Abstract:
The described embodiment relates generally to the field of inductive bonding. More specifically an inductive heater designed for use in assembling electronics is disclosed. A number of methods for shaping a magnetic field are disclosed for the purpose of completing an inductive bonding process without causing harm to unshielded adjacent electrical components.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/749,645, filed Jan. 24, 2013 and entitled “INDUCTION BONDING”, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. This patent application is also related to and incorporates by reference in their entireties for all purposes the following provisional patent applications:
   (i) U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/590,298 (P13098USP1) entitled “INDUCTION BONDING” by Nikkhoo, filed Jan. 24, 2012;   (ii) U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/608,036 (P13098USP2) entitled “INDUCTION BONDING” by Nikkhoo et al, filed Mar. 7, 2012;   (iii) U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/610,402 (P13098USP3) entitled “INDUCTION BONDING” by Nikkhoo et al, filed Mar. 13, 2012;   (iv) U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/611,763 (P13098USP4) entitled “INDUCTION BONDING” by Nikkhoo et al, filed Mar. 16, 2012; and   (v) U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/616,164 (P13098USP5) entitled “INDUCTION BONDING” by Nikkhoo et al, filed Mar. 27, 2012.   
 
     
    
     FIELD 
       [0007]    The described embodiment relates generally to the use of an induction coil in electronics manufacturing. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0008]    One common way to affix wires to a printed circuit board (PCB) is with a hot press. Wires are laid on top of a PCB pad with a certain amount of solid adhesive applied on the PCB pad. A pneumatic arm presses a heated pad down on to the wires and adhesive, melting the adhesive and embedding the wires within the adhesive. Unfortunately, to accomplish this with a high degree of reliability the tolerances on the hot press must be quite precise. Both the distance the arm brings the heated pad down, and the pressure with which it pushes into the wire and adhesive, must be quite accurate. Consequences of inaccuracies include breakage of the PCB, and improper adhesion of the wires. The cost of machinery capable of delivering the requisite tolerances needed to make this manufacturing technique reliable is quite high. 
         [0009]    Therefore what is desired is a manufacturing tool capable of attaching the wires to the PCB pad in a reliable repeatable way at a lower overall cost. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0010]    In a first embodiment a method of bonding a first stranded wire and a second stranded wire to a printed circuit board (PCB) is disclosed. The first stranded wire has a first diameter greater than a second diameter of the second stranded wire. The method includes at least the following steps: (1) forming a first solder bump on a first PCB pad and a second solder bump on a second PCB pad having first and second solder bump height dimensions, the first solder bump height dimension being less than the second solder bump height dimension; and (2) arranging the first stranded wire on the first solder bump and the second stranded wire on the second solder bump. A resulting vertical position with respect to the PCB of a top surface of the first stranded wire is about the same as a vertical position of a top surface of the second stranded wire. 
         [0011]    In another embodiment a horizontal wire comb configured to align a number of stranded wires is disclosed. The horizontal wire comb includes at least a comb body having a height dimension substantially less than a width dimension. The comb body includes a number of notches extending into the comb body. Each one of the notches has a size and shape in accordance with a corresponding one of the stranded wires. The comb body has a height about the same as an overall height of each of the stranded wires. 
         [0012]    In yet another embodiment an apparatus for positioning a number of stranded wires on a printed circuit board (PCB) during a bonding operation is disclosed. The apparatus includes at least the following: (1) a printed circuit board (PCB) nest configured to support the PCB, the PCB nest including a wire routing assembly configured to align a plurality of stranded wires with a reference datum; and (2) a horizontal wire comb disposed on a top surface of the PCB. The horizontal wire comb includes a comb body having a height dimension substantially less than a width dimension. The comb body includes a number of notches extending into the comb body, each one of the notches having a size and shape in accordance with a corresponding one of the stranded wires. The comb body has a height about the same as an overall height of each of the stranded wires. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    The described embodiments and the advantages thereof may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. These drawings in no way limit any changes in form and detail that may be made to the described embodiments by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the described embodiments. 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of one possible configuration of an induction heater in accordance with the described embodiment. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2A  shows a perspective view of another possible configuration of an induction heater in accordance with the described embodiment. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2B  is a cross sectional view of a wire clamp assembly. 
           [0017]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  are cross sectional views of a PCB and wire assembly. 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view of an induction heater system. 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view of another embodiment of an induction heater system. 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a cross sectional view of yet another embodiment of an induction heater system in the shape of a stylus. 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  is a cross sectional view of still another induction heater system. 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  is a cross sectional view of an embodiment of an induction heater system with a moving induction coil. 
           [0023]      FIG. 9  is a block diagram of an embodiment of an induction heater system with more than one power supply. 
           [0024]      FIG. 10  is a block diagram of a wire end forming device. 
           [0025]      FIG. 11  is a block diagram of a surface preparation device. 
           [0026]      FIG. 12A  is a cross sectional view of another induction heater system including modifications for better wire alignment and bonding. 
           [0027]      FIG. 12B  is a close up view of the induction heater system of illustration  12 A, showing the benefits of physical alignment guides. 
           [0028]      FIG. 13  shows a cross sectional view of yet another induction heater system. 
           [0029]      FIGS. 14A-17  show various embodiments of wire comb used in an induction wire attach system in accordance with the described embodiments. 
           [0030]      FIG. 18  shows a cross sectional view of an induction heater system configured to bond multiple PCB boards, with adjustments included to assist in precise alignment of the induction coil and PCB boards. 
           [0031]      FIGS. 19A and 19B  show how the use of a pyrometer for feedback control can create a more precise energy input into the induction coil. 
           [0032]      FIG. 20  shows a perspective view of a swaging machine for merging stranded wires prior to an ultrasonic bonding operation. 
           [0033]      FIG. 21  shows a perspective view of one embodiment of an induction bonding machine with the PCB nest in a lowered position. 
           [0034]      FIG. 22  shows a perspective view of the induction bonding machine of  FIG. 21  with the PCB nest in a bonding position. 
           [0035]      FIG. 23  shows a perspective view of one embodiment of a wire tip alignment device for the induction bonding machine of  FIG. 21 . 
           [0036]      FIG. 24  shows a perspective view of another embodiment of a wire tip alignment device for the induction bonding machine of  FIG. 21 . 
