Die attach area cut-on-fly method and apparatus

Abstract

A method and apparatus for bonding integrated circuits uniquely suited to high volume tag production is described, where conductive material of a substrate at the die-attach-area is cut before an IC chip or transponder is placed on the conductive material over the cut and bonded. The apparatus performs the method of placing a first chip on a substrate having a conductive layer, measuring the location of the first chip on the substrate, cutting the conductive layer at a location of an expected subsequently placed chip to form a cut based on the measured location of the first chip, and placing the subsequently placed chip on the substrate over the cut.

1 - 2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . A bonding machine, comprising:
 a placement station that deposits chips on a moving substrate while the substrate is moving, the chips being dies;   a measuring station adjacent said placement station that determines a location of a first deposited chip placed on the substrate by said placement station; and   a cutting station adjacent said placement station and opposite said measuring station that cuts the substrate while the substrate is moving at a location of an expected subsequently placed chip to form a conductive gap, the location of said gap being based on the measured location of the first deposited chip such that said placement station is adapted to deposit the expected subsequently placed chip on the substrate over said gap while the substrate is moving.   
     
     
         4 . The bonding machine of  claim 3 , further comprising a welding station that welds the deposited subsequently placed chip to the substrate. 
     
     
         5 - 7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . A bonding machine, comprising:
 a measuring station that determines a location of a transponder deposited at a die attach area on a continuously forward moving substrate; and   a cutting station adjacent said measuring station that cuts the continuously forward moving substrate at the deposited transponder to form a conductive gap in the continuously forward moving substrate, the location of said gap being based on the determined location of the deposited transponder,   wherein the deposited transponder has conductive members in communication with the continuously forward moving substrate, and the cutting station cuts the continuously forward moving substrate between the conductive members of the deposited transponder to form the conductive gap in the substrate.   
     
     
         9 . The bonding machine of  claim 8 , further comprising a placement station adjacent said measuring station that deposits the transponder on the continuously forward moving substrate. 
     
     
         10 . The bonding machine of  claim 8 , wherein said measuring station determines the location of the transponder based on a location of a flux at the die attach area. 
     
     
         11 - 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A bonding machine, comprising:
 a placement station that deposits a transponder at a die attach area of a moving substrate while the substrate is moving; and   a cutting station adjacent the moving substrate and opposite said placement station that is adapted to cut the substrate at the die attach area to form a gap adjacent and corresponding to the transponder simultaneously with the deposit of the transponder at the die attach area.   
     
     
         14 . The bonding machine of  claim 13 , further comprising a measuring station adjacent said placement station that determines an alignment of the deposited transponder on the continuously moving substrate. 
     
     
         15 . The bonding machine of  claim 13 , wherein said gap and said substrate adjacent the die attach area are an antenna for the deposited transponder. 
     
     
         16 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The bonding machine of  claim 13 , the deposited transponder including contact points conductively coupled to the continuously moving substrate, said cutting station cutting the continuously moving substrate at the die attach area to form the gap between the contact points of the deposited transponder. 
     
     
         22 . The bonding machine of claim  1 , wherein the first deposited chip is inoperable.