locating mechanisms create a pattern of locating mechanisms within the conductive preform locating apparatus to mimic the pattern of electronic pads on the receiving substrate.
- Another aspect of the present invention is the ability to separate the pattern of conductive preforms from the pattern of locating mechanisms within the conductive preform locating apparatus by placing an releasing mechanism proximate the pattern of locating mechanisms and either directly or indirectly providing a releasing force to the conductive preforms. The releasing force may be of mechanical means (as described in the original patent application), a compliant mechanical means, vibrational energy, bulk air pressure, directed air pressure, directed sound pressure waves, etc.
- Another aspect of the mechanical release embodiments of the present invention is the ability to utilize the release mechanism as a means to use electronic circuitry to inspect for completeness of the pattern of conductive preforms.
- Another aspect of the present invention is the ability to include this invention in a manual, semi-automated, or automated machine.
- FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a conductive preform locating apparatus illustrating the pattern of respective locating locations proximate the pattern of electronic pads on a receiving substrate.
- FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view illustrating a first method of positioning the conductive preforms within a conductive preform locating apparatus.
- FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view illustrating a second method of positioning the conductive preforms within a conductive preform locating apparatus.
- FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of a mechanical release mechanism, including an optional compliant mechanism and optional conductive preform presence inspection system.
- FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of a vibrational release mechanism.
- FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of an air pressure release mechanism.
- FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of a directed air pressure release mechanism.
- FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of a sound pressure wave release mechanism.
- FIG. 9 is a flow diagram illustrating locating, placing, and releasing conductive preforms onto electronic pads of a receiving substrate using a top loading conductive preform locating device.
- FIG. 10 is a flow diagram illustrating the method of locating, placing, and releasing conductive preforms onto electronic pads of a receiving substrate using a bottom loading conductive preform device.
- It should be noted that several figures (FIGS.4,5,6,and 7) illustrates the release mechanism distant from the conductive
preform locating member 10 for ease of identification within the figure. The release mechanism described within each figure would normally be contacting or nearly contacting the conductivepreform locating apparatus 10. - FIG. 1 illustrates an isometric view of a conductive
preform locating apparatus 10 to illustrate the respective patterns between the conductivepreform locating apparatus 10 and the receivingsubstrate 12. The conductivepreform locating apparatus 10 provides a means for creating a pattern of individual conductive preforms (conductive preforms are not illustrated in FIG. 1 for clarity) from a quantity of unorganized conductive preforms and placing the said pattern of individual conductive preforms onto a pattern ofelectronic pads 14 on a receivingsubstrate 12. The pattern of individual conductive preforms is created by a pattern of locatingmechanisms 16 within the conductivepreform locating apparatus 10. The pattern of locatingmechanisms 16 may be created in any of numerous methods including those mentioned in the background or others developed by those skilled in the art, such as chemically etched or laser etched openings within a foil, series of tubes, machined plates or blocks, laminated foils, etc. FIG. 1 illustrates one known method utilizing etchedindividual openings 18 within a locatingfoil member 20. The locatingfoil member 20 is generally coupled to afoil supporting member 22. The present invention describes various methods and apparatuses to separate or release the conductive preforms from the conductivepreform locating apparatus 10 and the utilization of other locating devices may not deviate the spirit or intent of the present invention. It can also be recognized that the said invention may be applied to a manual, semi-automated, or automated conductivepreform locating apparatus 10 which achieve the same results, without deviating from the spirit or intent of the invention. - Referring to FIG. 2, is a cross sectional view of a representative conductive
