WO2001037626A2

WO2001037626A2 - Transport device and method for transferring product carriers for electronic components

Info

Publication number: WO2001037626A2
Application number: PCT/NL2000/000826
Authority: WO
Inventors: Petrus Henricus Josephus Van Oosterhout; Willem Antonie Hennekes; Ronnie Gerardus Johanna Bernardus Duis
Original assignee: Fico B.V.
Priority date: 1999-11-12
Filing date: 2000-11-10
Publication date: 2001-05-25
Also published as: TW491005B; NL1013569C2; WO2001037626A3

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for transporting product carriers for electronic components between production devices, comprising: a guide which can be placed along the production devices for serving, at least one carriage movable along the guide, which carriage is provided with means for placing product carriers on the production devices and removing them from the production devices, at least one motor for driving the carriage, and at least one controll operating independently of the production devices. The invention also relates to a method for transporting product carriers for electronic components and a production device for processing electronic components, which is provided with at least one loading/unloading position for a product carrier, which loading/unloading position comprises means for accurate positioning of the product carriers.

Description

Transport device and method for displacing product carriers for electronic components

The invention relates to a device for transportmg electronic components between production device. In addition, the invention provides a method for transporting product carriers for electronic components. The invention also relates to a production device which is adapted to co-act with such a transport device.

In the production of electronic components, such as integrated circuits in particular, use is made of complex and expensive equipment. Examples hereof are devices for testing, encapsulating, sawing, separating, vision inspection, bending, soldering, packing and so on. The different processes were performed heretofore independently of each other or the production devices were coupled mutually in line. The products for processing are herein received in a so-called leadframe. The leadframe enables handling of the products with for instance an assembly as described in the international patent application

PCT NL98/00396 in the name of the present applicant. However, due to the developments particularly in the field of semiconductor production, the existing transport methods cannot always be applied advantageously. In the production of semiconductor products without leadframe (for instance chip size packages or CSP production) use is made of separate product carriers which either cannot be processed with the existing transport systems or only with significant drawbacks.

The present invention has for its object to provide a transport device of the type stated in the preamble with which product carriers for electronic components are displaceable in efficient and flexible manner between production devices and with which the degree of capacity utilization of the production devices can be optimized.

To this end the invention provides a device for transporting product carriers for electronic components between production devices, comprising: a guide which can be placed along the production devices for serving, at least one carriage movable along the guide, which carriage is provided with means for placing product carriers on the production devices and removing them from the production devices, at least one motor for driving the carriage and at least one control operating independently of the production devices. Such a transport device can be manufactured relatively inexpensively. One reason herefor is the transport device not being integrated with the production devices; the simple control of the transport device does not have to be adapted to the controls of the production devices. Another reason are the small accuracy requirements imposed in respect of the transport; positioning during transport is of no importance. A significant advantage is that the degree of capacity utilization of the production devices can be considerably increased. These relatively expensive units do not have to be idle, or hardly so, because of product displacements. An expensive mould for encapsulating integrated circuits for instance can thus process more products per time unit. A further advantage of the device according to the invention is that the routing of the products can be freely chosen; the flexibility in respect of the products for processing, whether or not simultaneously, on a cluster of production devices co-acting with the transport device according to the invention is very great. It is also possible by means of the invention for one or more production devices to be idle (for maintenance, change-over or due to breakdown) while production continues on the other production devices. The invention imposes no stringent requirements on the placing of the production devices; this in contrast to the prior art wherein positioning and alignment of the production devices is a labour-intensive and complex process. Further advantages will be described with reference to a number of preferred embodiments of the transport device.

In a particular preferred embodiment the carriage is provided with at least two loading positions for product carriers. Even more preferably, these loading positions are located above each other and the carriage is provided with lifting means for carrying a loading position to a desired height. Immediately after the removal of a product holder (with processed products), a production device can thus be refilled with a new product holder

(with products still to be processed) without the carriage having to be displaced. This can further reduce possible standstill of the relevant production device and increases the capacity of the transport device. It is also possible to use the carriage as a (limited) buffer.

In another preferred embodiment the carriage is provided with at least one positioning sensor for positioning the carriage relative to the production devices. The control of the transport device can thus remain fully independent of the controls of the production devices. It is possible to embody the transport device such that previously visited positions are stored and that in the case of a renewed visit to such a position a check is made as to whether the stored position is still correct or whether it has to be changed.

The carriage is preferably spring-mounted relative to the guide. The already very small accuracy requirements in respect of the dimensioning of the guide can hereby be reduced even further. Separate guide components do not therefore have to fit together precisely; the spring-mounting in the carriage prevents too great a mechanical load on the products in the product carrier.

