Manufacture of supports for semiconductor devices

Claim 1

Apparatus for manufacturing supports for semiconductor devices comprising means to feed a tape, means to sever the tape into pieces, means to hold individually and temporarily each severed piece of tape, and means to secure the severed pieces of tape to selected parts of support members of supports, the tape being of a material suitable to bond semiconductor devices to the selected parts of the support members, the length of each severed piece of tape, in relation to the width and thickness of the supplied tape, being arranged to be such that the dimensions of the severed piece are sufficient to bond a semiconductor device to a support member, the feeding means including a reciprocatable dog to feed the tape towards the severing means in a positive manner with an intermittent motion, the dog engaging the tape in each repetitive forward movement of the tape towards the severing means, in each intervening period between repetitive forward movements of the tape the dog both being disengaged from the tape and being moved on the reverse part of the stroke of its reciprocating action, the stroke length of the reciprocating action of the dog determining the length of each severed piece of tape, the dog comprising a needle mounted with its longitudinal axis substantially normal to the plane in which the tape is fed to the severing means, and having only a point contact with the tape during the forward movement of the tape toward the severing means, and the holding means being arranged both to remove each tape piece from the severing means in the intervening period between the corresponding forward movement of the tape and the next such forward movement, and to transfer the severed piece of tape to the selected part of the support member, where the tape piece is released by the holding means.

Claim 3

A method of manufacturing a support for a semicondutor device comprising the steps of providing in the form of a tape material suitable to bond semiconductor devices to selected parts of support members of supports, feeding the tape with an intermittent motion to severing means, the tape being fed in each repetitive forward movement in a positive manner to the severing means by engagement with a reciprocating dog having only a point contact with the tape, in each intervening period between repetitive forward movements of the tape towards the severing means the dog both being disengaged from the tape and being moved on the reverse part of the stroke of its reciprocating action, severing a piece of tape, the stroke length of the reciprocating action of the dog, and hence the length of the severed piece, in relation to the width and thickness of the supplied tape, being arranged to be such that the dimensions of the severed piece are sufficient to bond a semiconductor device to a support member after the severed piece of tape is secured to the support member, holding individually and temporarily the severed piece of tape and, whilst the piece is held, both removing the piece from the severing means in the intervening period between the corresponding forward movement of the tape and the next such forward movement, and transferring the severed piece of tape to the selected part of the support member, where the tape piece is released by the holding means, and securing the severed piece of tape to the selected part of the support member.

Claim 4

A method of manufacturing a support for a semicondutor device comprising the steps of providing in the form of a tape material suitable to bond semiconductor devices to selected parts of support members of supports, feeding the tape with an intermittent motion to severing means, the tape being fed in each repetitive forward movement in a positive manner to the severing means by engagement with a reciprocating dog having only a point contact with the tape, in each intervening period between repetitive forward movements of the tape towards the severing means the dog both being disengaged from the tape and being moved on the reverse part of the stroke of its reciprocating action, severing a piece of tape, the stroke length of the reciprocating action of the dog, and hence the length of the severed piece, in relation to the width and thickness of the supplied tape, being arranged to be such that the dimensions of the severed piece are sufficient to bond a semiconductor device to a support member after the severed piece of tape is secured to the support member, holding individually and temporarily the severed piece of tape and, whilst the piece is held, both removing the piece from the severing means in the intervening period between the corresponding forward movement of the tape and the next such forward movement, and transferring the severed piece of tape to the selected part of the support member, where the tape piece is released by the holding means, and securing the severed piece of tape to the selected part of the support member.