Semiconductor device manufacturing: process – With measuring or testing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-27
2001-02-06
Niebling, John F. (Department: 2812)
Semiconductor device manufacturing: process
With measuring or testing
C294S064200, C029S743000, C414S737000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06184047
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Technical Field
This invention relates to a pick and place apparatus for small articles, and more particularly, is concerned with improvements for the adjustment of a pick and place vacuum probe apparatus for high speed handling of semiconductor devices.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Today's semiconductor devices, such as integrated circuit dice are increasing in production numbers and functionality, while decreasing in size and unit cost. For handling, as example, during test, surface mount, and other operations requiring individual processing. This is done by fully automating the handling of these small devices during the individual process operations while reducing handling downtime.
Generally, testing operations take place upon individual semiconductor chips in a high speed manner. Chips must be contained and presented to the handler in a convenient manner. Therefore, chip containers which carry a multiplicity of chips are queued at the chip handler and readied for high speed, yet, discreet handling in a first in, first out manner.
Chip handlers which are an integral part of most testing apparatus operate in a high speed pick and place manner. Conventionally, a pick and place probe translates to a chip pick-up position, lowers to take hold of the chip, raises the chip from its container, translates to a test socket, as an example, then lowers the chip for test, after test, translates back to the container and places the chip back in its container position. The description given for pick and place is a simplified translation, it may entail additional place positions, as example, placing the good chips back into their original container position, and sorting the defective chips into several defect categorized containers.
The focus of this invention is directed to a high speed SMD pick and place handler, and more particularly, to a modification of a contactor sleeve assembly such as that used on models Synax, SX141 H, and SX141C, IC test handlers, manufactured by Shinano Electronics Company Ltd., Japan.
Each of the aforementioned handlers uses similar contactor sleeve assemblies. Referring now to
FIG. 1
, the contactor sleeve assembly
21
is mounted and carried by an aluminum body contactor housing
22
. The contactor sleeve assembly consists of an outer hollow tube
25
having a device suction cup
28
at its distal end and a threaded hole along its longitudinal axis for engagement of a locking set screw
26
. The outer hollow tube is guided by an inner hollow post
27
and is adjustable by manually loosening the locking set screw
26
permitting movement of the outer hollow tube
25
for vertical adjustment of the device suction cup
28
relative to a horizontal reference plane
10
. The inner hollow post
27
has a flat area on one side of its circular shape for the tightening of the set screw
26
which applies a force normal to the vertical axis which drives the opposite side of the outer tube in a higher frictional contact with the inner post surface thus holding the outer hollow tube
25
in its vertically adjusted position. A barbed fitting
29
at the proximal end of the hollow inner post
27
communicates a vacuum pressure to the suction cup
28
.
The high acceleration speeds of the pick and place handler causes loosening of mechanical settings, particularly, the vertical setting associated with the vacuum suction cup
28
on the contactor sleeve assembly
21
in relation to a chip surface. Although some vertical compliance exists between the vacuum suction cup and device, it can be transitory, therefore, a maintenance schedule is put into place for resetting the contactor sleeve assembly.
Because of the physical arrangement of the contactor head assembly
21
and the present method for locking the sleeve assembly using a set screw
26
, adjustment is extremely difficult to accomplish. Both hands are required to do the adjustment. Location of the set screw is not visible from a frontal access, therefore a maintenance person must feel for the set screw position, fit a tool into a keyed recess of the set screw, loosen the set screw while holding and adjusting the body of the sleeve assembly to a fixed reference, then tightening the set screw. Since the stainless steel body of the sleeve assembly is mounted on an aluminum contactor housing
22
, a differential in the coefficient of thermal expansion between the two materials causes problems during high/low temperature testing and at times necessitates forcing the adjustment of the sleeve assembly which results in damage to the sleeve assembly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It has been an object of the present invention to provide an improved method for holding the adjusted position of the sleeve assembly during the acceleration motions of the pick and place handler.
Another object of the present invention has been to provide a method to make the sleeve assembly adjustment free of any assisted tools.
Still another object of the present invention has been to provide a method to make the sleeve assembly adjustment a single handed operation
A further object of the invention has been to provide a method for achieving all height positions accurately.
Still another object of the present invention is to increase handler utilization by substantially reducing down time needed for adjustment.
Yet another object of the present invention is to reduce damage to the chips, sleeve assembly and contactor brought about by mechanical interference between the sleeve assembly and contactor.
These objects have been achieved by a design modification to the contactor sleeve assembly for the Synax
141
series handlers. The modified sleeve assembly includes a
REFERENCES:
patent: D. 377783 (1997-02-01), Itoh
patent: D. 380220 (1997-06-01), Itoh
patent: 5290134 (1994-03-01), Baba
patent: 5700045 (1997-12-01), Ganapol et al.
patent: 5707093 (1998-01-01), Nagai et al.
patent: 5918911 (1999-07-01), Sims
Shekar B. S. Chandra
Tan Chee-Keong
Niebling John F.
Pike Rosemary L. S.
Saile George O.
Simkovic Viktor
ST Assembly Test Services PTE LTD
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