preform locating apparatus 10 where the volume of unorganizedconductive preforms 34 are positioned within theindividual locating mechanisms 18 from thetop side 28. Thetop side 28 is defined as the side of the locatingfoil member 20 opposing the side which contacts the receivingsubstrate 12. Normally, when theconductive preforms 30 are positioned into the conductivepreform locating apparatus 10 from thetop side 28, atacky media 26 is first applied to the pattern ofelectronic pads 14, then the pattern of locatingmechanisms 16 within the conductivepreform locating apparatus 10 is located proximate the pattern ofelectronic pads 14 on the receivingsubstrate 12, then theconductive preforms 30 are positioned within the locatingmechanisms 16. A volume of unorganizedconductive preforms 34 is passed across the pattern of locatingmechanisms 16 using a conductivepreform loading mechanism 36, such as a squeegee (illustrated), tilting, vibrations, airflow, or any other mechanism that can be recognized by one skilled in the art. The method of loading the conductive preforms should not be considered as a means to deviate from the spirit or intent of the invention. As the unorganizedconductive preforms 34 pass across the pattern of locatingmechanisms 16, an individualconductive preform 30 is positioned to each respectiveindividual locating mechanism 18. When each of theindividual locating mechanisms 18 has a respective individualconductive preform 30 positioned, the conductivepreform locating apparatus 10 created the desired pattern ofconductive preforms 32. - It should be recognized that FIG. 2 illustrates a foil with apertures representing the locating
foil member 20 and theindividual locating mechanisms 18 respectively. The locating foil member may be manufactured by various methods such as chemically etching, laser etching, machining, plating, casting, etc. and of various materials such as stainless steel, brass, copper, nickel, phenalic, plastic, etc and should not be considered a limitation for the present invention. The smaller the difference between the diameter of the individualconductive preforms 30 and the diameter of theindividual locating mechanism 18, the more accurate the placement. It can also be recognized that the smaller difference may require more force to ensure separation of theconductive preform 30 and theindividual locating mechanism 18. The pattern ofconductive preforms 32 are transferred to the pattern ofelectronic pads 14, where the pattern ofconductive preforms 32 are temporarily coupled to the pattern ofelectronic pads 14 by atacky media 26. The present invention teaches various methods to ensure transfer of the pattern ofconductive preforms 32 to the pattern ofelectronic pads 14. - Referring to FIG. 3, is a cross sectional view of a representative conductive
preform locating apparatus 10 where the volume of unorganizedconductive preforms 34 are positioned within theindividual locating mechanisms 18 from thebottom side 38. Thebottom side 38 is defined as the side of the locatingfoil member 20 which contacts the receivingsubstrate 12. Normally, when theconductive preforms 30 are positioned from thebottom side 38, the pattern of locatingmechanisms 16 within the conductivepreform locating apparatus 10 is located proximate the pattern ofelectronic pads 14 on the receivingsubstrate 12 after having the individualconductive preforms 30 positioned within theindividual locating mechanisms 18. The conductivepreform locating apparatus 10 is generally placed proximate a volume of unorganizedconductive preforms 34 within areservoir 52. Aprimary vacuum force 46 is generally the mechanism used to position the individualconductive preforms 30 to each of the respectiveindividual locating mechanisms 18 to create a pattern ofconductive preforms 32. Theprimary vacuum force 46 is applied through aprimary vacuum port 44 into avacuum chamber 40 and distributed in a manner to apply avacuum loading force 50 to each respectiveindividual locating mechanisms 18 throughindividual vacuum ports 48. Thevacuum chamber 40 is created by placing avacuum chamber housing 42 over the pattern of locatingmechanisms 16 and sealing the assembly except for the primary vacuum port 44 (which is coupled to the source of the primary vacuum force 46) and the pattern of locatingmechanisms 16. Thevacuum loading force 50 positions a individualconductive preform 30 within a respectiveindividual locating mechanism 18, where the individualconductive preform 30 is captured within theindividual locating mechanism 18 and against a backingmember 54. The conductivepreform locating apparatus 10 is then located proximate the pattern ofelectronic pads 14 where the pattern ofconductive preforms 32 are to be deposited. - Referring to FIG. 4, is a cross sectional view of a representative conductive
preform locating apparatus 10 including one embodiment of the present invention, where the pattern ofconductive preforms 32 is separated from the conductivepreform locating apparatus 10 by a pattern ofmechanical release members 60. The sum of theindividual release members 62 compose a pattern ofmechanical release members 60 similar to the pattern of locatingmechanisms 16, such that there is an individualmechanical release member 62 for each respectiveindividual locating mechanism 18. The individualmechanical release members 62 protrude through the respectiveindividual locating mechanisms 18 and mechanically separate the individualconductive preforms 30 from theindividual locating mechanisms 18. Each individualmechanical release member 62 may include acompliant member 64 contained by acompliant member casing 66 to provide compliance to each individualmechanical release member 62. The pattern ofmechanical release members 60 are located within a mechanicalrelease supporting structure 68. The use of a compliant member maintains the spirit and intent of the original patent application applying a mechanical releasing force to theconductive preforms 30. The use of a compliant member provides for a less complicated requirement for the mechanism which operates the release mechanism, allowing the compliance to compensate for the travel distance of the operating mechanism