Abstract:
The invention relates to a novel method for processing electrical components, especially semiconductor chips, which are respectively held in a detachable manner, as groups consisting of at least two components, by a first side thereof on a first carrier material of a first carrier.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     Processes are known in the art for the manufacture of multiple semiconductor chips on a semiconductor wafer, which then, for further processing of the semiconductor chips, is releasably fastened on a carrier, i.e. on a carrier foil (blue foil) clamped in a carrier frame for removal at a later time, such that the electric connections, or contact surfaces of the chip, are located on the side of the wafer facing away from the carrier foil. Afterwards, the wafer is separated into the individual semiconductor chips, whereby the chips still adhere to the carrier foil.  
         [0002]     For many applications, e.g. for technologies in which the contacts of the semiconductor chips should be established not by wire bonding, but directly with outer contacts, for example of a substrate or of a further semiconductor chip, it is necessary that the semiconductor chips be flipped, i.e. placed with their contact surfaces in front on the respective substrate or on contact surfaces located there. According to the state of the art, the chips for this purpose must be picked up individually on one side with a first pick-up element and removed from the carrier foil, and then for flipping, picked up with a second pick-up element on an opposite side and removed by the first pick-up element, and then, having been flipped, placed by the second pick-up element on a substrate, a further semiconductor chip and so on. This is inconvenient and time-consuming.  
         [0003]     An object of the invention is to present a process that makes it possible to process a plurality of electric components, or semiconductor chips, together and thereby place them together on a carrier (second carrier).  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     The processing of the components and preferably also the placing of the components, for example, take place together. If the processing causes the components to be flipped, then they can be further processed from the placing area in their already flipped form, or orientation by simple means, e.g. with conventional die bonders or similar devices.  
         [0005]     “Processing”, according to the invention, in its simplest sense means the transport of the components. “Processing” according to the invention means especially also multiple flipping of the components and/or placing of the components, i.e. as a group of a plurality of components on a placing area, or a carrier.  
         [0006]     “Placing area or carrier”, according to the invention, means generally any surface that is suitable for placing on, or putting down, components, especially a carrier foil, a belt, a transporter, or a board for receiving a plurality of components, etc.  
         [0007]     “Multiple flipping”, according to the invention, means that a group of at least two components or chips, but for example an entire semiconductor wafer, already separated into individual chips but still held together on a carrier material or carrier foil (blue foil) is flipped and the individual components are then placed as an entire group or as part of a group or individually.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]     The invention is described below in detail based on exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawings, where:  
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a simplified principal representation of one embodiment of the invention;  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a schematic representation of a section through a transfer element for use in the invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is an single representation of a separating or transfer station;  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is a simplified representation in side view of a component or chip;  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is a partial representation of a section of an electric component with a chip located on a substrate or printed circuit board;  
         [0014]      FIG. 6-8  show the separating and transfer station of a further embodiment of the invention in various working conditions and in a view corresponding to  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 9  is a schematic representation of the separating and transfer station of  FIGS. 6-7  in a view perpendicular to the transport direction of the transport belt or transporter conveying the component or chip to this station, together with a further following transporter;  
         [0016]      FIG. 10  is a top view of a partial length of the further transporter;  
         [0017]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the transporter of  FIGS. 9 and 10 , together with a further transport element;  
         [0018]      FIG. 12  is a simplified representation in top view of the transport belt with the components located there before the separating and transfer unit of  FIGS. 6-8  in a further possible embodiment; and  
         [0019]      FIGS. 13 and 14  show a top view and side view of a further possible embodiment of the transfer element for separating the carrier foil section carrying the components and for applying this carrier foil section with the components onto the transport belt of the transporter.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0020]     The process and the apparatus depicted in  FIG. 1  are designed for the multiple flipping of semiconductor chips  2  formed by a semiconductor wafer  1  and already separated and held on a carrier foil  3  (blue foil) in a carrier frame  4  and, having been flipped, and for placing of the semiconductor chips  2  for further processing on a carrier foil  3   a  (blue foil) held in a carrier frame  4   a , with maintaining the mutual arrangement or position of the chips as defined by the wafer.  
