Abstract: An interconnecting structure in which circuit and componentry bearing cards are retained in contact with an intermediate card that has component and circuitry areas, and socket insertion contacts.

Abstract: A high density circuit package includes a pair of planar packages, the planar packages exhibiting front and back surfaces and positioned back-to-back in the high density circuit package. Each planar package includes a flexible circuit carrier having a plurality of circuit chips mounted thereon. Front and back planar metallic heat sinks sandwich the circuit carriers, at least one of the heat sinks contacting a surface of the chips mounted on the sandwiched circuit carriers. Each heat sink is provided with air flow apertures formed in its planar surface and adjacent to each circuit chip. A circuit card interconnects with the circuit carriers in an interconnection region and is pluggable into a female connector. The planar metallic heat sinks and circuit carriers are mechanically packaged so as to provide a planar arrangement which aligns the apertures in both the front and rear heat sinks.

Abstract: In joining conductors at different levels on a carrier to contact locations on a planar substrate, mound shaped connections are employed, with the height of each mound shaped connection extending to the level of the particular conductor to which it is bonded. The mound shaped connections are formed using planar processes of controlled volume deposition, surface tension shaping on reflow, and physical deformation. The height of the mound shaped connections are calculated empirically from the volume deposited bounded by the substrate pad after surface tension limits the slump on reflowing.

Abstract: A high density package for a plurality of integrated circuit chips is described, the package including a number of planar subunits. A subunit includes first and second planar metal plates and a spacer metal plate sandwiched therebetween. Each spacer metal plate is provided with a plurality of circuit-receiving apertures. A planar circuit carrier is provided for each aperture in the spacer metal plate. One face of each circuit carrier includes a plurality of bonded chips. Each circuit carrier is positioned in a circuit-receiving aperture so that rear aspects of the bonded chips bear upon the second planar metal plate. Each circuit carrier has a connector region which extends out from between the first planar metal plate and the metal spacer plate at one extremity of each circuit-receiving aperture. A circuit card is positioned at that extremity and has a plurality of interconnection areas, one for each extended connector region.

Abstract: In joining conductors at different levels on a carrier to contact locations on a planar substrate, mound shaped connections are employed, with the height of each mound shaped connection extending to the level of the particular conductor to which it is bonded. The mound shaped connections are formed using planar processes of controlled volume deposition, surface tension shaping on reflow, and physical deformation. The height of the mound shaped connections are calculated empirically from the volume deposited bounded by the substrate pad after surface tension limits the slump on reflowing.

Abstract: A method is described for aligning a contact pattern on an electronic device held by a first movable support, with a bond site pattern on a lead frame held by a second movable support. The method includes the steps of: (a) creating and storing models of a chip's contact pattern and a lead frame's bond site pattern; (b) imaging the electronic device and lead frame; (c) determining the position of contacts on said electronic device and reorienting the contact pattern model to a best fit with the imaged contact position; (d) determining the position of each bond site on the imaged lead frame and reorienting the bond site model to a best fit with the imaged bond site position; (e) determining positional differences between the reoriented lead frame and contact pattern models; and (f) generating signals to reorient the first and second movable supports to minimize the positional differences when they are moved into a bonding positon.

Abstract: Apparatus for transferring a workpiece from a first predetermined location to a second predetermined location. Workpiece is transferred using one continuous motion, wherein the workpiece is transported through space in a trochoid arc. This is achieved by having a pickup arm mounted to a body having a cylindrical surface which rolls along a second surface. Pickup arm picks up the workpiece in a first predetermined location of the body and deposits the workpiece at a second predetermined location of the body.

Abstract: A hitch feeder for a TAB tape is described which comprises: a stationary jas assembly having opposing jaws for gripping edges of the tape when closed, and not gripping the edges when open; a movable gripping assembly which includes a lower movable gripper positioned below the tape and an upper movable gripper positioned above the tape. The lower and upper movable grippers may be moved both towards and away from the tape, each said movable gripper gripping the tape when moved towards it and releasing the tape when moved away from it. Both grippers are physically clear of any features on the tape when moved away from it. A tape feeder is provided for reciprocally moving the movable gripper assembly along the tape length, both towards and away from the stationary jaw assembly.

Abstract: Electronic device packaging structures useful for electrically interconnecting an electronic device to a substrate. The structure contains at least two metallization layers with dielectric layers between adjacent to metallization layers. The dielectric layers can have variable thickness. Beam leads can project inwardly in cantilevered fashion over a central aperture through the dielectric layers. The inner ends of the beam leads lie substantially in one plane and can be bonded to contact pads on integrated circuit electronic devices. Beam leads can project outwardly from the metallization layers over outer edges of the dielectric layers for bonding to contact pads on a substrate. Signal leads on metallization layers can be symmetrically arranged between ground and voltage leads to provide optimal impedance properties. These structures are useful for tape automated bonding applications.

Abstract: Apparatus for automatically adjusting the orientation of a first surface of a first body to be against a second surface of a second body when said first surface is pressed against said second surface. The apparatus includes a means for movably mounting the first body to a support which permits rotation of the first surface so that when the first surface is pressed against the second surface, the first surface rotates with respect to the support resulting in the first surface being against the second surface.

Abstract: A versatile robotic gripper is easily and quickly adjusted to grip objects of different geometrical shapes without changing parts and under complete machine control. Opposing jaws have a matrix of axially movable pins each of which is mechanically locked in any axial position. Actuation of an operating mechanism to move the jaws together to grasp an object depresses the pins and they collectively conform to the shape of the object; the jaws retain this shape upon release of the object. A plate is raised to unlock the pins which are returned by springs to a fixed coplanar position.

Abstract: Objects of different sizes and shapes are gripped in a monostable manner by an apparatus which has a single pneumatic power source and has interchangeable jaw assemblies attached to an operating mechanism that provides a linear motion to engage the object. The gripping jaws are selected from a set of three basic types of generic jaws, i.e., nose-shaped jaws and vee-shaped jaws for curved surfaces, and rest button jaws for flat surfaces. Various turbine blades, for instance, are grasped by the airfoil and root using different combinations of these jaw types and have a predictable location relative to the gripping device.

Abstract: A parallax method of wavelength labeling is based on optical triangulation. A complementary color pattern projected onto the surface is characterized by a continuous variation of the power ratio of two wavelength bands, and the profile can be measured at all points in the field of view. Shifts of the wavelength bands on separate detector arrays correspond to profile deviations. A signal processor calculates a normalized signal that is independent of surface reflectivity and roughness variations; the phase shift of this signal yields depth data from which the surface profile can be mapped.

Abstract: High contrast image data is acquired from metal and other hard surfaces with varying roughness and reflectivity on which characters are impressed by vibrapeening or laser marking. The optical scanner applies normal illumination and a linear photodiode array detects light reflected normal to the surface and within a narrow acceptance angle, so that characters appear dark and the background light. The detector signal is preprocessed to remove nonuniform background variations and yield image data which can be fed to conventional character recognition equipment.

Abstract: A parts feeder is disclosed in which randomly grouped parts are stored, oriented and discharged at a uniform rate from a rotating or indexing spacer wheel fed by stepwise movable supply apparatus having the rotating spacer wheel as its frame of reference.