Western Electric Company, Inc.

Lehighton Electronics, Inc.

Willard G Otto

Lyle J Hentz

George L Allerton

An electrical contact assembly for use as a component of an automated system for testing electronic devices, such as silicon chips. The contact assembly comprises a ring element, a plurality of spring loaded contact probes, an elastic retaining band and alignment pins. The ring element has a plurality of holes that extend through the element from the top to the bottom surfaces, and a groove that encircles the ring element, extending inwardly from its outer peripheral surface, and connects through a small window with each hole. A spring loaded contact probe is positioned in each hole and has a small portion of its surface projecting into the groove through the window associated with each hole. An elastic retaining band is placed in the groove, and partially grasps a portion of the surface of each spring-loaded contact probe, where the surface thereof projects into the groove. Thus, the retaining band maintains each contact probe in position in the ring element, while permitting the contact probe to move in either direction without undue interference. The alignment pins extend outwardly from the bottom surface of the ring element to assist in positioning the contact assembly in an automated testing system.

Electrical contact assembly

A plurality of small articles, such as beam-lead semiconductor devices, are precisely positioned by placing them on the ends of tubular members which are centered in cavities having the form of inverted, truncated, pyramids. The smallest cross section of the cavities is smaller than the smallest article to be positioned. The members slide vertically within the cavities and are resiliently supported by a vacuum chamber for movement therewith. The chamber is lowered with a vertical oscillatory motion, while a slight vacuum is applied, to lower the articles into the cavities and engage them intermittently with the walls of the cavity. This orients and centers the articles in the cavities. A substrate, having sites to which the articles are to be bonded, is coated with a liquefiable substance to render the sites adherent. The substrate is then positioned over the cavities. Next, the substrate is heated to liquefy the substance, the vacuum is increased to hold the articles on the tubes in the precise position established by the cavities, and the tubes are raised to press the articles against the liquefied substance. The substrate is then cooled to solidify the substance and thereby secure the articles in place. With this technique, several hundred articles may be simultaneously positioned and adhered to a substrate to facilitate the subsequent simultaneous bonding of the articles to the substrate.

Apparatus for positioning and adhering a plurality of semiconductor

An article, such as a beam-lead semiconductor device, is precisely oriented by placing it on the end of a tubular member which is centered in a cavity having the form of inverted, truncated, pyramid. The smallest cross section of the cavity is smaller than the smallest article to be positioned. The member slides vertically within the cavity and is resiliently supported by a vacuum chamber for movement therewith. The chamber is lowered with a vertical oscillatory motion, while a slight vacuum is applied, to lower the article into the cavity and engage it intermittently with the walls of the cavity. This orients and centers the article in the cavity.

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Schnecksville, PA, United States of America

Willard G Otto