Abstract: The electrostatic capacitance of piezoelectric elements constituting a Langevin oscillator is measured, and a bolt is tightened so that the measurement value becomes optimum.

Abstract: A dense semiconductor flip-chip device assembly is provided with a heat sink/spreading/dissipating member which is formed as a paddle of a metallic paddle frame in a strip of paddle frames. Dice are bonded to the paddles by e.g. conventional die attach methods, enabling bump attachment and testing to be conducted before detachment from the paddle frame strip.

Abstract: An integrated wafer level board/card assembly method combines wafer level packaging, testing and assembly process. The integrated process includes the steps of first wafer sorting, laser repairing, second wafer sorting, wafer level burn-in, wafer level packaging, final testing, wafer sawing and board/card assembly. Information including wafer mapping and yield data of a process step is used as the input data to a next process step. Burn-in circuits and internal probing pads are built in the dice of the wafer to enable wafer level burn-in. A wafer cassette is used to move wafers between steps. Probers are used as the primary equipment in many steps to provide automatic wafer loading and testing. A multi-chip module die bonder, an IR re-flow system and an open/short tester form an automatic in-line system to accomplish the step of assembling a plurality of integrated circuit chips on a PC board.

Abstract: A method to repair a permanently sealed air data tube by identifying at least one area of a strut component of said air data tube wherein said strut component may be broached to provide access to internal components accommodated generally within the interior portion of said tube; broaching said strut component and a probe component in areas generally consistent with those portions identified as providing manipulative access to internally accommodated components; removing said internally accommodated components; refurbishing the internal surface areas of the vacated air data tube; inspecting exterior surfaces and said internally accommodated components; determining air data tube components requiring replacement wherein said determination is made by choosing from a group of some or all of the used air data tube components including, but not limited to, a strut component, one or more heating element component(s), a probe component, one or more static line component(s), one or more static line fitting component(s

Abstract: A high torque/high speed brushless DC motor system for controlling both the speed and torque of the motor including a rotor and a stator, the stator of the motor including a first, second and third winding. The system further includes means for sensing the position of the rotor and means for selectively configuring the first, second and third windings of the stator in a wye connection when the speed of the motor is less than a predetermined value and configuring the windings in a delta connection when the speed of the motor is greater than the predetermined value.

Abstract: A method is provided of designing a magnetic resonance imaging magnet. At least one correction coil is positioned about the axial bore of the magnet which receives patients. The correction coil is used in the design process to reduce lower order harmonics generated by the magnet. Homogeneity of the magnetic field is thereby improved at selected volumes around the magnet.

Abstract: A manufacturing method for legless electronic parts used in a surface mounting type printing circuit board is disclosed. The legless electronic parts are made from leg type electronic elements. The method comprises the steps of: manufacturing a leg type electronic part and painting; cutting legs of a leg type parts to become legless electronic parts; pressing metal caps into two ends of the legless parts for replacing the legs; testing the resistance of a legless parts for determining the resistance, error and fault ratio; removing unqualified parts; and packing the tested parts.

Abstract: A low cost strain gage load cell made without compromising accuracy and stability by a composite structure using a sensing element formed of a load cell quality material, such as metal or a metal alloy, and adjoining non-sensing elements formed of a molded plastic material. Stable and secure joints between the load cell sensing element and the plastic non-sensing element of such a load cell are provided using various structures and related structural manufacturing methods. For example, non-sensing elements, such as a mounting block to mount the load cell to a base support and a load application block to receive a load platform, are formed of an injection molded plastic and sensing elements, such as first and second parallel beams of a load cell quality metal alloy, have ends embedded in the injected molded plastic non-sensing elements. The composite load cell structure is applicable to many different types of load cell designs.

Abstract: Mounting parts is performed by recognizing a particular part feeder where a part to be mounted is contained among a plurality of part feeders, moving a head unit to a position for picking up a part on the part feeder, moving an image sensor installed to be capable of moving to a position close to the particular part feeder, picking up a part from the particular part feeder with a suction nozzle installed at the head unit, moving the head unit to a position above the image sensor, detecting an image of the part held by the suction nozzle, moving the suction nozzle to a printed circuit board from the image sensor, and aligning the part with the printed circuit board while determining and compensating for an error generated when the part is picked up, and mounting the aligned part on the printed circuit board.

