Methods and apparatus for retaining a tray stack having a plurality of trays for carrying microelectronic devices

A retainer for holding a tray stack having a plurality of trays configured to carry a plurality of microelectronic devices, comprising:

• a casing having a guide structure with a first end, a second end, an interior holding area, and an opening at the second end of the guide structure for receiving the trays, the guide structure being configured to receive the tray stack and allow the tray stack to move along a load/unload path through the guide structure;
• a cross-member member extending across at least a portion of the casing transverse to the load/unload path, the cross-member being spaced apart from the second end of the casing;
• and
• a plurality of moveable retaining elements at least proximate to the second end, the retaining elements being moveable between a storage position in which the retaining elements project into the interior holding area of the guide structure to obstruct the load/unload path, and the retaining elements being moveable into a load/unload position in which the retaining elements are clear the load/unload path.

A retainer for holding a tray stack having a plurality of trays that are configured to carry microelectronic devices, comprising:

• a protective casing including a guide structure having a first guide section configured to receive a first side of the tray stack, a second guide section configured to receive a second side of the tray stack, the first and second guide sections defining an opening and an interior holding area configured to retain the tray stack in a stacked arrangement and to allow the tray stack to move through the guide structure;
• a cross-member extending at least partially between the first and second guides sections;
• and
• a plurality of moveable retaining elements in the casing at least proximate to the opening, the retaining elements being moveable between a storage position in which the retaining elements project into the opening and a load/unload position in which the retaining elements either do not project as far into the opening or are completely removed from the opening.

A retainer for holding a tray stack having a plurality of trays that are configured to carry microelectronic devices, comprising:

• a housing having a frame and a plurality of panels attached to the frame, the frame including a first guide having an interior structure configured to moveably retain a first side of the tray stack, a second guide having an inner structure configured to moveably retain a second side of the tray stack, a bearing plate attached to an upper section of the first and second guides to fix together the first and second guides, the panels being attached to the frame to defined a cavity configured to receive the tray stack, and the panels defining an opening to the cavity opposite of the bearing plate through which the tray stack can pass into or out of the housing;
• a quick release lock assembly coupled to the housing, the lock assembly having an actuator, a plurality of shafts coupled to the actuator and positioned in the housing to move between a first position and second position, and a retaining element attached to an end of each shaft at least proximate to the opening of the housing, the retaining elements moving with the shafts between a storage position when the shafts are in the first position and a load/unload position when the shafts are in the second position, wherein the retaining elements at least partially obstruct the opening in the storage position to hold trays of the tray stack in the housing, and the retaining elements do not obstruct the opening in the load/unload position to allow individual trays to pass through the opening;
• and
• a floating plate slidably attached to the shafts, the floating plate driving the trays towards the opening when the retaining elements are in the load/unload position.

A retainer for holding a tray stack having a plurality of trays that are configured to carry microelectronic devices, comprising:

• a casing having a guide structure with a first end and a second end, an interior holding area, and an opening at least proximate to the second end, the guide structure being configured to support the tray stack with respect to a load/unload path and to allow the tray stack to move through the guide structure along the load/unload path;
• a plurality of moveable retaining elements at least proximate to the second end, the retaining elements being moveable between a storage position in which the retaining elements project into the interior holding area of the guide structure and a load/unload position in which the retaining elements either do not project as far into the interior holding area or are completely removed from the interior holding area;
• and
• a floating plate moveably positioned in the casing to move along the load/unload path defined by the guide structure, the floating plate pushing the trays against the retaining elements when the retaining elements are in the storage position and the floating plate pushing the trays out of the casing when the retaining elements are in the load/unload position.

A machine for processing microelectronic devices, comprising:

• a receiving station having a platform with a tray singulator and a mounting element;
• a removable tray retainer configured to hold a tray stack, the tray retainer having a guide structure including a first guide section and a second guide section, a cross-member extending at least partially between and transverse to the first and second guide sections, and a moveable retaining element spaced apart from the cross-member, the retaining element being moveable between a storage position in which the retaining element obstructs a load/unload path through the guide structure and a load/unload position in which the retaining element does not obstruct the load/unload path and also engages the mounting element to releasably hold the cassette to the platform;
• and
• a processing station that processes the microelectronic devices.

