Method and apparatus for supporting a substrate

• US 20040016113A1
• Filed: 06/19/2002
• Published: 01/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: KPS Special Situations Fund II, L.P.
• Original Assignee: KPS Special Situations Fund II, L.P.
• Inventors: Morini, John E., Pham-Van-Diep, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US10/175,131
• Publication Number:
  US 20040016113A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/729
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/0069 Holders for printed circuit boards
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/1216 by screen printing or stencil printing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5313 Means to assemble electrical device

Abstract

An apparatus and method for performing operations on an electronic substrate includes a frame, a transportation system that moves the substrate through the apparatus, a substrate support system coupled to the frame that supports the substrate during a manufacturing operation on the substrate, wherein the substrate support system includes a deformable material, and a device coupled to the frame that performs an operation on a surface of the substrate. Manufacturing operations are performed on the substrate while the substrate is substantially evenly supported by the deformable material.

Claims

1. An apparatus for performing operations on at least one surface of an electronic substrate having a first surface and a second surface, the apparatus comprising:

a frame;

a transportation system that moves the substrate through the apparatus;

a substrate support system coupled to the frame that supports the substrate during an operation on the substrate, wherein the substrate support system includes a deformable material; and

a device coupled to the frame that performs an operation on a surface of the substrate.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the substrate support member is moveable from a lowered position to a raised position, wherein in the raised position the deformable material contacts a side of the electronic substrate.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the deformable material is a low durometer gel.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the deformable material is a rheomagnetic fluid.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the substrate support member includes at least one electromagnetic cavity and wherein the rheomagnetic fluid is at least partially disposed in the electromagnetic cavity.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising a thin-walled tube that houses the rheomagnetic fluid.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the at least one electromagnetic cavity is a plurality of electromagnetic cavities, and wherein a tube of rheomagnetic fluid is disposed in each of the plurality of electromagnetic cavities.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device is a stencil and the substrate is a circuit board.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising returning the deformable material to a home position after the substrate is removed from the processing machine.

9. A method of performing an operation on an electronic substrate, the method comprising:

loading the substrate into a processing machine;

supporting the substrate with a deformable material that conforms to a surface of the electronic substrate;

performing a manufacturing operation on the substrate; and

removing the substrate from the processing machine.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the electronic substrate is a circuit board.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the deformable material is a low durometer gel.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the deformable material is a rheomagnetic fluid at least partially disposed in an electromagnetic cavity.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising energizing the electromagnetic cavity to solidify the rheomagnetic fluid at least partially disposed in the electromagnetic cavity.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising de-energizing the electromagnetic cavity.

16. An apparatus for supporting an electronic substrate during a manufacturing operation, the apparatus comprising:

a frame;

means, coupled to the frame, for supporting electronic substrates, including a deformable material which conforms to a surface of the substrate to be supported during manufacturing.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the deformable material is a low durometer gel.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the deformable material is a rheomagnetic fluid.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising means for solidifying the rheomagnetic fluid.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a stencil and a device for depositing material on the stencil.