Abstract: An apparatus for correcting a positional offset of a bonding tool during bonding operations comprises a first fiducial mark and a second fiducial mark spaced from the first fiducial mark located on the bonding tool. A first imaging path emanates from the first fiducial mark and a second imaging path emanates from the second fiducial mark when the first and second fiducial marks are illuminated at a reference position. An optical system is positioned along the first and second imaging paths to view images of the first and second fiducial marks. A processor is operative to calculate a current position of the bonding tool and to compare it to a desired position so that the bonding tool's positional offset may be corrected by moving it to the desired position.

Abstract: A motor is provided comprising a magnet assembly having two rows of magnets arranged along a first axis, which are separated by a gap for generating magnetic flux lines between the rows of magnets. The motor further comprises a coil bracket which is located within the gap between the two rows of magnets. The coil bracket includes a first set of coils arranged along the first axis that are operative to drive movement of the coil bracket relative to the magnet assembly along the first axis. A second set of coils arranged along the first axis are operative to drive movement of the coil bracket relative to the magnet assembly along a second axis which is orthogonal to the first axis between a first end position and a second end position along the second axis.

Abstract: A method for damping vibrations in a stepper motor with micro-stepping control which comprises the steps of identifying the force amplitudes and phase shifts of multiple harmonic detent torques of the stepper motor, such as the first, second and fourth harmonic detent torques, and tuning the stepper motor with different current commands until minimum friction and resistive torque are obtained. Thereafter, a compensating harmonic current derived from said force amplitudes and phase shifts of the said multiple harmonic detent torques is injected into a current command during operation of the stepper motor to compensate for torque ripples.

Abstract: A test handler is provided for testing electronic devices having light-emitting elements. Electronic devices are mounted at a loading position, optical measurements are conducted at a test contact position where a testing device is located for optical communication with the light-emitting elements and then tested electronic devices are removed at an unloading position. Multiple test contactors hold the electronic devices and move them to and through the loading position, test contact position and unloading position in sequence. Each test contactor comprises a device contact point including electrical conductors which are connected to electrical contacts of the electronic device when the electronic device is mounted at the device contact point, and a retaining mechanism grips the electronic device at the device contact point such that the retaining mechanism does not obstruct the optical communication between the testing device and the light-emitting element at the test contact position.

Abstract: A die bonding apparatus and a bonding method are provided wherein the apparatus comprises a bond head movable between a supply of semiconductor dice and a die bonding site, a pick-up tool attached to the bond head for holding a die to be bonded at the die bonding site and an optical assembly positioned for viewing an orientation of the die bonding site. The bond head is configured such that an orientation of the die being held by the pick-up tool between the optical assembly and the die bonding site is viewable by the optical assembly, whereby the orientation of the die may be aligned with the orientation of the die bonding site.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for arranging for processing a semiconductor device having surface components on its surface. A device support comprising a set of protrusions for contacting a surface of the semiconductor device supports the semiconductor device on a plane. The protrusions are arranged and positioned such that they avoid contact with the surface components on the surface. In order to grip the semiconductor device supported on the plane, a clamping device having a first set of clamps is configured for gripping the semiconductor device along a first axis and a second set of clamps is configured for gripping the semiconductor device along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis.

Abstract: A system for three-dimensional reconstruction of a surface profile of a surface of an object is provided that utilizes a binary pattern projected onto the surface of the object. A binary string consisting of a series of “1”s and “0”s is first created, and a binary pattern of light that is constructed in accordance with the binary string such that bright and dark bands of light of equal widths correspond to “1”s and “0”s from the binary string respectively is projected onto the surface. The binary pattern is shifted with respect to the surface multiple times, during which an image of the binary pattern illuminating the surface is obtained at each position of the binary pattern. Thereafter, a height of each predetermined point on the surface is calculated relative to a reference plane based upon the images cumulatively obtained at said predetermined point.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for detaching a die from an adhesive film, the apparatus comprising a vacuum platform having a surface configured to support a part of the adhesive film on which the die is attached. A plurality of pre-peeling columns having substantially flat contact surfaces are projectable relative to the surface of the vacuum platform to push against the adhesive film at the position of the die to generate initial peeling between the die and the adhesive film. Thereafter, a plurality of ejector pins that are positionable relative to the pre-peeling columns are operative to push against the adhesive film at the position of the die to generate further peeling between the die and the adhesive film. The die is then removed from the adhesive film.

Abstract: A linear motor comprising a coil assembly and a magnet assembly is provided with a cooling apparatus which comprises a segmented air knife assembly. The segmented air knife assembly has a plurality of slot openings distributed along its length which is coupled to the linear motor and it is operative to discharge cooling air into a gap between the coil assembly and magnet assembly in a discharge direction. An inclined surface extends from the plurality of slot openings and slopes at an obtuse angle away from the discharge direction of the cooling air. Each slot opening is individually configured to discharge the cooling air in the discharge direction at a sufficient velocity so as to entrain atmospheric air along the inclined surface to amplify the cooling air that is so discharged.

