Apparatus for solid-phase bonding mating members through an interposed pre-shaped compliant medium

Claim 2

Apparatus for continuous thermocompression bonding and shaping at least one elongated metallic element of a preselected initial cross-sectional configuration on a continuous metal strip, comprising: means for advancing the elongated metallic element and the metal strip longitudinally into juxtaposed relationship, a pair of opposed first and second thermocompression bonding rollers between which the juxtaposed metallic element and the metal strip are advanced by said advancing means, at least one of said bonding rollers having a periphery for engaging and supporting the metal strip, and the second of said bonding rollers having a peripheral groove formed therein for receiving the metallic element, the groove having converging pressure-applying and shaping surfaces engageable with portions of the metallic element so as to impart both predetermined normal and tangential cold flow to the material of the metallic element when pressure is applied to the metallic element by said roller, to produce mechanical cleaning and solid phase metal-to-metal adhesion at the metallic element-metal strip interface while simultaneously shaping the metallic element from its initial cross-sectional configuration to a preselected second cross-sectional configuration having a raised and longitudinally extending compliant crest.

Claim 3

Apparatus for fabricating lead frames for use in bonding a plurality of electrical ribbon leads formed as an integral part of each lead frame to a plurality of respectively associated terminals secured on a supporting substrate in a manner which inherently produces lead-terminal compliancy, insures reliable mechanical cleaning and metal-to-metal adhesion at the bond interfaces, and control over bond interface definition, comprising: means for advancing a narrow elongated metallic element and a wide flat metal strip longitudinally into juxtaposed relationship, a pair of opposed first and second thermocompression bonding rollers between which the juxtaposed metallic element and the metal strip are advanced by said advancing means, at least one of said bonding rollers having a periphery for engaging and supporting the metal strip, and the second of said bonding rollers having a peripheral groove formed therein for receiving the narrow metallic element, the groove having converging pressure-applying and shaping surfaceS engageable with portions of the metallic element so as to impart both predetermined normal and tangential cold flow to the material of the metallic element when pressure is applied to the metallic element by said roller, to produce mechanical cleaning and solid phase metal-to-metal adhesion at the metallic element-metal strip interface while simultaneously shaping the metallic element from its initial cross-sectional configuration to a preselected second cross-sectional configuration having a raised and longitudinally extending compliant crest.

Claim 4

Apparatus for fabricating lead frames for use in bonding a plurality of electrical ribbon leads formed as an integral part of each lead frame to a plurality of respectively associated terminals secured on a supporting substrate in a manner which inherently produces lead-terminal compliancy, insures reliable mechanical cleaning and metal-to-metal adhesion at the bond interfaces, and control over bond interface definition, comprising: means for advancing a narrow elongated metallic element and a wide flat metal strip longitudinally into juxtaposed relationship, a pair of opposed first and second thermocompression bonding rollers between which the juxtaposed metallic element and the metal strip are advanced by said advancing means, at least one of said bonding rollers having a periphery for engaging and supporting the metal strip, and the second of said bonding rollers having a peripheral groove formed therein for receiving the narrow metallic element, the groove having converging pressure-applying and shaping surfaceS engageable with portions of the metallic element so as to impart both predetermined normal and tangential cold flow to the material of the metallic element when pressure is applied to the metallic element by said roller, to produce mechanical cleaning and solid phase metal-to-metal adhesion at the metallic element-metal strip interface while simultaneously shaping the metallic element from its initial cross-sectional configuration to a preselected second cross-sectional configuration having a raised and longitudinally extending compliant crest.

Claim 5

Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 further comprising: a fluxing station including means for coating a narrow stripe of flux along at least one edge and on at least one side of the metal strip while passing therethrough, and a soldering station including means for solder coating the narrow stripe previously coated with flux.

Claim 6

Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 further comprising: a blanking station including a progressive punch and die for successively blanking out a series of interconnected lead frames from the metal strip, with the terminating free end region of each partially blanked out lead coinciding with and having at least one compliant contact-forming metallic element segment extending across the width dimension of each lead.

Claim 7

Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 wherein said progressive punch and die further includes means for severing each lead frame from the metal strip, and for swaging each compliant contact so as to form at least two smaller compliant contacts with raised central crests so as to allow redundant bonds with inherent compliancy to be subsequently produced between each lead and a mating member.

