Assembly for removing dies from a foil

Abstract

The utility model relates to a combination for removing dies from a foil. The combination comprises a vibration unit comprising a vibrating part and operable to vibrate the vibrating part at a predefined frequency, wherein the vibrating part has a free end having a surface configured to contact a foil having one or more dies attached thereto; a positioning unit operable to move the vibration unit relative to the foil; and a controller configured to operate the positioning unit such that the positioning unit moves the vibration unit to a position in which the vibrating part is aligned with a die to be removed from the foil, and such that, while maintaining the alignment, the positioning unit moves the vibration unit to bring the vibrating part into contact with a second surface of the foil, and such that the positioning unit moves the vibration unit such that the vibrating part moves a predefined distance in a direction towards the foil from a starting position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a method for removing a bare sheet from a first surface of a foil, the method comprising: moving a vibrating member in a direction toward the foil; vibrating the vibrating member to generate vibration in the foil, the vibration causing the bare sheet to loosen from the first surface of the foil; and then picking up the loosened bare sheet from the first surface of the foil. Further provided is an assembly for removing a bare sheet from a foil. Background Technology

[0002] Figure 1a and 1b This describes the steps involved in existing methods for removing a bare sheet 101 attached to a first surface 103a of a foil 103. These existing methods involve aligning the tip 105a of a needle 105 under the bare sheet 101 to be removed; and pressing the tip 105a of the needle 105 against a second opposing surface 103b of the foil 103 to create a bend 106 in the foil 103, resulting in a reduced contact area between the bare sheet 101 and the foil 103. This reduced contact area decreases the adhesive force holding the bare sheet 101 on the first surface 103a of the foil 103, thereby allowing the pick-up head 107 to pick up the bare sheet 101 from the foil 103 by vacuum. Disadvantageously, when the bare sheet is removed from the foil in this manner, the bare sheet is often damaged; not only is the removed bare sheet damaged, but adjacent bare sheets are also frequently damaged.

[0003] The size of the space 108 between adjacent dies 101 on foil 103 is determined by the wafer slicing operation, which involves cutting the wafer to produce dies 101; to reduce waste, it is desirable to minimize the width of the dicing lines. Typically, the width of the dicing lines is less than 15 µm. With advancements in technology, the width of the dicing lines is expected to decrease further in the future. After the slicing operation, the sliced ​​wafer is positioned on the first surface 103a of foil 103; the first surface 103a of foil 103 has an adhesive that attaches each die 101 to the first surface 103a of foil 103. The size of the space 108 between adjacent dies 101 on foil 103 corresponds to the width of the dicing lines. A narrow dicing line means that when the sliced ​​wafer is positioned on the first surface 103a of foil 103, there is only a very small gap between adjacent dies on the foil. For example, the width of the dicing lines is typically less than 15 μm, therefore the width of the space 108 between adjacent dies 101 on foil 103 is typically less than 15 μm. Disadvantageously, in existing methods, if the gap between adjacent blanks is small, then when the tip 105a of the needle 105 moves against the second opposing surface 103b of the foil 103 to create a bend 106 in the foil 103, the adjacent blanks 101 will come into contact with each other and be damaged (e.g., the blanks may break). Therefore, existing methods for removing blanks from the foil are a bottleneck in reducing the width of the cutting line and thus a bottleneck in achieving further waste reduction.

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to eliminate or mitigate at least some of the disadvantages associated with existing methods for removing bare sheets from foil. Utility Model Content

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, an assembly is provided. The assembly includes: a vibration unit comprising a vibrating element and operable to vibrate the vibrating element at a predefined frequency, wherein the vibrating element has a free end having a surface configured to contact a foil, the foil having one or more bare sheets attached thereto; a positioning unit operable to move the vibration unit relative to the foil; and a controller configured to operate the positioning unit such that the positioning unit moves the vibration unit to a position where the vibrating element is aligned with a bare sheet to be removed from the foil, and such that while maintaining the alignment, the positioning unit moves the vibration unit to contact the vibrating element with a second surface of the foil, and such that the positioning unit moves the vibration unit such that the vibrating element moves a predefined distance from a starting position in a direction toward the foil, wherein the controller is further operablely connected to the vibration unit and configured to activate the vibration unit to vibrate the vibrating element to generate vibration in the foil, so as to loosen the bare sheet from a first surface of the foil after the vibrating element has moved the predefined distance from the starting position in the direction toward the foil.

[0006] According to another aspect of the present invention, an assembly is provided. The assembly includes: a vibration unit comprising a vibrating element and operable to vibrate the vibrating element at a predefined frequency, wherein the vibrating element has a free end having a surface configured to contact a foil, the foil having one or more bare sheets attached thereto; a force sensor operatively connected to the vibration unit such that the force sensor is configured to sense a force applied to the foil by the vibrating element; and a controller operatively connected to the force sensor such that the controller is configured to receive a measurement of the force applied to the foil by the vibrating element, wherein the controller is further operatively connected to a positioning unit selectively operable to move the vibration unit in a direction toward the foil or in a direction away from the foil, wherein the controller is configured to operate the positioning unit to move the vibration unit in the direction toward the foil before operating the vibration unit to vibrate the vibrating element, until the vibrating element applies a force to the foil within a predefined initial force range. Attached Figure Description

[0007] Exemplary embodiments of this utility model are disclosed in the detailed description and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0008] Figure 1a and 1b Describe a prior art method for removing a bare die from a foil;

[0009] Figure 2 A front view of an assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided, the assembly being used to remove a bare sheet from a foil;

[0010] Figure 3 A front view of an assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention is provided, the assembly being used to remove a bare sheet from a foil;

[0011] Figure 4 A front view of an assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention is provided, the assembly being used to remove a bare sheet from a foil;

[0012] Figure 5 A front view of an assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention is provided, the assembly being used to remove a bare sheet from a foil;

[0013] Figure 6a and 6b Provide a front view illustrating the contact between adjacent bare sheets on the foil when the foil is too loose;

[0014] Figures 7a to 7d Explain the steps taken in the exemplary calibration procedure. Detailed Implementation

[0015] Figure 2 A front view of an assembly 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided, the assembly being used to remove a bare sheet 2a from a foil 3. The foil 3 has a first surface 3a and a second opposing surface 3b; a plurality of bare sheets 2 are attached to the first surface 3a. In this exemplary embodiment, each of the plurality of bare sheets 2 is attached to the second surface 3b of the foil 3 by an adhesive.

[0016] Assembly 1 includes a vibration unit 5, which includes a vibration component 6 attached to the vibration unit 5. The vibration component 6 has a free end 7a; the vibration component 6 is movable such that the surface 7 of the free end 7a contacts the foil 3 to which the bare sheet 2 is attached.

