Abstract: In testing electronic devices having leads, difficulties are frequently encountered in transporting the devices to a test position and holding them securely while engaging the leads during testing. These difficulties are overcome in devices having an indentation in the body portion by engaging the indentation with a movable carrier pin. This pin pushes the device against a wall. In this position at least one lead of the device is arranged in a specific orientation with respect to the body portion. When the pin (and thereby the device) moves toward the test station, the lead contracts a ramp in its path. As the device continues to move, the lead travels up the ramp thereby pivoting the device into a position at approximately a right angle to the specific orientation upon the device reaching the top of the ramp. The lead is then engaged by a centering element which insures proper alignment for testing. After this alignment, the leads of the device are pressed by a plunger against the wall.

Abstract: An electroluminescent display device includes at least two conductive leads spaced from each other with a light-emitting element electrically coupled between such leads. A transparent, insulating base is formed about and between the leads. The base encapsulates both the leads and the light-emitting element.At least one lateral portion of each lead extends beyond the base and substantially conforms to the configuration of the base. In conforming such lateral portions, they are preferably wrapped around the base and fixed to it. These lateral portions are arranged so that light from the light-emitting element may pass axially through the base and out of its ends. In addition, light may pass laterally out of the base.The device may also be used for circuit protection purposes. To so use the device, a protective element is electrically coupled between the leads so that upon the occurrence of an overload condition in an external circuit coupled to the lateral portions, the protective element decouples the leads.

Abstract: In integrated circuits having multiple gate functions, the difference between the propagation delay times of each of the gate functions is often important in that it affects the reliability of the circuits. To determine these delay differences, input signals are applied simultaneously to the multiple gate functions. The output signals of the gate functions are monitored, and a reference signal is generated at the time of sensing the first output signal. This reference signal is indicative of the fastest propagation delay time. A delay time equal to the maximum allowable differential delay time between the fastest propagation delay time and the slowest propagation delay time is added to the reference signal. The delayed reference signal is then compared with the gate function propagation delay time to determine if any of the gate function delays are longer.

Abstract: In making diode bridges 16, it is desirable to solder a plurality of such bridges simultaneously. To accomplish this a plurality of diodes 10 are held by a portion of one lead each in a cantilevered fashion in each of four in-line racks 38, 40, 50 and 52. The four racks 38, 40, 50 and 52, with diodes 10 extending therefrom, are held at a fixed angle and fixed spacing with respect to each other to interleave the diode leads 14 and form channels. Solder wire 62 is placed in each of the channels. The diodes 10 and the solder wires 62 are then placed into either a heated gas or heated saturated vapor to melt the solder at the crosspoints 60 of the leads 14. Troughs 64 are provided adjacent the crosspoints 60 to catch any solder runoff which occurs during the melting.

Abstract: In testing transistor devices, measurements of the collector-emitter leakage current of the devices with the base open (i.e., I.sub.CEO) generally require long measuring intervals. This is due to the necessity of charging the Miller Capacitance of the device under test prior to taking the measurement. While the Miller Capacitance is charging, a small base current flows which makes an accurate reading of the I.sub.CEO very difficult. To shorten these measurement times, a voltage is applied to the base of the device to increase the charging rate of the Miller Capacitance. After a predetermined time, the voltage is disconnected thereby opening the base of the transistor device. The I.sub.CEO reading is then taken at the emitter of the device after it has stabilized to an approximate level of I.sub.CEO. As an alternative to the application of a voltage to the base, a feedback circuit is connected between the emitter and the base of the test device to provide an automatically adjusted driving current to the base.

Abstract: Small articles, such as miniature ceramics having integrated circuits bonded thereon, are adjacently positioned with an initial row orientation in parallel first rows in guide tracks having a first row spacing. The first articles in each track are lifted from the tracks by a transfer arm, having rotatable vacuum pickups, along a line angular to the tracks such that the articles have a predetermined second row spacing measured along the transfer arm. The lifted articles are transferred to second rows of vacuum supports therefor by pivoting movement of the arm. The supports have pedestals in columns transverse to the second rows which are indexed into position for repeated transfer of articles thereto to form an array (or matrix) of articles having the second spacing between the second rows of the articles on the supports. A link mechanism is provided to rotate the vacuum pickups and re-establish the initial row orientation of the articles with respect to the second rows.

