International Business Machines Corporation

David C Linnell

Raymond A Jackson

Frank Louis Pompeo

William A Cavaliere

Tibor L Bauer

Mukta G Farooq

Robert P Westerfield, Jr

Hilton T Toy

Dennis R Barringer

Shaji Farooq

Lewis Sigmund Goldmann

Peter Jeffrey Brofman

Patrick Anthony Coico

Harold M Toffler

Kathleen Ann Stalter

Mark G Courtney

Raj N Master

Jin J Wu

Gregory Blair Martin

Robert P Kuder, Ii

Kathleen Ann Lidestri

Robert Albert Meyen

Ray A Jackson

Thomas Gerard Jantz

Andrew Rybak

Charles R Dart, Ii

James M Miller

Timothy H Freebern

John Peter Karidis

Mario John Interrante

Shawn Canfield

William Edward Sablinski

James H Covell

Raymond R Ruckel

Stephen Anthony DeLaurentis

Leonard J Gardecki

Robert L Nicoletti

Scott A Bradley

David K Green

Dennis Albert Covert

Brian J Stark

David M Waligunda

William Wayne Witmer

Disclosed is an apparatus for separating interconnects between, for example, a card and a substrate. The apparatus includes one or more rotationally biased (e.g., spring-loaded, etc.) partial-circle structures (e.g., blades, squeegee, plow, etc.) and one or more temperature-sensitive releases connected to the partial-circle structures. The partial-circle structures are positioned to rotate and separate the interconnects when released by the temperature-sensitive releases. The invention can also include solder reservoirs positioned to receive solder from the interconnects separated by the partial-circle structures.

Apparatus for removing interconnects to separate two parts of a workpiece

An electromagnetic gasket includes a conductive shell having a pair of side walls and end walls extending therefrom defining at least one opening. The pair of side walls and the end walls have at least one outward bias and at least one inward bias positioned thereon for each opening. The outward bias is configured to electrically connect to an inner tailstock of an electrical enclosure. The at least one opening is configured to receive a connector port housing of a corresponding module therein. The at least one inward bias electrically connects the connector port housing to the inner tailstock of the electrical enclosure. Each module is an electrical module or an optical module, and the at least one inward bias and outward bias provide EMC sealing for multiple connector port housings of a plurality of modules having variable dimensions with respect to at least one of the X, Y and Z axis of the connector port housings.

Universal EMC gasket

Ball grid array rework using a continuous belt furnace

A snap-fit shield is provided which fits securely within a frame opening, and which shields and grounds the opening while eliminating a need for a complementary connector portion. The shield has an insulative inner housing having a first base wall and a first pair of side walls and end walls extending therefrom defining a first cavity. The shield includes a conductive shell having a second base wall and a second pair of side walls and end walls extending therefrom defining a second cavity. The second pair of side walls and end walls have at least one outward bias positioned thereon. The shield also has an insulative outer housing having a third base wall and a third pair of side walls and end walls extending therefrom defining a third cavity. The outer housing is configured to snap-fit within an opening in a frame so as to shield circuitry internal thereto. The third cavity of the outer housing is configured to receive at least a portion of the conductive shield therein, while the second cavity of the conductive shield is configured to receive the inner housing therein.

Snap-fit electromagnetic shield

A method and apparatus are provided for reworking electronic component assemblies where the components are joined by solder interconnections. A cutting device employing a heated wire, blade or other cutting element is forced against and through the solder interconnections to sever the interconnections. A preferred cutting device employs moving the cutting element transverse to the solder interconnections to also provide a sawing action to the solder interconnections. Another cutting device employs a water jet to provide a high pressure stream of water that cuts and severs the solder interconnections.

Rework methods for lead BGA/CGA

A method for removing at least one molten or solid structure from a surface including: placing the surface with the at least one molten or solid structure in a fixture; disposing said wiper assembly acted on by a bias proximate the at least one molten or solid structure; retaining the wiper assembly in a first position with a device having a first temperature point level equivalent to or higher than a second melting point level of the at least one molten or solid structure; and raising the temperature of the fixture to the first temperature point level; wherein the at least one molten or solid structure is wiped from the surface when the device reaches the first temperature point level. An apparatus for removing at least one molten or solid structure from a substrate for rework, the apparatus comprising: a fixture for sustaining and biasing the substrate against a wiper assembly; the wiper assembly configured and positioned to slidably engage at least a portion of the substrate; a bias for translating the wiper assembly along a surface of the substrate having the at least one molten or solid structure to be removed; and a guide block assembly capable of guiding and locking the wiper assembly.