[0017] In this embodiment, the surface 7 of the free end 7a of the vibrating component 6 has a flat profile. Most preferably, the flat surface 7 of the free end 7a has the same shape as the surface of the bare sheet 2 attached to the foil 3. In this embodiment, the flat surface 7 of the free end 7a has a square perimeter; the flat surface 7 of the free end 7a preferably has an area of ​​0.2 mm * 0.2 mm to 1 mm * 1 mm. It should be understood that the surface 7 of the free end 7a of the vibrating component 6 can have any suitable profile; for example, in another embodiment, the surface 7 of the free end 7a of the vibrating component 6 includes a plurality of ridges. It should also be understood that the surface 7 of the free end 7a of the vibrating component 6 can have any suitable size; for example, in another embodiment, the surface 7 of the free end 7a has an area between 2 mm * 2 mm and 12 mm * 12 mm. Most preferably, when the bare sheet 2 to be removed from the foil 3 has a size of 0.2 mm * 0.2 mm to 1 mm * 1 mm, the surface of the free end 7a has an area between 0.2 mm * 0.2 mm and 1 mm * 1 mm; and when the bare sheet 2a to be removed from the foil 3 has a size between 2 mm * 2 mm and 12 mm * 12 mm, the surface of the free end 7a has an area between 2 mm * 2 mm and 12 mm * 12 mm. Most preferably, the surface 7 of the free end 7a has an area in the range of 80% to 120% of the surface area of ​​the bare sheet 2 attached to the foil 3. Most preferably, the shape of the surface 7 of the free end 7a has the same shape as the surface of the bare sheet 2 attached to the foil 3. It should also be understood that the surface 7 of the free end 7a is not limited to having a square perimeter; for example, in another embodiment, the surface of the free end 7a has a circular perimeter.

[0018] In this embodiment, the vibrating component 6 is removably attached to the vibrating unit 5. In a preferred embodiment, the assembly 1 includes a plurality of different vibrating components 6, each having a surface 7 of a different size at its respective free end 7a and / or a different surface profile at its respective free end 7a and / or a surface 7 of a different shape at its respective free end 7a; each of the different vibrating components 6 may be selectively and removably attached to the vibrating unit 5. The user may select to attach any different vibrating component to the vibrating unit 5 depending on the characteristics (e.g., size) of the bare sheet 2a to be removed from the foil. For example, if a bare sheet with a size between 0.2 mm * 0.2 mm and 1 mm * 1 mm is to be removed from foil 3, the user may choose to attach a vibrating component 6 having a free end 7a with a square surface and an area between 0.2 mm * 0.2 mm and 1 mm * 1 mm; if a bare sheet with a size between 2 mm * 2 mm and 12 mm * 12 mm is to be removed from foil 3, the user may choose to attach a vibrating component 6 having a free end 7a with a square surface and an area between 2 mm * 2 mm and 12 mm * 12 mm.

[0019] exist Figure 2 In the embodiments shown, the vibration unit 5 includes an ultrasonic transducer 5 and the vibration component 6 includes an ultrasonic welding electrode 6. However, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to requiring an ultrasonic transducer 5 and an ultrasonic welding electrode 6; for example, in another embodiment, the vibration unit 5 includes a high-speed electric motor and / or a high-speed voice coil actuator and / or a pneumatic turbine, which is operable to move the vibration component 6 at high speed in order to achieve the vibration effect of the vibration component 6.

[0020] Vibration unit 5 is operable to cause vibration component 6 to vibrate at a predefined frequency. Figure 2 In the embodiment shown, the vibration unit 5 is configured to cause the vibration component 6 to vibrate at a frequency between 80 kHz and 110 kHz.

[0021] In assembly 1, the vibrating element 6 is designed to achieve vibrations at frequencies between 80 kHz and 110 kHz. Specifically, the vibrating element 6 includes a first segment 8a, a second segment 8b, a first piezoelectric segment 8c, and a second piezoelectric segment 8d. Preferably, the vibrating element includes an ultrasonic transducer 5 configured to resonate in a first vibration mode of 80 kHz.

[0022] The vibration unit 5 is configured to vibrate the vibration component 6 with a constant vibration amplitude between 2 μm and 10 μm. Most preferably, the vibration unit 5 is configured to vibrate the vibration component 6 with a constant vibration amplitude of up to 10 μm; then the voltage level applied to the vibration unit 5 is adjusted to achieve a predefined constant vibration amplitude of the vibration component 6. For example, to increase the vibration amplitude of the vibration component, the voltage level supplied to the vibration unit 5 is increased; to decrease the vibration amplitude of the vibration component, the voltage level supplied to the vibration unit 5 is decreased.

[0023] Assembly 1 further includes a positioning unit 18, which is selectively movable of the vibration unit 5. The positioning unit 18 is operable to move the vibration unit 5 in three dimensions (in other words, the positioning unit 18 is operable to move the vibration unit 5 in the xy-axis and z-axis directions). For example, the positioning unit 18 can move the vibration unit 5 such that the vibrating element 6 is aligned below the bare sheet 2a to be removed from the foil 3 (i.e., along the x and y axes); and the positioning unit 18 can selectively move the vibration unit 5 toward or away from the foil 3 (i.e., along the z-axis). It should be understood that because the vibrating element 6 is attached to the vibration unit 5, moving the vibration unit 5 will move the vibrating element 6; for example, if the vibration unit 5 moves away from the foil 3, then the vibrating element 6 will move away from the foil; similarly, if the vibration unit 5 moves toward the foil 3, then the vibrating element 6 will move toward the foil 3.

[0024] Assembly 1 further includes a controller 12 operably connected to the positioning unit 18; the controller 12 is configured to operate the positioning unit 18 to move the vibration unit 5 relative to the foil 3.

[0025] Specifically, the controller 12 is configured to operate the positioning unit 18 to move the vibration unit 5 in a direction toward or away from the foil 3. In this embodiment, the controller 12 is also configured to operate the positioning unit 18 to move the vibration unit 5 such that the vibrating element 6 is aligned below the bare sheet 2a to be removed. In other words, the controller 12 is configured to operate the positioning unit 18 to move the vibration unit 5 along the xy-axis and also along the z-axis.

[0026] The controller 12 is configured to operate the positioning unit 18 to move the vibration unit 5 such that the vibration element 6 is aligned with the bare sheet 2a to be removed from the foil. The bare sheet 2a to be removed is attached to the first surface 3a of the foil 3, while the vibration element 6 will be opposite to the second surface 3b of the foil; therefore, the vibration element 6 will be aligned below the bare sheet 2a, but the foil 3 will be inserted between the foil and the bare sheet 2a to be removed from the foil 3.

[0027] While maintaining alignment between the vibrating component 6 and the bare sheet 2a to be removed, the controller 12 is configured to operate the positioning unit 18 to move the vibrating component 5, causing the vibrating component 6 to contact the second surface 3b of the foil 3. At this time, the vibrating component 6 will only touch the second surface 3b of the foil 3 and will not apply any substantial force to the foil 3. In this embodiment, the vibrating component 6 is considered to be in the initial position when it only touches the second surface 3b of the foil 3.

