Pick-and-place tool with independent holder structures for 3D stacking
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current pick-and-place tools in advanced packaging or stacking face challenges with low throughput and alignment accuracy, making them unsuitable for high-volume, mass production of devices, particularly in 3D stacking applications where precise alignment of through silicon vias (TSVs) is required.
Innovation Solution
A pick-and-place tool with movable holder structures and independently movable pick-and-place structures, equipped with pick-up elements that can adjust distance and orientation to achieve high alignment accuracy and increased throughput by accommodating multiple components and allowing for independent movement of pick-up elements along the holder structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a single pick-and-place structure is used, then alignment accuracy can be maintained, but throughput is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The pick-and-place tool is divided into multiple independent pick-and-place structures (first, second, third, and fourth structures) that can operate simultaneously. Each structure has its own pick-up element and can independently pick and place components, enabling parallel processing and significantly increasing throughput while maintaining alignment accuracy through individual positioning control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces movement along a longitudinal axis in addition to the traditional lateral movement. Pick-up elements can move laterally along holder structures and also move longitudinally along the holder structures, creating a two-dimensional movement capability that allows multiple pick-up elements to access different positions on the donor substrate simultaneously, thereby increasing throughput without compromising placement precision.
2Productivity
If multiple pick-and-place structures are added to increase throughput, then productivity improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple pick-and-place structures share common holder structures and control systems. The holder structures support both lateral and longitudinal movement, providing a universal platform that accommodates multiple pick-up elements. This multi-functional design allows the same structural framework to serve multiple picking and placing operations, reducing the overall complexity compared to having completely separate systems for each pick-and-place operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple pick-and-place structures into a single integrated tool with shared holder structures, control systems, and substrate handling mechanisms. By merging these functions into a unified system rather than using separate independent tools, the overall device complexity is managed more efficiently while still achieving high throughput through parallel operations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If pick-up elements are fixed on holder structures, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability to different component orientations is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The pick-up elements are designed with dynamic movement capabilities along the longitudinal axis of the holder structures. This dynamic positioning allows each pick-up element to adjust its position to match different component orientations and locations on the donor substrate. The longitudinal movement mechanism enables the tool to adapt to various component arrangements without requiring completely different tool configurations, thereby enhancing versatility while managing complexity through a standardized movement framework.
Data Source
AI summary
A pick-and-place tool including a plurality of movable holder structures, and a plurality of pick-and-place structures, each holder structure accommodating two or more of the pick-and-place structures, wherein at least one of the two or more pick-and-place structures of a respective holder structure is able to move along a respective holder structure independently from another at least one of the two or more pick-and-place structures of the respective holder structure, and wherein each pick-and-place structure includes a pick-up element configured to pick up a donor component at a donor structure and place the donor component an acceptor structure.