Abstract: A wire bonding apparatus and method in which separate first and second positioning tables are provided for mounting electronic devices to be wire bonded, and a bonding tool is provided at a bonding position for bonding the electronic devices. First and second loading/unloading positions are provided for loading electronic devices to or unloading electronic devices from the positioning tables. The first and second positioning tables are operative to move independently of each other, such that the first positioning table is movable between the first loading/unloading position and the bonding position and the second positioning table is movable between the second loading/unloading position and the bonding position.

Abstract: A manufacturing process and apparatus therefore are provided for processing an electronic device comprising oxidizable material during processing. The electronic device is located inside a chamber and is heated a processing temperature with a heater. A reductive atmosphere is created in the chamber by supplying a gas comprising glycolic acid vapor while processing the electronic device at the processing temperature.

Abstract: A damping apparatus is provided for a positioning stage that is operative to move and position an object along a motion axis. The damping apparatus comprises a motion transformation device operative to rotate the positioning stage about a rotary axis that is substantially perpendicular to the motion axis, in response to forces generated to the positioning stage during acceleration or deceleration thereof. Resilient elements connected to the positioning stage serve to reduce transmission of vibration generated from the positioning stage.

Abstract: A linear motor is provided that includes a magnetic assembly, a movable element and a coil assembly that is operative to interact with the magnetic assembly to drive the movable element along a direction. The coil assembly further includes a first coil section having a first motor force constant and a second coil section having a second motor force constant that is lower than that of the first coil section for driving the movable element along the said direction.

Abstract: A cooling apparatus is provided for a linear motor that comprises a coil assembly and a magnet assembly, wherein the coil assembly generates heat during operation. The cooling apparatus comprises a compressed air inlet positioned to discharge compressed air in a direction directly towards a gap between the coil assembly and magnet assembly, and an inclined surface extending from the compressed air inlet and sloping at an obtuse angle away from the discharge direction of the compressed air. The compressed air inlet is configured to discharge the compressed air at a sufficient velocity so as to entrain atmospheric air along the inclined surface to amplify the compressed air that is discharged.

Abstract: A method of detecting wear and damage to a rotary cutting blade for singulating a substrate is provided comprising the steps of providing a sensor to locate a first detecting position at an edge of the blade and performing dicing with the blade while the sensor is maintained substantially at the first detecting position for detecting damage to the blade. Subsequently, an extent of wear of the blade is determined by driving the sensor in the direction of the blade to locate a second detecting position at the edge of the blade as a diameter of the blade is reduced due to dicing. Thereafter, while dicing is performed with the blade, the sensor is maintained substantially at the second detecting position for detecting damage to the blade.

Abstract: A method of producing a leadframe is provided, the method including the steps of providing a substrate, plating the substrate with a layer of tin, plating a layer of nickel over the layer of tin, and thereafter plating one or more protective layers over the layer of nickel. The leadframe may thereafter be heated to produce one or more intermetallic layers comprising tin, which impedes the out-diffusion of copper from a base material of the leadframe to the surface thereof.

Abstract: A bonding tool and method for bonding a semiconductor chip to a surface is provided wherein the bonding tool includes a bonding tip comprising a ceramic material, preferably titanium carbide. The bonding tip is operative to hold the chip and a bonding energy generator such as an ultrasonic transducer is coupled to the bonding tip for applying bonding energy to the bonding tip and the chip to bond the chip to the surface. The bonding tip may further include martensite such that the titanium carbide is present in a hard phase and the martensite is present in a soft phase as a binder for the same.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is provided for flipping electronic components in the sense of changing their orientation, such as for changing the orientation of electronic components between ‘live bug’ and ‘dead bug’ orientations. The apparatus comprises a rotary device that is configured to receive the electronic component and a force actuator operative to bias the electronic component into engagement with the rotary device. A driving mechanism coupled to the rotary device is operative to rotate said rotary device for changing the orientation of the electronic component, after which an ejector is used to eject the electronic component from the rotary device after changing the orientation of the electronic component.

Abstract: A tunable vibration absorption device is provided that is suitable for active or semi-active vibration absorption or damping of vibrations in vibrating structures. It comprises a stack including a force actuator mechanism for generating an axial actuation force and a force sensor mechanism which is responsive to an external force acting on the stack to generate a force signal. A controller unit is electrically connected to the force sensor mechanism for receiving the force signal generated by the force sensor mechanism, and it is also electrically connected to the force actuator mechanism for adjusting the axial actuation force generated by the force actuator mechanism in response to the received force signal generated by the force sensor mechanism.

Abstract: An oven is provided for curing or reflowing compounds on objects, such as lead frames or other substrates. The oven comprises a heating chamber, a heating assembly mounted in thermal communication with the heating chamber to provide heat thereto, and a support assembly for supporting the object in the heating chamber for heating. The heating assembly and support assembly are configured to be movable relative to one another for controllably positioning the object at variable distances with respect to the heating assembly. Heating of the object according to a heating profile can thus be achieved by controlled heating of the object at different temperatures by positioning the object at different distances with respect to the heating assembly during the heating process although there is a single heating zone.