Semiconductor device module frame and group thereof

Details Semiconductor device module frame and group thereof Semiconductor device module frame and group thereof

2001-02-28

2003-12-30

Graybill, David E. (Department: 2827)

Active solid-state devices (e.g., transistors, solid-state diode

Lead frame

With separate tie bar element or plural tie bars

C257S676000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06670697

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to semiconductor device module frames for use for example in transporting and positioning a semiconductor device module in a semiconductor device module production line.
2. Description of the Background Art
In the present application a “semiconductor device” will refer to a single electronic component provided in the form of a chip, such as an integrated circuit (IC), a large scale integration (LSI) and the like. Furthermore, a “semiconductor device module” will refer to a substrate having mounted on a surface thereof an electronic component such as a semiconductor device, a capacitor, a connection terminal or the like. The “semiconductor device module” can typically be also referred to as a “mounted substrate”, a “module substrate” or the like.
Conventionally in fabricating a semiconductor device module a magazine
18
as shown in
FIG. 6 and a
holder
17
having a recess
16
as shown in
FIG. 7
are used to successively transport to each process step a substrate
9
on which the module is to be formed. Recess
16
is shaped and sized to correspond to a geometry of substrate
9
. Substrate
9
is accommodated in recess
16
, fit thereinto.
For example, substrate
9
has a surface provided for example with an external connection terminal
41
, a capacitor mounting region
31
and
32
, an IC mounting region
33
and
34
. Substrate
9
is accommodated in holder
17
with the surface exposed upward, as shown in FIG.
8
. In this condition, various electronic components are mounted, e.g., capacitors
51
and
52
are mounted in capacitor mounting regions
31
and
32
and ICs
53
and
54
are mounted in IC mounting regions
33
and
34
.
Fitting and thus accommodating substrate
9
in holder
17
, as shown in
FIG. 8
, allows substrate
9
together with holder
17
to be readily handled for example with a handler (not shown). Furthermore, holder
17
fixed in width can be housed in magazine
18
having a holder accommodating space fixed in width. Thus, a large number of holders
17
can be housed in magazine
18
to transport and store substrates.
Holder
17
used as above, however, must be changed if substrate
9
for a semiconductor device module to be fabricated varies in size, since holder
17
is required to have recess
16
corresponding thereto. To change holder
17
, the production line is disadvantageously stopped or, to produce new holder
17
, an extra cost is disadvantageously required.
The present invention contemplates a tool that can eliminate the necessity of using a holder to house a substrate in a magazine to allow various process steps to be provided smoothly without stopping the production line when a substrate varies in size.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the above object the present invention provides a semiconductor device module frame including a semiconductor device module fabrication area for fabricating a semiconductor device module corresponding to a substrate having an electronic component mounted thereon, a framework positioned to sandwich the semiconductor device module fabrication area in two directions and define an outermost width of the frame, and a rib connecting the framework and the semiconductor device module fabrication area together to fix their relative, positional relationship.
As such, rather than a substrate accommodated in a holder the form of a semiconductor device module frame can be handled as if it were a plate having a fixed outermost width. This can eliminate the necessity of preparing a different holder whatever size a semiconductor device module fabrication area has. Furthermore, whatever size a semiconductor device module to be fabricated has, a common transport unit, a common magazine and the like can be used and the frame can thus have a uniform outermost width.
In the present invention preferably the frame includes a positioning means for positioning the semiconductor device module fabrication area in processing the semiconductor device module fabrication area. This can facilitate positioning the semiconductor device module fabrication area to mount an electronic component thereon if on the semiconductor device module frame there does not still appear any outer peripheral geometry of the semiconductor device module itself.
In the present invention preferably the positioning means is a positioning hole. As such, the positioning means can be relatively readily formed. As such, with a simple structure the position of the frame can be confirmed.
In the present invention preferably the positioning hole is provided in the framework. As such, the semiconductor device module fabrication area can be prevented from having a positioning hole that would consume a valuable space on a substrate of a semiconductor device module. Since the semiconductor device module fabrication area does not have any positioning hole, the semiconductor device module can also be shaped with a level of precision free of any negative effects attributable to a positioning hole otherwise provided in the semiconductor device fabrication area.
In the present invention preferably the frame is structured such that simply cutting the rib allows the semiconductor device module fabrication area to be extracted as a semiconductor device module. As such, simple equipment can be used to rapidly extract a semiconductor device module from a semiconductor device module frame having processed, as required, including, e.g., mounting an electronic component thereon.
In the present invention preferably the semiconductor device module fabrication area includes an external connection terminal provided to externally connect the semiconductor device module and the external connection terminal is distant from the rib to prevent the external connection terminal from being functionally affected by cutting the rib. As such, cutting a semiconductor device module off and thus extracting the module to obtain it does not functionally damage an external connection terminal corresponding to a portion important to the semiconductor device module.
In the present invention preferably the frame includes an auxiliary framework sandwiching the semiconductor device module fabrication area in still another two directions, the auxiliary framework defining an outermost length of the frame. As such, the frame can have an outermost length defined whatever size a semiconductor device module fabrication area has. As such, rather than a substrate accommodated in a holder, the form of a semiconductor device module frame can be handled as if it were a plate fixed in outermost width and length. In particular, if a semiconductor device module to be fabricated significantly varies not only in width but also in length, a semiconductor device module frame can be defined to have a fixed outermost length. As a result, the frame can have a uniform outermost width and a uniform outermost length to allow a common transport unit, a common magazine and the like to be smoothly used whatever size a semiconductor device module to be fabricated has.
To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a group of semiconductor device module frames, including a plurality of semiconductor device module frames to fabricate in a plurality of forms a semiconductor device module corresponding to a substrate with an electronic component mounted thereon, each semiconductor device module frame including: a semiconductor device module fabrication area for fabricating a semiconductor device module corresponding thereto; a framework positioned to sandwich the semiconductor device module fabrication area in two directions and define an outermost width of the frame; and a rib connecting the framework and the semiconductor device module fabrication area together to fix a relative, positional relationship between the framework and the semiconductor device module fabrication area, wherein the plurality of semiconductor device module frames have the outermost width set to be uniform to have a single value or a plurality of limited values ar

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