Wafer Supply Buffering for Continuous Chip Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for assembling electronic components using automatic assembly machines face inefficiencies due to the need for frequent wafer replacements, which interrupts the assembly process and increases waste and environmental impact, as components are typically packaged in component tapes that are bulky, costly to dispose of, and require time-consuming replacement.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that utilize a wafer conveying device to quickly switch between wafers, allowing for simultaneous or sequential removal of chips from multiple wafers, reducing wafer replacement time and enabling continuous operation by pre-positioning the next wafer for immediate use, thereby improving assembly performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If components are packaged in component tapes and conveyed to provision position, then components can be supplied to assembly machine, but packaging is complicated and waste treatment is bulky and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the harmful packaging material (component tape) from the system by directly supplying components from wafer form factor, eliminating the need for tape-based packaging and its associated waste disposal problems
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical form parameter of component supply from packaged components on component tape to unpackaged components on wafer, fundamentally altering how components are conveyed and handled in the assembly process
2Adaptability or versatility
If wafers are replaced frequently in automatic assembly machine, then different types of components can be assembled, but assembly operation is interrupted and assembly performance degrades
Solution Approach 1:
The invention prepares multiple wafers in advance and positions them in the wafer storage device before assembly operations begin, so that wafer replacement can occur quickly without interrupting the assembly flow
Solution Approach 2:
The wafer storage device acts as an intermediary buffer between wafer preparation and assembly operations, allowing seamless transitions between different wafer types without direct interruption to the assembly process
3Productivity
If wafer replacement is performed quickly, then assembly performance is improved, but wafer conveying time may increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple wafers are pre-positioned in the wafer storage device at designated locations before assembly begins, eliminating the need for time-consuming wafer conveyance during assembly operations
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous assembly operation by having wafer replacement occur in the background through pre-positioned wafers, ensuring that the assembly process never stops while still enabling rapid wafer changes when needed
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention describes an apparatus for providing wafers with separated chips for an automatic assembly machine. The apparatus comprises: (a) a receiving device for receiving the provided wafers to remove the chips by an assembly head of the automatic assembly machine; (b) a storage device having a plurality of storage positions for accommodating each wafer; and (c) a wafer conveying device for conveying the wafers between the storage device and the receiving device. The wafer conveying device has at least a first conveying station and a second conveying station, and is configured to first transfer a first wafer from the receiving device to the first conveying station and then transfer a second wafer from the second conveying station to the receiving device. The present invention further describes a method for providing wafers and a system for assembling chips for a component carrier, and the system comprises such apparatus for providing the wafers.