Claim 8

Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 further comprising: means for severing each partially blanked out lead frame from the metal strip, and means for solid-phase bonding each lead frame lead to a respectively mating member through each interposed compliant contact, and for trimming the border of each severed lead frame from the lead ends still remaining integral therewith.

Claim 9

Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 wherein the one of said bonding rollers with a peripheral groove formed therein is formed with a second closely spaced peripheral groove so as to receive, bond and shape a second narrow elongated metallic element, thereby ultimately forming two closely spaced compliant contacts with raised central crests on each blanked out lead frame lead.

Claim 10

Apparatus in accordance with claim 7 wherein said progressive punch and die further includes means for severing each lead frame from the metal strip, and or swaging each compliant contact so as to form at least four smaller compliant contacts with raised central crests in essentially space quadrature, so as to allow redundant bonds with inherent compliancy to be subsequently produced between each lead and a mating member.

Claim 11

Apparatus in accordance with claim 8, further comprising: means for solid-phase bonding each lead frame lead to a respectively mating member through each set of four interposed compliant contacts, and for trimming the border of each severed lead frame from the lead ends still remaining integral therewith.

Claim 12

Apparatus for fabricating lead frames for use in bonding a plurality of electrical ribbon leads formed as an integral part of each lead frame to a plurality of respectively associated terminals secured on a supporting substrate in a manner which inherently produces lead-terminal compliancy, insures reliable mechanicl cleaning and metal-to-metal adhesion at the bond interfaces, and control over bond interface definition, comprising: means for continuously advancing a metal strip and at least one elongated metallic element from respective supplies to a position where the strip and the element are advancing coextensively, bonding means including a pair of thermocompression bonding rollers positioned to engage the metal strip and the metallic element when fed therebetweeN, each of said rollers having internal and controllable heating means, and at least one of said rollers being mounted so that the pressure exerted on the metal strip and the metallic element may be readily controlled, one of said rollers further having at least one groove with a central converging recessed region formed in the outer periphery thereof, for each set of subsequently formed lead frame leads, so as to receive and impart both predetermined normal and tangential cold flow to the material of the metallic element when fed through said rollers, said cold flow producing plastic deformation sufficient to insure reliable mechanical cleaning and solid phase metal-to-metal adhesion at the longitudinally extending metal strip-metallic element interface, while simultaneously shaping the cross-section of the metallic element so as to have a raised and longitudinally extending central compliant crest, means for cleaning at least one surface of the continuously advancing metal strip of oxides, grease and other foreign contaminants prior to the strip passing through said bonding rollers, a fluxing station including means for coating a narrow stripe of flux along at least one edge and on at least one side of the metal strip while passing therethrough, and a soldering station including means for solder coating the narrow stripe previously coated with flux.

Claim 13

Apparatus for fabricating lead frames for use in bonding a plurality of electrical ribbon leads formed as an integral part of each lead frame to a plurality of respectively associated terminals secured on a supporting substrate in a manner which inherently produces lead-terminal compliancy, insures reliable mechanicl cleaning and metal-to-metal adhesion at the bond interfaces, and control over bond interface definition, comprising: means for continuously advancing a metal strip and at least one elongated metallic element from respective supplies to a position where the strip and the element are advancing coextensively, bonding means including a pair of thermocompression bonding rollers positioned to engage the metal strip and the metallic element when fed therebetweeN, each of said rollers having internal and controllable heating means, and at least one of said rollers being mounted so that the pressure exerted on the metal strip and the metallic element may be readily controlled, one of said rollers further having at least one groove with a central converging recessed region formed in the outer periphery thereof, for each set of subsequently formed lead frame leads, so as to receive and impart both predetermined normal and tangential cold flow to the material of the metallic element when fed through said rollers, said cold flow producing plastic deformation sufficient to insure reliable mechanical cleaning and solid phase metal-to-metal adhesion at the longitudinally extending metal strip-metallic element interface, while simultaneously shaping the cross-section of the metallic element so as to have a raised and longitudinally extending central compliant crest, means for cleaning at least one surface of the continuously advancing metal strip of oxides, grease and other foreign contaminants prior to the strip passing through said bonding rollers, a fluxing station including means for coating a narrow stripe of flux along at least one edge and on at least one side of the metal strip while passing therethrough, and a soldering station including means for solder coating the narrow stripe previously coated with flux.

