Abstract: The invention provides a method and apparatus for aligning a substrate. The apparatus comprises a ball pick head for picking up a plurality of solder balls in a ball pick-up process and depositing them onto the substrate, and a vision system adapted to view and obtain positional information of the substrate. Furthermore, a carrier is provided to which the vision system is mountable, such that operation of the vision system is decoupled from movement of the ball pick head. Drivers responsive to said positional information viewed by the vision system are operative to align at least the substrate and the ball pick head for depositing solder balls onto the substrate.

Abstract: The invention provides a pick and place assembly for transferring a film of material. The assembly comprises a collet having a substantially convex contact surface for contacting the film, the collet including a vacuum suction device operative to generate a force to hold the film. The film may comprise a thermoplastic adhesive tape or B-stage thermoset epoxy coated film.

Abstract: Wedge wire bonding apparatus are disclosed with an improved configuration in which the transducer axis lies on a line that bisects the XY axes, and the operator views the bonding process by looking directly along the axis of the transducer. The result is a shorter bonding cycle time as time is saved as the bonding head moves from a first to a second bonding position while at the same time the operator is placed in the best possible position for viewing the bonding operation, which facilitates in particular any necessary alignment and set-up steps.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and apparatus for processing an array of electronic components. It involves providing mounting means to mount unsingulated components onto the mounting means, singulating the components to physically separate them, and testing the singulated electronic components for defects whilst they are mounted on the mounting means, and without removal therefrom.

Abstract: The invention provides a temperature monitoring system for a semiconductor test handler. A preparation stage brings a test device to a predetermined temperature for testing at a test platform at said predetermined temperature. At least one radiation sensor, such as a thermopile device, is employed in the test handler for detecting a surface temperature of the test device by measuring radiation emitted from the test device.

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus and method for calibrating a dispensing system. A dispenser dispenses a controlled quantity of material into a container for receiving material. A system, preferably a vision system comprising an image capturing device and an imaging system, is adapted to capture an image of a physical dimension of a quantity of dispensed material in a given time. The physical dimension may be a width of a top surface area, a height or a cross-sectional area of the dispensed material. A calibrating system is adapted to calculate a volume of the quantity of material based upon said physical dimension.

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus and method for the active alignment and coupling of separate optical components consisting of a light-emitting component and a light-receiving component. It comprises first alignment means having a relatively lower optical resolving power stage that is adapted to perform coarse alignment of the light-emitting component to locate an approximate location of its point of highest intensity, and second alignment means having a relatively higher optical resolving power stage that is adapted to perform fine alignment of the light-emitting component to locate a more precise location of the said point of highest intensity. Accordingly, coarse alignment may be performed using a multi-mode fiber and fine alignment may be performed using a single-mode fiber that may further be coupled to the light-emitting component.

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus and method for inspecting an array of electronic components. The apparatus comprises a scanning device adapted to capture images of at least one surface of each of the respective components, whereby to inspect said surface. The scanning device may be a line scanning device.

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus and method for positioning solder balls in a desired array on a substrate. A positioning means is provided for positioning the solder balls in positions corresponding to the array of positions the solder balls are to take up on the substrate. A container for receiving a plurality of solder balls and which is movable between a first position remote from the positioning means and a second position directly thereover supplies solder balls to the positioning means. Means are provided to bias the solder balls in the direction of movement of the container from the first to the second position whereby to reduce or obviate damage to the solder balls during such movement.

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus and method for cleaning a plurality of electronic components. A tank is provided for containing a cleaning fluid and an ultrasonic resonator is mounted in communication with the cleaning fluid for charging ultrasonic energy thereto. A support platform positionable over a top surface of the cleaning fluid supports the electronic components such that the electronic components are in contact with said top surface of the cleaning fluid in use. Further, a cleaning fluid supply system is configured to generate a continuous flow of cleaning fluid into the tank for cleaning the electronic components in contact with said top surface of the cleaning fluid.

