Abstract: The invention provides for a method of attaching printhead integrated circuitry to a carrier. The method includes scanning a wafer having a number of circuitry dies formed thereon to demarcate respective dies, aligning a die picker with a dice on the wafer according to a wafer substrate mapping scheme, and removing the dice from the wafer with the die picker. The method further includes the steps of transporting the dice to a placement station operatively positioning the carrier, aligning the dice with the carrier; and heat bonding the dice to the carrier.

Abstract: The invention provides for a placement head for a die placing assembly of an assembler for assembling dice on a carrier. The assembler has an enclosure with a support assembly for operatively supporting a wafer with dies thereon, a die picking assembly for picking dice from said wafer, a die placement assembly for placing the dies onto the carrier, a die conveyance mechanism operatively conveying the dies from the die picking and placement assemblies, and a control system controlling the assembler. The placement head includes a first translation stage mounted on the die placement assembly, said first stage operatively displaceable along a first axis relative to the die placement assembly. The placement head also includes a second translation stage mounted on the first stage, the second stage displaceable perpendicular to the first stage.

Abstract: The invention provides for a measuring apparatus for measuring the positions of a plurality of printhead integrated circuits relative to a carrier on which the printhead integrated circuits are located. The carrier has carrier fiducials and each integrated circuit has integrated circuit fiducials. The measuring apparatus includes a support assembly, a receptacle positioned on the support assembly and configured to receive the carrier, the receptacle being movable relative to the support assembly between a loading position and a sensing position, and a sensor configured to sense positions of the carrier and integrated circuit fiducials. The apparatus also includes a control system configured to control the sensor to measure the positions of the carrier and integrated circuit fiducials.

Abstract: This invention relates to a dice placement assembly for placing dice on a carrier. The assembly includes a support platform with a clamp mechanism configured to clamp the carrier onto said platform, and at least one camera operatively directed at the platform to detect alignment fiducials on the carrier. The assembly also includes a placement device having a vacuum mechanism to retrieve the dice from a supply mechanism, said placement device having actuators to align the dice with the carrier and to place the dice thereon once aligned, and a heater to heat the dice prior to placement on the test bed. Further included is a controller operatively controlling the clamp mechanism, the camera and the placement device, to facilitate accurate placement of the dice on the carrier.

Abstract: Provided is an alignment mechanism for aligning a lamination film with a carrier substructure prior to laminating the film to the substructure to form a carrier for integrated circuits. The substructure and the lamination film define complementary perforations and a plurality of respective fiducials. The alignment mechanism includes a sensor arrangement configured to detect the fiducials in the lamination film and substructure and a displacement mechanism configured to displace the lamination film with respect to the substructure to align the perforations of the film and substructure respectively according to alignment of their fiducials so that a printing fluid can pass through the perforations in the film and the substructure of the carrier. The mechanism also includes a controller configured to control operation of the sensor arrangement and the displacement mechanism.

Abstract: A device for removing MEMS devices (2) from a handle substrate (1), where the MEMS devices are individually bonded to it via a thermal release adhesive (3) that reduces its adhesion when heated above a threshold temperature. The MEMS devices (2) are individually heated with a heat source (10) to conductively heat the thermal release adhesive (11) above the threshold temperature. With the adhesive (11) directly in contact with the back side (5) of the MEMS device (2) no longer bonding it to the glass handle (1), the devices (2) can be individually removed by a die picker (6). This quickly heats the adhesive to release each die in about 1 second. This is comparable to UV release adhesive and does not require a prior 30 minute drying bake. Furthermore, by heating the die to conductively heat the adhesive, only that adhesive which is closely localized to the die is heated. The adhesive that bonds the adjacent dies to the glass handle remains unaffected.

Abstract: A method of removing MEMS devices (2) from a handle substrate (1), where the MEMS devices are individually bonded to it via a thermal release adhesive (3) that reduces its adhesion when heated above a threshold temperature. The method heats the MEMS devices (2) individually with a heat source (10) to conductively heat the thermal release adhesive (11) above the threshold temperature. With the adhesive (11) directly in contact with the back side (5) of the MEMS device (2) no longer bonding it to the glass handle (1), the devices (2) can be individually removed by a die picker (6). This method quickly heats the adhesive to release each die in about 1 second. This is comparable to UV release adhesive and does not require a prior 30 minute drying bake. Furthermore, heating the die by conduction, will in turn conductively heat the adhesives that only that adhesive which is closely localized to the die is released. The adhesive that bonds the adjacent dies to the glass handle remains unaffected.

Abstract: A device for removing MEMS devices (2) from a handle substrate (1), where the MEMS devices are individually bonded to it via a thermal release adhesive (3) that reduces its adhesion when heated above a threshold temperature. The MEMS devices (2) are individually heated (16) to conductively heat the thermal release adhesive (11) above the threshold temperature. With the adhesive (11) directly in contact with the back side (5) of the MEMS device (2) no longer bonding it to the glass handle (1), the devices (2) can be individually removed by a die picker (6). This quickly heats the adhesive to release each die in about 1 second. This is comparable to UV release adhesive and does not require a prior 30 minute drying bake. Furthermore, by heating the die to conductively heat the adhesive, only that adhesive which is closely localized to the die is heated. The adhesive that bonds the adjacent dies to the glass handle remains unaffected.