Claim 14

Apparatus for fabricating lead frames for use in bonding a plurality of electrical ribbon leads formed as an integral part of each lead frame to plurality of respectively associated terminals secured on a supporting substrate in a manner which inherently produces lead-terminal compliancy, insures reliable mechanical cleaning and metal-to-metal adhesion at the bond interfaces, and control over bond interface definition, conmprising: means for continuously advancing a metal strip and at least one elongated metallic element from respective supplies to a position where the strip and the element are advancing coextensively, bonding means including a pair of thermocompression bonding rollers positioned to engage the metal strip and the metallic element when fed therebetween, each of aid rollers having internal and controllable heating means, and at least one of said rollers being mounted so that the pressure exerted on the metal strip and the metallic element may be readily controlled, one of said rollers further having at least one groove with a central converging recessed region formed in the outer periphery thereof, for each set of subsequently formed lead frame leads, so as to receive and impart both predetermined normal and tangential cold flow to the material of the metallic element when fed through said rollers, said cold flow producing plastic deformation sufficient to insure reliable mechanical cleaning and solid phase metal-to-metal adhesion at the longitudinally extending metal strip-metallic element interface, while simultaneously shaping the cross-section of the metallic element so as to have a raised and longitudinally extending central compliant crest, means for cleaning at least one surface of the continuously advancing metal strip of oxides, grease and other foreign contaminants prior to the strip passing through said bonding rollers, a blanking station including a progressive punch and die for successively blanking out a series of interconnected lead frames from the metal strip, with the terminating free end region of each partially blanked out lead coinciding with and having at least one compliant contact-forming metallic element segment extending across the width dimension of each lead, means for severing each partially blanked out lead frame from the metal strip, and means for solid-phase bonding each lead frame lead to a respectively mating member through each interposed compliant contact, and for trimming the border of each severed lead frame from the lead ends still remaining integral therewith.

Claim 15

Apparatus for fabricating lead frames for use in bonding a plurality of electrical ribbon leads formed as an integral part of each lead frame to plurality of respectively associated terminals secured on a supporting substrate in a manner which inherently produces lead-terminal compliancy, insures reliable mechanical cleaning and metal-to-metal adhesion at the bond interfaces, and control over bond interface definition, conmprising: means for continuously advancing a metal strip and at least one elongated metallic element from respective supplies to a position where the strip and the element are advancing coextensively, bonding means including a pair of thermocompression bonding rollers positioned to engage the metal strip and the metallic element when fed therebetween, each of aid rollers having internal and controllable heating means, and at least one of said rollers being mounted so that the pressure exerted on the metal strip and the metallic element may be readily controlled, one of said rollers further having at least one groove with a central converging recessed region formed in the outer periphery thereof, for each set of subsequently formed lead frame leads, so as to receive and impart both predetermined normal and tangential cold flow to the material of the metallic element when fed through said rollers, said cold flow producing plastic deformation sufficient to insure reliable mechanical cleaning and solid phase metal-to-metal adhesion at the longitudinally extending metal strip-metallic element interface, while simultaneously shaping the cross-section of the metallic element so as to have a raised and longitudinally extending central compliant crest, means for cleaning at least one surface of the continuously advancing metal strip of oxides, grease and other foreign contaminants prior to the strip passing through said bonding rollers, a blanking station including a progressive punch and die for successively blanking out a series of interconnected lead frames from the metal strip, with the terminating free end region of each partially blanked out lead coinciding with and having at least one compliant contact-forming metallic element segment extending across the width dimension of each lead, means for severing each partially blanked out lead frame from the metal strip, and means for solid-phase bonding each lead frame lead to a respectively mating member through each interposed compliant contact, and for trimming the border of each severed lead frame from the lead ends still remaining integral therewith.