Abstract: In Czochralski crystal growing operations, particularly those involving growth of silicon crystals, projecting formations of silicon monoxide, which sometimes form on the surface of the melt-containing crucible just above the surface of the melt, are avoided by perturbing the formation conditions at the region of probable formation. Such perturbations may include increasing the temperature of the crucible at the region of probable formation. The increase in temperature may be provided by including an aperture in the housing which surrounds and supports the crucible to enable locally greater radiative heating of the crucible in the region of probable formation. Other expedients for locally increasing the temperature of the crucible include, without limitation, selective frosting and other techniques for locally changing the emissivity characteristics of the crucible and/or the surrounding material.

Abstract: In making electronic components, it is usually necessary to test and sort the components in accordance with their characteristics. In carrying out such operations, the components are guided along a first portion of a path tangential to a rotatable member having notches spaced in the periphery thereof. The rotatable member is moved to engage one notch with each component to support such component and to space it from the other components in accordance with the spacing of the notches. The rotatable member controllably moves the articles along a second portion of a path adjacent the first portion. The rotatable member is then stopped and the leads of each supported component are straightened. The components are then fed to another rotatable member and controllably moved to a testing facility. While the other rotatable member is stopped, the leads of each component are engaged by contacts of the testing facility to determine certain characteristics of each component.

Abstract: To eliminate the manual handling of individual articles associated with loading and unloading conventional treating apparatus, a plurality of articles are simultaneously treated in the carriers which are used for batch handling prior to and subsequent to the treating operation. In a disclosed embodiment, wafer-shaped articles are held in mutually spaced substantially parallel relationship in a plurality of slots in a first carrier having an open face through which the wafers can be inserted and removed. The open face of the first carrier is abutted to the open face of an empty second carrier having at least a corresponding plurality of slots, such that the slots of the first carrier are aligned with the slots of the second carrier. The abutted carriers, with the wafers contained therein, are submersed in a treating medium and rotated about an axis running through the abutted faces of the carriers.

Abstract: In fabrication of articles, such as semiconductor devices, the articles are adhered to the surface of a magnetized carrier having grooves with a suitable adhesive. Preferably, the grooves are parallel and in sets which intersect each other. The articles are made susceptible to the attraction of a magnetic field. The adhesive is removed by the flow of solvent vapor and liquid through the grooves while the articles are retained in their original position by magnetic forces.In an alternate method, the articles may be adhered initially to a nonmagnetic substrate, made susceptible to the attraction of magnetic field and transferred to a grooved, magnetized carrier. Any adhesive which clings to the articles is removed by solvent vapor and liquid as before.

Abstract: Subassemblies, comprising an integrated circuit bonded to a conductor pattern on a small ceramic substrate, are automatically bonded to lead frames. In carrying out this operation, each subassembly is placed on a support and precisely positioned thereon. Rollers are symmetrically disposed about the centerline of a resiliently mounted roller support or yoke. The minimum distance between opposite rollers is less than the distance across the subassembly and the centerline is coincident with the position desired on the support. The yoke and rollers are advanced toward the subassembly to contact it and shift it on the support until opposite rollers contact opposite sides of the subassembly. At that time the assembly is positioned and the advancement of the rollers stops. Vacuum is applied to maintain the position of the subassembly on the support for bonding.

Abstract: A plurality of small articles, such as beam-lead semiconductor devices, are precisely positioned by placing them on the ends of tubular members which are centered in cavities having the form of inverted, truncated, pyramids. The smallest cross section of the cavities is smaller than the smallest article to be positioned. The members slide vertically within the cavities and are resiliently supported by a vacuum chamber for movement therewith. The chamber is lowered with a vertical oscillatory motion, while a slight vacuum is applied, to lower the articles into the cavities and engage them intermittently with the walls of the cavity. This orients and centers the articles in the cavities. A substrate, having sites to which the articles are to be bonded, is coated with a liquefiable substance to render the sites adherent. The substrate is then positioned over the cavities.

