Apparatus and method for manufacturing solder balls

• US 20020005429A1
• Filed: 07/10/2001
• Published: 01/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spraytech Limited
• Original Assignee: Spraytech Limited
• Inventors: Lee, Choong-Won
• Granted Patent: US 6,540,129 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 228/262
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2202/01 Use of vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2999/00 Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 9/08 by casting, e.g. through sieves or in water, by atomising or spraying using electric discharge B22F9/14
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 3/06 Solder feeding devices; Solder melting pans
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 3/08 Auxiliary devices therefor cleaning pipes or tubes or systems of pipes or tubes, e.g. before soldering, B08B9/02
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 31/02 relating to soldering or welding dip or wave soldering in the manufacture of printed circuits H05K3/34
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 35/0244 Powders, particles or spheres; Preforms made therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 35/025 Pastes, creams, slurries

Abstract

An apparatus and method for manufacturing solder balls used for an electrical and/or mechanical connection between a semiconductor chip and a substrate are provided. The apparatus includes a melting furnace having a nozzle through which a molten solder paste flows and drops, for producing solder balls; a vibrating mechanism attached to the nozzle of the melting furnace, for applying vibration to the nozzle; and a vibration controlling mechanism for controlling the vibration frequency of the vibrating mechanism to adjust the size of the solder balls dropped from the nozzle. The method includes the steps of setting a vibration frequency according to a desired solder ball size, applying vibration to a nozzle with the set vibration frequency, making the molten solder paste flow through the nozzle to manufacture solder balls of a predetermined size according to the vibration frequency, and measuring the size of the manufactured solder balls. Since the solder balls are manufactured using nozzle vibration, the accuracy, roundness and recovery efficiency of the solder balls are excellent. Also, because the apparatus and method for manufacturing solder balls is simplified, productivity is increased.

Claims

1. An apparatus for manufacturing solder balls comprising:

a melting furnace having a nozzle through which a molten solder paste flows and drops, for producing solder balls;

a vibrating means attached to the nozzle of the melting furnace, for applying vibration to the nozzle; and

a vibration controlling means for controlling the vibration frequency of the vibrating means to adjust a size of the solder balls dropped from the nozzle.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a monitoring unit for monitoring the size of the solder balls dropped from the nozzle.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the monitoring unit includes a laser generator for generating laser beams, a laser receiver for receiving the laser beams transmitted through the solder balls, and a solder ball measuring portion for determining and displaying a quality determination relative to the solder balls.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vibrating means is driven responsive to at least one of an audio signal, an electrical signal and a mechanical signal.

5. A method for manufacturing solder balls from a molten solder paste comprising the steps of:

setting a vibration frequency according to a desired solder ball size;

applying vibration to a nozzle with the set vibration frequency;

directing a flow of the molten solder paste through the nozzle to manufacture solder balls of a predetermined size according to the vibration frequency; and

measuring a resulting size of the solder balls manufactured.