Claim 16

Apparatus for fabricating lead frames for use in bonding A plurality of electrical ribbon leads formed as an integral part of each lead to a plurality of respectively associated terminals secured on a supporting substrate in a manner which inherently produces lead-terminal compliancy, insures reliable mechanical cleaning and metal-to-metal adhesion at the bond interfaces, and control over bond interface definition, comprising: means for advancing a metal strip and at least two elongated closely spaced metallic elements from respective supplies to a position where the strip and the elements are advancing coextensively, bonding means including a pair of thermocompression bonding rollers positioned to engage the metal strip and the metallic elements when fed therebetween, each of said rollers having internal and controllable heating means, and at least one of said rollers being mounted so that the pressure exerted on the metal strip and the metallic elements may be readily controlled, one of said rollers further having at least two triangularly shaped, closed spaced grooves formed in the outer periphery thereof, for each set of subsequently formed lead frame leads, so as to receive and impart both predetermined normal and tangential cold flow to the material of the metallic elements when fed through said rollers, said cold flow producing plastic deformation sufficient to insure reliable mechanical cleaning and solid phase metal-to-metal adhesion at the longitudinally extending metal strip-metallic element interface, while simultaneously shaping the cross-section of the metallic elements so each has a raised and longitudinally extending central compliant crest, means for cleaning at least one surface of the continuously advancing metal strip of oxides, grease and other foreign contaminants prior to the strip passing through said bonding rollers, a blanking station including a progressive punch and die for successively blanking out a series of interconnected lead frames from the metal strip, with the terminating free end region of each partially blanked out lead coinciding with and having at least two closely spaced compliant contact-forming metallic element segments extending across the width dimension of each lead, said progressive punch and die further including means for severing each lead frame from the metal strip, and for bifurcating each compliant contact so as to form at least four smaller compliant contacts with raised central crests in essentially space quadrature, so as to allow redundant bonds with inherent compliancy to be subsequently produced between each lead and a mating member, and means for solid-phase bonding each lead frame lead to a respectively mating member through each set of four interposed compliant contacts, and for trimming the border of each severed lead frame from the lead ends still remaining integral therewith.

Claim 17

Apparatus for fabricating lead frames for use in bonding A plurality of electrical ribbon leads formed as an integral part of each lead to a plurality of respectively associated terminals secured on a supporting substrate in a manner which inherently produces lead-terminal compliancy, insures reliable mechanical cleaning and metal-to-metal adhesion at the bond interfaces, and control over bond interface definition, comprising: means for advancing a metal strip and at least two elongated closely spaced metallic elements from respective supplies to a position where the strip and the elements are advancing coextensively, bonding means including a pair of thermocompression bonding rollers positioned to engage the metal strip and the metallic elements when fed therebetween, each of said rollers having internal and controllable heating means, and at least one of said rollers being mounted so that the pressure exerted on the metal strip and the metallic elements may be readily controlled, one of said rollers further having at least two triangularly shaped, closed spaced grooves formed in the outer periphery thereof, for each set of subsequently formed lead frame leads, so as to receive and impart both predetermined normal and tangential cold flow to the material of the metallic elements when fed through said rollers, said cold flow producing plastic deformation sufficient to insure reliable mechanical cleaning and solid phase metal-to-metal adhesion at the longitudinally extending metal strip-metallic element interface, while simultaneously shaping the cross-section of the metallic elements so each has a raised and longitudinally extending central compliant crest, means for cleaning at least one surface of the continuously advancing metal strip of oxides, grease and other foreign contaminants prior to the strip passing through said bonding rollers, a blanking station including a progressive punch and die for successively blanking out a series of interconnected lead frames from the metal strip, with the terminating free end region of each partially blanked out lead coinciding with and having at least two closely spaced compliant contact-forming metallic element segments extending across the width dimension of each lead, said progressive punch and die further including means for severing each lead frame from the metal strip, and for bifurcating each compliant contact so as to form at least four smaller compliant contacts with raised central crests in essentially space quadrature, so as to allow redundant bonds with inherent compliancy to be subsequently produced between each lead and a mating member, and means for solid-phase bonding each lead frame lead to a respectively mating member through each set of four interposed compliant contacts, and for trimming the border of each severed lead frame from the lead ends still remaining integral therewith.

Claim 18

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the cross-sectional area of the peripheral groove in said second thermocompression bonding roller is less than the initial cross-sectional area of the elongated metallic element.

Claim 19

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the peripheral groove in said second thermocompression bonding roller is of a different cross-sectional configuration than the initial cross-sectional configuration of the portions of the elongated metallic element which are engaged by the converging pressure-applying and shaping surfaces of the groove during the bonding and shaping of the metallic element.

Claim 20

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the elongated metallic element initially is of circular cross-sectional configuration and the peripheral groove in said second thermocompression bonding roller is essentially triangular shaped.

Claim 21

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the elongated metallic element is in the form of a narrow wire and the metal strip is of wide flat construction.