         [0021]     While the semiconductor chips  2  originally are arranged on the carrier foil  3  so that the contact surfaces  2 ′ of the semiconductor chips  2  are located on the top side of the respective chip  2  facing away from the carrier foil  3 —at the end of the process depicted in  FIG. 1 , which can also be designated as the flip-chip process—the semiconductor chips  2  are arranged on the carrier foil  3   a  so that they bear against the carrier foil  3   a  with that side which has the contact surfaces  2 ′. In this arrangement, further processing of the chips  2  is very simple, for example using a pick-and-place unit, e.g. for assembly of a PCB or a further semiconductor chip (chip-on-chip technology), in a die bonder, etc., namely in that the semiconductor chips  2  are placed with their contact surfaces  2 ′ on the conductor strips of the PCB, of the further semiconductor chip, etc., thus making a direct contact. The carrier foils  3  and  3   a  are made of a self-adhesive foil (blue foil), as used in semiconductor production.  
         [0022]     To implement the flip-chip process, the wafers  1 , which adhere to a sections  3 ′ of the carrier foil  3  and which are already separated into the individual semiconductor chips  2 , are placed at a pick-up station  5  on a transporter  6  or its belt  7 , such that the section  3 ′ of the carrier foil  3 , which had been cut out with the wafer  1 , lies with its bottom side facing away from the wafer  1  on the top of the transport belt  7 . The transport belt  7  is formed by a belt-like transport foil that is self-adhesive on the top and can be used only once and is pulled off a supply roll  8  in the transport direction A of the transporter  6  by means of a drive not depicted.  
         [0023]     The carriers (carrier foil  4  and carrier frame  4 ) wait as a stack  9  at the pick-up station  5 . Furthermore, there is a pick-up and separating element  10  at the pick-up station  5  with a suction head  10 ′, which forms a recess  11  on its bottom side that is open toward this bottom side and otherwise closed. For accepting a wafer  1 , the suction head  10 ′ is moved with its bottom side ahead from above against the carrier foil  3 , with a wafer  1 , of the uppermost carrier  4  in the stack  9  (pick-up position  12 ), so that the suction head  10 ′ or its aperture  11  completely accepts the wafer  1  and an edge area of the carrier foil  3  enclosing the wafer  1  bears against the edge  13  of the suction head bottom enclosing the opening of the recess  11 . Afterwards, a vacuum is applied to the recess  11  and/or a ring-shaped groove  14  enclosing the recess  11  on the edge  13 , so that the carrier foil  3  is sucked with its edge area enclosing the wafer  1  against the edge  13  of the suction head  10 ′.  
         [0024]     The carrier foil  3  is then removed with the corresponding carrier frame  4  and the wafer  1  from the stack  9  and moved to a cutting position  12   a , at which the section  3 ′ of the carrier foil  3  held to the suction head  10 ′ is separated by means of a cutting tool from the remainder  3 ″ extending radially over the suction head  10 ′ and thus also from the carrier frame  4 , so that only the section  3 ′ with the wafer  1  is held on the suction head  10 ′. The carrier frames  4  with the carrier foil remainders  3 ″ are conveyed away from the cutting position  12   a  corresponding to the arrow B and supplied to a new application.  
         [0025]     The carrier foil section  3 ′ carrying the wafer  1  is then placed with the suction head  10 ′ at the transfer position of the station  5  on the top of the section  6 ′ of the transporter  6  or of the transport belt  7  located there in a horizontal plane.  
         [0026]     The transport belt  7  or the transport foil forming this transport belt is guided over a flipping area  16 , which in the simplest form is formed by a deflecting pulley or roller rotating on a horizontal axis perpendicular to the transport direction A or an arch-shaped guide and on which the transport belt  7  is flipped so that the carrier foil sections  3 ′ with the wafers  1  are held suspended on the bottom of the transport belt  7  on the section  6 ″ of the transporter  6  following the flipping unit in transport direction A.  
