Methods and apparatus for forming solder balls
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorWarren M. Farnworth
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for forming a plurality of uniformly sized solder balls utilize a stencil having a plurality of holes of uniform volume disposed on a substrate. Solder is disposed in the holes of the stencil on the substrate. Typically, the solder is in the form of solder paste which is distributed into the holes using a squeegee. While within the holes of the stencil on the substrate, the solder is melted to form solder balls. The stencil may then be removed to leave the solder balls on the substrate, or the solder balls may be removed while the stencil remains on the substrate.
Claims65
An apparatus for forming solder balls comprising:
- a substrate;
- and
- a stencil disposed on the substrate, the stencil having a plurality of holes extending therethrough.
An apparatus for forming solder balls comprising:
- a non-wettable substrate having an upper surface;
- and
- a non-wettable stencil having an upper surface and a lower surface, the lower surface of the stencil being disposed on the upper surface of the substrate, the stencil having a plurality of holes having uniform volume extending from the upper surface of the stencil through the lower surface of the stencil.
A system for forming solder balls comprising:
- a conveyor belt having a first surface and a second surface and having a plurality of holes in the first surface extending partially through the conveyor belt;
- a drive device coupled to the conveyor belt to move the conveyor belt along a given path;
- a solder dispensing device arranged relative to the conveyor belt to dispense solder within the holes in the first surface of the conveyor belt;
- and
- a heating device positioned downstream of the solder dispensing device and arranged relative to the conveyor belt to melt the solder within the holes in the first surface of the conveyor belt to form a plurality of solder balls.
A plurality of uniformly sized solder balls fabricated by disposing solder paste into a like plurality of uniformly sized holes in a stencil disposed on a substrate and by melting the solder paste in the like plurality of uniformly sized holes to form the plurality of solder balls.
A method of forming solder balls, the method comprising the acts of:
- (a) providing a stencil disposed on a substrate, the stencil having a plurality of holes therein;
- (b) disposing solder within the plurality of holes;
- and
- (c) heating the solder disposed within the holes of the stencil disposed on the substrate to form a solder ball within each hole.
The method as recited in 35, wherein disposing solder within the plurality of receptacles comprises disposing solder within the plurality of recptacles formed by a first portion of the conveyor belt having a plurality of holes disposed upon a second portion of the conveyor belt.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.