Patent ID: 7357295

Claim:
A solder ball supplying method, comprising: introducing a solder ball from a hopper formed in an upper block to a receiving hole of a ball separator that is sandwiched between the upper block and a lower block; sliding the ball separator between the upper block and the lower block; and sending the solder ball that has been taken into the receiving hole to an outside of the upper block and the lower block, wherein when introducing the solder ball from the hopper into the receiving hole, the solder ball is forcibly introduced into the receiving hole by sucking the solder ball from a solder ball suction path within a projected region on the lower block, the projected region being situated in an inner region of the receiving hole, and an upper opening of the solder ball suction path is configured to not overlap a rolling trajectory of the solder ball at a time when the solder ball is taken into the receiving hole.