and planarity of themechanical release mechanism 11 to the conductivepreform locating apparatus 10. The previous application described springs above themechanical release apparatus 11, whereas the compliance in this figure is shown for each individualmechanical release member 62. A pin shaped release structure is disclosed in Hertz patent application Ser. No. 08/789,883. It is recognized that one can accomplish the same shape using many various methods, including those taught in the original application. Based upon the initial teachings, one skilled in the art could also recognize achieving the same goal by machining a pattern of holes within the mechanicalrelease supporting structure 68 and placing fixed or compliant pins within the machined pattern of holes. This feature can be enhanced by assembling compliant pins such as “Golf-T” test probes 70 within the same locations as the fixed pins, recognizing the “Golf-T” test probes 70 would include anindividual release member 62, acompliant member 64, and acompliant member casing 66. The “Golf-T” test probes 70 are spring-loaded pins which partially protrude from a casing such as acompliant member casing 66. Theindividual release member 62 would be in the form of a cylinder where a contactingarea 72 used to separate the individualconductive preforms 30 from theindividual locating mechanisms 18 is enlarged from the cylinder and the contactingarea 72 is concave. The “Golf-T” test probes are one suggestion, and it should be recognized that there are many other methods of creating an apparatus which is within the spirit and intent of the present invention. The result is the transfer of the pattern ofconductive preforms 32 from the conductivepreform locating apparatus 10 to thetacky media 26 on the pattern ofelectronic pads 14, preferably proximate theelectronic pads 13. - FIG. 4 may additionally provide a means for inspecting presence of the conductive preforms. Using test pins as the
release members 62, one can create a continuous circuit when contacting the individualconductive preforms 30. The continuous circuit may be created by either the completion of a circuit where thecompliant member 64 would be compressed allowing therelease member 62 to close a circuit, or where therelease member 62 would contact theconductive preform 30 andconductive preform 30 would close a circuit. A first side of thecircuit 56 would be attached to therelease member 62 and a second side of thecircuit 58 would be attached to either eachcompliant member casing 66, the conductivepreform locating apparatus 10 or aconductive member 59. Theconductive member 59 would be required is the conductive preform locating apparatus is nonconductive. Theconductive member 59 would preferably be placed under the conductivepreform locating apparatus 10 prior to loading the conductive preforms into the conductivepreform locating apparatus 10. The electrical conductivity of the conductivepreform locating apparatus 10 or theconductive member 59 would provide a second side of the circuit to eachconductive preform 30. The circuit would be continuous when the first side of thecircuit 56 provides a electrical path to themechanical release member 62 which contacts the electrically conductive individualconductive preforms 30 which then contact the second side of thecircuit 58 provided through theconductive member 59 or the conductivepreform locating apparatus 10. Alternatively, the circuit would be continuous when the first side of thecircuit 56 provides an electrical path the to second side of thecircuit 58 where the second side of the circuit is electrically connected to thecompliant member casing 66 and the circuit is completed by the motion of themechanical release member 62 upon contacting theconductive preforms 30. The second described electrically continuous path does not require that the conductive preforms be conductive upon all potential areas of contact, nor the requirement of aconductive member 59 or conductive-conductivepreform locating apparatus 10. The separateconductive member 59 would be less desirable as it must be removed prior to placement of the pattern ofconductive preforms 32. A logic circuit (not shown) can compare continuity to determine presence of theconductive preforms 30 to determine the completeness of the pattern ofconductive preforms 32. The logic circuit can be of many variations, as designed by anyone skilled in the art. The logic circuit and actual means to create a continuous circuit should not be limiting the spirit or intent of the embodiment. - FIG. 5 is a cross sectional side view of a second embodiment of the present invention. The cross sectional side plan view of the conductive