Abstract: A die bonder, to which semiconductor pellets 4 are supplied in an arranged state, comprises a substrate feeding mechanism for feeding a substrate 1 including a plurality of pellet islands to successively set the pellet island at a bonding position BP, a defective substrate detecting means 3 for detecting defective pellet island, and a pellet transfer mechanism. The pellet transfer mechanism successively picks up and carries a defective pellet to the bonding position BP for mounting when a pellet island of the substrate set at the bonding position is non-defective, and mounts a defective pellet 4a when a pellet island is defective. In this arrangement, when the defective substrate detecting means determines that a pellet island is defective, a defective pellet is mounted.

Abstract: An equipping installation introduces fitted-out cable ends into plug housings and is arranged downstream from a fitting-out installation. A contact for the first plug housing is arranged at the leading cable end and a contact for the second plug housing is arranged at the trailing cable end. A feeder unit takes over the cable loop fitted-out to a finished state from a second transfer unit and transfers the leading cable end to a positioning unit and the trailing cable end either to a rotatable store or, after the positioning unit is again free of cable, to the positioning unit in accordance with a cable plan. An equipping unit takes over the cable ends in succession at the positioning unit and introduces the cable ends into the corresponding plug housings.

Abstract: In a system for preparing a wire harness production, a modified wiring pattern generator generates modified wire harness wiring pattern information related to at least one second pattern in which at least one of parts, electric circuits, and wirings of a first pattern including the parts, the electric circuits, and the wirings of a standard type vehicle is altered. A parts information storage stores parts specification information including specifications of the parts, the electric circuits and the wiring included in the second patterns. A simulator simulates whether each of the second patterns is practical while referring to the parts specification information. A sub wiring pattern modifier modifies at least one of first sub patterns constituting the first pattern to at least one of second sub patterns so as to constitute the second pattern judged as practical by the simulator.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a surface acoustic wave apparatus includes the steps of bump-bonding a surface acoustic wave element and a base member together through metal bumps having a melting point of about 450° C. or higher such that the surface acoustic wave apparatus is fixed in a face down configuration to a bottom surface of a recess of the base member; and bonding a cap member and the base member with a wax material by heating the cap member and the base member uniformly at a temperature higher than a melting point of the wax material to melt the wax material.

Abstract: A compact and thin piezo-electric resonator is provided having a high air-tightness and available at a low cost, in which a piezo-electric resonator element is provided in a housing having a structure which permits adjustment of the frequency after sealing the housing. Further, a surface-mounting type piezo-electric resonator is provided, in which a piezo-electric resonator element is provided in a housing, having a structure which permits frequency adjustment through an opening provided in a base or a lid forming the housing.

Abstract: A method of processing a ceramic capacitor includes a first step of applying a DC voltage to a ceramic capacitor by a first DC voltage source, and a second step of applying a DC voltage by a second DC voltage source to generate in the ceramic capacitor a polarization in a direction opposite to a direction of a polarization generated by the application of the DC voltage in the first step, thereby reducing electric charge remaining in the ceramic capacitor.

Abstract: A printed board inspecting apparatus includes: an input unit for inputting a pulse from a first signal line; a receiving unit for receiving a voltage induced in a second signal line in response to the input pulse inputted; and a judging unit for judging whether or not a ratio between a voltage of the input pulse and the voltage induced in the second signal line is within a predetermined range. A check is made using a TDR method to determine whether or not the degree of coupling is within a range of specified values and a check is made to determine each of the voltage of the polarized RZ signal and the pulse width time is within a range of specified values to thereby inspect a printed board and a semiconductor chip constituting a bus using a directional coupler.

Abstract: A method is provided for designing a printed circuit board. This may include analyzing at least one characteristic of a first plurality of relatively parallel conductive paths on the printed circuit board. The first plurality of relatively parallel conductive paths may be arranged in a pattern in a first area of the printed circuit board. The method may also include rearranging the pattern of conductive paths such that a second plurality of relatively parallel conductive paths in a second area of the printed circuit board have a different geometry or arrangement with respect to one another as compared to a geometry or arrangement of the first plurality of relatively parallel conductive paths in the first area.