           [0037]      FIGS. 25A and 25B  show various features of a three dimensional wire comb for use in accordance with the described embodiment. 
           [0038]      FIGS. 26A and 26B  show how the three dimensional wire comb from  FIGS. 25A and 25B  can be used to facilitate an inductive bonding operation on a PCB in accordance with the described embodiment. 
           [0039]      FIG. 27  shows a perspective view of an alternative PCB nest in an open position, including a wire comb and positional adjustment knobs for a PCB. 
           [0040]      FIG. 28  shows a perspective view of the alternative PCB nest of  FIG. 27  in a closed position. 
           [0041]      FIG. 29  illustrates a method for fusing the ends of stranded wires with a UV light curing adhesive and a UV light source. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0042]    A representative apparatus and application of methods according to the present application are described in this section. These examples are being provided solely to add context and aid in the understanding of the described embodiments. It will thus be apparent to one skilled in the art that the described embodiments may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well known process steps have not been described in detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the described embodiments. Other applications are possible, such that the following examples should not be taken as limiting. 
         [0043]    In the following detailed description, references are made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the description and in which are shown, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in accordance with the described embodiments. Although these embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable one skilled in the art to practice the described embodiments, it is understood that these examples are not limiting; such that other embodiments may be used, and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the described embodiments. 
         [0044]    Surface mounting techniques often involve the use of printed circuit board (PCB) pads to assist in mounting components to the surface of a PCB. Surface mounting techniques have advantages when compared with through hole attachment techniques. In particular using a PCB pad allows the number of holes in a PCB to be minimized, reducing the cost of the PCB and making it easier to run electrical traces throughout the board. In smaller scale manufacturing operations electrical leads can be simply soldered to the top of the PCB pad, by heating up the PCB with a soldering iron and then slowly applying solder to the surface of the PCB pad which melts the solder thereby adhering to the wire leads. In large scale manufacturing operations it simply isn&#39;t feasible to manually solder pieces to leads onto a PCB pad. One way to adapt this process to mass production is to use a hot press to accomplish the same end state. A hot press can be used that includes a mechanical arm to press a heated bar into a preplaced set of wire leads and solder paste arranged on top of a PCB pad. By exerting a specific amount of pressure, for a long period of time, at the right temperature, a strong reliable connection can be made between the lead wires and the PCB pad. Unfortunately, tolerances in complex electronic configurations can be quite tight. Minor inconsistencies in pressure, heat, or even position can result in faulty connections and unacceptably high percentages of unusable end products. Manufacturing machines that do have the fine control capability necessary to achieve consistent results can be prohibitively expensive. One way to reduces some of the fine control problems inherent in a hot press configuration is to design a configuration that substantially reduces the need for high pressure that must be applied to the heating element and other the electrical components. Eddy currents in any nearby conductive objects thereby generating heat in those conductive objects. Induction heating is the process of heating an electrically conducting object (usually a metal) by electromagnetic induction, where eddy currents are generated within the metal and resistance leads to Joule heating of the metal. An induction heater can include an electromagnet, through which a high-frequency alternating current (AC) is passed. Heat may also be generated by magnetic hysteresis losses in materials that have significant relative permeability. The frequency of AC used depends on the object size, material type, coupling (between the work coil and the object to be heated) and the penetration depth. 
         [0045]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of one possible configuration of induction heater  100  in accordance with the described embodiment. In  FIG. 1  induction coil  102  is coupled to induction heater controller  104 . Induction coil  102  typically carries an AC current to and from induction heater controller  104 . In one embodiment, induction heater controller  104  can be realized as a high frequency (greater than 700 KHz) AC power supply. While induction coil  102  is shown shaped as a tight parallel coil, it should be understood that any number of other shapes are also possible as alternate configurations can change the shape and strength of the magnetic field to properly match the target of the induction heating. As shown in  FIG. 1 , induction coil  102  can cross over wires  106  and be shaped so that the return path of induction coil  102  is further away (in this embodiment vertically further) from PCB  110 . In this way the shape can help focus any induced eddy currents (and thus focus induction heating) locally to the area where wires  106  are to be bonded. In some embodiments, induction coil  102  can exert a force of between 10 to 20 PSI onto wires  106 . The applied force can help to flatten and properly position wires  106  against PCB Pads  108  during the bonding process. In other embodiments, induction coil  102  can induce eddy currents within the wires and PCB pads  108  on PCB  110  to heat and solder wires  106  to PCB  110  without contacting either wires  106  or PCB  110 . In other words, eddy currents can be induced at a distance without physical contact between induction coil  102  and wires  106  or PCB  110 . The magnetic field emanating from induction heater  100  can be designed so that the heating of components is limited to the area of wires  106  and related PCB pads  108 . Other areas of PCB  110  can remain relatively cool and not be subjected to heating. 
         [0046]      FIG. 2A  shows a perspective view of another possible configuration of induction heater  100  in the form of induction heater  200  in accordance with the described embodiment. PCB  110 , induction coil  102  and induction heater controller  104  can be similar to the like elements shown in  FIG. 1 . Included in induction heater  200  is clamp  202 . Clamp  202  can position and hold wires  106  securely prior to heating by induction coil  102 . Although shown as two pieces here, clamp  202  can include any number of pieces. Clamp  202  can orient and planarize wires  106  prior to heating and soldering by induction coil  102 . Clamp  202  can be made from aluminum, plastic or any other durable, rigid and preferably non-metallic material. In addition to holding wires  106 , clamp  202  can help control and correct wire position errors, such as errors in pitch, yaw and roll. These errors are described further in conjunction with  FIG. 7 .  FIG. 2B  shows a cross sectional view of clamp  202 . In this view boss  204  can be clearly seen. Boss  204  ensures that clamp  202  puts a consistent amount of pressure across all of the planarized wires by stopping the clamp in a specific position when it is in a closed position. In this way boss  204  precisely regulates the pressure applied by the clamp, thereby reducing any potential damage caused by placing an undue amount of pressure on the wires. 
