BGA device positioner kit

Details BGA device positioner kit BGA device positioner kit

1999-06-14

2002-08-13

Le, N. (Department: 2858)

Electricity: measuring and testing

Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components

Of individual circuit component or element

C324S758010, C324S760020

Reexamination Certificate

active

06433564

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to the testing of semiconductor devices, and more specifically to a method of transporting and positioning of Ball Grid Array (BGA) semiconductor devices during device transportation and testing.
DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART
The present invention relates to a universal production Ball Grid Array (BGA) socket for establishing solder less contact between the conductive balls of a ball grid array package and the sockets for transporting or testing of BGA semiconductor devices.
There presently exist several methods for packaging semiconductor devices. One popular type of semiconductor packaging is referred to as Quad Flat Pack (QFP), which is a type of peripheral lead package. Another type of packaging technology is referred to as Ball Grid Array (BGA) packaging where conductive ball leads are placed over the entire surface of a chip instead of only around the edges of the chip.
A BGA package includes a plastic or ceramic carrier containing a semiconductor circuit chip and having a plurality of spaced apart contact balls arranged over the bottom face of the carrier or substrate. This plurality of balls is adopted to make electrical connections with a printed circuit board or with other BGA chip or semiconductor component mounting surfaces. This allows for more leads to be placed in a given package size and for tolerances which are looser than peripheral lead type tolerances.
One manufacturing process which can lead to ball deformation is that of testing and particularly testing at high temperatures. After a semiconductor device has been fabricated it undergoes a variety of tests to ensure its functionality and reliability before it is shipped to the customer. If testing is performed at elevated temperatures, contact ball deformation becomes more likely.
Once the testing has been completed and the device returns to ambient temperatures, indentations in the balls due to the pressure exerted thereon may remain.
From the foregoing it is clear that BGA techniques require that the contacting balls are placed adhering to reasonable tolerances, that the pressure exerted while making contact is not excessive and that making the contacts is relatively easy, that is the BGA semiconductor device carrier has some freedom of motion in the plane of contact.
FIGS. 2
a
and
2
b
show the Prior Art device input arm kit, both in side view and a cross sectional view. Spring
21
exerts downward pressure on pick-up shaft
10
for better contact with the target socket. The head
24
of the pick up shaft
10
does not have chamfered sides and does therefore not assist in orienting the device kit properly with respect to. the target socket. There is also no provision which allows motion of the pick-up shaft
10
with respect to the target socket independent of the top plate or body
22
of the input arm assembly. This means that for any movement or orientation of the input arm assembly with respect to the target socket the entire assembly repositions itself including the pick up shaft
10
. The BGA device (not shown) is attached for transportation to the head
24
of the pick up shaft
10
by means of vacuum suction, the vacuum is provided through a channel which runs through the center of the pitch up shaft
10
(not shown).
Stabilizing pin
23
is used for dampening any motion which might occur between the pick up shaft
10
and the body of the kit
22
. Clips
16
are provided for manual handling of the input arm kit. The input arm is used for all movement of BGA devices (such as to the hot plate and the input shuttle) except for the testing and output positions. The test arm assembly is different from the input arm assembly, the Prior Art test arm assembly is described in detail under
FIGS. 9
a
and
9
b
following.
FIGS. 9
a
and
9
b
show the Prior Art BGA device test arm kit together with a cross section of this kit. This assembly is similar to the previously described Prior Art device kit,
FIGS. 2
a
and
2
b
. The main difference between the Prior Art input arm assembly (
FIGS. 2
a
and
2
b
) and the test arm assembly (
FIGS. 9
a
and
9
b
) is that the test arm assembly has a top plate
93
and a self guided rest piece where the body of the input arm assembly (
FIGS. 2
a
and
2
b
) consists of one plate. The pick up shaft
90
,
FIGS. 9
b
, protrudes through the top plate
93
. A stabilizer pin
92
is provided to dampen any motion which might occur between the pick up shaft
90
and plate
93
of the test assembly arm. A spring
97
of proper tension is provided to press or urge the head
98
of the pick up shaft
90
into the socket of the target plate or shuttle. Clips
16
are provided for manual handling of the test arm kit.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,021 (Pickles et al.) shows a reusable socket for making electrical connection between a BGA type package and a test fixture.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,606 (Sinclair) shows a universal production BGA socket for mounting the BGA on a circuit board.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,731,709 (Pastore et al.) shows a device for testing BGA.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,608 (Taylor) shows a surface mount socket for an electronic package.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the objective of the present invention to provide for highly accurate and dependable movement of semiconductor devices within the semiconductor device manufacturing and testing environments.
It is a further objective of the present invention to increase the product handling capability within the semiconductor manufacturing and testing environments by increasing the number, type and size of semiconductor devices that can be transported.
As shown in cross section in
FIG. 5
, a semiconductor device
52
having a semiconductor device mounting support
54
with a periphery
51
, a plurality of conductive vias
53
′ formed in the semiconductor device mounting support
54
, a semiconductor die
52
mounted on the semiconductor device mounting support
54
and electrically coupled to the plurality of conductive vias, a plurality of conductive balls
53
attached to the semiconductor device mounting support
54
and electrically coupled to the semiconductor die
52
through the plurality of conductive vias
53
′.
FIG. 7
shows an input pocket
72
for receiving the semiconductor device and having a plurality of semi-circular holes
71
so that the semiconductor device
52
can be placed into the input pocket
72
such that the plurality of semi-circular holes
71
of the input pocket is providing proper positioning to the plurality of conductive balls
53
that is attached to the semiconductor device mounting support.
It is a further objective of the present invention to allow implementation of the present invention without having any impact on semiconductor manufacturing or testing apparatus other than the positioning kit which is the subject of the present invention.
According to the present invention, a plate is added to the kit which is used to position the BGA semiconductor device. The BGA kit guides or positions the BGA device into position for testing and other required processing operations such as device burn-in. The kit guides the BGA device into a device pocket in the target plate. The plate which has been added to the BGA device kit is placed on ball bearings to allow ease of movement in a direction which is lateral or perpendicular to the direction of the movement of insertion of the input arm or the test arm into the target socket. Misalignment between the input arm (when inserting a BGA device kit into a BGA device target pocket for testing, burn-in, etc.) or a BGA test arm (during testing of a BGA semiconductor device) and the target socket can in this manner be compensated for.
A BGA device handling apparatus is used for positioning BGA semiconductor devices within the following fixtures:
hot plates where the temperature of the BGA device can be controlled over an extended period of time for such purposes as device burn-in, reliability testing, aging, etc.; BGA semiconductor devices are placed or loaded into the hot plates by means of an input arm.
input

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

BGA device positioner kit does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with BGA device positioner kit, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and BGA device positioner kit will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2961244