US6084781A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Assembly aid for mounting packaged integrated circuit devices to printed circuit boards
Assignee: Micron Technology Inc
•
Filing: 1998-06-04
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Granted: 2000-07-04
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Expires: 2018-06-04
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus and method for surface-mounting ball grid array integrated circuit (IC) devices to printed circuit boards. A thin single- or multi-layer sheet of nonconductive material having a plurality of apertures corresponding to the leads of the IC device to be mounted is interposed between the ball grid array and the circuit board prior to solder processing to facilitate solder application, device alignment, and solder retention. An assembly guide is located on the top surface of the aid to assist in the orientation and placement of the IC device during assembly. In a further aspect, the disclosed assembly aid helps compensate for non-planarity in the IC device array or circuit board, and maintains a minimum standoff distance between the IC package and the circuit board to preclude undue solder joint deformation. The assembly aid also allows for reworking of the surface mount by facilitating localized placement of the solder prior to reflow processing without masking or other additional processing steps.
Inventors
- 👤 Dean A. Klein
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 17:11
CPC Classifications
H; H05; H05K; H05K3/00; H05K3/30; H05K3/32; H05K3/34; H05K3/341; H05K3/3431; H05K3/3436; H05K2201/00; H05K2201/10; H05K2201/10227; H05K2201/10424; H05K2201/10613; H05K2201/10621; H05K2201/10734; H05K2203/00; H05K2203/04; H05K2203/0415; H05K2203/16; H05K2203/167; H10; H10W; H10W72/00; H10W72/01; H10W72/013; H10W72/01331; H10W72/01336; H10W72/071; H10W72/072; H10W72/07221; H10W72/07227; H10W72/07231; H10W72/07236; H10W72/20; H10W72/241; H10W90/00; H10W90/701; H10W90/721; H10W90/724; Y; Y02; Y02P; Y02P70/00; Y02P70/50; Y10; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/49; Y10T29/49002; Y10T29/49117; Y10T29/49124; Y10T29/4913; Y10T29/49144; Y10T29/49155; Y10T29/49165
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
123 words
An assembly aid for mounting an integrated circuit device having connecting leads to a circuit board, comprising: a plurality of solidified solder elements, said elements being shaped to receive respective ones of said connecting leads; and a mounting substrate communicating at least in part with said circuit board and having at least a first layer and second layer, said first layer having a plurality of first apertures substantially corresponding to the location of said connecting leads, said first apertures further receiving said solidified solder elements therein, and said second layer having a plurality of second apertures substantially corresponding to the location of said first apertures, said second apertures being sized so as to prevent said solder elements from passing through said second apertures.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
123 words
An assembly aid for mounting an integrated circuit device having connecting leads to a circuit board, comprising: a plurality of solidified solder elements, said elements being shaped to receive respective ones of said connecting leads; and a mounting substrate communicating at least in part with said circuit board and having at least a first layer and second layer, said first layer having a plurality of first apertures substantially corresponding to the location of said connecting leads, said first apertures further receiving said solidified solder elements therein, and said second layer having a plurality of second apertures substantially corresponding to the location of said first apertures, said second apertures being sized so as to prevent said solder elements from passing through said second apertures.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
The assembly aid of claim 1, wherein said assembly aid, integrated circuit device, and circuit board is installed in a computer system.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
The assembly aid of claim 1, wherein said circuit board is selected from the group consisting of a video processor card, a computer motherboard, a network interface card, a memory card, and a graphics processor card.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
The assembly aid of claim 1, wherein said solidified solder elements are selected from the group of shapes comprising a toroid, a cylinder, a square block, a rectangular block, or a polygonal block.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
15 words
The assembly aid of claim 1, wherein said solidified solder elements include a flux coating.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
16 words
The assembly aid of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit device comprises a ball grid array.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
The assembly aid of claim 1, wherein the cross-section of said first or second apertures is selected from the group comprising a circle, square, rectangle, ellipse, or polygon.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
The assembly aid of claim 1, wherein said solidified solder elements have holes through their thickness to receive said connecting leads.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
138 words
An assembly aid for mounting an integrated circuit device having a plurality of leads to a circuit board, comprising: a plurality of solidified solder elements, said elements being shaped to receive respective ones of said leads; a mounting substrate having at least a first layer and a second layer; said first layer having a plurality of first apertures substantially corresponding to the location of said leads, said first apertures further being sized to receive said solidified solder elements therein, said second layer having a plurality of second apertures substantially corresponding to the location of said first apertures, said second apertures being sized so as to prevent said solder elements from passing through said second apertures; and an adhesive layer communicating with said first mounting substrate layer so as to retain said solder elements substantially within said first apertures.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
138 words
An assembly aid for mounting an integrated circuit device having a plurality of leads to a circuit board, comprising: a plurality of solidified solder elements, said elements being shaped to receive respective ones of said leads; a mounting substrate having at least a first layer and a second layer; said first layer having a plurality of first apertures substantially corresponding to the location of said leads, said first apertures further being sized to receive said solidified solder elements therein, said second layer having a plurality of second apertures substantially corresponding to the location of said first apertures, said second apertures being sized so as to prevent said solder elements from passing through said second apertures; and an adhesive layer communicating with said first mounting substrate layer so as to retain said solder elements substantially within said first apertures.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
174 words
A circuit board having an integrated circuit device with connecting leads, assembled by a process comprising the steps of: providing a mounting substrate having a plurality of first and second apertures, the relative positions of both said first and second apertures corresponding to those of the connecting leads of the integrated circuit device, said second apertures having a smaller diameter than said first apertures and communicating therewith; locating solder material substantially upon said mounting substrate such that said solder material communicates with selected first apertures of said substrate, applying an adhesive layer to said mounting substrate such that said solder material is retained substantially within said first apertures; attaching said mounting substrate to said circuit board; positioning the integrated circuit device adjacent to said mounting substrate such that the connecting leads of the integrated circuit communicate with said first apertures and said solder material, so as to form an assembly; and heating said assembly so as to melt said solder material to form an electrical contact between said integrated circuit and said circuit board.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