         [0047]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  show cross sectional views of PCB and wire assemblies.  FIG. 3A  illustrates one difficulty encountered when PCB assembly  300  includes wires of at least two different diameters. PCB  310  includes pads  318  to receive wires  312  and  314 . Typically solder bump  320  is disposed on top of pads  318 . Solder bumps  320  can be shaped and hardened prior to placing wires  312 ,  314  on top of them. In this way solder bumps  320  can have a consistent and repeatable height and shape rather than an amorphous shape that would create undesirable uncertainties when designing the magnetic field. Unfortunately, as can be seen in  FIG. 3A , larger wires such as wire  312  are taller and possess surfaces more distant from PCB  310  compared to smaller wires such as wire  314 . In other words, wires of varying diameters can present an uneven surface that can make an induction heating process more difficult. An uneven surface makes the heating process more difficult because wires positioned farther from the induction coil receive less energy and consequently may not reach a temperature sufficient to create a reliable bond. 
         [0048]    Varying wire diameters can be accommodated as shown in PCB assembly  350  in  FIG. 3B . PCB  310  has pads  318  to receive wires  312  and  314 . Wires  312  and  314  should be a substantially uniform distance from PCB  310  to enable uniform heating from induction coil  102 . That is, wires  312  and  314  should present a relatively even upper surface. By arranging the upper surface at an even vertical height a consistent amount of heat can be provided to each of the wires. In this example, the tops of wires  312 ,  314  are a distance d from PCB  310 . To control distance d of varying diameter wires, the height of solder bumps  320  and  322  can change in accordance with the diameter of wires  312 ,  314 . As shown, smaller wire  314  can be placed on larger solder bump  322 . In contrast, larger wire  312  can be placed on smaller solder bump  320 . By varying solder bump heights (solder bump height is the vertical distance between the top of each pad  318  and the lower surface of each bundle of wires) the height of the wires  312  and  314  with respect to PCB  310  can be controlled. The solder bumps  320  can substantially reduce or eliminate any gap that can be present between an induction coil and wires such as induction coil  102  and wires  106  in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0049]      FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view of an induction heater system  400 . In this embodiment, one PCB assembly  410  (including PCB, pads, solder bumps and wires) is positioned in PCB support  424 . PCB support  424  can support PCB assembly  410  such that air gap  412  is below PCB assembly  410 . The presence of air gap  412  in conjunction with air above PCB assembly  410  can help control the buildup of heat by carrying hot air away from PCB assembly  410 . Reducing heat can help prevent damaging heat sensitive parts that can also be mounted on PCB  410  such as integrated circuits, memory, or the like. In one embodiment, cooling air can be forced by a fan or other equivalent means through the air gap  412  and over PCB assembly  410 . In another embodiment, PCB assembly  410  can be cooled by convection currents both within air gap  412  and above PCB assembly  410 . Thus, other components mounted on PCB assembly  410  can remain relatively cooler than wires  422 . 
         [0050]    PCB support  424  can be mounted on stage  426 . In one embodiment stage  426  can move (vertically as shown here) to place PCB assembly  410  in contact with induction coil  406 . Stage  426  can be positioned by linear bearing  430 . Spring  435  can be used to maintain a controlled amount of pressure between wires  422  and induction coil  406 . In other embodiments, other compliant force providers can be used such foam, rubber or the like. In one embodiment, pressure between wires  422  and induction coil  406  is between 10 and 20 PSI. Tape  420 , such as Kapton™ tape, or other solder resistive material can be positioned on induction coil  406  such that when induction coil  406  comes in contact with wires  422  only tape  420  comes in contact with wires  422 . Tape  420  can prevent solder from wicking up through wires  422  and subsequently sticking to induction coil  406 . Thus, when the heating cycle is complete, PCB assembly  410  moves away easily from induction coil  406 . 
         [0051]      FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view of another embodiment of induction heater system  500 . Induction heater system  500  is configured to process more than one PCB assembly  504 . Although only 4 PCB assemblies  504  are shown here, any number of multiple assemblies can be supported with appropriate designs of PCB support  502 . To accommodate more PCB assemblies  504 , induction coil  506  can be made longer. A longer induction coil  506  may suffer uneven deflection as PCB support  502  moves to place PCB assemblies  504  in contact with longer induction coil  506 . Deflection can be even more of a problem when in addition to lengthening induction coil  506 , induction coil  506  is made of thin piping in some cases with a diameter of about 3 mm. To prevent and/or reduce deflections, stiffener  508  can surround a majority of a horizontal portion of longer induction coil  506 . Stiffener  508  can be made of a hard, non-magnetic material such as a ceramic made of aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ) or Zirconium. In other embodiments stiffener  508  could be made from plastic material, glass or even quartz. Glass and Quartz material both advantageously have the beneficial property of being optically clear, and non-conductive. Use of quartz or glass as the stiffener  508  material could remove the need for Tape layer  509  to be applied to a bottom surface of stiffener  508 . Longer induction coil  506  can place greater electrical loads on power supply  510 . Adding capacitor  512  between longer induction coil  506  and power supply  510  can enhance the performance of inductor coil  506  by smoothing out voltage variations and providing a temporary current buffer to handle current transients caused by longer induction coil  506 . PCB support  502  may be extended in size (compared to PCB support  424  of  FIG. 4 ) to support more than one PCB assembly  504  as illustrated. In some embodiments, additional linear bearings  520  and springs  522  can be used to support and guide PCB support  502 . 
         [0052]      FIG. 6  is a cross section view of yet another embodiment of an induction heater system in the shape of a stylus. In particular, induction heater stylus  600  can include body  605  enclosing induction coil  610 . In this embodiment, induction coil  610  can be shaped to have a finer point, especially when compared to induction coil  406  in  FIG. 4  and induction coil  506  in  FIG. 5 . Shaping induction coil  610  can create a relatively fine and narrow electric field. Such an induction coil can focus the electric field to relatively small features such as single wire  602  on PCB  604 . In some embodiments, induction coil  610  can include channels, passage ways and the like to pass cooling fluids through the induction coil  610 . Cooling fluids can be liquid such as water or cooling oil, or cooling fluids can be air. 
         [0053]      FIG. 7  is a cross sectional view of an induction heater system  700 . This view illustrates a possible relationship between wire  702 , PCB  701  and induction coil  710 . Pad  704  is affixed to PCB  701 . Solder bump  706  can be placed on pad  704  in a manner as described in  FIG. 3 . Wire  702  can be subject to pitch, roll and yaw alignment errors as wire  702  is placed on solder bump  706 . Pressure can be exerted between induction coil  710  (through tape  708 ) and wire  702  to try to correct alignment errors as solder bump  706  melts and reflows. In one embodiment, between 10 and 20 PSI can be exerted between induction coil  710  and wire  702 /PCB  701 . 
