Platen for use with a thermal attach and detach system which holds components by vacuum suction

A surface-mounted component (SMC) attachment/detachment system for attaching or detaching an SMC to or from a substrate, comprising:

• a planar-heater which generates heat in response to an electrical current, said heater's resistance varying with its temperature;
• a cartridge to which said planar-heater is affixed;
• a platen, comprising:
• a top surface;
• a bottom surface, said platen arranged to conduct heat from said top surface to at least a portion of said bottom surface;
• an attachment means for holding said platen such that its top surface is in close thermal proximity to said planar-heater;
• a through-hole which extends from said top surface to said bottom surface;
• and
• at least one groove recessed into said top surface which runs from a portion of said platen's top surface that extends beyond said planar surface to said through-hole, such that a vacuum applied to the portion of said at least one groove which extends beyond said planar surface is conveyed to said bottom surface via said at least one groove and said through-hole;
• a vacuum means for applying said vacuum to said at least one groove, said platen arranged to hold at least a portion of an SMC against said platen by vacuum suction conveyed via said grooves and said through-hole such that said SMC's input/output (I/O) contacts are heated by thermal conduction from said planar-heater through said platen;
• a means for providing electrical current to said planar-heater such that heat sufficient to attach/detach said SMC's I/O pins to or from a substrate is generated;
• and
• a means for reading the resistance of said heater to determine the temperature of said heater and thereby said SMC;
• said system arranged such that said holding, heating, resistance monitoring and temperature determination occur simultaneously.