Patents by Inventor Donald M. Heideman

Donald M. Heideman has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Method and apparatus to hold integrated circuit chips onto a chuck and to simultaneously remove multiple integrated circuit chips from a cutting chuck
    Patent number: 5913104
    Abstract: A cutting chuck for use with a cutting blade and for holding a semiconductor wafer in place during a dicing process and a die pick for picking the segmented semiconductor wafer from the chuck. The chuck includes a surface for supporting the wafer and several ports in the surface connected to a vacuum source. Preferably, the cutting chuck includes a housing having a base and a wall. A vacuum chamber is provided within the housing and on top of the base. A porous layer is located in housing and above the vacuum chamber. A surface layer is above the porous layer and contains ports connecting the surface supporting the wafer to the vacuum chamber via the porous layer. In a most preferred embodiment, the chuck is removeably attached to the vacuum source via a check valve. The cutting chuck may also include recesses in the surface to prevent impingement on the cutting chuck by a cutting blade during wafer dicing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 15, 1999
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: John G. Piper, Chris Keith, Donald M. Heideman, Michael A. Villet
  • Apparatus to hold and remove an integrated circuit chip on a cutting chuck
    Patent number: 5888127
    Abstract: A cutting chuck for use with a cutting blade and for holding a semiconductor wafer in place during a dicing process and a die pick for picking the segmented semiconductor wafer from the chuck. The chuck includes a surface for supporting the wafer and several ports in the surface connected to a vacuum source. Preferably, the cutting chuck includes a housing having a base and a wall. A vacuum chamber is provided within the housing and on top of the base. A porous layer is located in housing and above the vacuum chamber. A surface layer is above the porous layer and contains ports connecting the surface supporting the wafer to the vacuum chamber via the porous layer. In a most preferred embodiment, the chuck is removeably attached to the vacuum source via a check valve. The cutting chuck may also include recesses in the surface to prevent impingement on the cutting chuck by a cutting blade during wafer dicing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1999
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: John G. Piper, Chris Keith, Donald M. Heideman, Michael A. Villet