         [0054]      FIG. 8  is a cross sectional view of an embodiment of an induction heater system  800  with a moving induction coil. In contrast to previously described induction heater systems, induction heater system  800  can be configured to move induction coil  810  rather than PCB assemblies  802  to place induction coil near PCB assemblies  802 . Induction coil  810  can still include stiffener  812  to increase stability. In one embodiment, a flexible power supply connection  816  can be disposed between induction coil  810  and capacitor  820 . In one embodiment, flexible power supply connection  816  can be a waveguide. In one embodiment, induction coil  810  can be positioned by induction coil positioner  814 . Induction coil positioner  814  can be a lead screw, linear bearing or other like positioning device. 
         [0055]      FIG. 9  is a block diagram of an embodiment of an induction heater system  900  with more than one power supply. As shown, induction heater system  900  can include first power supply  902  and second power supply  904 . First power supply  902  can have a first alternating frequency F1 and second power supply  904  can have a second alternating frequency F2. In some instances, a particular power supply frequency can have particular induction heating characteristics especially for a given induction coil shape and a given component shape. Thus, selecting a particular alternating frequency can be advantageous for a given component, component size, wire size or other like situation when the amount of electric field as well as the penetration depth of the electric field could be well controlled. In this embodiment, the output of first power supply  902  or second power supply  904  can be selected with power supply selector  906 . Power supply selector  906  can couple the selected power supply to the inductor coil. In other embodiments, functionality of first power supply  902  and second power supply  904  can be combined into a single configurable power supply. Such a power supply can have an adjustable alternating frequency. In such an embodiment, only single power supply may be necessary and power supply selector  906  can be eliminated. In still other embodiments, each power supply can be coupled to a dedicated induction coil. Thus, two power supplies and two induction coils can operate in parallel. Such an arrangement may be useful when two particularly disparate and different components are required to be soldered. The induction heating can be tailored to each component. 
         [0056]      FIG. 10  is a block diagram of a wire end forming device  1000 . Wire forming device  1000  works along the same principles of induction heating systems as described above. The wire end forming device  1000  can be used to carefully heat the wire end  1014  of a wire  1016 . An effective amount of solder paste or similar substance can be applied to wire end  1014 . Wire end  1014  can be placed into wire end forming mold  1012 . AC current can be applied to induction coil  1010  thereby heating the wire end  1014  and melting applied solder paste. After the wire end  1014  cools, wire end  1014  is made more robust. 
         [0057]      FIG. 11  is a block diagram of a surface preparation device  1100 . The device  1100  includes nozzle  1102 . Nozzle  1102  can direct highly ionized gasses  1106  onto a surface  1108 . Gasses  1106  can be air, oxygen, nitrogen or other gasses. The gasses  1106  can be ionized by electrode  1104 . In some embodiments, electrode  1104  can have several thousand volts applied. The resulting ionized gas can modify a portion of the surface  1108 . In some embodiments, treating surface  1108  with ionized gases can increase adhesive properties of surface  1108 . 
         [0058]      FIG. 12A  is a cross sectional view of yet another embodiment of induction heater system  1200 . As induction coil  1202  presses on the wires small strands of wire can have a tendency to spread to one side or the other, tending to cause unpredictable placement of the wires on the PCB pad. In this embodiment solder bumps  1204  have been split into separate bumps. By leaving a channel between the solder bumps the wires can rest in a stable position between the bumps as they are brought into contact with induction coil  1202 . Another way to further improve wire placement on the PCB pad is by adding ridges  1206  to the bottom surface of induction coil  1202 . Ridges  1206  can be machined, into the underside of the induction coil as shown. In embodiments where induction coil  1202  is substantially encased in a stiffener, ridges  1206  can be laser etched or chemically etched into the bottom surface of the stiffener as opposed to into induction coil  1202  itself. Ridges  1206  further refine the position of the wires on the PCB pad as the wires are squeezed between induction coil  1202  and solder bumps  1204 . Magnetic concentrators  1208  can be embedded into a bottom surface of induction coil  1202 . Magnetic concentrators  1208  can assist in the shaping of the magnetic field emanating from induction coil  1202 , thereby improving the speed and efficiency of the induction bonding operation. Finally, solder-phobic layer  1210  (in one embodiment solder-phobic layer  1210  can be made of Kapton™ tape) can be added to embodiments of the induction coil which do not include a stiffener with a solder-phobic surface. 
         [0059]      FIG. 12B  shows a close up view of induction coil  1202  coming into contact with stranded wires  1212 ,  1214 , and  1216 . This close up view allows an illustration of possible wire misalignment. Since each individual wire can be at times as narrow as 7 microns in diameter it does not take much force to disturb the positioning of an individual wire. Likewise in cases where individual wires are offset laterally a little force can move them into position. In the case of stranded wire  1214 , individual wire  1218  is offset laterally from the other individual wires in stranded wire  1214  and without realignment may not bond properly with its associated PCB pad. As induction coil  1202  begins to come into physical contact with stranded wire  1214  one of ridges  1206  can come into contact with individual wire  1218 ; ridge  1206  can then push individual wire  1214  back towards the center of its associated PCB pad. Similarly, separated adhesive bumps  1204  serve a similar purpose to ridges  1206 . By leaving a channel separating adhesive bumps  1204  some wires, such as individual wire  1220  biased towards the edge of the PCB Pad can be influenced towards the center of the PCB Pad by virtue of the slope of solder bump  1204  beneath it. Proper alignment of the wires can play an important role in increasing the reliability of resulting welds. 
         [0060]      FIG. 13  shows a cross sectional view of an embodiment of an induction heater system  1300 . In system  1300 , stiffener  1302  is coupled directly to power supply/capacitor assembly  1304 . In this way induction coil  1306  can be rigidly attached to its power supply and the induction coil portion of induction heating system  1300  can be vertically adjusted if necessary, since the system is embodied in a single assembly. Another improvement to this embodiment is the addition of stage micrometer  1308 . Stage micrometer  1308  allows for slight adjustments to be made to the assembly holding the PCBs. For example, by adjusting the vertical height of the stage an engineer on the assembly could make fine adjustments to the machine where there was a case of either too much or too little pressure being applied to the PCB boards during the welding operation. Finally, water cooling pipe  1310  is depicted in this embodiment. Water cooling pipe  1310  allows induction coil  1306  to be efficiently cooled during operating periods. In this embodiment water cooling pipe  1310  runs through the center of induction coil  1306 . In other embodiments it might run through a channel built into the top of the induction coil. The positioning of water cooling line  1310  would be variable depending on the geometry and shape of induction coil  1306 . 
