Abstract: A PCB assembly which allows economical and reliable rework. The PCB assembly contains a soldermask and a trace with a portion of the trace exposed by a soldermask relief When one needs to rework the PCB assembly, one bonds a rework wire, using conventional intermetalic bonding materials, to the portion of the trace exposed by the soldermask relief There is no need to bond a rework wire to a component. Further, there is no need to scrape a off the soldermask and possibly damage the traces and/or vias. The bonds are high reliability bonds, and the labor required to perform such bonds are minimal.

Abstract: A method of controlling a mounting unit having a shaft operated under servo control using a current driven actuator, comprises the steps of detecting interrruption of the servo control, and switching from a positioning control mode to a constant current control mode for supplying an constant amount of current to the shaft actuator to suspend the shaft. In an embodiment the method further includes engaging a gripping device, for holding the shaft, so as to keep the shaft from free-falling when interruption of the servo control is detected, and maintaining the constant current control mode at least until the gripping device grips the shaft. Still further, the current control mode optionally includes the steps of maintaining the supply of the constant amount of current for a predetermined period of time, and disengaging power supplied to the actuator after the predetermined period of time has elapsed.

Abstract: A method for producing a foil circuit board including a plurality of flexible electrically non-conductive and flexible conductive layers, which are laminated together. The non-conductive layers are positioned between the conductive layers and two of the conductive layers are the outermost surface layers of the foil circuit board. The circuit board includes flexible areas and rigid areas, and the flexible areas are provided by etching the board to remove at least part of one of the outermost surface layers and an adjacent underlying non-conductive layer.

Abstract: Methods of making improved electronic systems and circuits boards, and more specifically to methods of making improved electronic systems and circuits boards using heat-resistant composite materials having superior mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties.

Abstract: An integrated double sided metal supported display device has a green tape stack on both sides of the metal support. The green tape stacks incorporate circuitry and conductor filled vias to access the circuitry electrically on each green tape layer. The metal support has a plurality of openings to access both of the green tape stacks. These openings are made by forming the openings in the metal support, filling them with a dielectric that has a thermal coefficient of expansion close to that of the metal support, forming an opening in the dielectric and filling the opening with a conductive ink.

Abstract: A method for making connections to a microelectronic device having bump leads thereon. A substrate is provided having a front surface and a plurality of electrically conductive posts extending upwardly from the front surface. The posts are disposed in groups, wherein the posts of each group define a gap therebetween. Contacts are provided extending generally horizontally outwardly from each post remote from the front surface of the substrate. The microelectronic device is assembled to the substrate and posts so that the bump leads penetrate into the gaps and engage the contacts which wipe against the bump leads as they are inserted.

Abstract: Method for the rapid cleaning of produce with minimal loss, and apparatus to perform the method. The cleaning method taught in the present application enables the rapid cleaning of produce by removing an extraneous portion therefrom, by separating the extraneous portion from the body of the produce, and by urging the cleaned produce towards a collection device. These steps are attainable, using the principles of the present invention, by a working using only one motion and one hand. To perform the method, a novel aperture knife is taught which, rendered attachable to an agricultural processing implement by an integral attachment device, enables one-handed operation by a user. The knife includes a generally planar knife body in operative combination with an elevated blade which not only enables the severing of the extraneous portion from the produce body, but separates the extraneous portion therefrom, and guides the cleaned produce body towards a collection device, for instance a picking box.

Abstract: A system for mounting a plurality of circuit components on a circuit substrate, including a substrate supporting device which supports the circuit substrate, a component mounting device which mounts each of the circuit components on the circuit substrate supported by the substrate supporting device, a testing device which tests an actual state in which the each circuit component is mounted on the circuit substrate by the component mounting device, and a control device which controls the component mounting device to mount the each of the circuit components on the circuit substrate and controls the testing device to test, each time one of the circuit components is mounted on the circuit substrate by the component mounting device, an actual state in which the one circuit component is mounted on the circuit substrate.

Abstract: In a bump forming method and its forming apparatus, a torch is made to approach a bottom end of a wire extended from a capillary tool to form a ball, thereafter the wire is held by first clampers to lower the capillary tool, and the ball is inserted into the bottom end of the central hole of the capillary tool. Then, the wire is held by the first clampers so that it does not lower and cut by lowering of the capillary tool. Moreover, the capillary tool is further lowered and the ball is pressed against the electrode of a workpiece to bond the ball to the electrode to form a bump. A tail protruded from the bump is crushed by pressing a pressing jig against the tail to make the height of the bump uniform. Thereby, the ball is firmly bonded to the electrode and the joint surface between the ball and the electrode is not damaged.

Abstract: A flexible coaxial cable comprises a core including at least one inner conductor and a closed cell foam dielectric surrounding the inner conductor. The flexible coaxial cable also includes a tubular metallic sheath closely surrounding and preferably bonded to the core. The closed cell foam dielectric is a low density polyolefin foam and possesses improved electrical properties over conventional foam dielectrics. The coaxial cable has a velocity of propagation of greater than 90 percent of the speed of light but still maintains high flexibility and bending characteristics.