Abstract: A process for the production of a device for measuring or detecting, particularly a probe or a detector, includes the steps of pre-mounting the different active components of the device, of which certain are ultimately gathered in functional subassemblies on and/or in a support body, then potting the pre-mounted resulting assembly, as well as its connection regions with a connection and/or supply cable, to form a substantially monoblock member and, finally, overmolding under pressure the potted member, as well as the proximal portion of the cable, with a thermoplastic material compatible with the resin used, to obtain an apparatus or instrument having the desired shape.

Abstract: A method and apparatus relating to fabricating semiconductor die packages including a mounting substrate and dice attached thereto. The mounting substrate includes multiple die attach sites and a designator having substrate identification information. The die attach sites are evaluated and categorized as either good or defective die attach sites, wherein the evaluated information is saved in an electronic file as mapped information. A die attach apparatus attaches dice to the die attach sites in accord with the mapped information, wherein known good dice are attached to the good die attach sites and known defective dice are attached to the defective die attach sites. The assembly is then encapsulated in a transfer molding operation.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for detecting characteristics of a microelectronic substrate. The microelectronic substrate can have a first surface with first topographical features, such as roughness elements, and a second surface facing opposite from the first surface and having second topographical features, such as protruding conductive structures. In one embodiment, the apparatus can include a support member configured to carry the microelectronic substrate with a first portion of the first surface exposed and a second portion of the second surface exposed. The apparatus can further include a topographical feature detector positioned proximate to support member and aligned with the first portion of the first surface of the microelectronic substrate to detect characteristics, such as a roughness, of the first surface while the microelectronic substrate is carried by the support member.

Abstract: Electrical circuit trimming methods. In one aspect of the invention, a trimming method includes assembling one or more components of an electrical circuit onto a printed circuit board having one or more electrical connections coupled to the said one or more components. An electrical parameter of the electrical circuit is then trimmed. The trimming of the electrical parameter of the electrical circuit includes removing a portion of the printed circuit board to break the electrical connection on the printed circuit board. In another aspect of the invention, the trimming the electrical parameter of the electrical circuit includes electrical programming of the electrical circuit.

Abstract: An apparatus for mounting semiconductor chips on a substrate with which the semiconductor chips are presented on a foil clamped in a frame at a first location A comprises a chip gripper for the transport of the semiconductor chip presented at the first location A to a second location located on the substrate, a movable table for accepting the frame, a chip ejector arranged underneath the foil at the first location A the upper surface of which facing towards the foil has holes connected to a vacuum source, as well as a measuring camera directed at the first location A for establishing the position of the presented semiconductor chip. Correction of a possible position deviation of the presented semiconductor chip from its set position takes place in accordance with the invention in that the foil is secured by the chip ejector by means of vacuum and then at least the upper surface of the chip ejector facing towards the foil is moved in the plane running parallel to the under side of the foil.

Abstract: A method of making surface acoustic wave device includes a piezoelectric substrate, a first surface acoustic wave element having at least one interdigital transducer on the piezoelectric substrate, a second surface acoustic wave element having at least one interdigital transducer which is provided on the piezoelectric substrate. The at least one interdigital transducer of the second surface acoustic wave element has a thickness that is different from the interdigital transducer of the first surface acoustic wave element, and the second surface acoustic wave element has a frequency characteristic that is different from that of the first surface acoustic wave element. An insulating film is applied to the first and second surface acoustic wave elements. A thickness of the insulating film at a region on the first surface acoustic wave element is different from the thickness of a region on the second surface acoustic wave.

Abstract: A bolster plate is attached to a printed circuit board and acts as a stiffener that reduces bending in the overall assembly during the attachment of an integrated circuit chip to the printed circuit board under a heavy applied load. The bolster plate is provided with a shim that compensates for bending of the bolster plate under load, thereby preventing damage to the integrated circuit chip. The dimensions of the shim may be selected according to computer model results representing bow deformation in the bolster plate without the shim.

Abstract: The present invention provides a new electronic circuit board and a method of using such board to test electronic devices at elevated temperatures. The board comprises a steel base having a dielectric coating layer and a circuit formed on the layer. The circuit includes a connector region for attachment to an external electrical source and a mounting region for mounting sockets for supporting, powering and monitoring the electronic devices during elevated temperature testing. The board displays a leakage current of less than 10&mgr; Amps at 350° C.

