Other

Loomis Industries, Inc.

James W Loomis

Peter R Bossard

Richard T Tweedie

Richard Avidano

A tube matrix and the corresponding method of joining a plurality of tubes to a base plate to create the tube matrix. The tube matrix has a base plate from which a plurality of parallel tubes extend. The base plate has holes formed though it to receive the tubes. The tubes are placed into the holes on the base plate. The tubes may have end flares that abut against the base plate and prevent the tubes from completely passing through the base plate. Once the tubes are in place in the holes of the base plate, the tubes and base plate are welded together with individual laser welds. The laser welds enable a very dense matrix of tubes to be welded to the base plate without damaging or obstructing the tubes.

System and method for welding small diameter tubes into a high-density matrix

An automatically programmable tilting mechanism for holding a scribe tool at varying angles using an aerostatic bearing. The air bearing secures the scribe tool about its longitudinal shank and generally allows for free axial movement while the tool holding structure prevents rotation of the scribe tool, thus providing extremely fine compliance and force application of the scribe tool point against the substrate. During a scribing process, the tilting mechanism regularly adjusts the angle of the scribe tool relative to the substrate so that a fresh cutting edge is always being employed in the scribing process.

Automatic tool tilting apparatus for a scribe tool

A breaking device for separating a substrate along a scribe line formed in a surface of the substrate and spaced a predetermined distance D from a previously formed scribe line. The breaking device comprises a body member and a pair of laterally spaced annular profile members carried by the body member, the profile members each having a wall structure terminating in the contact surface. The amount of lateral spacing between the profile members is substantially equal to ND, where N is an integer, so that the contact surfaces of the pair of profile members are arranged for surface contact with a substrate on opposite sides of the scribe line, with one of the contact surfaces positioned adjacent the previously formed scribe line. An alternate embodiment includes an additional profile member carried by the body member and positioned between the pair of profile members to provide either equidistant positioning or offset positioning of the contact surface of the additional profile member with respect to the scribe line.

Frangible semiconductor wafer dicing apparatus which employs scribing

A wafer to be diced to form chips is placed on the sticky side of a thin elastic film in the form of a Swiss Cross which is secured to the side members of a compressed but expandable square frame, the frame being placed in a scribing and dicing machine in its released state so that the frame and thus the film can expand during the dicing operation, further expansion being accomplished after dicing of the wafer by heating the film while in an expansion fixture to insure removal of the chips from the film without damaging adjacent chips. The sticky material on the film may be rendered less sticky after formation of the chips by exposure to ultraviolet energy or the like.

Apparatus and method for dicing semiconductor wafers

A method for applying a controlled, adjustable strain and strain rate by use of a break wheel to break a frangible semiconductor wafer around previously placed scribe lines formed along a surface of the wafer. Several embodiments of a break wheel are disclosed. One embodiment uses a pair of spaced profiles engageable on opposite sides of a scribe line on the wafer. Another embodiment uses three laterally spaced contact profiles, the center profile having a smaller radius than that of the two flanking contact profiles. Another embodiment uses a complaint break wheel for applying a resilient breaking force to the wafer in a region straddling the scribe line. All embodiments are used with a tilted surface having a break edge with which the scribe line is aligned prior to the application of the breaking force. The tilted surface is adjustable to provide a variable maximum strain limit.

Frangible semiconductor wafer dicing method which employs scribing and

A scribe tool having a shank with a diamond head at one end and a transverse bar at the opposite end. The bar is oriented parallel to a pair of aligned scribe edges on the diamond head. The tool is to be removably carried by a tool holder which includes a tube disposed in an inclined position to a generally horizontal beam, the latter being secured at one end to a floating arm having a slot therethrough for permitting the tube to extend therethrough. The opposite end of the beam is adjustable by means of a screw carried by the arm. The tube has a plate mounted on the upper end thereof and the plate has uniformly spaced, radial arms provided with projections having surfaces engageable be the bar on the tool shank. The surfaces of the projections of diametrically opposed radial arms being coplanar and adapted to engage the bar when the shank of the tool extends through the tube of the tool holder, thereby orienting the scribe edges of the diamond head relative to the longitudinal axis of the floating arm and thereby the desired scribe direction.

Growing community of inventors

St. Helena, CA, United States of America

James W Loomis