[0028] The controller 12 is configured to operate the positioning unit 18 to move the vibration unit 5, such that the vibration component 6 moves a predefined distance from its starting position in the direction toward the foil 3.

[0029] The controller 12 is further operatively connected to the vibration unit 5. The controller 12 is configured to activate the vibration unit 5 to vibrate the vibrating element 6, thereby generating vibration in the foil 3. Once the vibrating element 6 has moved a predetermined distance from its initial position in the direction toward the foil, the vibration loosens the bare sheet 2a from the first surface 3a of the foil 3. However, it is not necessary for the controller 12 to be configured to activate the vibration unit 5 to vibrate the vibrating element 6.

[0030] Once the bare sheet 2a has become loose, it is picked up from the first surface 3a of the foil 3. Preferably, the assembly 1 further includes a pickup head operable to pick up the loose bare sheet from the foil 3; the pickup head preferably holds the loose bare sheet by a vacuum. The pickup head may be mounted on a rotatable turntable; the rotatable turntable preferably includes a plurality of pickup heads; preferably, when a pickup head on the turntable has picked up the loose bare sheet from the foil, the pickup head holds the bare sheet by a vacuum; then, the turntable rotates to move the next pickup head on the turntable to a position where it can pick up the next bare sheet that has become loose from the foil 3.

[0031] A calibration step can be performed to determine the predefined distance. Figures 7a to 7d The steps taken in the exemplary calibration procedure performed when using assembly 1 are described; however, it should be understood that the calibration procedure is the same when using assembly 20.

[0032] The calibration steps include: providing foil 3 from which bare sheet 2a is to be removed. Next, the controller operates positioning unit 18 to move vibration unit 5 such that vibration element 6 is aligned with the bare sheet 2a to be removed from the foil (e.g., ...). Figure 7a (As shown in the diagram). While maintaining the alignment of the vibrating component 6 with the bare sheet 2a to be removed, the controller 12 operates the positioning unit 18 to move the vibrating component 5 so that the vibrating component 6 contacts the second surface 3b of the foil 3 (as shown in the diagram). Figure 7b (As shown in the diagram). The controller 12 operates the positioning unit 18 to continue moving the vibration unit 5 and thus the vibration component 6 in the direction of the foil 3 until at least two bare sheets 2 on the first surface 3a of the foil 3 come into contact with each other (as shown in the diagram). Figure 7c (As shown in the diagram) - as the vibrating unit 5 and therefore the vibrating component 6 continue to move in the direction of the foil 3, the foil will bend due to the elastic deformation of the vibrating component 6, causing some adjacent sheets to move closer to each other; as the vibrating component 6 moves far enough in the direction of the foil, the bending will increase, such that some adjacent sheets 2 on the foil 3 will contact each other (i.e., the distance between at least two adjacent sheets on the foil is zero). In a preferred embodiment, the assembly 1 further includes a camera configured to capture an image showing all the sheets 2 on the foil 3; a controller 12 is further operatively connected to the camera such that the controller 12 receives the image; the controller 12 is further configured to perform image processing to determine the distance between adjacent sheets on the foil. Alternatively, the foil can be manually inspected to determine the contact between adjacent sheets 2.

[0033] Once the controller 12 determines, based on the image captured by the camera, that the distance between at least two adjacent bare sheets on the foil is zero (i.e., at least two adjacent bare sheets are in contact with each other), the controller 12 then operates the positioning unit 18 to move the vibrating unit 5 in a direction away from the foil until the distance "d" between the previously contacting bare sheets 2 is at least within the range of 2 µm to 5 µm (e.g., ...). Figure 7d (As shown in the diagram). Preferably, the controller 12 then operates the positioning unit 18 to move the vibrating unit 5 in a direction away from the foil until the distance between all adjacent bare sheets on the foil is at least within the range of 2 µm to 5 µm. Most preferably, the force applied to the foil by the vibrating element 6 should be maximized, so that the controller 12 operates the positioning unit 18 to move the vibrating unit 5 by a minimum amount in a direction away from the foil to achieve a distance between all adjacent bare sheets on the foil within the range of 2 µm to 5 µm (or, at least a minimum amount in a direction away from the foil to achieve a distance between the bare sheets 2 that were previously in contact with each other within the range of 2 µm to 5 µm).

[0034] The vibrating element is in the end position when the distance between previously contacting bare sheets 2 is within the range of 2 µm to 5 µm. Alternatively, the vibrating element is in the end position when the distance between all adjacent bare sheets on the foil is within the range of 2 µm to 5 µm. The controller 12 further includes a processor configured to determine the predefined distance as the difference between the start position and the end position. Typically, the predefined distance is within the range of 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm.

[0035] In an embodiment, the assembly may further include a force sensor 11 operatively connected to the vibration unit 5 such that the force sensor 11 can sense the force applied to the foil 3 by the vibrating component 6. A controller is further operatively connected to the force sensor and configured to, if the force sensor measurement is below a minimum threshold force, operate a positioning unit to move the vibration unit toward the foil until the vibrating component applies a force above the minimum threshold force to the foil; and if the force sensor measurement exceeds a maximum threshold force, operate the positioning unit to move the vibration unit away from the foil until the vibrating component applies a force below the maximum threshold force to the foil. This ensures that the force applied to the foil 3 by the vibrating component 6 during vibration is maintained within a predefined range between the minimum and maximum threshold forces. The minimum threshold force may be 0.1 N; the maximum threshold force may be 0.3 N. When the vibrating component 6 vibrates and / or when the vibrating component 6 does not vibrate, the controller 12 can operate the positioning unit 18 to move the vibration unit 5 either toward the foil 3 or away from the foil 3.

[0036] The vibrating component 6 generates vibration in the foil 3, which loosens the bare sheet 2 from the first surface 3a of the foil 3. Preferably, the assembly 1 further includes a pickup head operable to pick up the loosened bare sheet from the foil 3; the pickup head preferably holds the loosened bare sheet by vacuum. The pickup head may be mounted on a rotatable turntable; the rotatable turntable preferably includes a plurality of pickup heads; preferably, when a pickup head on the turntable has picked up the loosened bare sheet from the foil, the pickup head holds the bare sheet by vacuum; then, the turntable rotates to move the next pickup head on the turntable to a position where it can pick up the next bare sheet loosened from the foil 3.

[0037] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for removing a bare sheet from a foil is provided. Assembly 1 can be used in embodiments of performing said method.

[0038] The method may include the following steps:

[0039] (a) A foil 3 having a first surface 3a and a second opposing surface 3b is provided, wherein the foil 3 has one or more bare sheets 2a attached to the first surface (3a);

[0040] (b) Align the vibrating component 6 with the bare sheet 2a to be removed from the foil;

[0041] (c) While maintaining the alignment, move the vibrating component 6 to contact the second surface 3b of the foil 3;

[0042] (d) Continue to move the vibrating component 6 from its starting position a predefined distance toward the foil 3;

[0043] (e) Vibrating the vibrating component 6 to generate vibration in the foil (3), the vibration causing the bare sheet 2a to loosen from the first surface 3a of the foil 3;

[0044] (f) Pick up the loose bare sheet 2a from the first surface 3a of foil 3.