Abstract: A deign method to eliminate any micro-openings in a very high pressure sensor assembly is provided. The method involves sealing an elongated silicon pressure sensor into a fitting using an alloy and glass based materials. The materials are selected so that their thermal coefficients of expansion are progressively increasing relative to the silicon sensing element. This allows strong bonding among the materials, thereby minimizing any pressure leakage.

Abstract: An aspect of the invention can be regarded as a method of balancing a rotary actuator for use in a rotatable head stack assembly (HSA) portion in a disk drive. The rotary actuator has a pivot axis, and the rotatable HSA portion has an installed HSA portion center-of-gravity. The method provides for deetermining a desired rotary actuator center-of-gravity location for locating the installed HSA portion center-of-gravity along the pivot axis for mitigating acceleration of the rotary actuator about the pivot axis due to external linear acceleration experienced by the disk drive during a track-follow operation. The method further provides for measuring weight distribution characteristics of the rotary actuator to determine an actual rotary actuator center-of-gravity. The method further provides for selectively modifying weight distribution characteristics of the rotary actuator to locate the actual rotary actuator center-of-gravity at the desired rotary actuator center-of-gravity location.

Abstract: A configuration having two drive shafts, a drive system 4 connected to one end of each drive shaft for rotationally driving the respective drive shaft, and a holding and transfer mechanism 5, 6 connected to the other end and having a holding device 5a, 6a for holding an IC, each holding and transfer mechanism 5, 6 being able to operate independently.

Abstract: A high torque/high speed brushless DC motor system for controlling both the speed and torque of the motor including a rotor and a stator, the stator of the motor including a first, second and third winding. The system further includes means for sensing the position of the rotor and means for selectively configuring the first, second and third windings of the stator in a wye connection when the speed of the motor is less than a predetermined value and configuring the windings in a delta connection when the speed of the motor is greater than the predetermined value.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of assembling and disassembling semiconductor dice to be tested from the components of a temporary test package. A computer-controlled vision system is employed to align the dice with the temporary test package bases, and an automated robot arm system is employed to retrieve and assemble the dice with the various package components. The invention has particular utility in the burn-in and other pre-packaging testing of dice to establish known good dice (KGD).

Abstract: In a manufacturing apparatus of a wire harness in which pallet P, on which a plurality of connectors C are juxtaposed, is moved by a pallet feeding section 1 and a pressure-contact terminal of connector C is automatically positioned at a pressure-contact position under a pressure-contact head section 4, an electric wire “a” is automatically set at a pressure-contact terminal of connector C by an electric wire supply section 2 and an electric wire setting section 3, and cover L is automatically set on connector C by a cover mounting section 5. A type and position of the electric wire “a” to be arranged and the height of press-fitting of the electric wire into the pressure-contact terminal are controlled by a program, and the operation and state are checked by a sensor.

Abstract: A magnetic field sensor, including an insulating substrate and a conductive thin film deposited on the substrate. The thin film consists of a material having an extraordinary Hall coefficient, the thin film also has a resistivity and a film thickness no greater than a threshold thickness at which the resistivity is substantially equal to 150% of a bulk resistivity of the material. The sensor also includes conductors coupled to the thin film for injecting a current into the film and measuring a voltage generated across the thin film responsive to the injected current. Devices having other types of thin films, including homogeneous and non-homogeneous films, the films having enhanced extraordinary Hall coefficients, are also provided.

Abstract: A terminal insertion guide apparatus adapted to be used with a connector having a plurality of cavities, such that an electrical cable having a terminal can be connected to a selected cavity of the plurality of cavities, whereby the corresponding cavity is indicated to an operator. The apparatus includes a connector holder for holding the connector, an indicating plate for indicating when the selective cavity is positioned at a predetermined terminal insertion position, a detecting mechanism, a driving mechanism that moves the connector holder, and a controller that controls the driving mechanism. The connector holder is movable between the open position and the guide area, and is adapted to position each selected cavity of the connector at a position that is indicated by the indicating plate according to a predetermined sequence and in accordance with signals from the detecting mechanism.

