Interleaved Pick-and-Place Patterns for LED Uniformity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing pick-and-place apparatuses face challenges in achieving uniformity of component performance on substrates while maintaining high throughput, particularly due to non-uniformity in LED performance across wafers, which is exacerbated by serpentine processes and limited by robotic arms.

Innovation Solution

A pick-and-place apparatus that places components in multiple passes using interleaved placement patterns, optimizing the distribution of components across the substrate to improve uniformity while allowing high throughput.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If components are placed using a serpentine process to maintain high throughput, then productivity is improved, but uniformity of component performance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovethroughputVSAvoiduniformity of component performance
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The placement process is divided into multiple passes, with each pass placing a subset of components according to a specific placement pattern. This segmentation allows the system to maintain high throughput while achieving uniform distribution of components across the substrate, resolving the contradiction between productivity and uniformity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically selects from multiple interleaved placement patterns based on the current pass number. By making the placement pattern dynamic rather than static, the system can adapt to achieve both high throughput and uniform component distribution, preventing the performance non-uniformity that occurs with fixed serpentine processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Device complexity

If a single placement pattern is used to simplify the process, then device complexity is reduced, but uniformity of component performance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocess complexityVSAvoiduniformity of component performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system employs periodic action by cycling through multiple placement patterns in a repeating sequence across different passes. This periodic variation in placement patterns ensures uniform component distribution while maintaining a relatively simple control mechanism that selects patterns based on the pass number, thus not significantly increasing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the placement pattern parameter based on the pass number, creating interleaved patterns that improve uniformity. This parameter change approach achieves better uniformity without requiring complex additional hardware, as it primarily involves software-controlled pattern selection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Device complexity

If components are collected at a single collect position to simplify the apparatus, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveapparatus complexityVSAvoidthroughput
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The collection process is segmented into multiple passes, with each pass collecting a subset of components from different positions on the carrier. This segmentation enables high throughput by parallelizing collection operations while using a relatively simple single collect position mechanism, avoiding the need for complex multi-position collection systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts which components are collected in each pass based on the placement pattern being used. This dynamic coordination between collection and placement operations maintains high throughput while keeping the collection apparatus simple, as the single collect position is efficiently utilized across multiple passes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The apparatus achieves improved uniformity of component performance on the substrate by spreading components evenly, enhancing user-perceived quality without compromising throughput.

Implementation Method 1

vacuum units 106 are mounted that are each configured for holding a component 107 by means of vacuum

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVacuum: Vacuum

Data Source

PatentEP4310896B1Pick-and-place apparatus, system, and method
Publication Date: 2025.09.03 NEXPERIA BV
  • EP4310896B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4310896B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4310896B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a pick-and-place apparatus that is configured to cause components to be placed on a substrate in a number of passes, wherein during each pass components among a plurality of components are placed on the substrate in a respective placement pattern among a collection of interleaved placement patterns.