Micro pick up array pivot mount design for strain amplification

• US 9,705,432 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2014
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bathurst, Stephen P., Parks, Paul Argus, Light, Nile Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Stephen W
• Assistant Examiner(s): CLARK, CHRISTOPHER JAY
• Application Number:
  US14/503,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20160094161A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 99/002 Apparatus for assembling MEMS, e.g. micromanipulators micromanipulators per se B25J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6833 Details of electrostatic chucks
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 13/00 Clutches or holding devices using electrostatic attraction, e.g. using Johnson-Rahbek effect

Abstract

Systems and methods for aligning a transfer head assembly with a substrate are disclosed. In an embodiment a pivot mount is used for generating a feedback signal in a closed-loop motion control system. In an embodiment, the pivot mount includes primary spring arms and secondary spring arms extending between a pivot platform and a base of the pivot mount. The secondary spring arms are characterized by a lower stiffness than the primary spring arms, and strain sensing elements are located along the secondary spring arms.

Claims

1. A pivot mount comprising:

a pivot platform;

a base;

a primary spring arm fixed to the pivot platform at a primary inner root, fixed to the base at a primary outer root, and characterized by a corresponding primary axis length spanning between the primary outer root and primary inner root; and

a secondary spring arm fixed to the pivot platform at a secondary inner root, fixed to the base at a secondary outer root, and characterized by a secondary axis length spanning between the secondary outer root and secondary inner root; and

a strain sensing element along the secondary spring arm;

wherein the secondary spring arm is characterized as having a lower stiffness than the primary spring arm.

2. The pivot mount of claim 1, wherein the primary axis length is greater than the secondary axis length.

3. The pivot mount of claim 2, wherein an average width of the primary spring arm along the primary axis length is wider than an average width of the secondary spring arm along the secondary axis length.

4. The pivot mount of claim 3, wherein an average thickness of the primary spring arm along the primary axis length is substantially equal to an average thickness of the secondary spring arm along the secondary axis length.

5. The pivot mount of claim 3, wherein the primary spring arm and the secondary spring arm are formed of a same material.

6. The pivot mount of claim 3, wherein the secondary spring arm includes a switch-back along the secondary axis length such that a first beam segment and a second beam segment of the secondary spring arm immediately adjacent the switch-back are parallel to each other.

7. The pivot mount of claim 6, wherein the strain sensing element is a first strain sensing element at the first beam segment of the secondary spring arm;

and further comprising a second strain sensing element at the second beam segment of the secondary spring arm.

8. The pivot mount of claim 7, further comprising a first reference gauge adjacent the first strain sensing element at the first beam segment of the secondary spring arm, and a second reference gauge adjacent the first strain sensing element at the first beam segment of the secondary spring arm.

9. The pivot mount of claim 6, further comprising a plurality of switch-backs along the secondary axis length.

10. The pivot mount of claim 9, wherein the plurality of switch-backs along the secondary axis length are parallel.

11. The pivot mount of claim 9, wherein the second beam segment is longer than the first beam segment.

12. The pivot mount of claim 3, wherein the secondary spring arm includes a plurality of switch-backs along the secondary axial length, a plurality of beam segments of a first length along the secondary axial length, and a beam segment of a second length longer than the first length along the secondary axial length.

13. The pivot mount of claim 1, wherein an average thickness of the primary spring arm along the primary axis length is greater than an average thickness of the secondary spring arm along the secondary axis length.

14. The pivot mount of claim 2, comprising:

a pair of secondary spring arms laterally between a pair of primary spring arms, wherein each of the secondary spring arms is characterized as having a lower stiffness than each of the primary spring arms.

15. A transfer tool comprising:

an articulating transfer head assembly;

a pivot mount, mountable onto the articulating transfer head assembly comprising;

a pivot platform;

a base;

a primary spring arm fixed to the pivot platform at a primary inner root, fixed to the base at a primary outer root, and characterized by a corresponding primary axis length spanning between the primary outer root and primary inner root; and

a secondary spring arm fixed to the pivot platform at a secondary inner root, fixed to the base at a secondary outer root, and characterized by a secondary axis length spanning between the secondary outer root and secondary inner root; and

a strain sensing element along the secondary spring arm;

wherein the secondary spring arm is characterized as having a lower stiffness than the primary spring arm; and

a micro pick up array mountable onto the pivot platform of the pivot mount, the micro pick up array including an array of transfer heads.

16. The pivot mount of claim 15, wherein the secondary spring arm includes a plurality of switch-backs along the secondary axial length, a plurality of beam segments of a first length along the secondary axial length, and a beam segment of a second length longer than the first length along the secondary axial length.

17. The transfer tool of claim 15, wherein each transfer head has a localized contact point characterized by a maximum dimension of 1-100 μ

m in both x- and y-dimensions.

18. The transfer tool of claim 15, wherein the primary axis length is greater than the secondary axis length.

19. The transfer tool of claim 18, wherein an average width of the primary spring arm along the primary axis length is wider than an average width of the secondary spring arm along the secondary axis length.

20. The transfer tool of claim 15, wherein the pivot platform comprises a plurality of compliant voltage contacts, and the micro pick up array comprises a plurality of voltage contacts arranged to mate with the plurality of compliant voltage contacts of the pivot platform.

21. The transfer tool of claim 15, wherein an average thickness of the primary spring arm along the primary axis length is greater than an average thickness of the secondary spring arm along the secondary axis length.