Abstract: A conductivity testing method for a sub-harness and a sub-harness manufacturing apparatus are provided, which sub-harness manufacturing apparatus includes: a pair of connecting units each having a wire connecting portion, made of metal, vertically movable so as to connect one end of one of wires composing a sub-harness to one of terminals having a sheathing clamping portion and being arranged in a wire feeding direction; and a pair of transferring units to transfer the terminals in a direction perpendicular to the wire feeding direction so as to position each one of the terminals under each wire connecting portions, wherein a clamping punch portion to clamp the sheathing clamping portion is provided on the wire connecting portion of each of the pair of connecting units and a conductivity testing units to judge the one of the wires having terminals on the respective ends thereof being good or bad is arranged between the clamping punch portions of the pair of connecting units.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for winding electrical coils and testing them, including heat bonding of resinous coating of the windings. Both the heat bonding and testing occur in the same apparatus and the testing takes place before the heat bonding so that if the winding is not satisfactory, it can be repaired rather than scraped.

Abstract: A method for testing a thin-film magnetic head with a MR read head element includes a step of applying a low-frequency or DC external magnetic field to the thin-film magnetic head from a stationary magnetic field generation unit, a step of executing a high-frequency amplification of an output from the MR read head element under the application of the external magnetic field to provide a high-frequency amplified signal, a step of deriving only a high-frequency component from the high-frequency amplified signal to provide a high-frequency component signal, and a step of judging whether the thin-film magnetic head occurs a noise or not by using the high-frequency component signal.

Abstract: An actuator adapted to adjust the profile of a carrier supporting a bar relative to a lapping surface. The carrier including a plurality of spaced control or actuation points along the length of the carrier for adjusting the profile of the mounting surface of the carrier adapted to support a bar for lapping. The actuator adapted to actuate the carrier at the spaced actuation points and including a plurality of actuation members movably actuated via pressure supplied to the actuation members. The actuation members are supported in spaced staggered relation in chambers in a manifold for bidirectional actuation. The actuation members are spaced relative to the spaced actuation points and are supported relative to the manifold to provide precision actuation for incrementally adjusting the profile of the carrier.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a disk drive includes assembling the head disk assembly in a clean room, performing servo writing upon the head disk assembly in the clean room, and performing a head disk assembly test upon the head disk assembly in the clean room. The head disk assembly is then connected to the controller printed circuit board assembly to form a drive-under-test. The drive-under-test is then transported to an integrated test system and electrically connected thereto. The integrated tests system then performs substantially all of the required manufacturing tests upon the drive-under-test, thereby substantially reducing the labor and floor space associated therewith.

Abstract: This invention generally relates to the handling of integrated circuit or electronic modules which comprise interconnecting elements. The invention relates to a holder or template and method to hold such modules during processing and to test the elements and the interconnection of a grid array of elements attached to the electronic module. There is a requirement to be able to automatically align, hold and bring the columns of a column grid array module into contact with probe devices for testing of the columns and the module. To achieve this, a self-aligning module holder or template has been developed to ensure that the columns are properly aligned. The invention includes associated methods to automatically position and align the columns of the module in the holes of the template.

Abstract: A method of making a microelectronic package includes providing a first microelectronic element having electrically conductive parts and including first and second surfaces and providing a compliant element including a releasable adhesive over the first surface of the first microelectronic element. A second microelectronic element having electrically conductive parts is abutted against the releasable adhesive so that the second microelectronic element is releasably assembled to the first microelectronic element and the electrically conductive parts of the first and second microelectronic elements are connected to one another. The releasably assembled package is tested to determine whether the package has been properly assembled. A curable liquid is then introduced between the first and second microelectronic elements of a properly assembled package and the curable liquid is cured to permanently assemble the first and second microelectronic elements together.

Abstract: A method for the fine tuning of a passive electronic component having at least a carrier substrate and at least one electrically conducting layer containing a material having a conducting nitride, a conducting oxynitride, a semiconductor, or chromium, by means of a focused laser emission, which laser emission induces a heating effect which heating effect causes the material to be converted to a locally electrically non-conducting material.

Abstract: A semiconductor device has a plurality of input/output terminals formed on the inner region on a semiconductor substrate, and a plurality of die testing terminals formed on the peripheral region on the semiconductor substrate, and the input/output terminals and the die testing terminals are connected to each other by a metal wiring layer. Die testing is performed by bringing probes projecting from a probe card into contact with the plurality of die testing terminals.