         [0061]      FIGS. 14A-17  show various embodiments of wire comb used in an induction wire attach system in accordance with the described embodiments. In particular,  FIG. 14A  shows a top view of induction based wire attach system  1400  that can include at least high temperature wire comb  1402 . In the described embodiment, wire comb  1402  can be formed of non-conductive high temperature resistant material such as Kapton™. Wire comb  1402  can be arranged to provide support for a plurality of wires  1404  that are supported by wire jacket  1406  as part of cable  1408 . In a solder based wire attach process, solder paste (not shown) can be applied to area  1410  between wires  1404  and PCB  1412  as shown in the side view of  FIG. 14B . Wire comb  1402  can be size to accommodate various number and sizes of wires to be attached to PCB  1412 . For example, in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 14B , wire comb  1402  can have a typical height of about 0.1-0.2 inches providing support of wires  1404  during the induction heating of solder paste  1414 . In order to prevent interference between adjoining wires,  FIG. 15A  shows a front view  1500  of wire comb  1402  highlighting various notches  1502  each having a size and shape in accordance with a single wire. The notches can be spaced apart to avoid interference between adjacent wires. For example, a typical inter-notch spacing can be on the order of about 0.01 inches. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 15A , wires  1506  can take on a circular shape in which case the corresponding notch has a size and shape such that each wire  1506  can be press fit into each notch. In this way, an operator can easily assembly the wires into wire comb  1402  efficiently and with a minimal chance of any two wires interfering with each other. 
         [0062]      FIG. 15B  shows another embodiment of the wire comb in the form of wire comb  1520  having notches  1522  that are rectangular in shape. Accordingly, in those situations where wires  1524  have been tinned with a resulting rectangular cross section, the tinned wires  1524  can be notch fitted into the correspondingly shaped notch  1526 . In this situation, during the soldering process, the solder paste heated by an inductive heater will wick up to and capture wire  1524  notch fitted into notch  1526 . 
         [0063]    Turning to  FIG. 16  showing a cross sectional view of wire attach system  1400  highlighting the relationship between induction heating source  1600 , wires  1404 , comb  1402 , and solder paste  1414 . As can be seen, the heat generated in the vicinity of wire comb  1402  (about 250 degrees C.) is substantially less than that that can be tolerated by wire comb  1402  when formed of, for example, Kapton™ (resistant to temperature of at least about 450 degrees C.). Therefore, wire comb  1402  can be used without being damaged by the heat generated by induction heating source  1600 . 
         [0064]      FIG. 17  shows another embodiment of wire attach system  1400  that includes camera  1700  that can be used in real time to evaluate and monitor the wire attach process. In particular, camera  1700  can view the placement of wires  1404 . In this way, any misplaced or out of alignment wire can be easily detected and rectified prior to the start of the wire attach process. 
         [0065]      FIG. 18  shows yet another embodiment of induction heater system  1800 . Induction heater system  1800  includes power supply/capacitor assembly  1802  which powers induction coil  1804 . Induction coil  1804  has a cooling system  1806  which operates by running cool water through a center portion of induction coil  1804  and prevents overheating while induction coil  1804  is in operation. In some cases induction coil  1804  can be made of copper and have a diameter of about 3 mm. When induction coil  1804  is configured as described it may need additional mechanical support to prevent any drooping in the coil itself. In this embodiment stiffener  1808  can fulfill this purpose. Stiffener  1808  can be made of a non-conductive material such as for example solid Al 2 O 3  ceramic. In this particular embodiment stiffener  1808  can enclose a top portion of the lower portion of induction coil  1804  as shown in cross sectional view  1810 . This allows induction coil  1804  unobstructed contact with the targeted wires. When using an induction heater on multiple board assembly fixtures proper alignment between induction coil  1804  and PCBs  1810  is crucial to achieving a good bond. Improper alignment could result in the magnetic induction field over or under heating the solder resulting in quality control issues with the resulting bonds. Height adjustment knob  1814  can be mechanically coupled to a right side of stiffener  1808 . Height adjustment knob  1814  allows fine adjustment of the elevation of right side of stiffener  1808 . Since bend  1816  in induction coil  1804  is unsupported by stiffener  1808 , micro adjustments in height adjustment knob  1814  will allow bend  1816  to bend slightly and the bending will result in an overall change in the angle of induction coil  1804  in relation to PCBs  1812 . Stage micrometer  1816  can also be used to make micro adjustments in the orientation and position of the fixture holding PCBs  1812 . Finally, either the PCB holder, the induction coil assembly or both may be moved vertically during the bonding operation to achieve a proper bonding position against the wires on PCBs  1812 . 
         [0066]      FIG. 19A  shows a graph displaying one embodiment where a ramp up and ramp down of temperature during the induction bonding process is controlled. The y-axis shows temperature and the x-axis shows time. The induction bonding process generally takes between 3 and 4 seconds to complete. In some bonding scenarios the rate of temperature increase may be important for bond strength or protection of neighboring electrical components. Alternating current power supplies coupled to induction coils may not have fine control parameters for creating a precise curve. A basic power supply for example might be designed to just output a certain amount of power. In cases where final control is desired a form of feedback control can be introduced to optimize the shape of the curve. A thermal camera, commonly called a pyrometer, can be used to optically measure the heat generated by the induction coil. By aiming the pyrometer at a point in the PCB accurate temperature profiles can be determined. This can be valuable for creating a preset power ramp for the power supply, or even for providing a real-time feedback loop of data to the power supply which allows the power supply to provide the amount of energy to the induction coil needed to achieve the desired temperature ramp up and ramp down. 
