At&t Bell Laboratories

Lucent Technologies Inc.

At+t Corp.

American Telephone and Telegraph, Co.

Hung N Nguyen

Leroy D L'Esperance, Iii

Yiu-Man Wong

Michael F Brady

Frederick Simchock

Ralph A Treder

Joe A Fulton

Laurence Shrapnell Watkins

A machine vision system and method of enhancing the imaging of an article which is comprised of optically translucent or semi-transparent material. Generally, the system includes a vision processor, a video camera, a computer, and an illuminator. The illuminator directs light, in a three dimensional space, at a surface of the material other than a surface to be imaged. The light which enters the translucent material is scattered isotropically within the material and emerges from the surface to be imaged, in effect illuminating the material. The illumination enhances contrast, that can be typically achieved with conventional lighting, between the material and its background or adjoining components permitting the machine vision system to clearly image and detect features of the article.

Method and apparatus for illuminating translucent and semi-transparent

A method and apparatus aligns device components based on an analysis of an image of features of the components to be aligned. The image is analyzed for deviation in component alignment, and a signal, based on the deviation, is sent to a positioning apparatus to adjust the position of the components relative to each other. The image of the components is advantageously a top view which permits measuring deviations in alignment of features on the top surfaces of components. The components are advantageously bonded together after alignment, and the alignment accuracy of the bonded components is checked.

Method and apparatus for alignment and bonding

A method and apparatus measures a deviation in alignment between two components of a product wherein each component is characterized by a respective pattern and wherein each pattern comprises respective elements. The centroid of each element in each respective pattern is indicated, and based on the centroid indications, the center of each respective pattern is indicated. The deviation in alignment between the two components is determined as a function of the indicated position of the centers of the respective patterns, and positioning of the components is controlled as a function of the indicated position of the centers of the respective patterns.

Method and apparatus for fabricating products using alignment measuring

For soldering together two surfaces of a workpiece by means of solder, and without the use of a solder flux, apparatus includes means for preheating the workpiece and solder to a temperature close to but less than the solder fusing temperature, and means for directing two jets of a hot, non-oxidizing gas towards the preform from opposite sides thereof and along a straight line axis. The hot gas melts the solder and causes flow of the melted solder between the two surfaces in directions generally transverse to the axis of the two gas jets.

Apparatus and method for fluxless soldering

An electronic device (11) has on one surface a first ball grid array (12) having a first area. The first ball grid array is bonded to a first intermediate interconnection member (13) having on an opposite surface a second ball grid array having the same number of solder balls (23) as the first array, but of a significantly larger area than that of the first array. Each of the solder balls (23) of the second ball grid array is connected by a connection comprising a conductive via ( 18, 19) extending through the first interconnection member (13) to one of the solder balls of the first ball grid array.

Electronic device interconnection techniques

A first conductor array (24, FIG. 5) of an electronic device (21) such as an integrated circuit is interconnected to a second conductor array (25) of a first substrate (22) by, first, using photolithographic masking and etching to make an array of substantially uniformly spaced apertures (15, FIG. 2) in a mask (11). The mask is located over a second substrate (12), and the apertures are used to form an array of substantially uniformly spaced metal particles (19). The metal particles are joined with insulative material (11) to form a layer of anisotropic conductive material (20), and the anisotropic conductive material layer is removed from the second substrate. The conductors (24) in the first conductor array of the electronic device are registered with conductors (25) of the second conductor array of the first substrate (22), and the layer of anisotropic conductive materials is compressed between the first and second conductor arrays. This causes individual particles of the layer of anisotropic conductive material to make simultaneous contact with conductors of the first (24) and second (25) conductor arrays so as to interconnect the electronic device to the conductors of the first substrate. The insulative material (11) may be an adhesive, in which case it permanently bonds the device (21) to the substrate (22), or alternatively, the anisotropic conductive material (20) may only temporarily interconnect the electronic device with the first substrate as is required for testing of the device.

