Abstract: A mechanical assembly for regulating the temperature of an integrated circuit chip is comprised of a frame which has two spaced-apart spring supports. A single leaf spring extends from one of the spring supports to the other. A heat exchanger contacts the leaf spring at one point, pushes the leaf spring against the spring supports, and has a face for mating with the chip. And, a stop is provided between the heat exchanger and the frame, which keeps the heat exchanger on the leaf spring. With this assembly the heat exchanger exerts a very small force at its initial point of contact on the chip; the length of the single leaf spring does not add to the profile of the assembly; no slippage occurs between the heat exchanger and the chip; and, the stop prevents the heat exchanger from twisting and becoming offset relative to the chip.

Abstract: Solder balls are placed onto multiple I/O pads of an integrated circuit package by the steps of a) providing a template with a channel which has multiple openings on a surface of the template that match the pattern of the I/O pads; b) pouring a plurality of the solder balls onto the surface of the template; c) vibrating the template and thereby seating a respective solder ball in each of the template openings; d) turning the template over, after the vibrating step and while a vacuum is applied to the channel, to remove excess solder balls from the template; and e) removing the vacuum from the channel when the solder balls on the turned over template are aligned to the I/O pads of the integrated circuit package. Due to the vibrating step, the solder balls settle in the template openings in a position where vacuum leaks past the solder balls become minimized; and that stops the solder balls from dropping out of the template openings when the template is turned over.

Abstract: Multiple I/O pads are arranged in a pattern on a surface of an integrated circuit package, and an obstruction in the package prevents a planer solder flux mask from lying flat on the surface around the I/O pads. Such an obstruction can, for example, be a lid in the package which projects above the I/O pads, or it can be an encapsulant which covers a chip in the package and projects above the I/O pads. Despite the presence of the obstruction, solder flux is dispensed on the I/O pads of the integrated circuit package by the steps of --a) providing a pin block that has a base from which multiple pins project, and the ends of the pins match the pattern of the I/O pads; b) coating the ends of the pins with a solder flux; and, c) transferring a portion of the solder flux from the ends of the pins to the I/O pads by temporarily touching the coated ends of the pins against the I/O pads.

Abstract: A loader-unloader is disclosed which can controllably move a workpiece into and out of a workstation in a machine without danger to the machine operator. The loader-unloader has a table which supports the workpiece and aligns it with the workstation. A plurality of clamps are used to grip the workpiece. One clamp is provided for each part of the workpiece exiting the machine. The working faces of the clamps make point or line contact with the workpiece so that it can be moved slightly in the clamps under the influence of aligning means on the table and in the machine. The clamps lift the lower portion of the workpiece as it is moved toward the workstation to reduce frictional resistance and to prevent the lower portion of the workpiece from being scratched. In operation, the machine operator places the workpiece on the table and initiates the loader-unloader cycle. The workpiece is clamped and aligned and then moved forward into the workstation.