Abstract: Electrical circuit trimming methods. In one aspect of the invention, a trimming method includes assembling one or more components of an electrical circuit onto a printed circuit board having one or more electrical connections coupled to the said one or more components. An electrical parameter of the electrical circuit is then trimmed. The trimming of the electrical parameter of the electrical circuit includes removing a portion of the printed circuit board to break the electrical connection on the printed circuit board. In another aspect of the invention, the trimming the electrical parameter of the electrical circuit includes electrical programming of the electrical circuit.

Abstract: A two-dimensional ultrasound transducer array and the method of manufacturing thereof is provided in which the transducer array is formed by a plurality of transducer elements sequentially arranged in the azimuth direction and each transducer element has a non-uniform thickness and each transducer is divided into a left and a right half which can be independently excited.

Abstract: A magnetic position and orientation determining system uses magnetic fields, desirably including uniform fields from Helmholtz coils positioned on opposite sides of a sensing volume and gradient fields generated by the same coils. By monitoring field components detected at the probes during application of these fields, the position and orientation of the probe in the field can be deduced. A representation of the probe can be superposed on a separately acquired image of the subject to show the position and orientation of the probe with respect to the subject.

Abstract: A method for reliable, safe removal of an electrical or electronic component or device mounted on a fragile or brittle circuit board substrate having opposed planar upper and lower surfaces, e.g., for performing testing such as failure analysis, comprises sequential steps of cutting the substrate transversely through its thickness to separate therefrom a segment comprising a first portion including the component or device and a second, adjoining portion; cutting the separated segment longitudinally along a plane parallel to the upper surface, the cutting extending beneath the entirety of the first portion; and cutting the substrate of the separated segment transversely through its thickness to separate the first portion including the component or device from the second portion.

Abstract: An electric-component mounting system including a component-holding device for holding an electric component, a board-supporting device for supporting a printed-wiring board on which the electric component is mounted, a first relative-movement device operable to move the component-holding device and the board-supporting device relative to each other in a first direction parallel to a surface of the board supported by the board-supporting device, a second relative-movement device operable to move the component-holding device and the board-supporting device relative to each other in a second direction which intersects the surface of the board; and a control device including a positioning portion operable to select one of a plurality of different control targets which is used for the first relative-movement device to establish a predetermined relative position between the component-holding device and the board-supporting device, and wherein the positioning portion selects one of the different control targets, de

Abstract: A device for processing multi-up panels includes a bad mark scanner for reading a surface of a multi-up panel and a processor receiving at least one input from the scanner for determining a bad mark on the multi-up panel. Also provided is circuit panel manufacturing assembly line having a circuit panel bad mark scanner, a panel component placement machine separate from the scanner, and a panel conveyor located at least between the circuit panel scanner and the panel component placement machine for conveying the panels. Further provided is a method for determining bad marks on multi-up panels comprising the steps of scanning a multi-up panel with a scanner so as to form scan data and determining a bad mark on the multi-up panel as a function of the scan data.

Abstract: A probe card assembly includes a probe card, a space transformer having resilient contact structures (probe elements) mounted directly to (i.e., without the need for additional connecting wires or the like) and extending from terminals on a surface thereof, and an interposer disposed between the space transformer and the probe card. The space transformer and interposer are “stacked up” so that the orientation of the space transformer, hence the orientation of the tips of the probe elements, can be adjusted without changing the orientation of the probe card. Suitable mechanisms for adjusting the orientation of the space transformer, and for determining what adjustments to make, are disclosed.

Abstract: A method for forming a disc stack assembly suitable for use in a disc drive. A number of discs are loaded onto a spindle motor hub and a disc clamp assembly is installed to secure the discs to the hub. The disc clamp assembly includes an annular retaining ring and a substantially planar, disc shaped clamp plate. The annular retaining ring is secured within an annular ring recess of the spindle motor hub and deforms the clamp plate so that the clamp plate applies an axially directed clamping force to the discs. The disc clamp includes an annular hat flange. The disc stack assembly is preferably balanced by selectively removing material from the hat flange or by attaching a balance weight to the hat flange.