         [0067]      FIG. 19B  shows a top view of a PCB during an inductive bonding operation. The pyrometer described in the preceding paragraph can be positioned directly above the PCB giving it a clear view of the entire PCB  1902 . A pyrometer is most effective at determining temperatures of high emissivity objects, such as for example a PCB. In the present embodiment the pyrometer would not be as accurate focusing on PCB pads  1904  as copper or any other metallic material the PCB Pad could be made of typically has low emissivity properties. Instead a pyrometer could focus on area  1906  of PCB  1902  which as previously stated tends to have high emissivity properties. Instead of linking the feedback control to the absolute temperature of the PCB Pads a look up table could be created which would associate various PCB area  1906  temperatures with PCB pad temperatures, thereby giving the rapid feedback necessary to generate a well defined ramp up and ramp down profile as described in  FIG. 19A . The use of a pyrometer could be somewhat simpler in situations where induction bonding was applied to a ceramic such as Al 2 O e . In this case as the ceramic has a high emissivity highly accurate monitoring could be achieved simply by pointing a pyrometer at the applicable area of interest on the ceramic being bonded. 
         [0068]    In yet another embodiment the adhesive glue can be replaced by nano-sintered material. The nano-sintered material can be made from a combination of powdered metals such as cooper, aluminum, and silver broken down into nano-sized particles. In one embodiment nano-sintered material can be nano-sintered aluminum having a grain diameter of about 77 nanometers. By breaking the elements into such small size the surface area to volume ratio is increased to a point where the melting temperature drops to closer to 200 degrees Celsius, or roughly the same temperature as the adhesive glue. Use of the metals in their elemental forms would be difficult at best as in some cases they would need to be heated to about 500 degrees Celsius. An induction coil can be used to heat the nano-sintered materials just as it was previously described to heat the adhesive glues. The resulting bond is generally metallic and typically of a higher quality than those bonds achieved with adhesive materials. The use of nano-sintered material also avoids problems created by electromigration. Yet another advantage of the nano-sintered materials is that the resulting bond can be much shorter in height. Since the bond is of a superior strength it allows for a smaller Z height of resulting consumer electronic devices. Another alternative to adhesive glue is nano foil. A sheet of nano foil can be formed from a number of stacked layers of aluminum and nickel. Instead of using resin based adhesives a small sheet of nano foil can be placed between the PCB pad and tinned wires. In one embodiment PCB pad can have an upper surface coated with Electroless Nickel Immersion Gold (ENIG). While nano foil is typically activated with a large amount of electricity from a power source such as a 9V battery, a high energy induction coil can also be used to quickly create enough energy to activate the nano foil. Once activated the nano foil undergoes an exothermic reaction at which point it heats its surroundings up to a temperature of about 1000 deg Celsius for a matter of micro seconds. The heat beneficially allows the PCB pad coated with ENIG to bond securely to the tinned wires. 
         [0069]    Another way to overcome the electromigration problems associated with the use of adhesive is to design a configuration in which no actual mechanical contact is required and the attachment occurs without the use of adhesives. Ultrasonic welding is one process which can be carried out without contact between the bonder and the PCB pad. Ultrasonic frequencies are vibrations which occur above the level discernable by the human ear. This frequency range is regarded as being any frequency greater than 20 kHz. Ultrasonic welders vibrate at an ultrasonic frequency that causes resonation in wires of a particular thickness. Generally, the frequency of the ultrasonic welders increases as the diameter of the wires to be bonded get smaller. An ultrasonic welder configured to weld a single wire generally contains a cavity which fits above a wire arranged on the surface to be welded. When the ultrasonic welder is activated the wire quickly bonds to the substrate. The resulting attachment tends to be electrically and mechanically superior to bonds created in soldering operations. These ultrasonic mechanical vibrations applied have been shown to be capable of cold fusing metal wires to a metal substrate, even where the metals have different material properties. By making a direct connection between the wire and the metal substrate an entire layer of resistance is removed, and any possibility of weakening of a solder joint is also eliminated. Unfortunately, this process has been limited to single wire configurations. One way to avoid the complexities involved with multi wire ultrasonic bonding is to bond the wires together before the ultrasonic bonding operation. One method of bonding the wires together is by physically squeezing the wires together by way of a tool called a swager. A swager is shown in  FIG. 20 . Horizontal forces  2002  and vertical forces  2004  can be applied to a group of exposed wires resulting in a single amalgam of the previously individual wires. An ultrasonic bonder can then bond the unified wire to a PCB pad. Yet another method that requires less mechanical force and potential for physical damage to the exposed wires is arc welding the wires together prior to an ultrasonic bonding operation. 
         [0070]      FIG. 21  shows a perspective view of another embodiment of the described embodiment. Here induction bonding machine  2100  is mounted upon base plate  2102 . Base plate  2102  provides a stable, flat base for supporting pillars  2104 . Support pillars  2104  can be made of a rigid material such as steel. Holes  2106  in support pillars  2104  can be optionally included in support pillars  2104  to reduce the overall weight of induction bonding machine  2100 . Heating head  2108  provides high frequency alternating power to water combiner  2110 . Heating head  2108  can have a fixed alternating current output of greater than 700 kHz. Water combiner  2110  receives high frequency current from heating head  2108  and transmits it to induction coil  2112 . Water combiner  2110  also pumps cooling water through a hollow portion of induction coil  2112  to keep induction coil  2112  cool while it operates. In this particular configuration induction coil  2112  can have an outer diameter of between 2 and 3 mm. Induction coil  2112  is attached to stiffener  2114 . Stiffener  2114  can be made from non-conductive material such as plastic or ceramic material that will not interfere with magnetic field lines emanating from induction coil  2112 . For example, Al 2 O 3  is one ceramic that could be used and PEEK (Polyetheretherketone) is a plastic that could be used to form stiffener  2114 . Stiffener  2114  can be attached to beam  2116  by securing screws  2118 . Beam  2116  and securing screws  2118  are also made of non-conductive materials to reduce field interference and energy dissipation problems that would be caused by conductive support structures located too close to induction coil  2112 . Securing screws  2118  allow an operator to make minor adjustments to the orientation of stiffener  2114  and induction coil  2112 . The advantages of this flexibility will be described in the next figure. Beam  2116  is mechanically coupled to support pillar  2104 . 