Anisotropic conductor techniques

Alignment of each of a plurality of depending first conductive members (16), in an array of orthogonal rows and columns on an article (12), with a corresponding second conductive member (18) arranged in a like array on a substrate (14), is accomplished by positioning the article in spaced relationship from the substrate. The arrays of first and second conductive members (16,18) are first angularly aligned by rotating the article (12) so that the offset between a first column of first and second conductive members on the article and substrate, respectively, as seen by a television camera (32) at a first end of the article and substrate is the same as the offset between a second column of first and second members on the article and substrate, respectively, at the other end thereof as seen by a second camera (30). Translational alignment of the arrays of first and second conductive members (16,18) is accomplished by displacing the substrate (14) so that the first and second conductive members in the first column on the article and substrate, respectively, are aligned at the same time that the first and second conductive members in the first row of first and second conductive members on the article and substrate, respectively, are aligned.

Article alignment method and apparatus

Apparatus (11) is robotically operated to pick up an optical element such as a ball lens (12) or an optical fiber, place it in a groove or depression (13) of a substrate (14), and apply pressure to it so that it is bonded to the substrate. The tool comprises a retracting element holder (17) surrounding a bonding tool (16). A vacuum channel (18) communicates with the element holder so that, by the application of a vacuum, it can pick up an optical element. The tool then moves the element to place it, for example, in a depression (13) of a substrate, whereupon the vacuum is released, thereby to allow the element to nest between opposing sidewalls of the depression. The retracting holder element is simultaneously retracted vertically upwardly so as to expose a bonding surface of the bonding tool. After the element has nested in the groove, the bonding tool contacts the element and forces it against opposite sidewalls to effect a thermo-compression bond of the optical element with the sidewalls.

Placement and bonding technique for optical elements

A holder member (32) is made with a configuration of indentations (33) corresponding to the indentations (24, 25) on a substrate (23) within which optical elements (11-14, 16-19) are to be bonded. Vacuum channels (34) are made in the holder member, each communicating with one of the holder indentations (33), through which a vacuum is applied to temporarily hold the optical elements in place. The substrate containing the indentations or grooves within which optical elements are to be bonded is then positioned above the optical elements mounted in the holder member (FIG. 8). The optical elements are simultaneously bonded to the substrate by lowering the substrate to contact the elements to effect the bond. After bonding, the holder vacuum is released and the substrate (23) is withdrawn with all of the optical elements (11-14, 16-19) bonded to it.

Method and apparatus for making optical devices

A first flat surface portion (17) of an upper mounting member (11) is made to be parallel with a second flat surface portion (18) of a lower mounting member (12) by, first, supporting the lower mounting member on a spherical cushion of air defined by a lower surface portion (20). The first surface portion (17) is next brought into contact with the second surface portion (18) which causes an adjustment in the position of lower mounting member (12) so as to make the surfaces (17) and (18) coplanar. The air supply to the lower mounting member is then reversed to apply a vacuum which draws the lower mounting member (12) into contact with the support member (22) so as to fix the second surface portion (18) in a parallel relationship to that of the first surface portion (17).

Device manipulation apparatus and method

External connections are made in an electronic device (11) having on an upper surface an array of contact pads (12) by providing successively over the electronic device a first anisotropic member (13), a first flat insulator member (14) having on an upper surface a first conductor pattern (29), a second flat anisotropic conductor member (15), and a second flat insulator member (17) having on an upper surface a second conductor pattern (30). The two flat insulator members contain an array of conductive vias (25, 26) extending between opposite surfaces. The first anistropic conductor member (13) and a first array of conductive vias (25) extending through the first insulative member (14) interconnects a first plurality of contact pads (12) on the electronic device (11) to the first conductor pattern (29) which includes a peripheral array of contact pads (32) to which external connections are made. Means for interconnecting a second plurality of the contact pads on the electronic device to the second conductor pattern (30) comprise the second flat anisotropic conductor member (15) and a second array of conductive vias (26) extending through the second insulator member (17), the first array of conductive vias (25) and the first anisotropic conductor member (13).

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Bensalem, PA, United States of America

Hung N Nguyen