Importance

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Abstract

A guidance type placement apparatus for placing and mounting integrated circuit (IC) components or devices, especially fine pitch integrated circuit devices (FPD), in aligned combination with printed circuit boards. The apparatus includes a mechanical positioning subsystem, an image acquisition/processing subsystem, a master control subsystem, and optionally, a heater array subsystem. The mechanical positioning subsystem is sequentially operative to position the circuit board and IC device for the generation of images thereof, to align the IC device with a designated placement site on the board, and to mount the IC device in aligned combination with the board. The image acquisition subsystem is operative to generate images of at least one pair of diagonally opposed corners of the placement site and IC device from the same optical perspective. Images generated by the image acquisition subsystem provide feedback control to regulate the placement process to attain and verify lead-to-pad alignment. The heater array subsystem is utilized to bond the IC device to the circuit board while the mechanical positioning subsystem maintains the IC device in aligned combination with the board.

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First Claim