[0045] In a preferred embodiment, the method further includes a calibration step comprising the steps of: providing a foil to be used in step (a), the foil having a first surface and a second opposing surface, wherein the foil has one or more bare sheets attached to the first surface; aligning a vibrating member with a bare sheet 2a to be removed from the foil; while maintaining the alignment, moving the vibrating member from a starting position to bring the vibrating member into contact with the second surface of the foil; continuing to move the vibrating member until at least two bare sheets are in contact with each other; moving the vibrating member in a direction away from the foil until the distance between the two bare sheets is within the range of 2 µm to 5 µm, wherein the vibrating member is in an end position when the distance between the two bare sheets is within the range of 2 µm to 5 µm; and determining the predefined distance as the difference between the starting position and the end position.

[0046] In one embodiment, the calibration step is performed before steps (a) to (f). In another embodiment, the calibration step may be performed after step (c), in which case step (d) is replaced by the calibration step. For example, the calibration step may be performed when the first die is removed from the foil; therefore, in an embodiment, after steps (a) to (c) have been performed on the first die to be removed from the foil, the calibration step may then be performed, and steps (e) and (f) are then performed after the calibration step to remove the first die 2a from the foil 3. Because the predefined distance will be known, steps (a) to (f) are performed for each of the subsequent dies 2 removed from the foil 3 without needing to perform the calibration step again.

[0047] In an embodiment, the method further includes measuring the force applied by the vibrating component to the foil after the vibrating component has moved a predetermined distance from its initial position in the direction toward the foil; and before performing steps (e) and (f), moving the vibrating component in the direction toward or away from the foil until the vibrating component applies a force to the foil within a predetermined initial force range. The predetermined initial force range is in the range of 0.1 N to 0.3 N; most preferably, the predetermined initial force range is 0.15 N.

[0048] In an embodiment, the method further includes measuring the force exerted by the vibrating component on the foil when the vibrating component vibrates in step (e), and / or measuring the force exerted by the vibrating component on the foil when the vibrating component moves a predefined distance from its starting position in the direction toward the foil; and if the force sensor measurement is below a minimum threshold force, then the vibrating component is moved in the direction toward the foil until the vibrating component exerts a force on the foil exceeding the minimum threshold. In an embodiment, the method further includes: measuring the force exerted by the vibrating component on the foil when the vibrating component vibrates in step (e), and / or measuring the force exerted by the vibrating component on the foil when the vibrating component moves a predefined distance from its starting position in the direction toward the foil; and if the force sensor measurement exceeds a maximum threshold force, then the vibrating component is moved in a direction away from the foil until the vibrating component exerts a force on the foil below the maximum threshold force. The minimum threshold force may be 0.1 N; the maximum threshold force may be 0.3 N. It should be understood that in assembly 1, since the vibrating component 6 is attached to the vibrating unit 5, the vibrating component 6 can be moved away from the foil 3 by moving the vibrating unit 5 away from the foil 3; similarly, the vibrating component 6 can be moved toward the foil 3 by moving the vibrating unit 5 toward the foil 3. The movement of the vibrating unit 5 can be accomplished by the positioning unit 18 operated by the controller 12.

[0049] In a preferred embodiment, step (e) of vibrating the vibrating component 6 includes vibrating the vibrating component 6 at a frequency of 80 kHz to 110 kHz. Preferably, the vibrating component 6 vibrates with a constant vibration amplitude between 2 μm and 10 μm. The method may include adjusting the voltage level applied to the vibrating unit 5 to achieve a predefined constant vibration amplitude of the vibrating component 6. For example, to increase the vibration amplitude of the vibrating component, the voltage level supplied to the vibrating unit 5 is increased; to decrease the vibration amplitude of the vibrating component, the voltage level supplied to the vibrating unit 5 is decreased.

[0050] In an embodiment, the method further includes the step of identifying whether two or more bare sheets 2 on the foil 3 are in contact during step (e). If two or more bare sheets 2 on the foil 3 are in contact, identification can be made using any suitable method, such as using a camera that captures images / videos of the bare sheets on the foil. In an embodiment, if contact is identified on two or more bare sheets 2 on the foil 3 during step (e), then the vibrating member 6 is moved away from the foil 3 (preferably moved away from the foil 3 such that the vibrating member 6 is no longer in contact with the foil 3); and then all (or at least some) of the bare sheets 2 on the foil 3 are transferred to another, harder foil. After the bare sheets are transferred to the harder foil, method steps (a) to (f) are then performed to remove the bare sheets from the surface of the harder foil.

[0051] In embodiments of the method, at least during the execution of steps (d) and / or (e) and / or (f), a vacuum is applied to the second surface 3b of the foil 3 to maintain a portion of the foil 3 flat. Most preferably, the vacuum is applied to a portion of the foil 3 adjacent to the portion of the bare sheet 2a to be removed attached, thereby preventing adjacent bare sheets 2 mounted on the foil from shifting from the foil 3 during the execution of steps (d) and / or (e) and / or (f) to remove the bare sheet 2a from the foil 3. Specifically, by applying a vacuum to the second surface of the foil during steps (d) and / or (e) and / or (f), the vacuum reduces the amount of bending of the portion of the foil 3 on which adjacent bare sheets 2 are mounted—the bending of the foil 3 will thus be limited to the portion of the foil 3 where the bare sheet 2a to be removed is located—therefore, adjacent bare sheets 2 can maintain contact between their respective majority surfaces and the first surface 3a of the foil, and thus maintain stable adhesion to the first surface 3a of the foil, which in turn reduces the risk of displacement of these adjacent bare sheets 2 when steps (d) and / or (e) and / or (f) are performed. In an embodiment, a vacuum may be applied to the second surface 3b of the foil 3 during steps (b) to (f).

[0052] In an embodiment of the method, the vibrating component 6 is used to generate vibration in the foil 3, which loosens the bare sheet 2 from the first surface 3a of the foil 3. Preferably, the loosened bare sheet is picked up from the foil by a pickup head; the pickup head holds the loosened bare sheet by a vacuum. The pickup head may be disposed on a rotatable turntable; the rotatable turntable preferably includes multiple pickup heads; preferably, when a pickup head on the turntable has picked up the loosened bare sheet from the foil, the pickup head holds the bare sheet by a vacuum; then, the turntable is rotated to move the next pickup head on the turntable to a position where it can pick up the next bare sheet loosened from the foil.

[0053] Figure 3 A front view of an assembly 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided, the assembly being used to remove a bare sheet 2a from a foil 3. The assembly 20 has... Figure 2 All features of the middle assembly 1, and similar features are given the same reference numerals.