174 words
A circuit board having an integrated circuit device with connecting leads, assembled by a process comprising the steps of: providing a mounting substrate having a plurality of first and second apertures, the relative positions of both said first and second apertures corresponding to those of the connecting leads of the integrated circuit device, said second apertures having a smaller diameter than said first apertures and communicating therewith; locating solder material substantially upon said mounting substrate such that said solder material communicates with selected first apertures of said substrate, applying an adhesive layer to said mounting substrate such that said solder material is retained substantially within said first apertures; attaching said mounting substrate to said circuit board; positioning the integrated circuit device adjacent to said mounting substrate such that the connecting leads of the integrated circuit communicate with said first apertures and said solder material, so as to form an assembly; and heating said assembly so as to melt said solder material to form an electrical contact between said integrated circuit and said circuit board.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
21 words
The circuit board of claim 10, wherein said circuit board having said integrated circuit device is installed in a computer system.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
35 words
The circuit board of claim 10, wherein said circuit board is selected from the group comprising a video processor card, a computer motherboard, a network interface card, a memory card, and a graphics processor card.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
21 words
The assembly aid of claim 10, wherein said solder material is in the form of one or more solidified solder elements.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
35 words
The assembly aid of claim 13, wherein the cross-section of said solder elements is selected from the group of shapes comprising a toroid, a cylinder, a square block, a rectangular block, or a polygonal block.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
15 words
The assembly aid of claim 13, wherein said solidified solder elements include a flux coating.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
16 words
The assembly aid of claim 10, wherein the integrated circuit device comprises a ball grid array.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
28 words
The assembly aid of claim 10, wherein the cross-section of said first or second apertures is selected from the group comprising a circle, square, rectangle, ellipse, or polygon.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
204 words
A computer system having a circuit board, said circuit board having an integrated circuit device with connecting leads and being assembled by a process comprising the steps of: providing a mounting substrate having a first and second layer in substantial communication with each other, said first layer having a plurality of first apertures whose relative positions on said substrate correspond to those of the connecting leads of said integrated circuit device, said second layer having a plurality of second apertures of smaller diameter than said first apertures and communicating substantially therewith; locating solidified solder elements substantially within said mounting substrate such that said solder elements communicate with respective first apertures of said first substrate layer; applying an adhesive layer to said mounting substrate such that said solder elements are retained substantially within said first apertures; attaching said mounting substrate to said circuit board; positioning the integrated circuit device adjacent to said mounting substrate such that the connecting leads of the integrated circuit communicate with said first apertures and said solder elements, so as to form an assembly; and heating said assembly so as to at least partially melt said solder elements to form an electrical contact between said integrated circuit and said circuit board.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
204 words
A computer system having a circuit board, said circuit board having an integrated circuit device with connecting leads and being assembled by a process comprising the steps of: providing a mounting substrate having a first and second layer in substantial communication with each other, said first layer having a plurality of first apertures whose relative positions on said substrate correspond to those of the connecting leads of said integrated circuit device, said second layer having a plurality of second apertures of smaller diameter than said first apertures and communicating substantially therewith; locating solidified solder elements substantially within said mounting substrate such that said solder elements communicate with respective first apertures of said first substrate layer; applying an adhesive layer to said mounting substrate such that said solder elements are retained substantially within said first apertures; attaching said mounting substrate to said circuit board; positioning the integrated circuit device adjacent to said mounting substrate such that the connecting leads of the integrated circuit communicate with said first apertures and said solder elements, so as to form an assembly; and heating said assembly so as to at least partially melt said solder elements to form an electrical contact between said integrated circuit and said circuit board.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
181 words
A circuit board having an integrated circuit device with connecting leads, prepared by a process comprising the steps of: providing a mounting substrate having a plurality of first and second apertures, the relative locations of both of said first and second apertures corresponding to that of the connecting leads of the integrated circuit device, said second apertures having a smaller diameter than said first apertures and communicating therewith; attaching said mounting substrate to said circuit board via a first adhesive layer; locating solder material substantially within said mounting substrate such that said solder material communicates with selected first apertures of said substrate, applying a second adhesive layer to said mounting substrate such that said solder material is retained substantially within said first apertures; positioning the integrated circuit device adjacent to said mounting substrate such that the connecting leads of the integrated circuit communicate with said first apertures and said solder material, so as to form an assembly; and heating said assembly so as to melt said solder material to form an electrical contact between said integrated circuit and said circuit board.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
181 words
A circuit board having an integrated circuit device with connecting leads, prepared by a process comprising the steps of: providing a mounting substrate having a plurality of first and second apertures, the relative locations of both of said first and second apertures corresponding to that of the connecting leads of the integrated circuit device, said second apertures having a smaller diameter than said first apertures and communicating therewith; attaching said mounting substrate to said circuit board via a first adhesive layer; locating solder material substantially within said mounting substrate such that said solder material communicates with selected first apertures of said substrate, applying a second adhesive layer to said mounting substrate such that said solder material is retained substantially within said first apertures; positioning the integrated circuit device adjacent to said mounting substrate such that the connecting leads of the integrated circuit communicate with said first apertures and said solder material, so as to form an assembly; and heating said assembly so as to melt said solder material to form an electrical contact between said integrated circuit and said circuit board.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-07-04 | 2004-01-03 | 2004-07-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-07-04 | 2008-01-03 | 2008-07-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-07-04 | 2012-01-03 | 2012-07-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |