Apparatus and method for non-destructive, low stress removal of soldered electronic components

A method for removing a plurality of circuit chips from an assembly including a plurality of substrates wherein at least one of each of said chips is attached to a respective one of said substrates by solder material, said chips having interconnection pads thereon, said method comprising the steps of:

• placing said assembly in a fixture;
• applying static shear force planar to said chips and said substrates to each of said substrates in a sequential manner;
• and
• applying heat to said assembly, said static shear force sequentially shearing off each of said chips from said respective substrates at a temperature below the melting point of said solder material, leaving on each said interconnection pads an equivalent amount of solder material such that each of said chips is ready for subsequent attachment to an electronic device without further removal or addition of solder material.

An apparatus for removing a plurality of circuit chips from a substrate wherein said circuit chips are attached to said substrate by solder material, said apparatus comprising:

• a fixture for holding said substrate having said plurality of circuit chips thereon;
• a heat source for applying heat below the melting temperature of said solder material to said solder material while said substrate and said chips attached to said substrate are held within said fixture;
• and
• means for applying static shear force in a sequential manner to said circuit chips attached to said substrate sufficient to sequentially shear off each of said chips from said substrate while said substrate and said chips are heated below the melting temperature of said solder material.

A method for removing a plurality of circuit chips from a substrate wherein each of said circuit chips includes a plurality of interconnection pads and is attached to said substrate by solder material, said method comprising:

• placing said substrate in a fixture;
• applying static shear force planar to said chips and said substrate to said chips in a sequential manner;
• and
• applying heat below the melting point of said solder material to said substrate and chips, said static shear force sequentially shearing off each of said chips from said substrate, leaving on each of said interconnection pads an equivalent amount of solder material such that each of said chips is ready for subsequent attachment to an electronic device without the further removal or addition of solder material.