[0054] The assembly 20 further includes a vacuum generator unit 21. The vacuum generator unit 21 includes a vacuum generating member 22 and a plate member 23 having a plurality of through holes 23a defined therein; each of the through holes 23a, 23b is fluidly connected to the vacuum generating member 22 via a conduit 24 and a vacuum chamber 25.

[0055] Importantly, in assembly 20, plate component 23 has at least a first through-hole 23a and a second through-hole 23b; and plate component 23 is moved to contact the second surface 3b of foil 3 and is arranged such that when vibrating component 6 is aligned with the underside of the bare sheet 2a to be removed from foil 3, the first and second through-holes 23a, 23b are located on opposite sides of vibrating component 6. The positions of the first and second through-holes 23a, 23b are such that when vibrating component 6 is aligned with the underside of the bare sheet 2a to be removed from foil 3, the first through-hole 23a will be aligned with the underside of the adjacent bare sheet 2 on one side of the bare sheet 2a to be removed, while the second through-hole 23b will be aligned with the underside of the adjacent bare sheet 2 on the other side of the bare sheet 2a to be removed. In other words, the positions of the first and second through-holes 23a, 23b are such that when vibrating component 6 is aligned with the underside of the bare sheet 2a to be removed from foil 3, the first and second through-holes 23a, 23b will be aligned with the underside of the corresponding bare sheet 2 adjacent to the bare sheet 2a to be removed.

[0056] Assembly 20 can be used to perform the above-mentioned functions. Figure 2 The method comprises all steps of the method performed by assembly 1. However, this embodiment of the method further includes the step of applying a vacuum to the second surface 3b of the foil 3 using a vacuum generator unit 21 at least during the execution of steps (d) and / or (e) and / or (f). In the most preferred embodiment, a vacuum is applied to the second surface 3b of the foil 3 (at the portion of the second surface 3b aligned with the die 2 adjacent to the die 2a to be removed). It should be understood that in some cases, only a single die is adjacent to the die 2a to be removed; for example, if the die 2a to be removed is at the edge of the wafer, then only a single die may be adjacent to it; therefore, it should be understood that in this embodiment, it may only be necessary to apply a vacuum to a single adjacent die. In the embodiment, the method includes applying a vacuum to the second surface 3b of the foil 3 using a vacuum generator unit 21 during the execution of steps (b) to (f).

[0057] When steps (d) and / or (e) and / or (f) are performed, a vacuum is used to maintain the flatness of the portion of the foil 3 on which adjacent bare sheets 2 are mounted, to prevent the adjacent bare sheets 2 mounted on the foil from shifting from the foil 3 when steps (d) and / or (e) and / or (f) are performed to remove the bare sheet 2a from the foil 3. Specifically, by applying a vacuum to the second surface of the foil when steps (d) and / or (e) and / or (f) are performed, the vacuum reduces the amount of bending in the portion of the foil 3 on which adjacent bare sheets 2 are mounted—the bending in the foil 3 will therefore be limited to the portion of the foil 3 where the bare sheet 2a to be removed is located—therefore, the adjacent bare sheets 2 can maintain contact between their respective majority surfaces and the first surface 3a of the foil, and thus maintain stable adhesion to the first surface 3a of the foil, which in turn reduces the risk of these adjacent bare sheets 2 shifting when steps (d) and / or (e) and / or (f) are performed to remove the bare sheet 2a.

[0058] In another variation, the plate component 23 may have multiple through-holes, such as four through-holes, allowing a vacuum to be applied to multiple dies surrounding or close to the die 2a to be picked up. For example, if the die to be picked up has four adjacent dies, a vacuum may be applied to the second surface 3b of the foil 3 such that when steps (d) and / or (e) and / or (f) are performed, the portion of the foil 3 on which the four adjacent dies 2 are mounted remains flat (or substantially flat). In another example, a vacuum may be applied to the second surface 3b of the foil 3 such that, during the execution of steps (d) and / or (e) and / or (f), the portion of the foil on which these bare sheets are mounted remains flat (or substantially flat). More generally, a vacuum may be applied to the second surface 3b of the foil 3 such that, during the execution of steps (d) and / or (e) and / or (f), the portion of the foil on which any number of bare sheets are mounted remains flat (or substantially flat). Preferably, the number of through-holes in the plate member 23 will correspond to the number of portions of the foil to be kept flat (or substantially flat) during the execution of steps (d) and / or (e) and / or (f), said number being equal to the number of bare sheets on the foil to be prevented from shifting during the execution of steps (d) and / or (e) and / or (f). In another embodiment, the plate member 23 may have one or more baffles that can be selectively moved to close the through-holes such that no vacuum can pass through the through-holes.

[0059] Figure 4 A front view of an assembly 103 according to another embodiment of the present invention is provided. The assembly 103 has a plurality of [missing information - likely related to...]. Figure 2 The same features and similar features of the assembly 1 are given the same reference numerals.

[0060] Assembly 103 further includes a force sensor 11 operatively connected to the vibration unit 5, such that the force sensor 11 can sense the force applied to the foil 3 by the vibration component 6; the force sensor 11 can sense the force applied to the foil 3 by the vibration component 6 during vibration over the entire vibration amplitude.

[0061] Assembly 103 further includes a controller 120 operatively connected to force sensor 11, such that controller 120 can receive measurements of the force applied to foil 3 by vibrating component 6; controller 120 can receive measurements of the force applied to foil 3 by vibrating component 6 when vibrating component 6 vibrates, and controller 120 can also receive measurements of the force applied to foil 3 by vibrating component 6 when vibrating component 6 is not vibrating (e.g., before vibrating component 6 vibrates); the force applied to foil 3 by vibrating component 6 before vibrating component 6 begins to vibrate can be considered as the initial force applied to foil 3 by vibrating component 6.

[0062] The controller 120 is further connected to the positioning unit 18; the controller 120 operates the positioning unit 18 based on force measurements received from the force sensor 11. Specifically, the controller 120 operates the positioning unit 18 to move the vibrating unit 5 in a direction toward or away from the foil 3, based on force measurements received from the force sensor 11. It should be understood that the controller 120 can operate the positioning unit 18 to move the vibrating unit 5 in a direction toward or away from the foil 3 when the vibrating component 6 is vibrating and when the vibrating component 6 is not vibrating.

[0063] In this embodiment, the controller 120 is configured to operate the positioning unit 18 to move the vibration unit 5 toward the foil 3 if the force sensor 11 measures a force below a threshold minimum force. The controller 120 is further configured to operate the positioning unit 18 to move the vibration unit 5 away from the foil 3 if the force sensor 11 measures a force exceeding a threshold maximum force. This ensures that the force applied to the foil 3 by the vibration component 6 during vibration is maintained within a predefined range between the threshold minimum force and the threshold maximum force.

