SOLDER BALL LOADING MECHANISM

摘要

THE PRESENT BALL LOADING MECHANISM (1) INCLUDES A MOVABLE PLATE (5). RESTING ON TOP OF THE PLATE IS A BALL CONTAINER (15) ADAPTED FOR HOLDING RELATIVELY LARGE QUANTITIES OF SOLDER BALLS (20). PRESSURIZED AIR IS PROVIDED FROM TWO SIDES OF THE CONTAINER (15) VIA AN AIR SUPPLY TUBE (25) IN AN ALTERNATING FASHION WHERE ONLY ONE OF THE TUBES IS PROVIDING AIR AT ANY GIVEN TIME SUCH THAT THE AIR PRESSURE CAUSES THE SOLDER BALLS (20) TO MOVE FROM SIDE TO SIDE INSIDE THE CONTAINER (15). THE PLATE (5) HAS AT LEAST ONE ARRAY. THE TEMPLATE (10) BASICALLY COMPRISES STEP HOLES (39) WHICH ARE ARRANGED IN AN ARRAY FORMATION IDENTICAL TO THAT OF THE PATTERN FORMED BY THE BALLS (20) ON THE EVENTUAL BGA DEVICE. A PAIR OF SENSOR DEVICES, A DETECTOR (30) AND AN EMITTER (35), IS PROVIDED FOR DETECTING A MISSING BALL IN THE TEMPLATES (10) . THE EMITTER (35) SHINES A LIGHT THROUGH THE TEMPLATES (10) SO THAT ANY HOLE WHICH IS NOT OCCUPIED BY A SOLDER BALL WILL ALLOW THE LIGHT TO BE SHINED ONTO THE DETECTOR (30) WHEN THE TEMPLATES ARE POSITIONED BELOW THE DETECTOR(30).