Apparatus for segmenting stacked IC chips

摘要

A tool for segmenting a stack of bonded IC chips into short stacks includes a heat conducting base having at least one cavity in its upper face for receiving a portion of an IC chip stack. The length and width dimensions of the cavity are essentially the same as the corresponding dimensions of the stack. The depth of the cavity is selected to correspond to the desired thickness of the short stack to be formed from the stack. The base is heated to raise the temperature of the cavity walls to heat the stack above the softening point of the bonding material. A driver is movably mounted on the base for contact with a portion of a face of the stack extending above the opening of the cavity, and a threaded rod supported on the base urges the driver against the stack to effect separation of the extending portion of the stack from the segment portion which remains in the cavity. A track in the upper surface of the base is provided for travel of the driver.