[0064] The controller 120 is further configured to operate the positioning unit 18 to move the vibration unit 5 in the direction toward the foil 3 before operating the vibration unit 5 to vibrate the vibration member 6. Specifically, the controller 120 is configured to operate the positioning unit 18 to move the vibration unit 5 in the direction toward the foil 3 until the vibration member 5 applies a predefined initial force to the foil 3. In other words, the controller 120 is configured to operate the positioning unit 18 to move the vibration unit 5 in the direction toward the foil 3 before operating the vibration unit 5 to vibrate the vibration member 6 until the measurement received by the controller 120 from the force sensor 11 reaches the predefined initial force. Preferably, the predefined initial force is in the range of 0.1 N to 0.3 N; most preferably, the predefined initial force is 0.15 N. The controller 120 may be operatively connected to the vibration unit 5; and the controller 120 may be configured to activate the vibration unit 5 to vibrate the vibration member 6 when the vibration member 6 applies a predefined initial force to the foil 3. However, it is not necessary for the controller 120 to be operatively connected to the vibration unit 5; it is not necessary for the controller 120 to be configured to activate the vibration unit 5 to cause the vibration component 6 to vibrate. It should be understood that in this invention, the predefined initial force may be a predefined force range or a specific force value.

[0065] In an embodiment, the controller 120 is configured to operate the positioning unit 18 to move the vibration unit 5 in the direction toward the foil 3 before operating the vibration unit 5 to vibrate the vibration member 6, so as to move the free end 7a of the vibration member 6 into contact with the second surface 3b of the foil 3; and then, after contact, move the free end 7a of the vibration member 6 another predefined distance in the direction toward the foil 3. Most preferably, the predefined distance is in the range of 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm. Typically, after the free end 7a has initially contacted the foil 3, the free end 7a of the vibration member 6 is moved another distance of 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm in the direction toward the foil 3 to ensure that the vibration member 6 applies the desired initial force to the foil 3 before operating the vibration unit 5 to vibrate the vibration member 6. The controller 120 may be operatively connected to the vibration unit 5; and the controller 120 may be configured to activate the vibration unit 5 to vibrate the vibration member 6 after the free end 7a of the vibration member 6 has moved the other predefined distance in the direction toward the foil 3 following contact. However, it is not necessary for the controller 12 to be operatively connected to the vibration unit 5; it is not necessary for the controller 120 to be configured to start the vibration unit 5 to cause the vibration component 6 to vibrate.

[0066] The vibrating component 6 generates vibration in the foil 3, which loosens the bare sheet 2a from the first surface 3a of the foil 3. Preferably, the assembly 103 further includes a pickup head operable to pick up the loosened bare sheet from the foil 3; the pickup head preferably holds the loosened bare sheet 2a by vacuum. The pickup head may be mounted on a rotatable turntable; the rotatable turntable preferably includes a plurality of pickup heads; preferably, when a pickup head on the turntable has picked up the loosened bare sheet 2a from the foil, the pickup head will hold the bare sheet 2a by vacuum; then, the turntable will rotate to move the next pickup head on the turntable to a position where it can pick up the next bare sheet loosened from the foil 3.

[0067] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for removing a bare sheet 2a from a foil 3 is provided. Assembly 103 can be used to perform the method of the present invention.

[0068] The method for removing bare die 2a from foil 3 includes the following steps:

[0069] (a) A foil 3 having a first surface 3a and a second opposing surface 3b is provided, wherein the foil 3 has one or more bare sheets 2 attached to the first surface 3a;

[0070] (b) Align the vibrating component 6 with the bare sheet 2a to be removed from the foil 3;

[0071] (c) While maintaining the alignment, move the vibrating component 6 to contact the second surface 3b of the foil 3;

[0072] (d) Measure the force applied to the foil 3 by the vibrating component 6;

[0073] (e) Continue moving the vibrating component 6 in the direction toward the foil 3 until the vibrating component 6 applies a force (i.e., initial force) to the foil 3 within the range of a predefined initial force.

[0074] (f) Vibrate the vibrating component 6 to generate vibration in the foil 3, the vibration causing the bare sheet 2a to loosen from the first surface 3a of the foil 3;

[0075] (g) Pick up the loose bare sheet 2a from the first surface 3a of the foil 3.

[0076] In a preferred embodiment, step (f) of vibrating the vibrating component 6 includes vibrating the vibrating component 6 at a frequency between 80 kHz and 110 kHz. Preferably, the vibrating component 6 vibrates with a constant vibration amplitude between 2 μm and 10 μm.

[0077] In a preferred embodiment, the predefined initial force range is from 0.1 N to 0.3 N; most preferably, the predefined initial force range is 0.15 N.

[0078] In a preferred embodiment, step (e) includes, after the vibrating element 6 contacts the foil, continuing to move the vibrating element 6 another distance between 0.1 mm and 0.5 mm in the direction toward the foil 3. Typically, moving the vibrating element 6 another 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm in the direction toward the foil 3 ensures that the vibrating element 6 applies the desired initial force to the foil 3 before operating the vibrating unit 5 to vibrate. The movement of the vibrating unit 5 can be accomplished by a positioning unit 18 operated by the controller 12; and the force sensor 11 can be used to measure the force applied by the vibrating element 6 to the foil 3.

[0079] In a preferred embodiment, the method further includes measuring the force exerted by the vibrating component 6 on the foil 3 when the vibrating component 6 vibrates; if the measured force is below a minimum threshold force, then the vibrating component 6 is moved in the direction toward the foil 3; and if the measured force exceeds a maximum threshold force, then the vibrating component 6 is moved away from the foil 3. It should be understood that in assembly 103, because the vibrating component 6 is attached to the vibrating unit 5, moving the vibrating unit 5 away from the foil 3 can achieve the same effect; similarly, moving the vibrating component 6 toward the foil 3 can be achieved by moving the vibrating unit 5 toward the foil 3. The movement of the vibrating unit 5 can be accomplished by a positioning unit 18 operated by the controller 12. Also in assembly 103, the force exerted by the vibrating component 6 on the foil 3 when the vibrating component 6 vibrates can be measured using a force sensor 11.

[0080] In an embodiment, the method further includes the step of: identifying whether two or more bare sheets 2 on the foil 3 are in contact while the vibrating member 6 continues to move in the direction toward the foil 3. In other words, when step (e) is performed, it is identified whether two or more bare sheets 2 on the first surface 3a of the foil 3 are in contact. Figure 6a and 6b As explained, when the vibrating member 6 continues to move in the direction toward the foil 3, if the foil 3 is too loose, the vibrating member 6 will push a portion of the foil 3 upward to create a bend in that portion, causing adjacent bare sheets 2 to contact each other at 40° (although...). Figure 6a and 6b Regarding assemblies 1 and 20, it should be understood that the same problem of contact between adjacent bare sheets 2 can occur in all assemblies of this utility model, respectively including Figure 4 and 5 (Assemblies 103, 125). If two or more bare pieces 2 on foil 3 are in contact, then identification can be made by any suitable means, such as using a camera that captures images / videos of the bare pieces 2 on the foil.