preform placement apparatus 10 illustrates a release mechanism which utilizes vibrational energy to release the pattern ofconductive preforms 32 from the pattern of locatingmechanisms 16. The use of vibrational energy does not dictate the requirement that theindividual release members 62 contact the individualconductive preforms 30 to separate the individualconductive preforms 30 from the respectiveindividual locating mechanisms 18. Additionally, the second embodiment of the present invention does not require customization or alignment for each pattern. By adding a backingmember 74, the vibrational energy directs the separation of the individualconductive preforms 30 away from the conductivepreform locating apparatus 10 and onto the respective individualelectronic pads 13. The backingmember 74 includes two surfaces, avibrational contacting surface 76 and a locatingmechanism contacting surface 78. Although requiring more design considerations, it can be recognized that the vibrational contactingsurface 76 may be the same side as thelocating contacting surface 78, keeping within the spirit and intent of the present invention. The vibrational energy may be transferred to the surface of the backingmember 74 using any of known vibrational source devices, including but not limited to an off-balanced motor 84, a piezoelectric transducer (not shown), or a mass resonant vibrator. FIG. 5 illustrates the use of an off-balanced motor 84 coupled to a resilient tappingmember 82 via amotor coupling member 86. Preferably, the resilient tappingmember 82 and the backingmember 74 are coupled to aprimary fixture 86 creating avibrational release apparatus 90 which may be brought to and from the locatingmechanisms 18. In order to automate the application, thevibrational release apparatus 90 may be coupled to a controlling mechanism (not shown) by acoupling mechanism 88. - The operation of the second embodiment would be to bring the
vibrational release apparatus 90 to a position where thelocating contacting surface 82 of the backingmember 74 contacts the pattern of locatingmechanisms 16. FIG. 5 illustrates one method of creating and applying vibrational energy to the backing member. The illustration utilizes an off-balanced motor 84 which is energized throughwires 92. When the off-balanced motor 84 is energized, the off-balanced motor 84 generates a vibration; the vibration causes the resilient tappingmember 82 to oscillate 94, causing a resilient tappingmember 82 to tap the backingmember 74. The force resulting from the tapping causes the individualconductive preforms 30 to separate from theindividual locating mechanisms 18. The backing member ensures that the individualconductive preforms 30 are separated towards the individualelectronic pads 13. It can be recognized that one skilled in the art may include the backingmember 74 within the vibrational source or within theindividual locating mechanisms 18 such as described in the original patent application. The tapping generates a sudden shock, whereas the vibration generates a slower separation and may utilize gravity to overcome the potential of the releasing away from the individualelectronic pads 13. It should be recognized that either vibrational or tapping forces may be created and applied in numerous ways without deviating from the spirit or intent of the present embodiment. The result is the transfer of the pattern ofconductive preforms 32 from the conductivepreform locating apparatus 10 to thetacky media 26 on the pattern ofelectronic pads 14. - FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of a general air
pressure release mechanism 100. The general airpressure release apparatus 100 requires a passage within eachindividual locating mechanism 18 to allow the flow ofair 114 to provide a releasingforce 118 to the individualconductive preforms 30. The advantage to this system over thevibrational release apparatus 90 is the lack of electrical requirements and mechanical wear on the components of the apparatus. The advantage over themechanical release apparatus 11 is the lack of requirements for aligning the pattern ofmechanical release members 60 to the pattern of locatingmechanisms 16. The general airpressure release apparatus 100 takesincoming air flow 114 provided by anair pressure source 112 such as a compressor or in house pressurized air supply and distributes theincoming air flow 114 within anexpansion chamber 102 to provide a distributedair pressure 116 against the conductivepreform locating apparatus 10 on the side opposing the desired direction for release. Theexpansion chamber 102 is an area which includes aninlet port 110 and anenclosure 103. Theenclosure 103 may consist of aninlet port 110, atop surface 104, aside surface 106, and an open area 108. The air pressurizes within theexpansion chamber 102 and releases against the least resistant path, the passages through theindividual locating mechanisms 18. The escaping air provides the releasingforce 118 to the individualconductive preforms 30 to cause them to separate from theindividual locating mechanisms 18. The result is the transfer of the pattern ofconductive preforms 32 from the conductivepreform locating apparatus 10 to thetacky media 26 on the pattern ofelectronic pads 14. - FIG. 7 illustrates a directed air
pressure release apparatus 120, similar to the general airpressure release apparatus 100 with the addition of a pattern ofair exit ports 126 to direct the escaping air into a pattern of directedrelease airflow forces 128 similar to the pattern of locatingmechanisms 16. The directed airpressure release apparatus 120 requires a passage within eachindividual locating mechanism 18 to allow the flow ofair 114 to provide a releasingforce 118 to the individualconductive preforms 30. The directed airpressure release apparatus 120 takesincoming air flow 114 provided by anair pressure source 112 and, optionally using adiffuser 130, distributes theincoming air flow 114 within anexpansion chamber 102. The air within theexpansion chamber 102 escapes through the path of least resistance, the pattern ofair exit ports 126. Theexpansion chamber 102 is an area which includes aninlet port 110 and anenclosure 103. Theenclosure 103 may consist of aninlet port 110, atop surface 104, aside surface 106, a bottom surface and a pattern ofair exit ports 126. The air pressurizes within theexpansion chamber 102 and releases against the least resistant path, the pattern ofair exit ports 126. Adiffuser 130 may be included to equally distribute theinlet airflow 114 across the pattern ofair exit ports 126. It should be recognized that a diffuser may be included in the previous embodiment. The directedrelease airflow forces 128 provides the releasingforce 118 to the individualconductive preforms 30 to cause them to separate from theindividual locating mechanisms 18. The result is the transfer of the pattern ofconductive preforms 32 from the conductivepreform locating apparatus 10 to thetacky media 26 on the pattern ofelectronic pads 14. - FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of a directed sound pressure
