STACKABLE TRAY FOR INTEGRATED CIRCUIT CHIPS

摘要

A stacking tray for electrical components, such as integrated circuits, particularly those of the ball grid array (BGA) type. The tray is stackable and includes an upper side and a lower side. More particularly, both upper and lower sides of the trays include support elements forming ledges of equal uniform height and ridges to support the integrated circuit element and stabilize the integrated circuit element in the X-Y directions. In the unstacked configuration, whether the tray is presented in the right side up or upside down configuration, the integrated circuit elements are stabilized in the X-Y directions at two diagonally opposed corners, and hence all four sides of the chip. This is important for automated placement, such as 'pick and place'. Moreover, in a stacked configuration, such as would be used for shipping and transportation, the laterally inwardly offset ridges of a tray immediately downwardly adjacent from the integrated circuit restrain and stabilize the integrated circuit in the X-Y directions by engaging a first pair of diagonally opposed corners of the integrated circuit. Likewise, the laterally inwardly offset ridges of a tray immediately upwardly adjacent from the integrated circuit restrain and stabilize the integrated circuit in the X-Y directions by engaging a second pair of diagonally opposed corners of the integrated circuit so that all four corners are stabilized in the X-Y directions. In this stacked configuration, the integrated circuit chip is restrained in the Z direction by being restrained and stabilized between the ledges of the support elements of the immediately upwardly adjacent tray and the ledges of the support elements of the immediately downwardly adjacent tray.