System for placement and mounting of fine pitch integrated circuit devices
AssigneeSierra Research and Technology, Inc.
InventorsDonald J. Spigarelli, John M. DeCarlo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A guidance type placement apparatus for placing and mounting integrated circuit (IC) components or devices, especially fine pitch integrated circuit devices (FPD), in aligned combination with printed circuit boards. The apparatus includes an image acquisition processing subsystem. The image acquisition subsystem is operative to generate images of at least one pair of diagonally opposed corners of the placement site and IC device from the same optical perspective.
Claims14
A guidance type placement apparatus for placing and mounting an integrated circuit device in aligned combination on a designated placement site of a printed circuit board, the placement apparatus comprising:
- a mechanical positioner operative for sequentially positioning the designated placement site and the integrated circuit device for aligning the integrated circuit device with the designated placement site of the printed circuit board, and for placing the integrated circuit device at the designated placement site;
- of the printed circuit board;
- and
- image acquisition means for generating an image corresponding to at least one pair of opposed corners of the designated placement site superimposed by at least one pair of opposed corners of the integrated circuit device to define a location and orientation of the integrated circuit device relative to the designated placement site, wherein the mechanical positioner adjusts the relative position of the integrated circuit and the placement site in response to the image provided by the image acquisition means.
A placement apparatus, for placing a circuit component on a designated placement site of a printed circuit board, said apparatus comprising:
- an optical system for providing an image having a first image portion corresponding to at least a portion of the circuit component and having a second image portion corresponding to at least a portion of the placement site, wherein the first image portion is superimposed the second image portion to define a position and an orientation of the circuit component relative to the designated placement site;
- a positioning system operative for sequentially positioning the printed circuit board and the circuit component and for aligning the circuit component with the designated placement site of the printed circuit board, said positioning system including a pickup apparatus for picking up the circuit component and placing the circuit component on the designated placement site;
- and
- a control system, coupled to said positioning system and said optical system, for receiving an image signal from said optical system wherein said image signal is representative of the image provided by said optical system and wherein said control system provides a control signal to said positioning system wherein the control signal regulates placement, by said positioning system, of the circuit component at the designated placement site of the printed circuit board.
A method of operating a guidance type placement apparatus for placing and mounting an integrated circuit device in a predetermined position on a designated placement site of a printed circuit board, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) sequentially positioning the printed circuit board and the integrated circuit device for generation of images thereof;
- (b) physically aligning the integrated circuit device in a near placement position with the designated placement site of the printed circuit board;
- (c) generating an image corresponding to at least one pair of opposed corners of the designated placement site superimposed at least one pair of opposed corners of the integrated circuit device to define the location and orientation of the integrated circuit device relative to the designated placement site;
- (d) moving the component toward the designated placement site in response to the image formed in said generating step;
- and
- (e) repeating steps (c)-(e) until the integrated circuit device is placed on the designated placement site.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.