Methods for making temporary electronic component-carrying tapes with weakened areas

Abstract

A method for forming flexible temporary component-carrier tapes, which are used for storing, transporting and supplying components, includes forming apertures for receiving the components in a device-retaining layer, securing a top cover layer to a surface of the device-retaining layer, and securing a bottom layer to an opposite surface of the device-retaining layer. Weakened regions may be formed in one or more of the layers.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10 / 225,829, filed Aug. 21, 2002, pending, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein, in its entirety, by this reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to tapes for temporarily carrying electronic components for storage or transportation, as well as to methods for designing, forming, and introducing electronic components into pockets and removal of electronic components from the pockets of such tapes. More specifically, the present invention relates to temporary component-carrier tapes that include weakened areas between locations for receiving electronic components and associated methods. [0004] 2. Background of the Related Art [0005] Virtually every type of electronic device now incorporates one or more semiconductor devices. Typically, the semiconductor devices are mounted and electrically connected ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0014] An exemplary embodiment of a temporary component-carrier tape according to the present invention includes a bottom layer and a device-retaining layer that are secured to one another. The device-retaining layer may include a series of apertures, or “pockets,” at device-retaining areas along the length thereof. The device-retaining layer has a thickness or depth that is about equal to or greater than the electronic devices that are to be received within the apertures thereof. The bottom layer forms a bottom of each of the apertures. In addition, the temporary component-carrier tape may include an upper layer, which is securable to an opposite surface of the device-retaining layer from that to which the bottom layer is secured. At least one of the top and bottom layers of the temporary component-carrier tape is readily removable, by peeling thereof, from the device-retaining layer so as to facilitate removal of electronic components from their corresponding apertures.

[0019] In use, the temporary component-carrier tape includes electronic components that are substantially contained within the apertures thereof and may be stored, transported, and supplied in a rolled configuration (e.g., upon a hub, reel, or the like). When removal of one or more electronic components from the temporary component-carrier tape is desired, an end of the temporary component-carrier tape may be introduced into appropriate assembly equipment, as known in the art. At least an outer layer (i.e., the top layer or bottom layer) of the temporary component-carrier tape is removed from the device-retaining layer of the tape at a particular device-retaining area of the tape to provide access to an electronic component carried at that device-retaining area. If any stress is applied along the length of or otherwise to the temporary component-carrier tape, weakened regions thereof absorb such stress, preventing kinking or bowing of any of the layers of the tape at a device-retaining area thereof.

Problems solved by technology

When such a component-bearing tape is handled, such as by introducing the tape into equipment for removing the ancillary electronic components therefrom and placing the same on a carrier substrate, the tape may be subjected to stresses which could cause kinking thereof.

If the height of the pocket has been increased by kinking or bowing of the tape, the ancillary electronic component may be located at a distance which precludes removal thereof from the pocket by the quill or other retrieval device, resulting in advancement of the component-bearing tape to the location of the next ancillary electronic component and, thus, waste of the ancillary electronic component that could not be picked from the tape.

Bowing or kinking of the plastic bottom of the pocket resulting in “barreling” of the pocket may also result in inversion of the ancillary electronic component, which inversion will typically not be recognized by the pick-and-place element.

Although state-of-the-art pick-and-place elements may be equipped with machine vision systems that recognize shapes and dimensions, they cannot recognize right-side up or upside-down orientations or color (i.e., the color difference between the labeled top side of an ancillary electronic component and the bottom side of the electronic component).

As a result of such inversion, ancillary electronic components may be secured to carrier substrates in improper orientations, which leads to failure of not only the ancillary electronic components, but also of the carrier substrate and any other components that have already been secured thereto.

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