Method and apparatus for supporting substrates during bonding

Claim 2

In an apparatus for supporting a first article, which is moved to sequentially position selected bond sites on a first surface thereof at a bonding location, during bonding of second articles to the bond sites at the bonding location: a plurality of supports, each associated with an individual one of the bond sites and movable in directions toward and away from an area on a second surface of the first article opposite from both the first surface thereof and its associated bond site thereon, and means, operative upon the positioning of a selected bond site at the bonding location, for moving the support associated with that bond site toward the second surface and into engagement with the area thereof opposite from the bond site to support the first article thereat.

Claim 3

In an apparatus for supporting a substrate, having an array of bond sites on a first surface thereof which are sequentially positioned upon movement of the substrate at a bonding location for having circuit elements bonded thereto, at an area on a second surface thereof opposite from the first surface and from the bond site at the bonding location: first and second apertured plates secured in a spaced and parallel relationship with each other and with the substrate for movement therewith, with the first plate positioned between the second surface and the second plate, the apertures in each plate being in an array which spatially corresponds with the array of bond sites on the substrate with lines through the bond sites and perpencidular to the second surface each defining the axis of an individual pair of apertures, one aperture of each pair being in the first plate and the other aperture of each pair being in the second plate; a plurality of elongated support members, having first and second ends, each slidably extended through an individual one of the pairs of apertures for movement along the axis thereof toward and away from an associated bond site, with the first end of each member extended through the first plate and normally spaced from the second surface of the substrate, and with the second end thereof extending through and from the second plate, and means, operative upon movement of the substrate to position a bond site at a bonding location, for moving the support member associated therewith toward the bond site to move the first end thereof into engagement with an area on the second surface of the substrate opposite from the bond site for supporting the substrate during bonding of a circuit element to the bond site.

Claim 4

In an apparatus for supporting a substrate, having an array of bond sites on a first surface thereof which are sequentially positioned upon movement of the substrate at a bonding location for having circuit elements bonded thereto, at an area on a second surface thereof opposite from the first surface and from the bond site at the bonding location: first and second apertured plates secured in a spaced and parallel relationship with each other and with the substrate for movement therewith, with the first plate positioned between the second surface and the second plate, the apertures in each plate being in an array which spatially corresponds with the array of bond sites on the substrate with lines through the bond sites and perpencidular to the second surface each defining the axis of an individual pair of apertures, one aperture of each pair being in the first plate and the other aperture of each pair being in the second plate; a plurality of elongated support members, having first and second ends, each slidably extended through an individual one of the pairs of apertures for movement along the axis thereof toward and away from an associated bond site, with the first end of each member extended through the first plate and normally spaced from the second surface of the substrate, and with the second end thereof extending through and from the second plate, and means, operative upon movement of the substrate to position a bond site at a bonding location, for moving the support member associated therewith toward the bond site to move the first end thereof into engagement with an area on the second surface of the substrate opposite from the bond site for supporting the substrate during bonding of a circuit element to the bond site.

Claim 5

In an apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the means for moving the support member includes: a cam, having a sloping surface positioned for engaging and for moving the second end of an elongated member toward the second surface of the substrate, as the member is moved with the substrate to position the bond site associated therewith at the bonding location, to move the first end of the member against an area on the second surface opposite from the bond site when the bond site is at the bonding location.

Claim 6

In an apparatus as set forth in claim 3, further including: a plurality of collars, each positioned around individual ones of the elongated members at a position thereof between the first and the second plates, to secure the members slidably within the plates, and means for heating the first plate to conductively heat the first end of each elongated member slidably extended therethrough.

Claim 7

In an apparatus for assembling first articles to bond sites on a first surface of a second article with a bonding tool: means for moving the second article to successively position individual ones of the bond sites at a bonding location for having a first article bonded thereto by the bonding tool; a plurality of supports, normally spaced from a second surface of the second article opposite from the first surface, each associated with an individual one of the bond sites and positioned for movement against the second surface at a point opposite from its associated bond site, and means, operative upon the positioning of a bond site at the bonding location, for moving the support associated therewith against the second surface at the point opposite from the site to support the second article thereat while a first article is bonded to the site.

Claim 8

In an apparatus for assembling first articles to bond sites on a first surface of a second article with a bonding tool: means for moving the second article to successively position individual ones of the bond sites at a bonding location for having a first article bonded thereto by the bonding tool; a plurality of supports, normally spaced from a second surface of the second article opposite from the first surface, each associated with an individual one of the bond sites and positioned for movement against the second surface at a point opposite from its associated bond site, and means, operative upon the positioning of a bond site at the bonding location, for moving the support associated therewith against the second surface at the point opposite from the site to support the second article thereat while a first article is bonded to the site.

Claim 9

In an apparatus for bonding first articles to bond sites on a first surface of a second article with a bonding tool which moves individual ones of the first articles along a bonding axis and against a bond site positioned at a bonding location lying along the bonding axis: means for moving the second article to successively position individual ones of the bond sites at the bonding location for having a first article bonded thereto by the bonding tool; first and second spaced and overlapping apertured plates positioned in planes parallel to a second surface of the second article for movement therewith, opposite from the first surface, with the first plate spaced from the second surface and positioned between the second surface and the second plate, the apertures in the plates lying along lines extending perpendicular to the second surface at points opposite the bond sites on the first surface; a plurality of elongated members, each slidably extended through an aperture in the first and the second plate along the line extending perpendicular to the second surface at a point opposite an associated bond site, and each having a first end extending toward the second surface and normally spaced therefrom, and a second end extending away from the second surface and beyond the second plate, and means, operative upon the positioning of a bond site on the first surface of the second article at the bonding location, for engaging the second end of the elongated member associated therewith to slide the member within the first and the second plates to move the first end of the member into engagement with the second surface opposite the bond site to support the second article when the bonding tool moves a first article against the bond site.