         [0071]    Linear bearing  2120  is supported by base plate  2102 . Linear bearing  2120  can also be mechanically coupled to support pillar  2104  for increased support and alignment. Linear bearing  2120  can be a servo operated off the shelf component for precisely moving an assembly up and down. Linear bearing  2120  can be attached to adapter plate  2122 . Adapter plate  2122  allows a custom made primary stage  2124  to be mechanically coupled to adapter plate  2122 . Primary stage  2124  can also be mechanically coupled to limit stop  2126 . Limit stop  2126  is designed to engage micrometer  2128  as primary stage  2124  is raised up by linear bearing  2120 . Primary stage  2124  is also connected via a leaf spring to secondary stage  2130 . Secondary stage  2130  is then mechanically coupled to PCB nest  2132 . PCB nest  2132  is made of non-conductive material such as ceramic or plastic. In this particular embodiment PCB nest  2132  is only configured to accept one PCB; however, PCB nest  2132  can be widened to accept a number of PCBs where faster production times are desired. Close up view  2140  shows PCB  2142  sitting in PCB nest channel  2144 . Cable jacket  2146  can also sit in PCB nest channel  2144  as shown. Cable jacket  2146  can contain all the wires to be attached to PCB  2142 . 
         [0072]      FIG. 22  shows another perspective view of induction bonding machine  2100 . Here linear bearing  2120  has been used to put PCB  2142  into contact with induction coil  2112 . In this view we see micrometer  2128  has come into contact with limit stop  2126 . This portion of induction bonding machine  2100  is important as part of an initial calibration process. Limit stop  2126  is designed to stop primary stage  2124  at a point where secondary stage  2130  can put PCB nest  2132  into a position to cause PCB  2142  to come into contact with induction coil  2112 . Because secondary stage  2130  is connected to primary stage  2124  via a leaf spring, precise positioning of primary stage  2124  is not crucial; this is because secondary stage  2130  can travel a range of a couple of millimeters in the vertical direction if primary stage  2124  is slightly misplaced. This can be beneficial when for example, linear bearing  2120  starts wearing in and its ultimate position changes. In this case the spring built into secondary stage  2130  would allow PCB Nest  2132  to still reach induction coil  2112 . Once induction coil  2112  is in contact with PCB  2142  a key may be turned that locks secondary stage  2130  into place essentially locking it rigidly to primary stage  2124 . Once the locking step is complete micrometer  2128  can be used to make fine adjustments to achieve the desired the pressure between PCB  2142  and induction coil  2112 . Once this initial calibration step is complete operations can be conducted rapidly as it allows operators to achieve repeatable and precise positioning of induction coil  2112 . This kind of calibration process could be carried out at the beginning of each work shift to facilitate proper positioning of induction coil  2112 . 
         [0073]    Close up view  2150  shows induction coil  2112  in contact with stranded wires  2152 , and stranded wires  2152  positioned on top of PCB pad  2154 . Here about half of induction coil  2112  sticks out of stiffener  2114  allowing direct contact between induction coil  2112  and stranded wires  2152 . In other embodiments the cross section of induction coil  2112  could be rectangular, allowing more surface area contact between induction coil  2112  and stranded wires  2152 . In certain cases further fine calibration of induction coil  2112  may be needed to put induction coil  2112  into full contact with all the wires connecting to PCB  2142 . One way to accomplish this is by adjusting securing screws  2118 . An operator can loosen securing screws  2118 , and then adjust stiffener  2114 . Since induction coil is made of copper and only about 2-3 mm in outer diameter, induction coil  2112  is flexible enough to be bent and maneuvered with stiffener  2114  in the y-z plane. In an alternate embodiment stiffener  2114  can have a number of holes in it allowing an operator to precisely maneuver stiffener  2114  by moving securing screws  2118  between holes. 
         [0074]    Wire routing assembly  2156  for aligning each set of stranded wires  2152  over its associated PCB pad  2154  can be seen in close up view  2150 . Channel  2158  is also shown. Channel  2158  allows the underside of PCB  2142  to be exposed to natural air flow facilitating cooling during and after the induction bonding process is carried out. Channel  2158  also exposes the wire attachment positions on the underside of PCB  2142 . In this embodiment wires can be bonded to both sides of PCB  2142 . After a first bonding operation is completed on one side, PCB  2142  can be flipped over and bonding operations can be carried out on the underside of PCB  2142 . Monitoring cameras can be configured to have a field of view of about the same area shown in close up view  2150 . Camera assembly  2160  is positioned to have a view similar to that view shown in close up view  2150 . Camera assembly  2160  can be mounted on a separate support structure (not shown) attached to base plate  2102 . Camera assembly  2160  can be a high speed close-up visible light lens that would allow an operator to have a detailed view of the bonding process in real time. Bonding operations could also be played back to allow operators to see where a particular bonding operation may have gone wrong. Another monitoring camera can be mounted just above camera assembly  2160 . This second camera could be embodied by the pyrometer described in conjunction with  FIG. 19 . As previously described, this would provide a feedback control signal to heating head  2104  thereby enabling fine control over the amount of energy supplied to induction coil  2112 . 
         [0075]      FIG. 23  shows a perspective view of stranded wires  2152  arranged on PCB pads  2154 . In this embodiment of the described embodiment wire comb  2302  has been added to keep stranded wires  2152  aligned on PCB pads  2154 . Wire comb  2302  can be made of any sufficiently solder phobic, non-magnetic material, such as high temperature Kapton™ or ceramic material. In this embodiment wire comb  2302  can be placed across stranded wires  2152  before an inductive bonding operation is conducted. After the bonding operation is complete wire comb  2302  can be removed from the top of PCB  2142 . In  FIG. 24  another perspective view of stranded wires  2152  is shown. Here an alternate variation of wire comb  2302  is shown, marked in  FIG. 24  as wire comb  2304 . Wire comb  2304  as shown facilitates lateral alignment of stranded wires  2152 . Wire comb  2304  can be put into place on PCB  2142  before stranded wires  2152  are placed on PCB pads  2154 . When an operator or machine routes stranded wires  2152  through wire routing assembly  2156  and places stranded wires  2152  in contact with PCB pads  2154 , wire comb  2304  provides a well defined channel for stranded wires  2152  to sit in. While wire comb  2304  does not prevent stranded wires  2152  from displacing in the vertical direction, induction coil  2112  (not shown) can put pressure on the tops of stranded wires  2152  during a bonding operation, thereby keeping stranded wires  2152  from displacing vertically. It should be noted that while stranded wire  2152  are depicted as solid wires in  FIGS. 23 and 24  in actuality they represent a number of bundled wires that in some cases can have individual wires with outer diameters as small as about 7 microns. In some cases the tips of stranded wires  2152  can be dipped in tin to merge the small diameter wires together thereby preventing separation of the small wires, and helping to facilitate inductive coupling during the inductive bonding operation. 
