ALIGNING AND ORIENTING APPARATUS

• US 3,709,378 A
• Filed: 03/04/1971
• Issued: 01/09/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Zvi Segal
• Original Assignee: Zvi Segal
• Inventors: Segal, Zvi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoffman, Drayton E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Werner, Frank E.
• Application Number:
  US05/121,096
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• Field of Search: 214/1QG,1Q 198/33R,33AB
• US Class Current: 414/754
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68 for positioning, orientation or alignment

Abstract

Aligning and orienting apparatus for semiconductor chip handling apparatus. The aligner and orienter are positioned at one of the handling apparatus stations coacting with an indexable vacuum pencil spider assembly. The pencils under pneumatic control pick up semiconductor chips from bowls and transport them to the aligning and orienting station and then for subsequent handling such as testing and sorting based on the test results. Aligning and orienting is performed by activatable arms carrying aligners at corresponding coacting ends acting on the surfaces of the chip.

Claims

1. In article handling apparatus in which articles are transported from station to station by carrying means, apparatus at one of said stations for aligning said articles, comprising a pair of arms with one end of each of said arms secured at a common location and with at least one of said arms being pivotable about said location within defined limits, said arms being normally disposed at the other ends to define a gap greater than the dimensions of one of said articles, means at the other ends of said arms for contacting the surfaces of an article transported into said gap to align and orient the article into a predetermined position when said pivotable arm is activated, said means at the other ends of said arms are formed for one of said arms as a rigid V-shaped member with the V surfaces of said member contacting a portion of said article to align it and for the other of said arms as a pair of flexible deformable springs formed in a V-shape contacting a surface of said article on a side of said article opposite to that contacted by the rigid member, and means for activating said pivotable arm to reduce said gap and contact said surfaces by urging said article between said aligning means thereby locating said article in the predetermined position.

2. In the apparatus of claim 1, wherein both of said arms are pivotable about one end each and said activating means comprises first and second arm exciters independently activated for controlling the pivoting of said arms within defined limits.

3. In the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rigid member has a platform portion extending from a portion of the contacting face of said member, whereby as said article is aligned and oriented it is positioned on said platform.

4. Aligning and orienting apparatus for semiconductor chips having contactor pads extending from one surface thereof, comprising a pair of arms, each of said arms having an end pivotable within defined limits about a common location and normally disposed at the other ends when deactivated to define a gap greater than the dimensions of one of said chips, means at the other ends of said arms for contacting portions of a chip provided to said gap to align and orient the chip when said arms are activated, said means comprising for one of said arms a rigid V-shaped member with the V surfaces of said member contacting a portion of said chip to align it and for the other of said arms a pair of flexible deformable springs formed in a V-shape contacting surfaces of said chip on a side opposite to those contacted by the rigid member, and means for independently activating said arms to reduce said gap whereby said means at other ends of said arms are urged against respective portions of said chip to align and orient it to a predetermined position.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the rigid member has a platform portion extending from a portion of the contacting face of said member so as to define a locating face between said platform portion and rigid member whereby as said chip having its pads positioned on said platform is acted on by said apparatus, the pads are aligned and oriented at said locating face and the body of said chip is acted on by said springs.