Patent ID: 7771560

Claim:
A semiconductor chip pickup device for separating semiconductor chips from an underlying adhesive sheet to which said semiconductor chips are removably adhered, said device comprising: a structure for supporting said adhesive sheet in a generally layflat condition; a semiconductor chip ejecting chuck being arranged below said layflat adhesive sheet supporting structure; said chip ejecting chuck including a housing having a vertically displaceable anvil arranged therein, said anvil mounting an array of upstanding pin members in mutually spaced relationships, a center pin member of said pin member array being shorter than the remaining pin members and being fixed relative thereto, said anvil upon being upwardly displaced causing said pin members to exert a deflective action on said adhesive sheet producing a separation of a semiconductor chip located thereabove from said adhesive sheet, whereby said array of pin members concurrently inhibit any snapback energy from reaching surrounding unpicked semiconductor chip and preventing damage to said picked up semiconductor chip; and each of said pin members being hollow to form a passageway between the tip of each pin member and a vacuum generating source, wherein upon said anvil raising said pin members into contact with said adhesive sheet, a vacuum generated in each said pin member causes said adhesive sheet to adhere to the tips of said pin members and assist in preventing snapback of said adhesive sheet.