         [0027]     In the depicted embodiment, the length  6 ″ of the transporter  6  is in a horizontal plane, however beneath the length  6 ′. The upper length  17 ′ of an endless transport belt  17  is located beneath the length  6 ″ and parallel to the latter. The transport belt  17  is part of a second transporter and is driven endlessly and synchronously with the transport belt  7  such that a wafer  1  held hanging on the bottom of the length  6 ″ is consolidated with a carrier foil  3   a  located on the upper length  17 ′ or in a recess  18  there with its carrier frame  4   a.    
         [0028]     The carrier frame  4   a  with its carrier foils  3   a  are picked up from a stack  20  at a pick-up station by means of a pick-and-place element and placed in a retainer  18  of the transport belt  18 .  
         [0029]     In transport direction A before the flipping device  16  and after the flipping device  16 , there are rollers  21  and  22 , respectively. The roller  21  presses the wafer  1  and the carrier foil elements  3 ′ against the transport belt  7 . The roller  22  presses the wafer  1  or the semiconductor chips  2  with their side facing away from the carrier foil element  3 ′ against the respective carrier foil  3   a.    
         [0030]     At a separating and transfer station  23  following the roller  22  in transport direction A of the transport belt  7 , the wafer  1  or the semiconductor chips  2  are separated from the carrier foil elements  3 ′ in the manner that the semiconductor chips  2  remain on the respective carrier foil  3   a . For this purpose, the separating and transfer station  23  has a deflector element  24  with a deflector edge  25  extending perpendicular to transport direction A and parallel to the plane of the transport belt  7  which (deflector edge) is deflected by nearly 180°, so that the chips  2  are released from the respective carrier foil  3 ′ while retaining their arrangement in the wafer  1 . The semiconductor chips are then held releasably on the respective carrier foil  3   a , while still retaining their original arrangement in the wafer  1 . The transport belt  7  or the transport foil is rolled up into a roll  26  together with the carrier foil elements  3 ′ adhering to this transport foil after the deflection edge  25  for disposal.  
         [0031]     In order to facilitate the release of the semiconductor chips  2  form the carrier foil elements  3 ′ at the deflector edge  25 , a chamber-like structure is provided there that consists of a plurality of cutting edge-like projections  27 . The projections  27  function to hold down the semiconductor chips  2  and prevent the semiconductor chips  2  from lifting off of the respective carrier foil  3   a  at the deflection edge  25 . For this purpose, the projections  27  extend over the deflector edge  25  in transport direction C of the transport belt  17  and are arranged so that between the bottom of the projections  27  extending parallel or essentially parallel to the length  17 ′ of the transport belt  17  and the top of this transport belt  17  or the top of the respective carrier foil  3   a , a guide gap for each semiconductor chip  2  is formed, the height of which gap is equal to or nearly equal to the thickness of the wafer  1 .  
         [0032]     So that the projections  27  can extend over the deflector edge  25  in the transport direction and that the transport belt  27  is still guided directly over the deflector edge  25 , the projections  27  are designed as blades, which separate the transport belt  7  into a number of strips before it is rolled up onto the roll  26 .  
         [0033]     At a pick-up position  28  the carrier foils  3   a  held in their carrier frames  4   a  and equipped with the wafers  1  in flipped form are picked up from the transport band  17  and stacked for further processing (stack  29 ).  
