Method for transferring and bonding articles

• US 3,909,933 A
• Filed: 04/26/1974
• Issued: 10/07/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Donald K. Sandmore, Edward R. Doubek Jr, John J. Kennedy
• Inventors: Doubek, Edward R. Jr., Kennedy, John J., Sandmore, Donald K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Al Lawrence
• Assistant Examiner(s): Watson, Robert C.
• Application Number:
  US05/464,423
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: 29/626,493,577,589 228/8,9,10
• US Class Current: 29/836
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67144 Apparatus for mounting on conductive members, e.g. leadframes or conductors on insulating substrates
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49137 Different components

Abstract

A substrate to which electrical circuit elements, such as integrated circuit (IC) chips, are to be bonded to bond sites on a surface thereof, is positioned on a substrate support table which is actuable to move in directions parallel to orthogonal xy axes to successively position the substrate bond sites at a bonding location. First and second arrays of circuit elements are carried on first and second tables, respectively, which are positioned on opposite sides of the substrate support table. The first and the second tables are actuable to move in directions parallel to the x-y axes, upon the positioning of substrate bond sites at the bonding location, to position successive circuit elements of the first and the second arrays of elements at first and second pickup locations, respectively. A pair of bonding devices, the first for transferring circuit elements of the first array from the first pickup location to the bonding location and the second for transferring circuit elements of the second array from the second pickup location to the bonding location, alternately pick up circuit elements of the first and the second arrays at the first and the second pickup locations, respectively, transfer the circuit elements to the bonding location, and bond the elements to a bond site thereat.

Claims

1. In a method of bonding circuit elements to a substrate at selected areas on a surface thereof;

moving a first group of circuit elements along x-y axes to position successive elements thereof in a first pickup position;

moving a second group of circuit elements along x-y axes to position successive elements thereof in a second pickup position;

moving the substrate along x-y axes to position successive selected areas of the substrate in a bond position;

alternately picking up each of the elements of the first and the second groups of circuit elements moved to the first and the second pickup positions;

transferring each picked up circuit element of the first group to the selected area on the substrate then at the bond position, while the step of moving the second group of circuit elements is taking place;

bonding the transferred circuit element of the first group to the selected area on the substrate at the bond position while the step of picking up a circuit element of the second group at the second pickup position is taking place;

transferring each picked up circuit element of the second group to the selected area on the substrate then at the bond position, while the step of moving the first group of circuit elements is taking place, and bonding the transferred circuit element of the second group to the selected area on the substrate at the bond position while the step of picking up a circuit element of the first group at the first pickup position is taking place.

2. In a method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first and the second pickup positions are on opposite sides of the bond position, wherein the transferring step includes the sequential steps of:

elevating a circuit element of the first group from the first pickup position to a point above the first pickup position;

translating the circuit element of the first group along a linear path in a first direction from the point above the first pickup position to a point above the bond position;

lowering the circuit element of the first group from the point above the bond position to the selected area on the substrate at the bond position;

elevating a circuit element of the second group from the second pickup position to a point above the second pickup position;

translating the circuit element of the second group along a linear path in a second direction which is opposite to the first direction from the point above the second pickup position to the point above the bond position;

lowering the circuit element of the second group from the point above the bond position to the selected area on the substrate at the bond position, and repeating the above steps.

3. In a method of bonding workpieces selected from first and second arrays thereof to bond sites on a surface of an article:

sequentially moving the article to position successive bond sites at a first location;

sequentially moving the first array of workpieces, upon the first and then upon alternate movements of the article, to position successive workpieces thereof at a second location;

sequentially moving the second array of workpieces, upon the second and then upon alternate movements of the article, to position successive workpieces thereof at a third location;

transferring each workpiece of the first Array positioned at the second location to the bond site on the article then at the first location, while the step of moving the second array of workpieces is taking place;

bonding the transferred workpiece of the first array to the bond site on the article at the first location;

transferring each workpiece of the second array positioned at the third location to the bond site on the article then at the first location, while the step of moving the first array of workpieces is taking place, and bonding the transferred workpiece of the second array to the bond site on the article at the first location.

4. In a method of bonding the leads of integrated circuit elements to conductive paths on a surface of a substrate at bond sites thereon:

positioning a first supply array of circuit elements on a first support;

positioning a second supply array of circuit elements on a second support;

positioning a substrate at a substrate supply station;

moving the substrate in a first direction, along a path perpendicular to a line between the first and the second supports, to a third support intermediate the first and the second supports, and positioning the substrate thereon;

sequentially translating the third support to position successive bond sites at a bond location;

sequentially translating the first support, upon the first and then upon alternate translations of the third support, to position successive circuit elements of the first supply array at a first pickup location;

sequentially translating the second support, upon the second and then upon alternate translations of the third support, to position successive circuit elements of the second supply array at a second pickup location;

alternately picking up each of the circuit elements of the first and the second arrays positioned at the first and the second pickup locations;

transferring each picked up circuit element of the first supply array to the bond site on the substrate then at the bond location, while the step of translating the second support is taking place, and positioning the leads thereof over the conductive paths on the substrate at the bond site;

bonding the leads of the circuit element of the first supply array to the conductive paths on the substrate at the bond site while the step of picking up a circuit element of the second supply array is taking place;

transferring each picked up circuit element of the second supply array to the bond site on the substrate then at the bond location, while the step of translating the first support is taking place, and positioning the leads thereof over the conductive paths on the substrate at the bond site;

bonding the leads of the circuit element of the second supply array to the conductive paths on the substrate at the bond site while the step of picking up a circuit element of the first supply array is taking place, and moving the substrate, after the leads of a predetermined number of integrated circuit elements have been bonded thereto, in the first direction along the path perpendicular to the line between the first and the second supports, to a substrate receiving station.