Solder removal from semiconductor devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11020811-B2
Application number	US-201916392415-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2019
Priority date	Aug 24, 2017
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

A solder removal apparatus is provided. The solder removal apparatus comprises a plurality of solder-interfacing protrusions extending from a body by a length. Each of the plurality of solder-interfacing protrusions is configured to remove a corresponding one of a plurality of solder features from a semiconductor device, where each of the plurality of solder features has a height and an amount of solder material.

First claim

I claim:

1. A solder removal apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of solder-interfacing protrusions including an elongated hollow pin extending from a body by a length, each of the plurality of solder-interfacing protrusions configured to remove a corresponding one of a plurality of solder features from a semiconductor device, each of the plurality of solder features having a height and an amount of solder material,
wherein each of the solder-interfacing protrusions has a single opening at a distal end thereof opposite the body configured to remove the corresponding one of the plurality of solder features from a semiconductor device by vacuum suction.

2. The solder removal apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of solder-interfacing protrusions is arranged in a first pattern corresponding to a second pattern in which the plurality of solder features of the semiconductor device are arranged.

3. The solder removal apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the length of the elongated hollow pin of each solder-interfacing protrusion is greater than the height of the corresponding one of the plurality of solder features.

4. The solder removal apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each solder-interfacing protrusion is removably attached to the body.

5. The solder removal apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of solder-interfacing protrusion comprises a material that is not solder-wettable.

6. The solder removal apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the openings of the plurality of solder-interfacing protrusions are operably connected to a common vacuum source.

7. The solder removal apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the openings of each of the plurality of solder-interfacing protrusions are coplanar.

8. The solder removal apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the material comprises a ceramic.

9. The solder removal apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the material comprises titanium, chromium, tantalum, or a combination thereof.

10. The solder removal apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the openings of a first subset of the plurality of solder-interfacing protrusions are operably connected to a first common vacuum source, and wherein the openings of a second subset of the plurality of solder-interfacing protrusions are operably connected to a second common vacuum source.

11. The solder removal apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a resistive heater configured to conduct heat into the plurality of solder-interfacing protrusions.

12. The solder removal apparatus of claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of solder-interfacing protrusions is removably attached to the body by friction fitting or threading.

13. The solder removal apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a vacuum port operably coupled to the plurality of solder-interfacing protrusions by at least one vacuum channel.

14. The solder removal apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the at least one vacuum channel comprises a first vacuum channel operably coupled to a first subset of the plurality of solder-interfacing protrusions and a second vacuum channel operably coupled to a second subset of the plurality of solder-interfacing protrusions.

15. The solder removal apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the openings of a first subset of the plurality of solder-interfacing protrusions lie in a first plane, and wherein the openings of a second subset of the plurality of solder-interfacing protrusions lie in a second plane parallel to and offset from the first plane.

16. A solder removal apparatus, comprising:
a body;
a plurality of solder-interfacing elongated hollow pins extending from the body by a length, each of the plurality of solder-interfacing elongated hollow pins having a single opening at a distal end thereof opposite the body that is configured to remove a corresponding one of a plurality of solder features from a semiconductor device by vacuum suction;
a vacuum port; and
one or more vacuum channels operably coupling the vacuum port to the plurality of solder-interfacing elongated hollow pins.

17. The solder removal apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising a resistive heater configured to conduct heat into the plurality of solder-interfacing elongated hollow pins.

18. The solder removal apparatus of claim 16 , wherein each of the plurality of solder-interfacing elongated hollow pins is removably attached to the body by friction fitting.

19. The solder removal apparatus of claim 16 , wherein each of the plurality of solder-interfacing elongated hollow pins is removably attached to the body by threading.

20. The solder removal apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the one or more vacuum channel comprises a first vacuum channel operably coupled to a first subset of the plurality of solder-interfacing elongated hollow pins and a second vacuum channel operably coupled to a second subset of the plurality of solder-interfacing elongated hollow pins.

Assignees

• Micron Technology Inc

Inventors

• Tuttle Mark E

Classifications

• H10W72/071

  Connecting or disconnecting · CPC title

• H10W72/0711

  Apparatus therefor · CPC title

• H10W72/252

  comprising solid metals or solid metalloids, e.g. PbSn, Ag or Cu · CPC title

• H10P74/273

  Interconnections for measuring or testing, e.g. probe pads · CPC title

• H10P70/50

  characterised by the part to be cleaned · CPC title