In yet another preferred embodiment the device is provided with identification means for identifying the separate product carriers. Particularly when the executed transport operations are stored in a memory in combination with the associated identification of the product carriers is it possible to control the processing operations to a far-reaching extent. The cause of for instance defects in products can thus be traced. The transport device can also be embodied with a so-called tracking and tracing function. Another added advantage is that the transport device according to this preferred embodiment can be restarted again in relatively simple manner after a complete standstill.

The control is preferably at least substantially assembled with the carriage. The number of connections between the carriage and the environment can hereby be reduced to the most elementary ones; a few signal lines can suffice in addition to a power supply cable.

In order to prevent loss of position of a product carrier relative to the carriage during transport, the carriage is provided with locking means for fixing the position of the product carriers relative to the carriage.

The invention also provides a method for transporting product carriers for electronic components, comprising the steps of:

A) displacing a carriage along a transport path to a location close to a pick-up position for a product carrier, B) engaging the product carrier outside the transport path with an engaging mechanism forming part of the carriage, C) displacing the engaged product carrier to a position above the transport path, D) displacing the carriage with picked-up product carrier along the transport path to a location close to a lay-off position for a product carrier, and E) displacing the engaged product carrier from above the transport path to a lay-off position using the engaging mechanism forming part of the carriage.

The subsequent transport of the product carrier at the pick-up position and/or lay-off position preferably takes place using a manipulator which forms part of a processing station also comprising the relevant pick-up position and/or lay-off position. This method enables inexpensive displacement of product carriers between processing stations which can take a modular form. Only the location of the pick-up position and/or lay-off position is relevant for the coupling of a modular processing station to the transport path. The interaction between these modular processing stations and the transport path with carriage can remain very limited, which makes it simple to adapt the construction of a particular assembly of modular processing stations and the transport path, for instance by placing an additional modular processing station. A modularity can thus also be realized at functional level (processing level). Additional transfer devices or transfer stations become superfluous so that a particular assembly of modular processing stations and the transport path need contain only very few (or no) elements which add no value to the electronic components for processing. This is found to be particularly advantageous in the processing of leadframes at a high density and in the case of very small products.

The invention further provides a production device for processing electronic components, which is provided with at least one loading/unloading position for a product carrier, which loading/unloading position comprises means for accurate positioning of the product earners. Such a production device can be loaded and unloaded with a transport device as described above with all the associated advantages. The accurate positioning of the product carrier by the production device limits the required accuracy in respect of the transport device and the accuracy in positioning of the transport device relative to the production device. Only where the accuracy is essential because of process requirements is it actually present. A positioning of the product carrier can be realized in that the means for positioning the product carriers comprise at least one locating edge for simultaneously defining the layoff position when a product carrier is placed in the loading/unloading position. As extra facility the means for accurate positioning of the product carriers can comprise at least one positioning pin, which may or may not be displaceable, for co-action with a recess arranged for this purpose in the product carrier. Both methods can effect an accurate positioning directly and without complex controls when the product earner is placed in the production device. For further processing of the products in the production device the device preferably comprises separate displacing means for displacing the products inside the device.

The present invention will be further elucidated with reference to the non-limitative embodiment shown in the following figures. Herein: figure 1 shows a perspective view of a transport device and four production devices according to the invention, figure 2 shows a perspective view of a part of the transport device shown in figure 1 in a position with a non-filled production device, and figure 3 shows a perspective view of the part of the transport device shown in figure 2 in a position during filling of the production device.

Figure 1 shows a transport device 1 which travels along four production devices 2. It is noted that production devices 2 are only shown very schematically, they may take any random form and may also be placed in any desired configuration connecting onto transport device 1. For the sake of clarity in this figure the production devices 2 are only placed on one side of transport device 1 but it is also possible to place them on either side of transport device 1. Each production device 2 is provided with an infeed/outfeed position 3, at which positions 3 lie product carriers 4.

Connecting onto production devices 2 is the transport device 1 which consists of a guide 5 in the form of a channel over which a carriage 6 is displaceable. Channel 5 can be supported by a separate frame, not shown in this figure, but it is also possible to simply suspend channel 5 from production devices 2. The invention makes unnecessary an accurate positioning of channel 5 relative to production devices 2. Reference is made to figures 2 and 3 for a further description of carriage 6. Carriage 6 is provided with a motor with toothed wheel, likewise not shown in this figure, which engages on a toothed belt 7 tensioned in the channel 5. Carriage 6 is hereby displaceable along channel 5 with great speed and sufficient accuracy.

