Apparatus and method for placing and mounting solder balls on an integrated circuit substrate

An apparatus for placing and mounting solder balls on an integrated circuit substrate contains: a fixture, a vacuuming device, a guiding plate, and a storage tank. The fixture includes a plurality of first grooves defined therein, the vacuuming device is disposed over the fixture and includes a vacuum chamber which has an air pore so that when air is drawn out of the vacuum chamber via the air pore, a plurality of solder balls are attached, and when the air is fed into the vacuum chamber from the air pore, the plurality of solder balls are released. The guiding plate is secured below the fixture, and the storage tank is arranged below the guiding plate and is applied to accommodate the plurality of solder balls. Thereby, a production yield of placing and mounting the plurality of solder balls on an integrated circuit substrate is enhanced.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invent relates to an apparatus and a method for placing and mounting solder balls on an integrated circuit substrate which prevent a plurality of solder balls from being scraped so as to enhances production yield.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A conventional method for mounting solder balls on an integrated circuit substrate contains: a first fixture including a plurality of grooves, and each groove has an upper opening and a lower opening smaller than the upper opening and is served to receive a solder ball. A through hole is defined below a respective one of the plurality of grooves, and a vacuuming device is fixed below the first fixture and includes a vacuuming device formed therein and having a plurality of connecting orifices for corresponding to a plurality of through holes of the first fixture, the vacuuming chamber also has an air pore defined on a central portion thereof so that when air is drawn out of the vacuum chamber via the air pore, a plurality of solder balls are attached, and when air is fed into the vacuum chamber from the air pore, the plurality of solder balls are released. A turning assembly is mounted on two side of the vacuuming device so as to rotate the first fixture 180 degrees. A guiding plate is disposed below the first fixture and includes a plurality of apertures for corresponding to the plurality of grooves of the first fixture, each aperture is provided to hold the solder ball. A second fixture is secured above the guiding plate and is applied to accommodate the plurality of solder balls. In operation, the guiding plate is descended to connect with the first fixture, and the turning device rotates the first fixture and the guiding plate so that the second fixture moves back and forth on the guiding plate, hence the plurality of solder balls are placed into the plurality of grooves of the first fixture via the plurality of apertures of the guiding plate, and then the vacuuming device draws air out of the vacuum chamber through the air pore so that the plurality of solder balls are attached. Thereafter, the guiding plate is lifted to move away from the first fixture on the first fixture, and the turning device downwardly rotate the first fixture 180 degrees so that the plurality of solder balls on the first fixture face downwardly. A substrate is lifted, and air is fed into the vacuum chamber from the air pore so that the plurality of solder balls are released from the first fixture and are mounted onto a flux of the substrate, and then the substrate is moved downwardly, thereby finishing a ball mounting process.

However, a gap between the second fixture and the guiding plate cannot be controlled exactly, so such a conventional method is only applicable for each solder ball with more than 0.25 mm of size, and the plurality of solder balls are scraped easily in a ball placing process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and a method for placing and mounting solder balls on an integrated circuit substrate which prevent a plurality of solder balls from being scraped so as to enhance production yield.

To obtain the above objective, an apparatus for placing and mounting solder balls on an integrated circuit substrate comprising: a fixture, a vacuuming device, a guiding plate, and a storage tank.

The fixture includes a plurality of first grooves defined therein, and each first groove has an upper opening and a lower opening, a diameter of the upper opening is less than that of the lower opening, and each first groove is provided to receive a respective one of a plurality of solder balls, and the fixture also includes a plurality of through holes formed therein and located on the plurality of first grooves.

The vacuuming device is disposed over the fixture and includes a vacuum chamber arranged therein and having a plurality of connecting orifices for corresponding to the plurality of through holes of the fixture, the vacuum chamber has an air pore defined on a central portion thereof so that when air is drawn out of the vacuum chamber via the air pore, the plurality of solder balls are attached, and when the air is fed into the vacuum chamber from the air pore, the plurality of solder balls are released, the vacuuming device includes a turning assembly fixed on two sides thereof so as to leftward or rightward rotate the fixture, the vacuuming device, the guiding plate, and the storage tank over 180 degrees.

The guiding plate is secured below the fixture and includes a plurality of apertures for corresponding to the plurality of first grooves of the fixture, and each aperture is used to receive the respective one of the plurality of solder balls, the guiding plate also includes a plurality of second grooves defined therein and communicating with the plurality of apertures, and a diameter of a lower opening of each second groove is greater than that of each aperture.

The storage tank is arranged below the guiding plate and is applied to accommodate the plurality of solder balls.