wave release apparatus 140. The soundpressure wave apparatus 140 utilizes atransducer 142 generates sound pressure waves 144. Thetransducer 142 may be of any known sound generating apparatus, such as speaker, ultrasonic horn, mass resonant generator, etc. understanding the effectiveness may be based upon the selected frequency or variations in frequencies, amplitude, and distance. The sound pressure waves provide arelease force 118 which separates theconductive preforms 30 from the locatingapparatus 10. Additionally, the sound pressure waves 144 cause the individual components of the system, more specifically, theconductive preforms 30 and the conductivepreform locating apparatus 10 to oscillate at their natural frequencies. Since the mass and spring constant of each component is generally different, they oscillate at different frequencies, reducing friction or static forces (not shown) between theconductive preforms 30 and the conductivepreform locating apparatus 10 which are known to retain theconductive preforms 10 within the locatingapparatus 10. - FIG. 9 is an operational flow diagram demonstrating the method for locating, placing, and releasing a pattern of
conductive preforms 32 onto a pattern ofelectronic pads 14 of a receivingsubstrate 12 using a topside 28 loading conductivepreform locating device 10. The first top-loading placement step 200 to positioning theconductive preforms 30 is to place atacky media 26 onto theelectronic pads 14 of the receivingsubstrate 12. This can be accomplished through various known techniques. One method which can be used would be to apply atacky media 26 such as flux, solder paste, or conductive epoxy, onto theelectronic pads 14 by dispensing, screen printing or other well known processes. The second top-loading placement step 202 is to align the pattern of locatingmechanisms 16 within a conductivepreform locating apparatus 10 to the pattern ofelectronic pads 14 of the receivingsubstrate 12. This can be accomplished through various means such as but not limited to mechanical alignment, vision-assisted alignment, or any other known method of aligning two patterns as by one skilled in the art. The third top-loading placement step 204 is to position the individualconductive preforms 30 from a volume of unorganizedconductive preforms 34 into theindividual locating mechanisms 18 through various means such as: Passing volume of unorganizedconductive preforms 34 across the pattern of locatingmechanisms 16 using a conductivepreform loading mechanism 36, such as a squeegee (illustrated), vibrations, airflow, or any other mechanism that can be recognized by one skilled in the art (see FIG. 2). It should be recognized that theconductive preforms 30 may be loaded into the conductivepreform locating apparatus 10 in numerous ways without deviating from the spirit or intent of the present embodiment. The forth top-loading placement step 206 is to locate the release mechanism (any of the described or implied embodiments) proximate the conductivepreform locating apparatus 10. Generally, the release mechanism would be located to the side of the conductivepreform locating apparatus 10 opposing the pattern ofelectronic pads 14. Where alignment is required, the alignment may be of any means described above. The fifth top-loading placement step 208 is to energize and/or activate the release mechanism such that the release mechanism applies a releasingforce conductive preforms 30 or the conductivepreform locating apparatus 10. The sixth top-loading placement step 210 is to separate the conductivepreform locating apparatus 10 and the receivingsubstrate 12 resulting in the release and placement of a pattern ofconductive preforms 32 onto thetacky media 26 deposited on the pattern ofelectronic pads 14. The seventh top-loading placement step 212 is to de-energize the release mechanism and separate it from the conductivepreform locating apparatus 10 to allow for the conductivepreform locating apparatus 10 to be reloaded with the individualconductive preforms 30 for the next cycle of operation. The final top-loading placement step 214 in the process is to optionally remove the component from the apparatus and secure theconductive preforms 30 to the pattern ofelectronic pads 14 on the receivingsubstrate 12. The securing (bonding) process would be respective of the material used for thetacky media 26. Some examples would be reflow for flux or solder paste or curing for conductive epoxy. It should be recognized that there are many other methods of placing, and releasing conductive preforms onto electronic pads of a receiving substrate using a top loading conductive preform locating device apparatus which is within the spirit and intent of the present invention. - FIG. 10 is a flow diagram illustrating the method of locating, placing, releasing conductive preforms onto electronic pads of a receiving substrate using a bottom loading conductive preform device. The first bottom-
