Flip-chip mounting assembly and method with vertical wafer feeder

A flip chip mounting assembly for mounting flip chips retrieved from at least one flip chip wafer to a substrate, said at least one flip chip wafer having a first planar surface and a second planar surface, said flip chip wafer having a plurality of said flip chips formed within said first planar surface, each of said flip chips having a first and a second planar surface corresponding to said first and said second planar surfaces of said at least one flip chip wafer, comprising:

• a flip chip feeder device for receiving and feeding said at least one flip chip wafer, said flip chip feeder device including a loading station for providing a loading location where said at least one flip chip wafer is received with said first and said second planar surfaces being substantially perpendicular to a first plane, a pick-up station for providing a pick-up location where at least one of said flip chips is retrieved from said at least one flip chip wafer, wafer translating means for translating said at least one flip chip wafer between said loading station and said pick-up station with said first and said second planar surfaces of said at least one flip chip wafer remaining substantially perpendicular to said first plane, and chip pick-up means for retrieving a first of said flip chips from said at least one flip chip wafer at said pick-up station and for flipping said first flip chip to a flipped position such that said first and said second planar surfaces of said first flip chip are substantially parallel with said first plane, said chip pick-up means further delivers said first flip chip in said flipped position to a chip transfer station;
• and
• a flip chip placement means for retrieving said first flip chip at said chip transfer station and for mounting said first flip chip to said substrate.

A method of retrieving a first flip chip from a flip chip wafer having a plurality of flip chips formed therein and presenting said first flip chip to a flip chip placement assembly, said flip chip wafer having a first planar surface and a second planar surface with said flip chips being formed within said first planar surface, each of said flip chips having a first and a second planar surface corresponding to said first and said second planar surfaces of said flip chip wafer, comprising the steps of:

• orientating said flip chip wafer at a loading location such that said first and said second planar surfaces are substantially perpendicular to a first plane;
• translating said flip chip wafer from said loading location within a second plane being substantially perpendicular to said first plane to a pick-up location;
• retrieving said first flip chip from said flip chip wafer at said pick-up location;
• and
• flipping said first flip chip to a flipped position such that said first and said second planar surfaces of said first flip chip are substantially parallel with said first plane and presenting the flipped chip to flip chip placement assembly.