         [0034]      FIG. 4  shows in a very simplified representation and in cross section the mounting of the flipped semiconductor chip  2  on a substrate  30 , which is manufactured from an insulating material in the form of a plate or platelet and is provided with contact surfaces and conductor strips at least on its top surface in  FIG. 5 , for example in the form of a structured metallization. The substrate  30  is made, for example of plastic or ceramic. The conductor strips  31  are connected with outer connections  32 . After the flipping or flip-chip process described above the respective semiconductor chip  2  is removed at a corresponding station by means of a pick-and-place element not depicted from the flipped wafer  1  which has been placed on a carrier foil  3   a  held in a carrier frame  4   a  and then placed on the substrate  30  so that the chip contacts  2 ′ are in contact with the corresponding contact surfaces  31 . The application of heat then causes bonding, i.e. soldering of the connections  2 ′ with the contact surfaces  31 . For this purpose the contacts  2 ′ and/or the contact surfaces  31  are provided with a suitable solder. The semiconductor chip  2  is additionally anchored mechanically on the substrate  30  by means of an insulating mass  33 , for example before bonding or soldering of the connections  2 ′ with the contact surfaces or conductor strips  31 . The advantage lies for example in the fact that costly wire bonding for connecting the contact surfaces  2 ′ with their outer connections is eliminated.  
         [0035]     The pick-and-place element for placing the respective semiconductor chip  2  in flipped form is for example part of a die bonder, with which the semiconductor chips  2  are placed on the substrates  30  that are pre-mounted in a leadframe and then connected with the conductor strips  31  of these substrates, whereby the outer connections  32  are then formed by fins of the leadframes.  
         [0036]     The described technology can of course also be used to place a plurality of semiconductor chips  2  on one substrate  30 , e.g. likewise in a leadframe, in order to manufacture a complex, integrated circuit. Of course, the described technology can also be used to mount the semiconductor chips  2  on a substrate, which in turn is formed by a semiconductor chip or an integrated circuit (chip-on-chip technology).  
         [0037]      FIGS. 8-10  show a further possible embodiment of the invention. These drawings depict the transporter  6  with its section  6 ′ preceding the separating and transfer unit or station  23   a . In this embodiment, the transporter  6  consists essentially of the self-adhesive transport foil or the self-adhesive transport belt  7 , on which at specified intervals the carrier foil remainders  3 ′ with the semiconductor chips  2  adhering to them are transported to the separating and transfer unit  23 , namely in transport direction A. The separating and transfer unit  23  comprises the deflector element  24  with the deflector edge  25  over which the transport belt  7  with the carrier foil sections  3 ′ is guided for removing the chips  2 , whereby however in the embodiment of  FIGS. 6-10  the roller  26  for rolling up the transport belt  7  that is no longer needed is located beneath the transport level of the section  6 ″ of the transporter  6 . The carrier foil sections  3 ′ with the chips  2  are arranged on the transport belt  7  so that the chips are located on the side of the transport belt  7  or the carrier foil section  3 ′ facing away from the deflector element  24 , namely corresponding to their arrangement on the semiconductor wafer  1  in a plurality of rows, which extend perpendicular to the transport direction A and in the depiction in  FIGS. 6-8  also perpendicular to the plane of projection in this drawings and each of which has a plurality of chips  2 . Furthermore, the chips in the individual rows are arranged congruently, i.e. each chip of a row R is located in a line parallel to transport direction A with a chip  2  of an adjacent row R.  
         [0038]     A further component of the separating and transfer unit  23   a  is a placing element  34 , which forms a placing area  35  following the deflector edge  25  in transport direction A, with a placing surface that is parallel or approximately parallel to the transport plane TE, which contains the transport belt  7  in the area of the deflector element  24  or the deflector edge  25 , at the level of this transport plane or slightly below that level. The placing area formed by this placing surface is such that there is room for a specified number of chip rows R on the placing area  35 , i.e. in the depicted embodiment, two rows R. The placing area  35  or the surface formed by the area is provided with vacuum openings  36 , which are connected with a vacuum canal  37 . The latter is connected by means of a valve not depicted for controlling the vacuum to the openings  36  with a vacuum or negative pressure source, also not depicted. By means of a drive that is not depicted the placing element  34  can furthermore be moved in an axis direction parallel to transport direction A by a specified horizontal stroke (double arrow D) from a starting position in which the placing area  35  connects nearly without gaps to the deflector element  24  in the area of the deflector edge  25  into a different position in which a there is a somewhat larger distance between the placing area  35  and the deflector edge  25 .  