Claim 22

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the elongated metallic element initially is in the form of a narrow circular wire, thE metal strip is of wide flat construction, and the peripheral groove in said second thermocompression bonding roller is essentially triangular shaped and has a smaller cross-sectional area than the initial cross-sectional area of the metallic element.

Claim 23

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said thermocompression bonding rollers include controllable internal heating elements and are relatively movable to vary the pressure exerted on the elongated metallic element and the metal strip by said rollers.

Claim 24

Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein the cross-sectional area of the peripheral groove in said second thermocompression bonding roller is less than the initial cross-sectional area of the narrow elongated metallic element.

Claim 25

Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein the peripheral groove in said second thermocompression bonding roller is of a different cross-sectional configuration than the initial cross-sectional configuration of the portions of the narrow elongated metallic element which are engaged by the converging pressure-applying and shaping surfaces of the groove during the bonding and shaping of the metallic element.

Claim 26

Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein the narrow elongated metallic element initially is in the form of a circular wire and the peripheral groove in said second thermocompression bonding roller is essentially triangular shaped.

Claim 27

Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein the narrow elongated metallic element initially is in the form of a circular wire, and the peripheral groove in said second thermocompression bonding roller is essentially triangular shaped and has a smaller cross-sectional area than the initial cross-sectional area of the metallic element.

Claim 28

Apparatus for continuous thermocompression bonding and shaping at least one elongated metallic element of a preselected initial cross-sectional configuration on a continuous metal strip, comprising: means for advancing the elongate metallic element and the metal strip longitudinally into juxtaposed relationship, a pair of opposed first and second thermocompression bonding rollers between which the juxtaposed metallic element and the metal strip are advanced by said advancing means, at least one of said bonding rollers having a periphery for engaging and supporting the metal strip, and the second of said bonding rollers having a peripheral groove formed therein for receiving the metallic element, the groove having pressure-applying and shaping surface portions engageable with portions of the metallic element so as to impart both predetermined normal and tangential cold flow to the material of the metallic element when pressure is applied to the metallic element by said roller, to produce mechanical cleaning and solid phase metal-to-metal adhesion at the metallic element-metal strip interface while simultaneously shaping the metallic element from its initial cross-sectional configuration to a preselected second cross-sectional configuration.

Claim 29

Apparatus for continuous thermocompression bonding and shaping at least one elongated metallic element of a preselected initial cross-sectional configuration on a continuous metal strip, comprising: means for advancing the elongate metallic element and the metal strip longitudinally into juxtaposed relationship, a pair of opposed first and second thermocompression bonding rollers between which the juxtaposed metallic element and the metal strip are advanced by said advancing means, at least one of said bonding rollers having a periphery for engaging and supporting the metal strip, and the second of said bonding rollers having a peripheral groove formed therein for receiving the metallic element, the groove having pressure-applying and shaping surface portions engageable with portions of the metallic element so as to impart both predetermined normal and tangential cold flow to the material of the metallic element when pressure is applied to the metallic element by said roller, to produce mechanical cleaning and solid phase metal-to-metal adhesion at the metallic element-metal strip interface while simultaneously shaping the metallic element from its initial cross-sectional configuration to a preselected second cross-sectional configuration.

Claim 30

Apparatus in accordance with claim 23 wherein the cross-sectional area of the peripheral groove in said second thermocompression bonding roller is less than the initial cross-sectional area of the elongated metallic element.

Claim 31

Apparatus in accordance with claim 23 wherein the peripheral groove in said second thermocompression bonding roller is of a different cross-sectional configuration than the initial cross-sectional configuration of the portions of the elongated metallic element which are engaged by the pressure-applying and shaping surface portions of the groove during the bonding and shaping of the metallic element.

Claim 32

Apparatus in accordance with claim 23 wherein the elongated metallic element initially is of circular cross-sectional configuration and the peripheral groove in said second thermocompression bonding roller is essentially triangular shaped.

Claim 33

Apparatus in accordance with claim 23 wherein the elongated metallic element is in the form of a narrow wire and the metal strip is of wide flat construction.

Claim 34

Apparatus in accordance with claim 23 wherein the elongated metallic element initially is in the form a narrow circular wire, the metal strip is of wide flat construction, and the peripheral groove in said second thermocompression bonding roller is of a different and smaller cross-sectional area than the initial cross-sectional area of the metallic element.