System and method for removing an electronic component from a substrate

Abstract

A system and method for removing an electronic component from a substrate is described. In one embodiment, a method in accordance with the invention includes initially preheating a substrate, wherein an electronic component (such as a microchip or discrete electronic component) is attached to the substrate by one or more solder connections. A thermally conductive picker head is applied to the electronic component to quench the electronic component and generate a temperature gradient across the solder connections. Tension is applied to the electronic component using the picker head. The substrate is then heated until a melting point is reached at the interface between the substrate and the solder connections. When the melting point is reached, the tension applied by the picker head removes the electronic component from the substrate. Most if not all of the solder associated with the solder connections is removed with the electronic component.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.