Abstract: Friction plug welding (FPW) usage is advantageous for friction stir welding (FSW) hole close-outs and weld repairs in 2195 Al—Cu—Li fusion or friction stir welds. Current fusion welding methods of Al—Cu—Li have produced welds containing varied defects. These areas are found by non-destructive examination both after welding and after proof testing. Current techniques for repairing typically small (<0.25″) defects weaken the weldment, rely heavily on welders' skill, and are costly. Friction plug welding repairs increase strength, ductility and resistance to cracking over initial weld quality, without requiring much time or operator skill. Friction plug welding while pulling the plug is advantageous because all hardware for performing the weld can be placed on one side of the workpiece.

Abstract: An improved wire bonding capillary construction as well as a variety of improved wire bonding techniques are described. In one method aspect of the invention, the bonding parameters are controlled to prevent the creation of flash. In other aspects bonding parameters are controlled to provide high quality bonds even at relatively low bonding temperatures. By way of example, good bonding may be obtained even at room temperature and/or without preheating the bonding surface whatsoever. Other bonding parameters including bonding force, bond power and duration may also be controlled in a manner that provides good intermetallic formation between the bonding wire and the bonding surface with or without the creation of flash.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a high density test probe which provides a means for testing a high density and high performance integrated circuits in wafer form or as discrete chips. The test probe is formed from a dense array of elongated electrical conductors which are formed by cutting with one or more blades. The shape of the blades determines the shape of the probetips. The probetips can be coated with other conductive materials to enhance the hardness and profile of protuberances formed at the probetip ends by the blade-cutting process. The wires are as dense as the contact location array. A mold is disposed surrounding the array of outwardly projecting wires. A liquid elastomer is disposed in the mold to fill the spaces between the wires. The elastomer is cured and the mold is removed, leaving an array of wires disposed in the elastomer and in electrical contact with the space transformer.

Abstract: An electronic assembly is fabricated by tinning a solder to the electrical bonding pads of a printed circuit board, and applying an adhesive, preferably a filled polyurethane adhesive, to the component that is to be bonded to the printed circuit board. The component is contacted to its bonding location on the printed circuit board, and the electrical contact on the component is contacted to the tinned bonding pads. The assembly is heated in a single solder temperature/time reflow cycle to simultaneously cure the adhesive and solder the electrical contacts to the bonding pads.

Abstract: A welding head including upper and lower probe members and probe pin. The upper and lower probe members are independently actuatable and biased to follow the profile of a workpiece and supply a balance load to opposed surfaces of a workpiece during welding operation.

Abstract: The top peaks of the outer fin are coated with slime-like flux. A sandwich unit is assembled from the outer fin and the tube plates by attaching the tube plates to the respective sides of the outer fin such that the surfaces of the tube plates having the butt bead faces formed thereon face inward. The butt bead faces on the respective tube plates on either side of the sandwich unit are coated with the slime-like flux. A plurality of sandwich units whose tube plates are coated with the flux are laminated and brazed, and the thus-formed assembly is heated in a heating furnace, to thereby braze together the tube plate pairs and the tube plates connected to the outer fin.

Abstract: A method of brazing together a lightweight metallic aerostructure sandwich panel having at least two spaced face sheets and an intermediate honeycomb core layer comprises: providing a tooling base having a determinable upper surface; assembling spaced upper and lower metal face sheets and an intermediate metal honeycomb core layer together with at least one layer of braze material upon the upper surface of the tooling base to provide an unbrazed aerostructure panel; positioning a layer of conformable working honeycomb core upon the upper face sheet; positioning apressure means upon the layer of conformable working honeycomb core to provide downward pressure upon the layer of conformable working honeycomb core and causing the conformable working honeycomb core to provide a uniform downward pressure over the upper face sheet of the unbrazed aerostructure panel; and subjecting the unbrazed aerostructure panel to a predetermined cycle of elevated temperature and time to permit the layer of braze material to

Abstract: There is disclosed a method for forming an aluminum tubular assembly in a controlled atmosphere brazing furnace. The assembly includes a variety of components of differing compositions, sizes and masses. Multiple, distinct brazing materials are used on the assembly to accommodate the differing components.

Abstract: The invention relates to a solder sleeve comprising a split sleeve of solder material having end surfaces of which take the form of form-fitting coupling elements, and to a method for forming such a solder sleeve, comprising of: i) providing a strip of solder material having end surfaces of which take the form of form-fitting coupling elements; and ii) bending the strip to form a sleeve, wherein the coupling elements mutually engage for coupling.

Abstract: A bump bonding apparatus comprising: a loader section that holds trays which accommodate semiconductor pellets and an unloader section that holds trays which accommodate semiconductor pellets to which bumps have been applied, the loader and unloader sections being provided next to each other on one side of a bonding stage; a buffer station and a supply and holding station provided so as to positionally correspond to the loader section and unloader section, respectively; a first pusher for sending trays from the loader section to the buffer station, a second pusher for sending trays from the supply and holding station to the unloader section, a third pusher for sending trays from the buffer station to the supply and holding station, and a pellet transfer mechanism for picking up a semiconductor pellet in the tray in the supply and holding station, transferring it to the bonding stages and then returning the semiconductor pellets to which bumps have been applied on the bonding stages back to the tray in which t

Abstract: A process and apparatus that would hydraulically compress the external sleeve onto the inner APH tube, without deforming the inner surface of the APH tube during the process. The system would include a heating tube of the type having a continuous wall portion and a bore therethrough; a sleeve positionable around the heating tube, the diameter of the sleeve slightly larger than the diameter of the heating tube; a contracting assembly securably atop the end portions of the heating tube and the surrounding sleeve; an insert positionable within the bore of the tube, for defining a protective member along a portion of the inner wall of the tube; a contour ring moveable along the outer surface of the sleeve for compressing the sleeve wall against the tube wall to define a sealable gap between a portion of the sleeve and a portion of the tube.