         [0039]     In the depicted embodiment, the placing element  34  is formed by a rectangular plate, the surfaces of which are parallel to the transport plane TE and of which one longer peripheral side is parallel to the deflector edge  25 , i.e. parallel to an axis in the transport plane T and extending perpendicular to transport direction A. The placing area  35  is formed by a recess on the top of the placing element  34 , which (recess) is open toward this top side and toward the long side of the placing element  34  facing the deflector edge  25 .  
         [0040]     A further component of the separating and transfer unit  23   a  is a plate-shaped slider  38 , which corresponding to the double arrow E can be moved in an axis direction parallel to transport direction A between a starting position and an end position, whereby the slider  38  in its starting position, which is depicted in  FIG. 6 , the deflector element  24  or the respective chip arrangement transported to the deflector edge  25  with the transport belt  7  on the top of these chips  2  covers a plurality of chips rows R that is at least equal to the number of chip rows R picked up from the placing area  35  and at the same time also covers the placing area  35 . The slider  38  thus forms with its bottom side a guide for the chip rows R. When separating from the carrier foil elements  3 ′ and upon transfer to the placing area  35  in the end position, which is depicted in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the slider  38  is pushed back so far that it also exposes the placing area  35 .  
         [0041]     A further component of the separating and transfer unit  23   a  is a pick-up unit  39 , which has two strip-shaped pick-up elements  40  or vacuum holders  40 , with which in one step the two chip rows R waiting on the placing area  35  with the distance x there, are picked up and then the chips  2  of these rows are placed on a further transporter  41 , on which the chips are held by adhesion, preferably by means of a vacuum and by which the chips  2  are supplied to a further application. As shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the chip rows R are located one behind the other in transport direction F of this transporter  41 , which is formed by an endless transport belt, always with two chip rows R crosswise to transport direction F at a distance from each other with the larger distance X and parallel to each other.  
         [0042]     In the depicted embodiment the transport plane TE  41  of the transporter  41  is parallel to the transport plane TE  6  of the transporter  6 . The transport directions A and F run parallel to each other.  
         [0043]     The operation of the separating and transfer unit  23  can be described as follows: With the slider  38  in the starting position, the two front chip rows R in transport direction A are separated from the respective carrier foil element  3 ′ by moving the transport belt  7  over the deflection edge  25  and then pushed by the slider  38  onto the placing area  35 . The placing element  34  is in its starting position during this time. Afterwards, the slider  38  is moved from its working position back into its non-working position and at the same time the placing element  34  is moved away from the deflection edge  35  by the stroke D, so that the distance between the two chip rows R placed on the placing area  35  and the front chip row R in transport direction A still on the carrier foil element  3 ′ in the proximity of the deflector edge  25  is increased somewhat. This condition is depicted in  FIG. 7 . Afterwards, the pick-up unit  39  is moved toward the placing area  35  so that one chip row R is picked up by the vacuum holder  40 . By switching off the vacuum at the vacuum openings  36  the chip rows are taken along with the upwardly moving vacuum holders  40 , as depicted in  FIG. 8 . After lifting, or during lifting, the two vacuum holders  40  are moved apart perpendicular to their longitudinal extension, so that the smaller distance x between the chip rows R on the transport belt  7  corresponding to the arrangement of the chips in the semiconductor wafer  1  is increased to the larger distance X (as in  FIG. 6 ). In this condition the chip rows R are then placed on the transporter  41  by means of the vacuum holders  40 . The larger distance X then corresponds for example to the machine distance of a following apparatus.  
         [0044]     As indicated in  FIG. 6 , with the slider  38  moved back into the working position, two further chip rows R can be pushed onto the placing area  35  during the moving apart of the vacuum holders  40  or during the widening of the chip rows R held on these vacuum holders; the placing area then has also already moved back into its starting position.  
