Patent ID: 7238593

Claim:
A method for detaching a semiconductor chip ( 1 ) from a foil ( 4 ) and picking the semiconductor chip ( 1 ) from the foil ( 4 ) with a chip gripper ( 7 ), wherein the foil ( 4 ) is fixed on a wafer table ( 5 ) and part of the foil ( 4 ) rests on a surface ( 9 ) of a chip ejector ( 6 ), wherein the chip ejector ( 6 ) comprises a support area ( 13 ) with grooves ( 12 ) and a ramp ( 16 ) with a stripping edge ( 18 ) protruding above the surface ( 9 ) of the chip ejector ( 6 ), wherein a surface ( 17 ) of the ramp ( 16 ) adjacent the stripping edge ( 18 ) is concave, the method comprising the steps of: applying vacuum to the grooves ( 12 ) of the support area ( 13 ); shifting the wafer table ( 5 ) relative to the chip ejector ( 6 ) in a direction perpendicular to the stripping edge ( 18 ) of the ramp ( 16 ) in order to pull the foil ( 4 ) over the stripping edge ( 18 ) of the ramp ( 16 ) whereby the semiconductor chip ( 1 ) temporarily detaches itself at least partly from the foil ( 4 ) and lands on the foil ( 4 ) above the support area ( 13 ); and picking the semiconductor chip ( 1 ) presented on the support area ( 13 ) from the foil ( 4 ).