Abstract: A fitting gear for assisting in the alignment of metal plates so that the edges thereof can be welded together includes an inverted substantially U-shaped electromagnet which, when energized, is adapted to be secured to the upper surface of one of the plates adjacent on edge thereof. A wedge-shaped tapered pin is forced into the U and contacts the upper surface of the other plate to move the edges into substantial alignment with each other.

Abstract: A method for connecting first and second bonding points with a bonding wire that passes through a capillary comprising the steps of: bonding a ball formed at the end of the wire protruding from the capillary to the first bonding point; raising the capillary; moving the capillary toward the second bonding point so that the capillary is first lowered to a point that is slightly on the first bonding point side of the second bonding point, and a portion of the wire suspended from the capillary is pressed against a horizontal surface located between the first and second bonding points; raising and moving the capillary to a point above the second bonding point, and lowering the capillary so as to bond the wire to the second bonding point.

Abstract: A method for forming solder balls that have improved height on an electronic substrate such as a silicon wafer and devices formed are disclosed. In the method, after solder bumps are deposited by a conventional method such as evaporation, electroplating, electroless plating or solder paste screen printing, the solder bumps are reflown on the substrate in an upside down position such that the gravity of the solder material pulls down the solder ball and thereby increasing its height after the reflow process is completed. It has been found that a minimum of 5%, and preferably about 10% height increase has been achieved. Another benefit achieved by the present invention novel method which is associated with the increase in the solder ball height is a corresponding increase in the pitch distance between the solder balls by at least 5%.

Abstract: Apparatus for connecting a first area array component to a substrate with a joining material. The apparatus has a nozzle directing heat toward both the first area array component and the portion of the substrate beneath the first area array component to melt the joining material. An elastic seal contacts the substrate and prevents the heat from affecting other components adjacent the first area array component. The nozzle is pressed against the substrate to restrain warping of the substrate, which might be caused by the heating of the first area array component, and to prevent damage to the substrate. The nozzle can tilt so that it conforms to the surface of the substrate. The first area array component is allowed to move freely in the direction of a plane of the substrate under the surface tension of the molten joining material during heating to center the first area array component.

Abstract: According to the present invention, an insert material is laid between metal beryllium and copper alloy, wherein the insert material has the minimum, solidus temperature of not lower than 870° C. to the metal beryllium and copper alloy, respectively, and a single diffusion bonding process is performed under the condition that the temperature is not lower than 850° C. and less than the minimum solidus temperature, and the pressure is 20 to 30O MPa, so that the metal beryllium, copper alloy and stainless steel can be effectively bonded without deterioration of corrosion resistance for sensitizing of the stainless steel.

Abstract: A method of making low profile wire connection comprising steps of: connecting a wire to a first bonding point, moving a capillary straight up a first length, moving the capillary away from a second bonding point thus making the first reverse action to bend the wire in an appropriate angle so as to form the first bent point, again raising the capillary a second length, again moving the capillary in the direction of the second bonding point to bend the wire in an appropriate angle so as to form the second bent point, again raising the capillary a third length, moving the capillary to the second bonding point thus making an action to bend the wire in an appropriate angle so as to form the third bent point, raising the capillary a fourth length by feeding out the wire to a length which is enough to make a wire loop, and then moving the capillary down to the second bonding point where the bonding is performed.

Abstract: Connector components, such as pipes, rods or semi-finished products is performed by friction welding with the steps of using a friction element which is arranged in an abutting position between those ends of the components which are to be connected and is rotated about an axis which is common to the components and to the friction element in order to produce a welding temperature by friction heat with compression forces which at the same time act on contact surfaces between the friction element and the component ends, subjecting the connecting component, for adjoining process, after the rotary movement has been stopped to higher compression forces in opposite directions, after reaching the welding temperature within a virtually steady-state temperature area, continuing the welding process with a material of the friction element being removed on surfaces which are involved with the friction process, until the ends of the components to be joined come into contact with one another, thereafter subjecting the compo

Abstract: A bonding tool for bonding an inner lead to an electrode pad of a semiconductor chip, wherein the bonding tool has a head surface which is rectangular. The rectangular head surface has a long side that is perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the inner lead and wider than a width of the inner lead, and a short side that is narrower than an opening in a passivation film.

Abstract: In method for forming a ball on a bonding wire, the tip end of the bonding wire that extends from a capillary is bent toward a discharge electrode, and the capillary is moved obliquely so that the tip end of the tail of the bonding wire faces the discharge electrode, and then an electric discharge is performed between the discharge electrode and the tip end of the wire, thus forming a ball on the tip end of the wire.