Patent ID: 7326305

Claim:
An encapsulation removal method for removing a portion of an encapsulating material from an encapsulated integrated circuit comprising the steps of: depositing a selected volume of a liquid encapsulant-removing agent on a selected surface area of the surface of an encapsulated integrated circuit, the selected volume of the liquid encapsulant-removing agent sufficient to form a shape-sustaining and substantially position-maintaining deposit on the selected surface area; subjecting the deposited liquid encapsulant-removing agent to a flow of a heated gas sufficient to heat the deposited liquid encapsulant-removing agent to cause the so-heated liquid encapsulant-removing agent to remove at least a portion of the encapsulating material in contact with the so-heated liquid encapsulant-removing agent in the selected surface area, the flow of heated gas insufficient to cause the encapsulant-removing agent to migrate from its initially deposited position on the surface of the integrated circuit and the flow of heated gas and the encapsulated integrated circuit characterized by the substantial absence of relative movement therebetween during the heating of the deposited liquid encapsulant-removing agent.