[0081] In one embodiment, if, while continuing to move the vibrating member 6 in the direction toward the foil 3, before the vibrating member 6 moves far enough in the direction toward the foil 3 to apply a force to the foil 3 within a predefined initial force range, two or more bare sheets 2 on the foil 3 are identified to be in contact, then the method further includes: moving the vibrating member 6 away from the foil 3 (preferably moving the vibrating member 6 away from the foil 3 such that the vibrating member 6 is no longer in contact with the foil 3); and then transferring all (or at least some) of the bare sheets 2 on the foil 3 to another harder foil. After the bare sheets 2 have been transferred to the harder foil, steps (a) to (g) of the method of the present invention are then performed to remove the bare sheets from the surface of the harder foil. Any assembly of this invention may further include multiple foils with different hardnesses; thus, if the foil 3 is too loose, such that when the vibrating member 6 continues to move in the direction toward the foil 3, before the vibrating member 6 moves far enough in the direction toward the foil 3 to apply a force to the foil 3 within a predefined initial force range, then the user can select a foil with greater hardness from the multiple foils; then, before performing method steps (a) to (g) to remove the bare sheet 2a from the harder foil, the bare sheet 2 on the foil 3 can be transferred to the selected harder foil.

[0082] In the method of this invention, the vibrating component 6 generates vibration in the foil 3, which loosens the bare sheet 2a from the first surface 3a of the foil 3. Preferably, the loosened bare sheet 2a is picked up from the foil by a pickup head; the pickup head holds the loosened bare sheet 2a by a vacuum. The pickup head may be disposed on a rotatable turntable; the rotatable turntable preferably includes a plurality of pickup heads; preferably, when a pickup head on the turntable has picked up the loosened bare sheet 2a from the foil, the pickup head will hold the bare sheet 2a by a vacuum; then, the turntable will rotate to move the next pickup head on the turntable to a position where it can pick up the next bare sheet loosened from the foil.

[0083] Figure 5 A front view of an assembly 125 according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided, the assembly being used to remove a bare sheet 2a from a foil 3. The assembly 125 has... Figure 4 All features and similar features of the middle assembly 120 are given the same reference numerals.

[0084] Assembly 125 further includes a vacuum generator unit 21. Vacuum generator unit 21 includes a vacuum generating member 22 and a plate member 23, the plate member 23 having a plurality of through holes 23a defined therein; each of the through holes 23a, 23b is fluidly connected to the vacuum generating member 22 via a conduit 24 and a vacuum chamber 25.

[0085] Importantly, in assembly 125, plate member 23 has at least a first through-hole 23a and a second through-hole 23b; and plate member 23 is moved to contact the second surface 3b of foil 3 and is arranged such that when vibrating member 6 is aligned with the underside of the bare sheet 2a to be removed from foil 3, the first and second through-holes 23a, 23b are located on opposite sides of vibrating member 6. The positions of the first and second through-holes 23a, 23b are such that when vibrating member 6 is aligned with the underside of the bare sheet 2a to be removed from foil 3, the first through-hole 23a will be aligned with the underside of the adjacent bare sheet 2 on one side of the bare sheet 2a to be removed, while the second through-hole 23b will be aligned with the underside of the adjacent bare sheet 2 on the other side of the bare sheet 2a to be removed. In other words, the positions of the first and second through-holes 23a, 23b are such that when vibrating member 6 is aligned with the underside of the bare sheet 2a to be removed from foil 3, the first and second through-holes 23a, 23b will be aligned with the underside of the corresponding bare sheet 2 adjacent to the bare sheet 2a to be removed. During use, at least when step (e) and / or (f) and / or (g) uses vacuum generator unit 21, a vacuum is applied to the second surface 3b of foil 3; when step (e) and / or (f) and / or (g) is performed, the vacuum is used to maintain the portion of foil 3 on which adjacent bare sheets 2 are mounted flat, so as to prevent the adjacent bare sheets 2 mounted on the foil from shifting from foil 3 when step (e) and / or (f) and / or (g) is performed to remove bare sheets 2a from foil 3. Specifically, by applying a vacuum to the second surface of the foil during the execution of steps (e) and / or (f) and / or (g), the vacuum reduces the amount of bending in the portion of the foil 3 on which adjacent bare sheets 2 are mounted—the bending in the foil 3 will thus be limited to the portion of the foil 3 where the bare sheet 2a to be removed is located—therefore, the adjacent bare sheets 2 can maintain contact between their respective majority surfaces and the first surface 3a of the foil, and thus maintain stable adhesion to the first surface 3a of the foil, which in turn reduces the risk of displacement of these adjacent bare sheets 2 when steps (e) and / or (f) and / or (g) are performed to remove the bare sheet 2a.

[0086] Therefore, in another embodiment of the method for removing a die from a foil, there is an additional step, namely, applying a vacuum to the second surface 3b of the foil at least when performing steps (e) and / or (f) and / or (g). In the most preferred embodiment, a vacuum is applied to the second surface 3b of the foil 3 (at the portion of the second surface 3b aligned with the die 2 adjacent to the die 2a to be removed). It should be understood that in some cases, only a single die is adjacent to the die 2a to be removed; for example, if the die 2a to be removed is at the edge of the wafer, then only a single die may be adjacent to it; therefore, it should be understood that in this embodiment, it may only be necessary to apply a vacuum to a single adjacent die. In another variation, the plate component 23 may have a plurality of through-holes, such as four through-holes, allowing a vacuum to be applied to a plurality of dies surrounding or near the die 2a to be picked up. For example, if the blank to be picked up has four adjacent blanks, a vacuum can be applied to the second surface 3b of the foil 3 such that when steps (e) and / or (f) and / or (g) are performed, the portion of the foil 3 on which the four adjacent blanks 2 are mounted remains flat (or substantially flat). In another example, a vacuum can be applied to the second surface 3b of the foil 3 such that when steps (e) and / or (f) and / or (g) are performed, the portion of the foil on which these blanks are mounted remains flat (or substantially flat). (More generally, a vacuum can be applied to the second surface 3b of the foil 3 such that when steps (e) and / or (f) and / or (g) are performed, the portion of the foil on which any number of blanks are mounted remains flat (or substantially flat)). Preferably, the number of through-holes in the plate member 23 corresponds to the number of portions of the foil that remain flat (or substantially flat) during steps (e) and / or (f) and / or (g), said number being equal to the number of bare sheets on the foil to be prevented from shifting during the execution of steps (e) and / or (f) and / or (g). In another embodiment, the plate member 23 may have one or more baffles that can be selectively moved to close the through-holes, so that no vacuum can pass through the through-holes.

[0087] Various modifications and variations to the described embodiments of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Although the invention has been described in conjunction with specific preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the claimed invention should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments.

