Laser soldering apparatus and method
AssigneeHutchinson Technology Incorporated
InventorsJohn M. Hokanson, Kenneth S. Bentz, Terrence G. Field, David A. Ziegler
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Fine wires are soldered without flux to solder pads on a flexible circuit of a workpiece by a laser. The laser beam is aligned and moved over the solder pad to describe a rectangle by movement of mirrors on a programmed, motor driven X-Y-Z linear table. Wires are deeply sunk into the solder pads by the weight of a cone brought against the wire carried by the X-Y-Z table. Vaporized insulation is restrained within the cone to maintain a clean microelectronic workpiece.
Claims7
Apparatus for soldering fine wires to a solder pad on a microelectronic workpiece, the apparatus comprising:
- (a) laser beam discharge means for soldering wires to a solder pad on a workpiece;
- (b) work station means including an X-Y-Z positioning fixture for aligning a laser beam from said laser beam discharge means upon a solder pad of a workpiece;
- (c) fixture means for holding a workpiece having solder pads such that said solder pads may be in alignment with said laser beam;
- and
- (d) said workstation means further including cone means including a cone constructed and arranged such that said laser beam passes through said cone, and said cone means including a cone holder constructed and arranged such that said cone may be positioned onto a wire placed over a solder pad such that said wire may be pushed into said solder pad solely by the weight of said cone when said solder pad is heated by a laser beam.
A method for laser soldering flexible, insulated wire to solder pads on a workpiece;
- the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) conveying a workpiece to a laser station, said workpiece having flexible, insulated wire to be soldered positioned above a solder pad;
- (b) aligning a laser beam from said laser station over the wire and solder pad such that said wire is between said laser beam and said solder pad;
- (c) depressing a cone means through which said laser beams passes over said solder pad so as to press said wire against said solder pad;
- (d) applying a laser beam to said wire and solder pad to remove wire insulations and to solder said wire to said pad;
- and
- (e) removing the cone means from said pad after said laser beam is removed from said pad.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.