Abstract: The adherence of thin-film conductors to supporting substrates, and therefore the strength of external lead bonds made to the conductors, is increased by forming the conductors first and then heat treating them in air. The conductors may be formed from layers of titanium, palladium and gold sequentially deposited on the substrate or, in order to reduce the amount of gold, a portion of it may be replaced by copper and nickel.

Abstract: Leads of electronic components, such as dual-inline packages, are contacted for test purposes by opposed pairs of cantilever-spring contacts. The tips of each pair of contacts are offset with respect to each other when in position for testing so that they do not touch each other when a lead is absent. The opposed contacts provide equal forces on opposite sides of the leads, so that no lead support is required for testing, and also provide open circuits instead of shorted circuits when a lead is absent.

Abstract: A sputtering apparatus of the bell-jar type includes a high-vacuum pump disposed centrally of, and directly within a vacuum chamber of the apparatus. A separate enclosing member is disposed within the chamber and allows selective exposure of the pump to the chamber. An annular workholder is mounted in concentric surrounding relation with the pump, and an apertured, annular shutter is mounted in concentric surrounding relation with the workholder. Targets of materials to be sputter deposited on the workpieces are mounted on the inside wall of the main enclosure of the apparatus. The shutter and the workholder are moved in synchronism at the beginning and at the end of the deposition cycle to provide a uniform exposure of all the workpieces to the targets.

Abstract: An article, such as a beam-lead semiconductor device, is precisely oriented by placing it on the end of a tubular member which is centered in a cavity having the form of inverted, truncated, pyramid. The smallest cross section of the cavity is smaller than the smallest article to be positioned. The member slides vertically within the cavity and is resiliently supported by a vacuum chamber for movement therewith. The chamber is lowered with a vertical oscillatory motion, while a slight vacuum is applied, to lower the article into the cavity and engage it intermittently with the walls of the cavity. This orients and centers the article in the cavity.

Abstract: An electroluminescent display device includes at least two elongated, conductive contacts substantially adjacent to and spaced from each other with at least two substantially coextensive ends. A light-emitting element is electrically coupled between the coextensive ends. An elongated insulating base is formed about and between the contacts with their elongated outer edges extending beyond the elongated sides of the base. The base extends substantially the entire length of the outer edges of the contacts and is substantially integral between such contacts.The device is fabricated in a lead frame environment, wherein the light-emitting element is bonded to a lead frame. A lens is formed over the light-emitting element. The contacts for the device, which may be slidably engageable, are formed from the lead frame. The base is formed contiguous to the lens and over the lead frame to embed the contacts within the base with edges of the contacts extending laterally beyond the surface of the base.

Abstract: A chlorinated naphthalene and a paraterphenyl are mixed to provide an adhesive for adhering a semiconductor wafer to a support for processing.The adhesive so formed may be evaporated at the end of processing the wafer, without leaving a residue, to release the devices which have been formed from the wafer.

Abstract: A sputtering apparatus of the bell-jar type includes a high-vacuum pump disposed centrally of, and directly within a vacuum chamber of the apparatus. A separate enclosing member is disposed within the chamber and allows selective exposure of the pump to the chamber. An annular workholder is mounted in concentric surrounding relation with the pump, and an apertured, annular shutter is mounted in concentric surrounding relation with the workholder. Targets of materials to be sputter deposited on the workpieces are mounted on the inside wall of the main enclosure of the apparatus. The shutter and the workholder are moved in synchronism at the beginning and at the end of the deposition cycle to provide a uniform exposure of all the workpieces to the targets.

Abstract: In making semiconductor devices such as integrated circuits, semiconductor wafers are often sorted according to both their thickness and their resistivity. To so sort the wafers they are moved successively along a first track to a thickness determining device which produces a signal indicative of the thickness of each wafer. This signal is stored by a computer. Continued successive movement of the wafers brings them to a resistivity determining device. This device, which is rendered effective by the stored thickness signal, produces a signal indicative of the resistivity of each wafer. The resistivity signal is stored by the computer. The successive movement of the wafers is continued along the first track to move them onto a second track. Each article is moved successively along the second track. And, in response to the stored signals, each article is moved into a preselected position associated with both the thickness and the resistivity of each article.