Figure 2 shows carriage 6 in more detail. The infeed/outfeed position 3 of production device 2 is not filled in this figure. The edges 8 of infeed/outfeed position 3 ca take a chamfered form such that when a product carrier 4 is placed it seeks precisely a desired position.

The carriage 6, which is adapted to carry two product carriers 4, is shown in this figure with only a single product carrier 4 (see also figure 3). Electronic components 9 are located on product carrier 4. Carriage 6 runs with preferably spring-mounted wheels 10,17 along guide 5. A frame 11 carries with it on the underside a control 12, which reduces the necessity for data exchange between carriage 6 and the outside environment. The additional advantage of the control 12 suspended beneath frame 11 is that the centre of gravity of carriage 6 is relatively low with all the associated advantages. Engaging on vertical uprights of frame 11 is a lifting construction 14 which is vertically displaceable by means of a lifting cylinder 15. Using lifting cylinder 15 the selected product carrier 4 or an empty position for picking up a product carrier 4 can be brought to the correct height for co-action with an infeed/outfeed position 3.

Figure 3 shows that a horizontally displaceable arm 16 pushes a product carrier 4 out of carriage 6 to the infeed/outfeed position 3. A displaceable mechanical coupling element, an electromagnet or other means can be chosen for engagement of arm 16 on earner 4. It would seem advantageous in practice to provide product carriers 4 with a recess (not shown), into which a mechanical coupling element can be placed. It is possible to arrange such recesses on two longitudinal sides of product carrier 4 such that carriage 6 can supply and discharge the product carriers on either side of channel 5. Likewise not shown in this figure are means for fixing product carrier 4 and carriage 6 in a transport position. Many solutions can be envisaged for this purpose, but particularly advantageous would seem to be the application of a permanent magnet, the resistance of which can be overcome by arm 16 but which prevents shifting of a product carrier during displacement of carriage 6. In order to prevent sideward displacement of carriage 6 relative to channel 5 the frame 1 1 is also provided with the horizontally placed wheels 17 which engage on the standing walls 18 of channel 5. The carriage is preferably provided with four horizontally placed wheels 17, two of which are assembled in spring-mounted manner with carriage 6.

Although the invention is elucidated with reference to only a single embodiment, it will be apparent to all that the invention is by no means limited to the described and shown embodiment. On the contrary, many more variations are possible for the skilled person within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. Device for transporting product carriers for electronic components between production devices, comprising: - a guide which can be placed along the production devices for serving,

- at least one carriage movable along the guide, which carriage is provided with means for placing product carriers on the production devices and removing them from the production devices,

- at least one motor for driving the carriage, and - at least one control operating independently of the production devices.

2. Transport device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carriage is provided with at least two loading positions for product carriers.

3. Transport device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the loading positions are located above each other and the carriage is provided with lifting means for carrying a loading position to a desired height.

4. Transport device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the carriage is provided with at least one positioning sensor for positioning the carriage relative to the production devices.

5. Transport device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the carriage is spring-mounted relative to the guide.

6. Transport device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the device is provided with identification means for identifying the separate product carriers.

7. Transport device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the executed transport operations are stored in a memory in combination with the associated identification of the product carriers.

8. Transport device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the control is at least substantially assembled with the carriage.

9. Transport device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the carriage is provided with locking means for fixing the position of the product carriers relative to the carriage.

10. Method for transporting product carriers for electronic components, comprising the steps of: A) displacing a carriage along a transport path to a location close to a pick-up position for a product carrier,

B) engaging the product carrier outside the transport path with an engaging mechanism forming part of the carriage,

C) displacing the engaged product carrier to a position above the transport path, D) displacing the carriage with picked-up product carrier along the transport path to a location close to a lay-off position for a product carrier, and

E) displacing the engaged product carrier from above the transport path to a lay-off position using the engaging mechanism forming part of the carriage.

11. Method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the subsequent transport of the product carrier at the pick-up position and/or lay-off position takes place using a manipulator which forms part of a processing station also comprising the relevant pick-up position and/or lay-off position.

12. Production device for processing electronic components, which is provided with at least one loading/unloading position for a product carrie , which loading/unloading position comprises means for accurate positioning of the product carriers.

13. Production device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the means for positioning the product carriers comprise at least one locating edge for simultaneously defining the layoff position when a product carrier is placed in the loading/unloading position.

14. Production device as claimed in claim 12 or 13, wherein the means for accurate positioning of the product carriers comprise at least one displaceable positioning pin for co-action with a recess arranged for this purpose in the product carrier.

15. Production device as claimed in any of the claims 12-14, wherein the device comprises separate displacing means for displacing the products inside the device.