loading step 300 to placing and/or locating theconductive preforms 30 is to subject the conductivepreform locating apparatus 10 to a volume of unorganizedconductive preforms 34. The individualconductive preforms 30 are positioned into theindividual locating mechanisms 18 generally using aprimary vacuum force 46. Theprimary vacuum force 46 is applied through aprimary vacuum port 44 into avacuum chamber 40 and distributed in a manner to apply avacuum loading force 50 to each respectiveindividual locating mechanisms 18 throughindividual vacuum ports 48. Thevacuum chamber 40 is created by placing avacuum chamber housing 42 over the pattern of locatingmechanisms 16 and sealing the assembly except for the primary vacuum port 44 (which is coupled to the source of the primary vacuum force 46) and the pattern of locatingmechanisms 16. Thevacuum loading force 50 positions an individualconductive preform 30 within a respectiveindividual locating mechanism 18, where the individualconductive preform 30 is captured within theindividual locating mechanism 18 and against a backingmember 54. The conductive preforms 30 maintains the pattern to mimic that of theelectronic pads 14 where the pattern ofconductive preforms 32 are to be deposited (see FIG. 3). It should be recognized that theconductive preforms 30 may be positioned into the conductivepreform locating apparatus 10 in numerous ways without deviating from the spirit or intent of the present invention. The second bottom-loading step 302 is to place atacky media 26 onto theelectronic pads 14. This can be accomplished using any of various known techniques, such as screen printing, pin transfer, dispensing, etc. The tacky media may be flux, solder paste, conductive epoxy, or any other similar material recognized for the assembly of electronics devices. The third bottom-loading step 304 is to align a conductivepreform locating apparatus 10 to the pattern of electronic pads 1 of the receivingsubstrate 12. This can be accomplished through various means such as but not limited to alignment pins, manual, semi-automated, or automated means of alignment. The forth bottom-loading step 306 is to locate the release mechanism proximate the pattern ofelectronic pads 14 of thesubstrate 24. This can be accomplished through various means such as but not limited to alignment pins, fixturing, manual, semi-automated, automated, with or without vision assisted means of alignment. The fifth bottom-loading step 308 is to energize and/or activate the release mechanism to release and deposit the pattern ofconductive preforms 32 onto the electronic pad 14 (see FIGS. 4 through 8). Therelease force 118 may result from amechanical release apparatus 11, a vibrational release apparatus, an air pressure release apparatus, a directed air pressure release apparatus, or sound pressure waves apparatus. The sixth bottom-loading step 310 to placing and/or locating the pattern ofconductive preforms 32 to the pattern ofelectronic pads 14 is to separate the conductivepreform locating apparatus 10 from theelectronic pads 14 and the receivingsubstrate 12, positioning the pattern ofconductive preforms 32 on thetacky media 26. The seventh bottom-loading step 312 is to de-energize the release mechanism to allow for the conductivepreform locating apparatus 10 to be re-loaded with theconductive preforms 30 for the next operation. The final bottom-loading step 314 in the process is to optionally remove the component from the apparatus and secure theconductive preforms 30 to the receivingelectronic pads 14 of thesubstrate 24. The securing or bonding process would be respective of the material used for thetacky media 26. Some examples would be reflow for flux or solder paste or curing for conductive epoxy. It should be recognized that there are many other methods of placing, locating, and releasing conductive preforms onto electronic pads of a receiving substrate using a bottom loading conductive preform locating device apparatus which is within the spirit and intent of the present invention.
Claims (29)
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US09/309,697 US6412685B2 (en) | 1997-01-28 | 1999-05-11 | Method and apparatus for release and optional inspection for conductive preforms placement apparatus |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US08/789,883 US6202918B1 (en) | 1997-01-28 | 1997-01-28 | Method and apparatus for placing conductive preforms |
US09/309,697 US6412685B2 (en) | 1997-01-28 | 1999-05-11 | Method and apparatus for release and optional inspection for conductive preforms placement apparatus |
Related Parent Applications (1)
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US08/789,883 Continuation-In-Part US6202918B1 (en) | 1997-01-28 | 1997-01-28 | Method and apparatus for placing conductive preforms |
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US20010008249A1 true US20010008249A1 (en) | 2001-07-19 |
US6412685B2 US6412685B2 (en) | 2002-07-02 |
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US09/309,697 Expired - Fee Related US6412685B2 (en) | 1997-01-28 | 1999-05-11 | Method and apparatus for release and optional inspection for conductive preforms placement apparatus |
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