A machine for processing microelectronic devices, comprising:

• a stack of JEDEC trays, each JEDEC tray carrying a plurality of microelectronic devices;
• a receiving station having a platform with a tray singulator and a mounting element, the tray singulator being configured to selectively separate and retain a single JEDEC tray from the stack of JEDEC trays;
• a portable tray retainer configured to hold the stack of JEDEC trays, the tray retainer being releasably attached to the receiving station and the tray retainer including a casing and a plurality of retaining elements, wherein the casing includes a guide structure with a first end spaced apart from the receiving station and a second end proximate to the receiving station, a cross-member extending across at least a portion of the guide structure at least proximate to the first end, and an opening at least proximate to the second end through which the JEDEC trays can pass into or out of the casing, wherein the retaining elements are positioned proximate to the opening and are moveable between a storage position and a load/unload position, the retaining elements projecting into the guide structure in the storage position to hold the JEDEC trays in the retainer, and at least a portion of the retaining elements projecting away from the guide structure and engaging a corresponding mounting element of the receiving station in the load/unload position to allow the JEDEC trays to pass through the opening and to releasably hold the retainer to the receiving station, and wherein the cross-member is moveably positioned in the casing to move along a load/unload path to push a bottom tray of the tray stack against the retaining elements when the retaining elements are in the storage position and to drive the bottom tray out of the casing to the singulator when the retaining elements are in the load/unload position;
• and
• a processing station that processes microelectronic devices on JEDEC trays that have been unloaded from the retainer.

A lock/release assembly, comprising:

• a lock bearing having a hole;
• an elongated shaft slidably and rotatably received in the hole of the lock bearing, wherein at least one of the lock bearing and the shaft is rotatable between a lock position and a release position;
• and
• an engagement assembly having an engagement element, a contact surface and a release surface, the engagement element being coupled to one of the shaft or the lock bearing, and the contact surface and the release surface being on the other of the shaft or the lock bearing, the contact surface being configured to contact the engagement element and prevent axial movement between the lock bearing and the shaft in the lock position, and the release surface being configured to be spaced apart from the engagement element and allow axial movement between the lock bearing and the shaft in the release position.

A method of storing a tray stack having a plurality of individual trays carrying microelectronic devices, the tray stack having a first exterior tray at one end of the tray stack and a second exterior tray at an opposite end of the tray stack, the method comprising:

• inserting the tray stack along a load/unload path into a casing of a tray retaining device until the first exterior tray contacts a cross-member of the tray retaining device;
• restricting the individual trays from moving laterally with respect to the load/unload path;
• and
• selectively impeding movement along the load/unload path in a first direction by moving a retaining element attached to the tray retaining device from a load/unload position to a storage position, the retaining element allowing the tray stack to move along the load/unload path in the load/unload position and the retaining element engaging the second exterior tray in the storage position to impede movement of the tray stack along the load/unload path in a second direction.

A method of storing a tray stack having a plurality of individual JEDEC trays carrying microelectronic devices, the tray stack having a first exterior tray at one end of the tray stack and a second exterior tray at an opposite end of the tray stack, the method comprising:

• providing a portable tray retaining device configured to hold the stack of JEDEC trays, the tray retaining device including a casing, a plurality of retaining elements coupled to the casing and a driving element moveably coupled to the casing, wherein the casing includes a guide structure with a first end and a second end, a cross-member extending across at least a portion of the guide structure at least proximate to the first end, and an opening at least proximate to the second end through which the JEDEC trays can pass into or out of the casing, wherein the retaining elements are moveable between a storage position and a load/unload position, the retaining elements projecting into the guide structure in the storage position to hold the JEDEC trays in the retainer, and the retaining elements projecting away from the guide structure in the load/unload position to allow the JEDEC trays to pass through the opening, and wherein the cross-member is moveably coupled to the casing to move along a load/unload path to push the tray stack toward the second end of the casing;
• inserting the tray stack along the load/unload path into the casing;
• and
• moving the retaining elements from the load/unload position to the storage position in which the retaining elements engage the second exterior tray and the cross-member engages the first exterior tray to restrict movement of the tray stack along the load/unload path.

A method of processing microelectronic devices in a tray stack having a plurality of individual trays carrying the microelectronic devices, the tray stack having a first exterior tray at one end of the tray stack and a second exterior tray at an opposite end of the tray, stack, the method comprising:

• inserting the tray stack along a load/unload path into a casing of a tray retaining device until the first exterior tray contacts a cross-member of the retaining device, the casing being configured to restrict the individual trays from moving laterally with respect to the load/unload path;
• moving a retaining element attached to the tray retaining device from a load/unload position to a storage position, the retaining element allowing the tray stack to move along the load/unload path in the load/unload position and the retaining element engaging the second exterior tray in the storage position to restrict movement of the tray stack along the load/unload path;
• releasably attaching the tray retaining device to the receiving station of the processing machine;
• releasing the tray stack to move along the load/unload path by moving the retaining element from the storage position to the load/unload position to disengage the retaining element from the second exterior tray of the tray stack;
• and
• separating individual trays from the tray stack and processing the microelectronic devices on the individual trays in the processing machine.