Adjustable Tine Cleaning Head for Semiconductor Terminal Gaps

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for cleaning semiconductor products, such as scraping dirt or solder dross between conductive terminals, are time-consuming and risk damaging the terminals or substrate, leading to poor electrical performance.

Innovation Solution

A cleaning apparatus with a cleaning head featuring adjustable tines that extend into the gaps between conductive terminals, allowing for efficient removal of dirt or solder dross while minimizing the risk of damage, utilizing an expandable assembly and adjustment mechanism to customize the space intervals between tines for precise fit.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If operators use tools (e.g., knives or screw drivers) to scrape dirt or solder dross away, then the dirt or solder dross can be removed, but the conductive terminals or circuits may be damaged and working time is consumed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveintegrity of conductive terminalsVSAvoidcleaning time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The cleaning head is segmented into multiple tines that can be independently positioned. Each tine can be adjusted to fit between specific conductive terminals, allowing parallel cleaning of multiple terminals simultaneously while maintaining precise control to avoid damage to each individual terminal

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The manual scraping operation is replaced by a mechanical cleaning head with tines that automatically engage with the conductive terminals. The expandable assembly provides controlled mechanical force through the tines to remove dirt and solder dross without requiring manual scraping motions that risk damaging the terminals

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Adaptability or versatility

If fixed-spacing tines are used, then the structure is simple, but it cannot adapt to different pitch specifications of conductive terminals

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptability to different pitch specificationsVSAvoidstructure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cleaning head incorporates an expandable assembly that allows the spacing between tines to be dynamically adjusted. The tines can be moved relative to each other along the cleaning head to match different pitch specifications of conductive terminals, transforming a static structure into an adaptable one

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The spacing parameter between tines is made variable through the expandable assembly mechanism. By changing the expansion state of the assembly, the distance between adjacent tines can be adjusted to correspond to different conductive terminal pitches, enabling the same cleaning head to work with various semiconductor product specifications

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS10105737B2Cleaning apparatus

Publication Date: 2018.10.23 GLOBAL UNICHIP CORPORATION

AI summary

A cleaning apparatus includes a case and a cleaning head. The cleaning head is disposed on the case, and provided with a plurality of tines. The tines are separately arranged abreast. The tines are used to extend into gaps between plural conductive terminals of a semiconductor product for cleaning the semiconductor product.