Abstract: The invention provides a chuck for holding a workpiece, such as a chip-array semiconductor Chip Scale Packages (CSP) substrate, having a plurality of components such as CSPs to be singulated, and chaff areas of the components. The chuck comprises means to hold the chaff areas when the components are being singulated, that may include a first pressure means to hold the components and a second pressure means to hold the chaff areas.

Abstract: Packages of varying dimensions are loaded into a plurality of electrical package tubes. A guide arrangement is provided, which is programmable to receive the electrical packages by automatically configuring to accommodate the varying dimensions of the electrical packages, the configuring being performed without manual intervention, and a receiving arrangement is provided to receive the electrical package tubes and configured to individually align the electrical package tubes with the guide arrangement to receive the electrical packages. Upon application of a feeding force to the electrical packages, the guide arrangement guides the electrical packages into the electrical package tubes.

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus and method for the application of adhesive substances to objects, such as solder balls, for the purpose of mounting them onto substrates. The apparatus comprises an applicator having a layer of the adhesive substance and a pick carrier to carry objects and move the objects from a supply source to a substrate for mounting the objects thereon. The applicator is located so that the applicator applies the adhesive substance to the objects while the objects carried on the pick carrier are moving between the supply source and the substrate.

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus and method for dispensing material onto a substrate. The apparatus comprises a dispensing system having a dipenser and a control system adapted to adjust a quantity of material to be dispensed onto the substrate. It also includes an image capturing system adapted to acquire an image of the material that is dispensed onto the substrate, a measuring system to analyze the image and measure the quantity of material dispensed, and a compensation system adapted to provide a correction signal to the control system to vary the quantity of material dispensed.

Abstract: The invention provides an ultrasonic cleaning module and a method for cleaning singulated electronic packages. The module comprises a cutting chuck having a surface with a plurality of cutting recesses defined in it for enabling a cutting device to separate individual electronic packages from a substrate having a plurality of electronic packages on the surface of the chuck. A pulsator nozzle is supported above the chuck and the separated electronic packages on the chuck such that the pulsator nozzle may emit fluid toward the packages. An ultrasonic generator is associated with the nozzle that is adapted to ultrasonically energize fluid that passes through the nozzle to enhance cleaning of the packages.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for off-loading items of varying size such as electronic packages into receptacles such as tubes, there being means automatically to adjust dimension parameters of the apparatus whereby to accommodate packages of different size and load same into a tube therefor. The apparatus also has means for stacking a plurality of tubes for loading a bottom one of the stack, ejecting that one when loaded, and providing a subsequent tube from the stack for loading.

Abstract: Die bonding apparatus is provided in which in order to move a target die to a pick-up position, a wafer table is moved by rotation and along one linear axis. This reduces the footprint of the apparatus in comparison to prior art apparatus in which this movement is accomplished by movement along two orthogonal linear axes. In an embodiment of the invention, however, movement along a second orthogonal liner axis may also be provided whereby a user may select the method of moving a target die to the pick-up position.

Abstract: The present invention provides a bonding head for a wedge wire bonding apparatus in which the bonding force of the transducer assembly, and also the clamping force of the wire clamping assembly are provided by permanent magnet motors including a coil formed as part of the transducer assembly and the wire clamping assembly respectively and with the coils located between magnets fixed to a bond head bracket member. The use of permanent magnet motors to provide the bonding and clamping forces results in apparatus in which the bonding and clamping forces can be controlled with high accuracy and reliability.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and apparatus for processing an array of electronic components. It involves providing mounting means to mount unsingulated components onto the mounting means, singulating the components to physically separate them, and testing the singulated electronic components for defects whilst they are mounted on the mounting means, and without removal therefrom.

Abstract: Fluid dispensing apparatus for dispensing small precise metered quantities of fluid, for example in a semiconductor manufacturing process, comprises two metering chambers disposed in series. Each metering chamber has an associated piston rod and fluid is dispensed therefrom alternately. Twice the volume of fluid is displaced from the upstream metering chamber so that when it dispenses fluid at the same time it can refill the second downstream metering chamber.