In addition, a method for placing and mounting solder balls on an integrated circuit substrate comprises steps of:A. lifting a guiding plate and a storage tank upwardly to connect with a fixture;B. rotating a turning assembly counterclockwisely, after the guiding plate and the storage tank are connected with the fixture;C. drawing air out of the vacuum chamber via an air pore by means of a vacuuming device so as to attach a plurality of solder balls, when the turning assembly rotates counterclockwisely, wherein after the turning assembly rotates counterclockwisely over 180 degrees, the plurality of solder balls in the storage tank move leftward;D. rotating the turning assembly clockwisely after the plurality of solder balls in the storage tank move leftward;E. moving the plurality of solder balls in storage tank rightward after the turning assembly rotates clockwisely over 180 degrees;F. placing the plurality of solder balls into a plurality of apertures of the guiding plate from the storage tank again and rotating the storage tank, the guiding plate, the vacuuming device, and the fixture back to an original angle;G. moving the guiding plate and the storage tank downwardly so that the guiding plate and the storage tank disconnect from the fixture;H. horizontally moving the guiding plate and the storage to one side;I. lifting a substrate;J. starting to mount the plurality of solder balls;K. re-feeding air into the vacuum chamber from the air pore of the vacuuming device so as to release the plurality of solder balls onto a flux of the substrate from the fixture;L. descending the substrate on which the plurality of solder balls are mounted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference toFIG. 1, an apparatus for placing and mounting solder balls on an integrated circuit substrate according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises: a fixture10, a vacuuming device20, a guiding plate30, and a storage tank40.

The fixture10includes a plurality of first grooves11defined therein, and each first groove11has an upper opening and a lower opening, wherein a diameter of the upper opening is less than that of the lower opening, and each first groove11is provided to receive a respective one of a plurality of solder balls1, and the fixture10also includes a plurality of through holes12formed therein and located on the plurality of first grooves11.

The vacuuming device20is disposed over the fixture10and includes a vacuum chamber21arranged therein and having a plurality of connecting orifices22for corresponding to the plurality of through holes12of the fixture10, the vacuum chamber21has an air pore23defined on a central portion thereof so that when air is drawn out of the vacuum chamber21via the air pore23, the plurality of solder balls1are attached, and when the air is fed into the vacuum chamber21from the air pore23, the plurality of solder balls1are released. The vacuuming device20includes a turning assembly24fixed on two sides thereof so as to leftward or rightward rotate the fixture10, the vacuuming device20, the guiding plate30, and the storage tank40over 180 degrees.

The guiding plate30is secured below the fixture10and includes a plurality of apertures31for corresponding to the plurality of first grooves11of the fixture10, and each aperture31is used to receive the respective one of the plurality of solder balls1. The guiding plate30also includes a plurality of second grooves32defined therein and communicating with the plurality of apertures31, and wherein a diameter of a lower opening of each second groove32is greater than that of each aperture31.

The storage tank40is arranged below the guiding plate30and is applied to accommodate the plurality of solder balls1.

A method for placing and mounting solder balls on an integrated circuit substrate according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises steps of:A. lifting a guiding plate30and a storage tank40upwardly to connect with a fixture10(as shown inFIG. 2);B. rotating a turning assembly24counterclockwisely, after the guiding plate30and the storage tank40are connected with the fixture10(as illustrated inFIG. 3);C. drawing air out of the vacuum chamber21via an air pore23by means of a vacuuming device20so as to attach a plurality of solder balls1, when the turning assembly24rotates counterclockwisely (as shown inFIG. 4), wherein after the turning assembly24rotates counterclockwisely over 180 degrees, the plurality of solder balls1in the storage tank40move leftward (as illustrated inFIG. 5);D. rotating the turning assembly24clockwisely after the plurality of solder balls1in the storage tank40move leftward (as shown inFIG. 6);E. moving the plurality of solder balls1in storage tank40rightward after the turning assembly24rotates clockwisely over 180 degrees (as illustrated inFIG. 7);F. placing the plurality of solder balls1into a plurality of apertures31of the guiding plate30from the storage tank40again and rotating the storage tank40, the guiding plate30, the vacuuming device20, and the fixture10back to an original angle (as shown inFIG. 8);G. moving the guiding plate30and the storage tank40downwardly so that the guiding plate30and the storage tank40disconnect from the fixture10(as illustrated inFIG. 9);H. horizontally moving the guiding plate30and the storage40to one side (as illustrated inFIG. 10);I. lifting a substrate50(as shown inFIG. 11);J. starting to mount the plurality of solder balls1(as illustrated inFIG. 12);K. re-feeding air into the vacuum chamber21from the air pore23of the vacuuming device20so as to release the plurality of solder balls1onto a flux51of the substrate50from the fixture10(as shown inFIG. 13);L. descending the substrate50on which the plurality of solder balls1are mounted (as illustrated inFIG. 14).

Thereby, a production yield of placing and mounting the plurality of solder balls on an integrated circuit substrate is enhanced.