Mold Compound Feeder Jam Prevention via Alignment Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mold compound feeder jams occur in semiconductor packaging systems due to misaligned or improperly sized mold compound tablets, leading to maintenance needs and halting of the transfer mold process.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a mold compound remover system that detects misaligned tablets and removes them from the path using sensors and air pressure to prevent jams, ensuring tablets are aligned on their longitudinal axis before being conveyed further in the process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mold compound tablets are conveyed through the feeder without alignment detection, then the conveying process is simple and fast, but feeder jams occur due to misaligned tablets
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary alignment detection of mold compound tablets before they are conveyed into the molding position. The sensor detects the alignment state of each tablet in advance, and misaligned tablets are removed before they can cause jams during the molding process, thus preventing feeder jams before they occur
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual inspection and mechanical alignment methods with an optical sensor system that automatically detects tablet alignment. This substitution of mechanical detection with optical sensing improves reliability while keeping the added complexity minimal
2Productivity
If misaligned mold compound tablets are removed from the path, then feeder jams are prevented, but the device complexity increases due to additional detection and removal mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts or removes misaligned mold compound tablets from the conveying path using a removal mechanism positioned adjacent to the sensor. By taking out only the defective tablets (those that are misaligned) rather than processing all tablets, the system maintains high productivity while adding minimal complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor acts as an intermediary between the tablet supply and the molding process. It detects alignment status and triggers the removal mechanism only when misalignment is detected, serving as a mediator that enables selective intervention without requiring complex continuous monitoring or control systems
3Reliability
If manual intervention is used to clear feeder jams, then the system can handle misaligned tablets, but operator risk increases and downtime increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically detecting and removing misaligned tablets through the sensor and removal mechanism. This automated self-service eliminates the need for operator intervention to clear jams, improving reliability while enhancing operator safety by minimizing their involvement with moving parts
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by preventing jams before they can occur. The sensor detects misaligned tablets and triggers removal before the tablets can reach positions where they would cause jams, thereby preventing the harmful event rather than responding to it after occurrence
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
This solution significantly reduces the likelihood of feeder jams, increasing the mean time between required assists by a factor of 23 and decreasing downtime from 1.0% to 0.8%, while also reducing operator risk by minimizing manual intervention in the machine.
Implementation Method 1
A sensor is disposed above a path of a mold compound feeder. The sensor detects a distance to a surface of a mold compound tablet conveyed on the path.
Implementation Method 2
The mold compound remover is configured to blow the mold compound tablet off of the path of the mold compound feeder
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus to preventing mold feeder jams in a system to package integrated circuits. An example method includes detecting if a mold compound tablet has a first alignment on a path and removing the mold compound tablet from the path if the mold compound tablet has a second alignment different from the first alignment.