         [0076]      FIGS. 25A and 25B  show a three-dimensional wire comb. In  FIG. 25A  a perspective view of wire comb  2500  is shown. In this illustrated embodiment wire guide  2500  has wire alignment features  2502  for six strands of wire. Wire comb  2500  can be composed of a nonconductive material and in cases where the material is not inherently solder phobic, coated with a solder phobic film such as Kapton™. In some cases, wire comb  2500  can be made of ceramic material. Wire comb  2500  is designed to fit over one end of a printed circuit board while an inductive bonding operation takes place. Wire alignment features  2502  allow each of the six strands of wires to be channelized above a PCB pad thereby preventing individual strands from undergoing any undesirable misalignment during the bonding operation. In  FIG. 25B  another perspective view of wire comb  2500  is illustrated. From this view, coil support channel  2504  is shown. Coil support channel  2504  allows an inductive coil (not shown) to rest securely during a bonding operation. In this way coil support channel  2504  provides a stable position for an inductive coil placing the inductive coil at a predictable distance from the strands of wire aligned by wire alignment features  2502 .  FIG. 25B  also shows wire cut outs  2506  arranged along the surface of coil support channel  2504 . Wire cut outs  2506  expose the portions of the strands of wire to be bonded during a bonding operation. In this way wire comb  2500  can achieve its alignment purposes without inhibiting the inductive coupling between the induction coil and the strands of wire. 
         [0077]      FIG. 26A  shows a perspective view of a PCB with stranded wires ready to be bonded to a set of PCB pads. In  FIG. 26A  a multi-wire jacket  2602  is shown carrying a number of insulated wires  2604 . Insulated wires  2604  are then aligned with PCB  2606  by wire alignment fixture  2608 . Wire ends  2610  of insulated wires  2604  are exposed and arranged on corresponding PCB pads  2612 . Wire ends  2610  generally contain numerous individual strands of wire which all need to be electrically coupled to a corresponding PCB pad  2612 . In some embodiments wire ends  2610  will go through a previously described joining process in which the ends are fused together to prevent potential fraying and/or misalignment during an inductive bonding operation.  FIG. 26B  shows wire comb  2500  arranged over one end of PCB  2606 . Wire comb  2500  can be arranged on PCB  2606  before wire ends  2610  are arranged on PCB pads  2612 . In this way wire ends  2610  can be channelized directly onto PCB pads  2612  by wire alignment features  2502  (not shown). 
         [0078]      FIG. 27  shows a perspective view of an alternative PCB nest for an inductive bonding machine similar to inductive bonding machine  2100 . PCB nest  2700  has integrate wire guide  2702  along with X and Y-axis adjustment knobs  2704  and  2706 . PCB Nest also includes stranded wire channel  2708  and PCB channel  2710 . Stranded wire  2708  leaves a channel for a bundle of wires to be arranged along prior to attachment to a PCB. PCB channel  2710  allows a recess for PCB to sit in as an inductive bonding operation is carried out. Adjustable counterweight  2712  is mechanically coupled to rotating wire comb assembly  2714 . Rotating wire comb assembly  2714  rotates around axis  2716  allowing wire comb  2702  to settle on a PCB as will be shown in the next figure. By adjusting the position of adjustable counterweight  2712 , pressure exerted by wire comb  2702  on a PCB can be modulated as required. 
         [0079]      FIG. 28  shows a perspective view of PCB nest  2700  in a closed position. Here wire comb assembly  2714  has been rotated through 90 degrees about axis  2716  to effectively cover stranded wire channel  2708  (not shown). PCB  2802  is shown arranged in PCB channel  2710 . PCB  2802  can be moved with respect to wire comb  2702  by manipulating adjustment know  2704  and  2706 , allowing movement in both the X and Y axes. The position of wire comb  2702  can also be manipulated with adjustment knobs  2804 . Adjustment knobs  2804  can be used in aligning the initial orientation of wire comb  2702  with an upper surface of PCB  2802 . Once properly situated wire comb  2702  should not need any further adjustments. Wire channels  2806  in wire comb  2702  keep wires in place on pads arranged on PCB  2802  during inductive bonding operations. In this particular embodiment an inductive coil can be brought into contact with wire ends arranged on PCB  2802 . The inductive coil would be situated between wire comb assembly  2714  and wire comb  2702 , running essentially parallel with wire comb  2702 . In some embodiments wire comb  2702  can include magnetic concentrators to help direct a magnetic field emanating from the inductive coil thereby enabling a more finely formed magnetic field allowing for improvements in efficiency. 
         [0080]      FIG. 29  illustrates yet another way to fuse the wire ends of a stranded wire. Wire jacket  2902  can hold a number of stranded wires  2904 . Stranded wires  2904  can be arranged on wire holder  2906 . The ends of stranded wires  2904  can be dipped in UV light curing adhesive  2908 . A UV light can then be directed at area  2910  for a duration sufficient to cure UV light curing adhesive  2908 . Once cured, adhesive  2908  can effectively fuse the ends of stranded wires  2904  together, thereby preventing fraying or misalignment of stranded wires  2904  during inductive bonding operations. While the illustration shows only a handful of wires it should be noted that a large number of ends of stranded wires  2904  can be fused together in a single UV curing operation, allowing for large batch processing. 
         [0081]    The various aspects, embodiments, implementations or features of the described embodiments can be used separately or in any combination. Various aspects of the described embodiments can be implemented by software, hardware or a combination of hardware and software. The described embodiments can also be embodied as computer readable code on a computer readable medium for controlling manufacturing operations or as computer readable code on a computer readable medium for controlling a manufacturing line. The computer readable medium is any data storage device that can store data which can thereafter be read by a computer system. Examples of the computer readable medium include read-only memory, random-access memory, CD-ROMs, DVDs, magnetic tape, and optical data storage devices. The computer readable medium can also be distributed over network-coupled computer systems so that the computer readable code is stored and executed in a distributed fashion. 
         [0082]    The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the described embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the specific details are not required in order to practice the described embodiments. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments are presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the described embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings.