Pick and place apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025232991-A1
Application number	US-202418768375-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 10, 2024
Priority date	Jan 15, 2024
Publication date	Jul 17, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A pick and place apparatus according to some example embodiments includes a first tray configured to accommodate a plurality of semiconductor packages, a test socket unit having a plurality of test sockets each configured to test a semiconductor package, a picker tool having a plurality of pickers configured to pick up corresponding semiconductor packages from the first tray and place the picked semiconductor packages on the plurality of test sockets, and a controller configured to check whether the plurality of test sockets are normal and to block a semiconductor package pickup function of a picker corresponding to an abnormal test socket.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A pick and place apparatus, comprising:
a first tray configured to accommodate a plurality of semiconductor packages; a test socket unit having a plurality of test sockets each configured to test a semiconductor package; a picker tool having a plurality of pickers configured to pick up corresponding semiconductor packages from the first tray and place the picked semiconductor packages on the plurality of test sockets; and a controller configured to
check whether the plurality of test sockets are normal and block a semiconductor package pickup function of a picker corresponding to an abnormal test socket,
check whether there are remaining semiconductor packages remaining in the first tray without being transferred,
calculate, according to a first operation and a second operation, a time the picker tool picks and places the remaining semiconductor packages,
select an operation having a shortest time between a first time calculated according to the first operation and a second time calculated according to the second operation, and
control the picker tool to pick up the remaining semiconductor packages according to the selected operation.

2 . The pick and place apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first time the controller is configured to calculate according to the first operation is a time taken until
the controller compares a number of remaining semiconductor packages the picker tool is configured to pick up at a certain position to a maximum number of remaining semiconductor packages the picker tool is configured to pick up, the controller moves the picker tool in a first direction or a second direction if the maximum number of remaining semiconductor packages the picker tool is configured to pick up is greater than the number of remaining semiconductor packages the picker tool is configured to pick up at the position, the picker tool picks up the remaining semiconductor packages if the maximum number of remaining semiconductor packages the picker tool is configured to pick up is a same as the number of remaining semiconductor packages the picker tool is configured to pick up at the position, and pickers of the picker tool cannot pickup any more remaining semiconductor packages as a result of all the pickers having picked up the remaining semiconductor packages or there is no remaining semiconductor package in the first tray.

3 . The pick and place apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the maximum number of remaining semiconductor packages the picker tool is configured to pick up is same as a number of pickers having a blocked pickup function.

4 . The pick and place apparatus of claim 2 , wherein, if a moved distance of the picker tool in the first direction is less than a length of the first tray in first direction, the picker tool is configured to move in the first direction with respect to the first tray, and if the moved distance of the picker tool in the first direction is greater than or equal to the length of the first tray in first direction, the picker tool is configured to move in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction with respect to the first tray.

5 . The pick and place apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second time the controller is configured to calculate according to the second operation is a time taken until
the controller calculates a suitability of each of a plurality of combinations belonging to a first set consisting of the plurality of combinations obtained based on matching second numbers respectively assigned to pickers of the picker tool to first numbers respectively assigned to the remaining semiconductor packages, the controller calculates a suitability of each of combinations belonging to a second set consisting of combinations obtained based on exchanging second numbers of combinations belonging to the first set, and the pickers of the picker tool cannot pick up any more remaining semiconductor package as a result of all the pickers having picked the remaining semiconductor packages according to a combination having a highest suitability among the combinations belonging to the first set and the second set.

6 . The pick and place apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the suitability is an inverse value of a pick and place time, and a pick and place time T is

T
=

S
c

×

(

M

1
+

⁢

S
t

+

M
2

)

+

∑

i
=
1

n

(

P

t
i

)

,

where S c is a number of place times, S t is a place time, P t is a pickup time, M 1 is a moving time to the test socket unit, and M 2 is a moving time to the first tray.

7 . The pick and place apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the second set comprises a second-1 set and a second-2 set, and the controller is further configured to calculate a selection probability of each of the plurality of combinations belonging to the first set, select two combinations in a higher selection probability order from the first set, generate the second-1 set including combinations generated based on exchanging second numbers between the selected two combinations, and generate the second-2 set including combinations each generated based on exchanging second numbers matched to first numbers in a combination belonging to the second-1 set.

8 . The pick and place apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to calculate the selection probability based on dividing a suitability of each of combinations by a sum of the suitabilities of the combinations.

9 . The pick and place apparatus of claim 5 , wherein, if the second time is greater than a time the picker tool is configured to place the remaining semiconductor packages on the test socket unit and then move to a pickup position or if a stop request for a process of calculating the second time according to the second operation is received, the controller is further configured to end the process of calculating the second time according to the second operation.

10 . A pick and place apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of test sockets configured to test a plurality of semiconductor packages accommodated in a tray and transferred to the plurality of test sockets; a plurality of pickers confi

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ji Minkyung
• Kim Jiyoung
• Kim Sunghyun
• Park Jonghyun
• Lee Dongsoo

Classifications

• H10P72/0446 Primary

  Apparatus for mounting on conductive members, e.g. leadframes or conductors on insulating substrates · CPC title

• G06N3/12

  using genetic models · CPC title

• G01R31/2896

  Testing of IC packages; Test features related to IC packages (containers per se H10W76/10, encapsulations per se H10W74/00) · CPC title

• G01R31/2893

  Handling, conveying or loading, e.g. belts, boats, vacuum fingers (G01R31/2867 takes precedence; handling semiconductor devices or wafers during manufacture or treatment H10P72/00) · CPC title

• G01R31/2863

  Contacting devices, e.g. sockets, burn-in boards or mounting fixtures (in general G01R1/04) · CPC title