Laser debridging of microelectronic solder joints
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsMarshall G. Jones, Prem N. Batra
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A solder bridge between leads of a microelectronic circuit is removed by projecting a laser beam onto the solder bridge with sufficient power to cause the solder forming the bridge to melt and to flow onto a wicking tool placed into contact with the solder bridge. The wicking tool is removed during the heating to remove the solder and debridge the leads. Microelectronic leads having a width of the order of 4 mils and a pitch of the order of 8 mils may be debridged easily using the invention.
Claims20
A method of debridging microelectronic solder joints comprising positioning a tool in contact with a bridge of solder which extends between soldered leads of microelectronic circuit;
- projecting a laser beam onto the solder bridge to heat the solder;
- controlling the laser beam power to cause melting of the solder and wicking of the solder onto the tool;
- and removing the tool to remove the solder bridge between the leads.
Apparatus for debridging microelectronic solder joints comprising a tool;
- means for positioning the tool in contact with a bridge of solder which extends between microelectronic leads;
- means for projecting a laser beam onto the solder bridge to cause melting of the solder and wicking of the melted solder onto the tool;
- and means for removing the tool during said melting to remove the solder bridge from between said leads.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.