         [0045]     During the above process, of course, the movements of the transport belt  7 , the placing element  34 , the slider  38 , the pick-up unit  39  and the vacuum holders  40  relative to each other and also the movement of the transporters  41  are synchronized accordingly.  
         [0046]     In addition to the vacuum holders  40 , the longitudinal extensions of which are parallel to the transport plane TE  6  and perpendicular to the transport direction A, form a bearing surface  41  on their bottom side for the chips  2  of the chip rows R. Offset vacuum openings  42  are provided on the bearing surface  41  in the longitudinal direction of the vacuum holders  40 .  
         [0047]     A further component of the pick-up unit  39  is a pick-up head not depicted in the drawings, on which the vacuum holders  40  can be moved relative to each other in an axis direction perpendicular to their longitudinal extension and parallel to the transport plane TE  6 , from a starting position, in which the vacuum holders  40  are essentially adjacent to each other and in which the distance of each vacuum opening  42  of one vacuum holder  40  to the adjacent vacuum opening  42  of the other vacuum holder is the smaller distance x, to a widened position in which the distance between adjacent vacuum openings  42  of the vacuum holders  40  is the larger distance X. The vacuum holders  40  are located on a head  43  of the pick-up unit  39 , on which a drive for the widening of the vacuum holders  40  is provided and which in turn is connected with a drive for the controlled movement of the pick-up unit  39  or of the vacuum holders  40 .  
         [0048]      FIG. 11  again shows in a perspective view the transporter  44  consisting of an endless transport belt on which the two rows R of the components  2  are formed, which for example in this embodiment again are semiconductor chips or semiconductor components with such semiconductor chips. On the back end of the transporter  44  in transport direction P, one component  2  is removed from each row R by means of a flipping or transfer unit  45  and then the two components  2  are then transferred to a transporter  46  or vacuum holders  47  there moving in the direction of the arrow G, with one component  2  being transferred to one vacuum holder  47  following in transport direction G. These vacuum holders are located-on a belt-like transport element  48 , of which only a partial length is depicted, but which forms a self-contained endless loop. Both the transporter  44  and the flipping unit  45 , in addition to the transporter  46  are moved in a synchronized cycle.  
         [0049]     The flipping unit  45  has a drum  49  (arrow H) rotating on a horizontal axis parallel to transport direction G, which (drum) is provided with vacuum holders  51  on its circumference that are offset by 90° on the drum axis  50 , offset against each other in pairs in the direction of the drum axis  50 . The vacuum holders  51  and also the vacuum holders  47  are controlled so that in each cycle two components  2  are picked up with the vacuum holders  51  from the transporter  44  and at the same time two components  2  held on the vacuum holders  50  are transferred to two vacuum holders  47 . After two flipping steps the two components  2  picked up from the transporter  44  with the corresponding vacuum holders  51  are moved to the transporter  46  for transfer to the vacuum holders  47  there. The drum axis  50  is perpendicular to transport direction F.  
         [0050]      FIG. 12  again shows the bottom view of the transport belt  7  in the section  6 ″ of the transporter  6 , in transport direction C shortly before the separating and transfer unit  23   a , in which the components or semiconductor chips  2  are picked up (peeled off) in rows from the carrier foil remainder  3 ′ and moved away by means of the pick-up unit  39 , for example placed on the transporter  44 . While in the embodiment described in  FIGS. 6-10  the components or semiconductor chips  2  are arranged on the carrier foil remainder  3 ′ in a form corresponding to the arrangement of the semiconductor wafer  1 , i.e. in an arrangement in which the rows R extending perpendicular to transport direction C have a different length,  FIG. 12  shows an embodiment in which the components or semiconductor chips  2  are in a rectangular arrangement  57  on the carrier foil remainder  3 ′ and therefore on the transport belt  7 , again in rows, which follow each other in transport direction C and extend perpendicular to this transport direction and are of the same length. The carrier foil remainder  3 ′ also has an essentially rectangular shape.  