Claims

1. An assembly, characterized in that... It includes: Vibration unit (5) includes a vibration element (6) and is operable to vibrate the vibration element (6) at a predefined frequency, wherein the vibration element (6) has a free end (7) having a surface (7a) configured to contact a foil (3) having one or more bare sheets (2) attached thereto. Positioning unit (11), operable to move the vibrating unit (5) relative to the foil (3); and A controller (12) is configured to operate the positioning unit (11) such that the positioning unit (11) moves the vibration unit (5) to a position where the vibration component (6) is aligned with the blank to be removed from the foil, and while maintaining the alignment, the positioning unit (11) moves the vibration unit (5) so that the vibration component (6) contacts the second surface (3b) of the foil, and the positioning unit (11) moves the vibration unit (5) such that the vibration component (6) moves a predefined distance from its starting position in a direction toward the foil (3). The controller is further operably connected to the vibration unit (5) and configured to activate the vibration unit (5) to cause the vibration component to vibrate to generate vibration in the foil (3) to loosen the bare sheet (2) from the first surface (3a) of the foil (3) after the vibration component (6) has moved the predefined distance from the starting position in the direction toward the foil (3).

2. The assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that... It further includes a camera configured to capture images of the one or more blank sheets (2) on the foil, and wherein the controller is further configured to perform image processing to determine the distance between adjacent blank sheets among the one or more blank sheets (2) on the foil.

3. The assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that... The one or more bare dies include a plurality of bare dies, and the controller is further configured to operate the positioning unit (11) to: The vibrating unit (5) is moved toward the foil so as to move the vibrating component toward the foil until the distance between at least two adjacent pieces of the plurality of bare sheets on the foil is zero; Then the vibrating unit (5) is moved away from the foil until the distance between all the bare sheets on the foil is at least within the range of 2 μm to 5 μm, wherein the vibrating unit is at its end position when the distance between two bare sheets is within the range of 2 μm to 5 μm; and The controller further includes a processor configured to determine the predefined distance as the difference between the starting position and the ending position.

4. The assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that... It further includes a force sensor (11) operatively connected to the vibration unit (5) such that the force sensor (11) senses the force applied to the foil (3) by the vibration component (6); The controller is further operably connected to the force sensor and configured to, if the force sensor measurement is below a minimum threshold force, operate the positioning unit to move the vibration unit in a direction toward the foil until the vibration component applies a force above the minimum threshold force to the foil; and if the force sensor measurement exceeds a maximum threshold force, operate the positioning unit to move the vibration unit in a direction away from the foil until the vibration component applies a force below the maximum threshold force to the foil.

5. The assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that... The predefined distance is within the range of 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm.

6. The assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that... The vibration unit is configured to cause the vibrating component to vibrate at a frequency between 80 kHz and 110 kHz.

7. The assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that... The vibration unit is configured to cause the vibrating component to vibrate with a constant vibration amplitude between 2 μm and 10 μm.

8. The assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that... The vibration unit includes an ultrasonic transducer and the vibration component includes an ultrasonic welding electrode.

9. The assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that... It further includes a vacuum generator unit operable to apply a vacuum to the second surface of the foil.

10. The assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that... It further includes a pickup head operable to pick up a bare sheet that has been loosened from the foil by the vibration of the vibrating member.

11. The assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that... The surface of the free end of the vibrating component is flat or has multiple ridges.

12. The assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that... The shape and size of the surface of the free end of the vibrating component are equivalent to the shape and size of the surface of the bare sheet to be removed from the foil.

13. The assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that... The surface of the free end of the vibrating component has a square area ranging from 2mm*2mm to 12mm*12mm, or a square area ranging from 0.2mm*0.2mm to 1mm*1mm.

14. The assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that... The vibrating component is removably attached to the vibrating unit, and the assembly further includes a plurality of different vibrating components, each having a surface of a different size at its respective free end and / or a different surface profile at its respective free end, wherein each of the plurality of different vibrating components is removably attached to the vibrating unit.

15. An assembly, characterized in that... It includes: Vibration unit (5) includes a vibration element (6) and is operable to vibrate the vibration element (6) at a predefined frequency, wherein the vibration element (6) has a free end (7) having a surface (7a) configured to contact a foil (3) having one or more bare sheets (2) attached thereto. A force sensor (11) is operatively connected to the vibration unit (5) such that the force sensor (11) is configured to sense the force applied to the foil (3) by the vibration component (6); and A controller (12), operably connected to the force sensor (11), is configured to receive a measurement of the force applied to the foil (3) by the vibrating element (6), and wherein the controller (12) is further operably connected to a positioning unit (18), which is selectively operable to move the vibrating element (5) in a direction toward or away from the foil (3). The controller (12) is configured to operate the positioning unit (11) to move the vibration unit (5) in the direction toward the foil (3) before operating the vibration unit (5) to vibrate the vibration component (6), until the vibration component (6) applies a force to the foil (3) within a predefined initial force range.

16. The assembly according to claim 15, characterized in that... The controller is further configured to operate the positioning unit to move the vibration unit in the direction toward the foil when the force sensor measurement is below a minimum threshold force; and to operate the positioning unit to move the vibration unit away from the foil when the force sensor measurement exceeds a maximum threshold force.

17. The assembly according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that... The controller is configured to operate the positioning unit to move the vibration unit in the direction toward the foil before operating the vibration unit to vibrate the vibration component, so as to move the free end of the vibration component into contact with the foil, and then, after contact, move the free end of the vibration component another predefined distance in the direction toward the foil.

18. The assembly according to claim 17, characterized in that... The predefined distance is in the range of 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm.

19. The assembly according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that... The vibration unit is configured to cause the vibrating component to vibrate at a frequency between 80 kHz and 110 kHz.

20. The assembly according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that... The vibration unit is configured to cause the vibrating component to vibrate with a constant vibration amplitude between 2 μm and 10 μm.

21. The assembly according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that... The vibration unit includes an ultrasonic transducer and the vibration component includes an ultrasonic welding electrode.

22. The assembly according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that... It further includes a vacuum generator unit operable to apply a vacuum to one or more dies adjacent to the dies to be removed from the foil.

23. The assembly according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that... It further includes a pickup head operable to pick up a bare sheet that has been loosened from the foil by the vibration of the vibrating member.

24. The assembly according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that... The surface of the free end of the vibrating component is flat.

25. The assembly according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that... The surface of the free end of the vibrating component has a plurality of ridges.

26. The assembly according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that... The shape and size of the surface of the free end of the vibrating component are equivalent to the shape and size of the surface of the bare sheet attached to the foil.

27. The assembly according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that... The surface of the free end of the vibrating component has a square area ranging from 2mm*2mm to 12mm*12mm or a square area ranging from 0.2mm*0.2mm to 1mm*1mm.

28. The assembly according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that... The vibrating component is removably attached to the vibrating unit, and the assembly further includes a plurality of different vibrating components, each having a surface of a different size at its respective free end and / or a different surface profile at its respective free end, wherein each of the plurality of different vibrating components is removably attached to the vibrating unit.

Images