Abstract: A chip-scale packaged integrated circuit and fabrication method are disclosed in which a semiconductor die and a rigid carrier of substantially identical geometric shape and size are aligned to form a packaged IC in which the die and carrier have a substantially 1:1 area ratio. A narrow gap between the die and carrier is bridged by the contact interconnections. An underfill material filling the gap and bonded to the die and carrier faces to relieve thermal expansion mismatch stresses. A fillet on one or more sides of the package is generally T-shaped in cross-section and nearly flat to the aligned side faces of the die and carrier. A fixture to facilitate fabrication of the package has a cavity with beveled sidewalls and seal which hold the die and carrier and form a narrow trough along the gap to receive and hold the underfill material adjacent the gap. The seal and cavity sidewalls have a surface to which the underfill material is nonadherent.

Abstract: The invention is embodied in an articulated pawl. This pawl is designed to reliably drive a take-up reel on a tape and reel component feeder. By always engaging teeth on the reel, the pawl is prevented from skipping teeth during the return phase of the reel drive cycle. The addition of an articulated arm on the pawl prevents the pawl from skipping teeth on the reel during the drive phase of the reel drive cycle. The articulated arm ensures that either the tooth on the base of the pawl or the tooth on the articulated arm engages a tooth, or both engage teeth, on the reel during the drive phase. This invention ensures the positive and repeatable rotation of the take-up reel.

Abstract: A linear tweezers for automatically placing a component on a printed circuit board. Two pairs of mutually orthogonal, oppositely-directed, linearly-actuated tweezer legs center a component along perpendicular transverse axes with respect to a projecting axis. Each opposing pair of legs is connected by a flexible inelastic drive belt, assuring that the legs approach the projecting axis at the same rate. The component is located between the legs and is precisely centered by the legs as they approach the projecting axis. The component is then gripped by both pairs of legs and transported to a desired location. A vacuum gripping chuck grasps the component and moves along the projecting axis away from the tweezer legs to place the component without disturbing any nearby unsecured parts.

Abstract: The cleaning apparatus disclosed herein employs ultrasonic energy applied through a transducer face which overlies the entire wafer face. A cleaning liquid is introduced through the center of the transducer faceplate into the gap between the wafer and the faceplate. The transducer includes a plurality of piezoelectric transducer elements annularly distributed around the faceplate which are energized for synchronous vibration to provide an essentially uniform acoustic field over the faceplate. The faceplate is essentially flat over a majority of its surface but includes a plurality of grooves facilitating the venting of vapors created by cavitation during cleaning.