Method, apparatus and lead frame for assembling leads with terminals on a substrate

A method of assembling leads of a lead frame with respective terminals on a substrate, which comprises the steps of:

• forming aligning tabs on the lead frame in preselected spaced relationship such that the tabs will locate the substrate to align the terminals of the substrate with their respective leads of the lead frame when the substrate is engaged with the tabs in a predetermined manner;
• positioning the substrate in engagement with the aligning tabs on the lead frame in the predetermined manner to align the terminals of the substrate with their respective leads of the lead frame;
• bonding the aligned lead frame leads and substrate terminals to one another;
• and
• removing the aligning tabs from the lead frame subsequent to the bonding of the leads on the lead frame to the terminals on the substrate.

A method of assembling leads of each lead frame in a continuous strip of lead frames with respective terminals on a substrate, which comprises the steps of:

• forming aligning tabs on each of the lead frames in preselected spaced relationship such that the tabs project upwardly from the lead frame and will locate the substrate to align the terminals of the substrate with their respective leads of the lead frame when the substrate is engaged between the upwardly projecting tabs;
• positioning the substrate between the upwardly projecting aligning tabs on the lead frame with the terminals of the substrate facing downward to align the terminals of the substrate with their respective leads of the lead frame;
• supporting the downwardly facing terminals of the substrate on the leads of the lead frame for the bonding of the terminals to the leads;
• and
• bonding the lead frame leads and substrate terminals to one another from below.

In a lead frame having an essentially planar configuration and a plurality of spaced leads which are to be bonded to respective terminals of a substrate, the improvement which comprises:

• a plurality of pairs of aligning tabs integral with the lead frame and projecting from the lead frame out of the plane of the lead frame to locate the substrate such that the terminals of the substrate will be aligned with the leads of the lead frame;
• at least one of said pairs of aligning tabs projecting from the lead frame out of the plane of the lead frame in a preselected spaced relationship measured in a first direction;
• and
• at least one of said pairs of aligning tabs projecting from the lead frame out of the plane of the lead frame in a preselected spaced relationship measured in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

In a lead frame having a plurality of spaced leads which are to be bonded to respective terminals of a substrate, wherein the lead frame includes opposed sets of leads extending inwardly toward one another from first opposite side portions of the lead frame and having inner free end portions, and includes second opposite side portions extending parallel to the leads and interconnecting the first side portions, the improvement which comprises:

• a plurality of pairs of aligning tabs integral with the lead frame and projecting therefrom to locate the substrate such that the terminals of the substrate will be aligned with the leads of the lead frame;
• at least one of said pair of said aligning tabs projecting from the lead frame in a preselected spaced relationship measured in a first direction;
• at least one of said pairs of said aligning tabs projecting from the lead frame in a preselected spaced relationship measured in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;
• each tab of said first pair of aligning tabs being located between portions of a pair of adjacent ones of the leads in a respective one of the opposed sets of the leads;
• and
• each tab of said second pair of aligning tabs projecting from a respective one of the second opposite side portions.

Apparatus for bonding leads of a lead frame to respective terminals on a substrate, which comprises:

• means for forming aligning tabs on the lead frame in preselected spaced relationship such that the tabs locate the substrate to align the terminals of the substrate with their respective leads of the lead frame when the substrate is engaged with the tabs in a predetermined manner;
• means for bonding the terminals on the substrate to the leads of the lead frame when the substrate is engaged with the aligning tabs in the predetermined manner;
• and
• means for removing the aligning tabs from the lead frame after the terminals of the substrate and the leads of the lead frame have been bonded by said bonding means.