Claim 10

In an apparatus for bonding first articles to bond sites on a first surface of a second article with a bonding tool which moves individual ones of the first articles along a bonding axis and against a bond site positioned at a bonding location lying along the bonding axis: means for moving the second article to successively position individual ones of the bond sites at the bonding location for having a first article bonded thereto by the bonding tool; first and second spaced and overlapping apertured plates positioned in planes parallel to a second surface of the second article for movement therewith, opposite from the first surface, with the first plate spaced from the second surface and positioned between the second surface and the second plate, the apertures in the plates lying along lines extending perpendicular to the second surface at points opposite the bond sites on the first surface; a plurality of elongated members, each slidably extended through an aperture in the first and the second plate along the line extending perpendicular to the second surface at a point opposite an associated bond site, and each having a first end extending toward the second surface and normally spaced therefrom, and a second end extending away from the second surface and beyond the second plate, and means, operative upon the positioning of a bond site on the first surface of the second article at the bonding location, for engaging the second end of the elongated member associated therewith to slide the member within the first and the second plates to move the first end of the member into engagement with the second surface opposite the bond site to support the second article when the bonding tool moves a first article against the bond site.

Claim 11

In an apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein tHe means for engaging the second end of the elongated member includes: a cam, positioned opposite the second plate and along the bonding axis, for engaging and moving the second end of the elongated member, as the bond site associated therewith is moved to the bonding location, to move the first end thereof against the second surface.

Claim 12

In an apparatus as set forth in claim 7, further including: means for heating the first end of each elongated member to heat the bond sites associated therewith when the first end is moved into engagement with the second surface of the second article.

Claim 13

In a method of supporting a first article, which is moved to sequentially position individual ones of a plurality of bond sites on a first surface thereof at a bonding location, during the bonding of second articles to the bond sites at the bonding location: positioning individual ones of a plurality of supports in a spaced relationship with a second surface of the first article opposite from both the first surface and from an associated bond site thereon, and moving the support associated with a bond site at the bonding location into engagement with the second surface of the first article opposite from the bond site at the bonding location while maintaining the remaining supports in the spaced relationship with the second surface.

Claim 14

In a method of supporting a first article, which is moved to sequentially position individual ones of a plurality of bond sites on a first surface thereof at a bonding location, during the bonding of second articles to the bond sites at the bonding location: positioning individual ones of a plurality of supports in a spaced relationship with a second surface of the first article opposite from both the first surface and from an associated bond site thereon, and moving the support associated with a bond site at the bonding location into engagement with the second surface of the first article opposite from the bond site at the bonding location while maintaining the remaining supports in the spaced relationship with the second surface.

Claim 15

In a method of supporting a substrate, with individual ones of a plurality of cylindrical supports, during the thermocompression bonding of circuit elements to an array of bond sites on a first surface of the substrate which are sequentially positioned at a bonding location: positioning the cylindrical supports in a spaced relationship with a second surface of the substrate, opposite from the first surface, with each axis thereof extending perpendicular to the second surface and through an individual one of the bond sites associated therewith; simultaneously moving the substrate and the cylindrical supports to sequentially position individual ones of the bond sites at the bonding location and to maintain the axis of each support extending perpendicular to the second surface and through its associated bond site, and moving the cylindrical support associated with a bond site at the bonding location along its axis and into engagement with the second surface of the substrate opposite from the bond site to support the substrate thereat while a circuit element is thermocompression bonded to the bond site, while maintaining all of the remaining cylindrical supports in the spaced relationship with the second surface.

Claim 16

In a method of supporting a substrate, with individual ones of a plurality of cylindrical supports, during the thermocompression bonding of circuit elements to an array of bond sites on a first surface of the substrate which are sequentially positioned at a bonding location: positioning the cylindrical supports in a spaced relationship with a second surface of the substrate, opposite from the first surface, with each axis thereof extending perpendicular to the second surface and through an individual one of the bond sites associated therewith; simultaneously moving the substrate and the cylindrical supports to sequentially position individual ones of the bond sites at the bonding location and to maintain the axis of each support extending perpendicular to the second surface and through its associated bond site, and moving the cylindrical support associated with a bond site at the bonding location along its axis and into engagement with the second surface of the substrate opposite from the bond site to support the substrate thereat while a circuit element is thermocompression bonded to the bond site, while maintaining all of the remaining cylindrical supports in the spaced relationship with the second surface.

Claim 17

In the method as set forth in claim 10, wherein a first end of each cylindrical support extends toward the second surface and a second end extends away from the second surface, wherein the step of moving the support into engagement with the second surface includes: engaging the second end of the support upon the translation thereof as the substrate is moved to position the bond site associated therewith at the bonding location to move the second end of the support along the axis thereof toward the second surface an amount sufficient to move the first end of the support into engagement with the second surface opposite from the bond site.

Claim 18

In a method as set forth in claim 11, further including: heating the first end of each cylindrical support to heat the bond sites associated therewith by thermal conduction through the substrate when the supports engage the second surface thereof.