Apparatus for segmenting stacked IC chips
First Claim
1. An apparatus for segmenting a stack of integrated circuit chips into short stacks, said stack including at least one segmentation plane defined by a pair of contiguous cap chips united by a thermoplastic bonding material, said apparatus comprising:
- a. a heat conducting base having a front and rear face and an upper surface, at least one cavity in said base opening on the upper surface, said cavity defining a floor and walls in said base and being proportioned to receive a portion of a stack of integrated circuit chips to be segmented into a short stack, an extending portion of said stack projecting out of the cavity;
b. a compartment in said base having heating means contained therein, the heat generated thereby being conducted to the walls of the cavity;
c. driver means reciprocally mounted on the upper surface of said base for movement over the cavity opening, said base being provided with a track in which said driver means is slidably disposed., said track comprising a groove in the upper surface extending from the front face to the rear face of said base and intersecting the cavity opening;
d. means for applying reciprocal movement to said driver means; and
e. means for controlling said heating means to maintain at least the cavity walls at a desired temperature.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A tool for segmenting a stack of bonded IC chips into short stacks includes a heat conducting base having at least one cavity in its upper face for receiving a portion of an IC chip stack. The length and width dimensions of the cavity are essentially the same as the corresponding dimensions of the stack. The depth of the cavity is selected to correspond to the desired thickness of the short stack to be formed from the stack. The base is heated to raise the temperature of the cavity walls to heat the stack above the softening point of the bonding material. A driver is movably mounted on the base for contact with a portion of a face of the stack extending above the opening of the cavity, and a threaded rod supported on the base urges the driver against the stack to effect separation of the extending portion of the stack from the segment portion which remains in the cavity. A track in the upper surface of the base is provided for travel of the driver.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. An apparatus for segmenting a stack of integrated circuit chips into short stacks, said stack including at least one segmentation plane defined by a pair of contiguous cap chips united by a thermoplastic bonding material, said apparatus comprising:
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a. a heat conducting base having a front and rear face and an upper surface, at least one cavity in said base opening on the upper surface, said cavity defining a floor and walls in said base and being proportioned to receive a portion of a stack of integrated circuit chips to be segmented into a short stack, an extending portion of said stack projecting out of the cavity; b. a compartment in said base having heating means contained therein, the heat generated thereby being conducted to the walls of the cavity; c. driver means reciprocally mounted on the upper surface of said base for movement over the cavity opening, said base being provided with a track in which said driver means is slidably disposed., said track comprising a groove in the upper surface extending from the front face to the rear face of said base and intersecting the cavity opening; d. means for applying reciprocal movement to said driver means; and e. means for controlling said heating means to maintain at least the cavity walls at a desired temperature. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An apparatus for segmenting a stack of integrated circuit chips into shorter stacks, said stack including at least one segmentation plane defined by two chips united by a softenable thermoplastic bonding material, said apparatus comprising:
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a. a heat conducting base having a planar upper surface, at least one cavity in said upper surface defining a floor and walls in said base and being proportioned to receive a portion of a stack of bonded, integrated circuit chips to be segmented into a shorter stack, an extending portion of said stack projecting out of said cavity; b. a heater in said base, the heat generated thereby being conducted to the walls and base of said cavity; c. a driver slidably mounted on said upper surface of said base for movement over the opening of said cavity and within a track in the upper surface of said base comprising a groove in said upper surface intersecting said cavity opening; d. means for forcing said driver slidably along said track; and e. a temperature controller for controlling said heater to maintain at least said cavity walls at about a desired temperature. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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Specification