Abstract: In a component mounting apparatus, a component (8) is held, positioned and mounted at a predetermined position of a member (4) to be mounted. After the component (8) is mounted to the member (4), a component holding member (5) is raised by a distance corresponding approximately to a push-in amount by which the component holding member (5) has been moved down to mount the component, then stopped to retain the component (8), is kept in this state while retaining the component for a fixed time, and is raised again to a predetermined position.

Abstract: A tool for extracting a press fit pin from a pin field in a backplane of an electronic system. The tool includes a shaft having first and second ends, with a chuck mounted to the first end and an abutment mounted to the second end. The chuck has a plurality of jaws adapted to grip the pin therebetween and a weight is slidably mounted on the shaft between the chuck and the abutment. After a pin is held by the chuck, the weight is slid along the shaft to contact the abutment and the kinetic energy imparted by the weight to the shaft acts to pull the pin out of the backplane.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for stabilizing the form of a letter S of an inner lead after bonding in a method of manufacturing &mgr;BGAoIC in which a chip is fixed via an insulating film on a tape carrier on one main surface of which plural inner leads are laid and each electrode pad of the chip is bonded to each inner lead is disclosed. The inner lead is bonded to the electrode pad when the chip is supplied in a fixed position for a bonding tool using a sprocket hole of the tape carrier. Next, the respective positions of the inner lead and the electrode pad are recognized using a feature lead and an electrode pad. Afterward, the center line of the inner lead is recognized, the inner lead is touched to the chip by the bonding tool and after the inner lead is pushed in the direction of the base and bent in the form of a letter S, the end of the inner lead is bonded to the electrode pad by thermocompression by the bonding tool.

Abstract: An interconnection contact structure assembly including an electronic component having a surface and a conductive contact carried by the electronic component and accessible at the surface. The contact structure includes an internal flexible elongate member having first and second ends and with the first end forming a first intimate bond to the surface of said conductive contact terminal without the use of a separate bonding material. An electrically conductive shell is provided and is formed of at least one layer of a conductive material enveloping the elongate member and forming a second intimate bond with at least a portion of the conductive contact terminal immediately adjacent the first intimate bond.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for handling packaged integrated circuits (IC's), particularly for inserting packaged IC's in and removing packaged IC's from low-insertion-force (LIF) sockets. The apparatus includes a precisor having a chip precisor feature for receiving an IC package and a socket precisor feature for receiving a socket in a predetermined alignment relative to the chip precisor feature. One or more releasable chip retainers are provided, such as a vacuum nozzle for pulling the packaged IC into a seated position within the chip precisor feature and a pair of gripper fingers for holding the packaged IC within the chip precisor feature during extraction from a LIF socket.

Abstract: A biomedical electrode for an electrocardiograph or similar device is provided. The biomedical electrode includes a disposable electrode having an electrically conductive gel layer and a reusable leadwire adapter having the relatively expensive metallic conductive material. The disposable electrode interfaces with the reusable leadwire adapter through the adhesive characteristics of the gel layer. The reusable leadwire includes a stud member which snaps into a standard leadwire connector.

Abstract: An electric-component transferring apparatus including a component holder which holds an electric component, a shaft member whose lower end portion supports the component holder, a movable member having a support hole which supports the shaft member such that the shaft member is rotatable about an axis line relative to the movable member and is movable relative to the movable member in an axial direction parallel to the axis line, a moving device which moves the movable member in a direction intersecting the axis line of the shaft member, a piston which is supported by the shaft member such that the piston is not movable relative to the shaft member in the axial direction of the shaft member, the support hole including a portion defining a cylinder bore which cooperates with the piston to provide an air-pressure-operated cylinder device, a driven wheel which is substantially integral with the shaft member, and a drive wheel which is supported by the movable member such that the drive wheel is meshed with the

Abstract: Determination of an endpoint for removing a film from a wafer, by determining a first reference point removal time indicating when a breakthrough of the film has occurred, determining a second reference point removal time indicating when the film has been polished almost to completion, determining an additional removal time indicating an overpolishing interval, and adding the second reference point removal time with the additional removal time to get a total removal time to the endpoint.

Abstract: A system for mounting circuit components on a circuit substrate, including a circuit-substrate supporting device which supports the circuit substrate, a circuit-component mounting device which mounts, at a circuit-component mounting position, the circuit components on the circuit substrate supported by the circuit-substrate supporting device, and a circuit-substrate carry-out device which carries out the circuit substrate on which the circuit components have been mounted, the circuit-substrate carry-out device comprising a removing device which removes the circuit substrate from the circuit-substrate supporting device, and a parallel-direction carry-out device which receives the circuit substrate from the removing device and carries out the circuit substrate in a parallel direction substantially parallel to a plane of the circuit substrate, the circuit substrate being transferred from the circuit-substrate supporting device to the removing device in a first direction substantially perpendicular to the plane o

Abstract: A PCB package for shielding electromagnetic radiation from exiting or entering the package. In one embodiment the package includes first and second electrically conductive covers and first and second electrically conductive frames. The first frame electrically connected to the first cover and the second frame electrically connected to the second cover. The first frame is then electrically connected to the second frame. The first and second frames can be made of electrically conductive plastics or metals or any other electrically conductive materials. Methods of assembling the packages of the various embodiments are also set forth.