         [0051]     The advantage of this embodiment consists in the fact that in each work cycle of the pick-up unit corresponding to the pick-up unit  39 , rows of the same length are transferred.  FIGS. 13 and 14  illustrate in a simplified depiction the function of the separating and transfer element  53  corresponding to the separating and transfer element  10 . The latter likewise consists essentially of a suction head  53 ′ with an open aperture  54  on the bottom of this suction head and an edge  55  that encloses this aperture and is provided with a seal. A controlled vacuum can be applied to the aperture  54 . There, on the perimeter of the rectangular suction head with rounded corners there is an endless belt  56  that forms a closed loop and is guided on rollers  57 , which are provided on each of the rounded corners of the suction head  53 ′. At least one roller  57  is driven by a drive  58 , so that the belt  56  moved in the direction of the arrow  1 . On the bottom long side of the belt  56  a cutting edge  59  is formed that projects over the plane of the bottom of the suction head  53 ′ defined by the edge  55 .  
         [0052]     To remove the components  2  from the carrier foil  3  held in the carrier frame  4 , the suction head  53 ′ is lowered onto the top of the carrier foil  3  so that the section of the carrier foil  3  with the components  2  is held in the aperture  54 , the depth of which is equal to or slightly larger than the height of the components or semiconductor chips  2 . During the lowering of the suction head  53 ′ onto the carrier foil  3 , the latter is already pierced by the cutting edge  59 . Afterwards, a vacuum is applied to the aperture  54 , so that the carrier foil  3  with the components or semiconductor chips there is held onto the suction head  53 ′ by means of vacuum. The components then bear against the bottom of the aperture  54  with the top side facing the carrier foil  3 . Activating the drive  58  causes one full revolution of the belt  56  with the cutting edge  59 , which then cuts through the carrier foil  3  at a separating line that is essentially rectangular corresponding to the arrangement of the components  2  and enclosing this separating line, by which the essentially rectangular carrier foil section  3 ′ is retained and can be placed on the transport belt  7 .  
         [0053]     The invention was described above based on exemplary embodiments. It goes without saying that numerous modifications and variations are possible without abandoning the underlying inventive idea of the invention.  
       Reference Numbers  
       [0000]    
       
           1  semiconductor wafer  
           2  semiconductor chip  
           3 ,  3   a  carrier foil (blue foil)  
           3 ′,  3 ″ carrier foil element or catch  
           4 ,  4   a  carrier frame  
           5  feed station  
           6  transporter  
           6 ′,  6 ″ section of transporter  6   
           7  transport belt or transport foil  
           8  supply roll for transport belt  6   
           9  stack of carrier frames  4  with carrier foils  3   
           10  separating and transfer element  
           10 ′ suction head  
           11  recess  
           12  pick-up position  
           12   a  cutting position  
           12   b  placing position  
           13  suction head edge  
           14  vacuum groove  
           15  cutting tool  
           16  flipping device  
           17  transport belt or transporter  
           17 ′ transport belt length  
           18  retainer  
           19  feed position  
           20  stack of carrier frames  4   a  with carrier foils  3   a    
           21 ,  22  pressure roller  
           23 ,  23   a  separating and transfer unit  
           24  deflector element  
           25  deflector edge  
           26  roll  
           27  projection  
           28  removal position  
           29  stack of carrier frames  4   a  with carrier foils  3   a  and flipped wafers  1  or semiconductor chips  2   
           30  substrate  
           31  strip conductor or contact  
           32  outer connection  
           33  insulating and fastening mass  
           34  placing element  
           35  placing area  
           36  vacuum aperture  
           37  vacuum canal  
           38  auxiliary guide or slide  
           39  pick-up unit  
           40  multiple vacuum holder  
           41  bearing surface  
           42  vacuum aperture  
           43  head of pick-up unit  
           44  transporter  
           45  flipping and transfer unit  
           46  transporter  
           47  vacuum holder  
           48  transport element  
           49  drum  
           50  drum axis  
           51  vacuum holder  
           52  component arrangement