Apparatus and method for removing interconnections

An apparatus for loading, chamfering and unloading a ceramic or ceramic/polymer substrate for electronic components. An automatic part loader moves substrates in a row as a unit, using a frangible pin to push the parts. The part loader separates the first of the substrates from the rest, and a load pedestal pushes the first substrate up into a loading/unloading nest. The load pedestal is mounted on rods so that the substrate may move laterally to center itself in the nest. The nest then rotates to load the substrate onto a movable process pedestal. The chamfering apparatus includes a pair of spaced, rotatable cutting spindles for chamfering edges and corners on the substrate. The cutting spindles include: i) separate top and bottom edge cutters for simultaneously chamfering top and bottom of edges of a substrate secured on the carrier as the substrate passes between the spindles and ii) corner cutters for simultaneously chamfering corners of a substrate secured on the carrier as the substrate contacts the spindles. The pedestal rotates the substrate about an axis normal to the plane of the substrate and moves the substrate in a direction normal to the plane of the substrate to present unchamfered edges and corners to the cutting spindles. A disc brake on the process pedestal may be actuated to prevent rotation of the substrate during chamfering. An enclosure surrounds the substrate, chamfering cutters and process pedestal during chamfering and utilizes the air flow supplied by the rotating cutters to propel chips into a particle collector.

Automated chamfering method

Automated chamfering apparatus and method

A method and apparatus is provided for forming an elongated solder joint between two soldered substrates of an electronic module by applying a controlled separating force between the two soldered substrates during and/or after heating of the module. The solder joints are plasticized, preferably to the molten state above the liquidus temperature, and are thereby stretched and the module is then cooled to solidify the stretched joints. An apparatus and method are provided which preferably uses a vacuum device as the separating force to stretch the existing solder joints to the desired solder height and configuration which is preferably an hour-glass shape.

Ceramic ball grid array using in-situ solder stretch

A method and apparatus are provided for forming an elongated solder joint between two soldered substrates of an electronic module or an electronic module in the process of being fabricated by using expandable solder bump means disposed between the substrates. The expandable solder bumps means comprise solder having a higher reflow temperature than the solder used to join the substrates and expansion means such as a compressed spring encased within the solder and are activated (expanded) by reflowing at a higher temperature than the melting point temperature of the solder joints.

Enhanced ceramic ball grid array using in-situ solder stretch with spring

A device is provided for stretching solder interconnection joints between two substrates of an electronic module. The device employs an expandable metal to exert a separating (stretching) force to the two substrates whereby a lifting rod attached to a clamping bridge is cause to move upwards by expansion of the expandable metal raising a first substrate clamped thereto. A lifting bridge in connection with the clamping bridge is caused to move downward to maintain the lifting bridge in contact with the second substrate being interconnected to the first substrate.

Enhanced ceramic ball grid array using in-situ solder stretch with clip

An apparatus for removing surface irregularities from a flat workpiece includes one or more abrading assemblies through which the workpiece passes sequentially. Each abrading assembly has a lower contact assembly and an upper contact assembly. The upper contact assembly is precisely spaced above the lower contact assembly in opposing parallel relation to the lower assembly. The lower and upper contact assemblies reciprocate in opposing directions to provide abrading action to the workpiece.

Apparatus for removing surface irregularities from a flat workpiece

Deformation of a lifting ring of bimetallic structure or memory metal is matched to a solder softening or melting temperature to apply forces to lift a chip from a supporting structure, such as a substrate or multi-chip module, only when the solder connections between the chip and the supporting structure are softened or melted. The temperature of the chip, module and solder connections there between is achieved in a commercially available box oven or belt furnace or the like and results in much reduced internal chip temperatures and thermal gradients within the chip as compared to known hot chip removal processes. Tensile and/or shear forces at solder connections and chip and substrate contacts are much reduced in comparison with known cold chip removal processes. Accordingly, the process is repeatable at will without significant damage to or alteration of electrical characteristics of the chip or substrate.

In-situ device removal for multi-chip modules

Growing community of inventors

Poughkeepsie, NY, United States of America

David C Linnell