BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a process of fluid self-assembly (FSA).
FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B are schematic diagrams showing an assembling by thimbles.
FIG. 3 is a flow chart depicting a method for microstructure assembly according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an assembly apparatus according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 5A is a schematic view of a carrier according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 5B is a schematic diagram showing a plurality of joints formed on a carrier of the invention.
FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B are schematic diagrams showing two chip placing devices used in an assembly apparatus respectively according to a first and a second preferred embodiments of the invention.
FIG. 6C is a schematic diagram showing pedestals formed on a carrier according to the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a droplet formation device according to a first embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 8A is a schematic diagram showing a droplet formation device according to a second embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 8B is a schematic diagram showing a droplet formation device according to a third embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 9A is a schematic diagram showing a chip placing device of the invention.
FIG. 9B is a schematic diagram showing the placing of microstructures on droplets.
FIG. 10A is a schematic diagram showing the microstructures being placed on pedestals corresponding thereto after the droplets are removed.
FIG. 10B is a schematic diagram showing the microstructures being secured by a paste.
FIG. 11A is a schematic view of a carrier according to another preferred embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 11B is a schematic diagram showing another assembly apparatus according to a second preferred embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 12 is a flow chart depicting a method for microstructure assembly according to a second preferred embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing yet another assembly apparatus according to a third preferred embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 14A is a schematic diagram showing the placing of microstructures on droplets.
FIG. 14B is a schematic diagram showing the jointing of the microstructures with layers of paste corresponding thereto.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
For your esteemed members of reviewing committee to further understand and recognize the fulfilled functions and structural characteristics of the invention, several preferable embodiments cooperating with detailed description are presented as the follows.
Please refer to FIG. 3, which is a flow chart depicting a method for microstructure assembly according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention. The flow 4 starts at step 40. At step 40, a carrier 40 is provided, which has a plurality of joint formed thereon to be used for forming electrical connections with microstructures, and then the flow proceeds to step 41. In a preferred aspect, the carrier 40 can be a roll-to-roll carrier, or a flexible substrate or printed circuit board, previously cut into a specific size, and each microstructure can be a RFID chip, a LED chip or other passive components. At step 41, a pedestal is formed on each joint, whereas the pedestal can be made of a hydrophobic material or a hydrophilic material, and then the flow proceeds to step 42. At step 42, a droplet is formed on each pedestal, whereas the droplet can be made of a material selected from the group consisting of water, oil, alcohol, liquid-state paste, and liquid-state metal, and then the flow proceeds to step 43. At step 43, a microstructure is provided and placed on each droplet, and then the flow proceeds to step 44. At step 44, each droplet is removed for enabling each microstructure to couple with the joint corresponding thereto, and then the flow proceeds to step 45. At step 45, a holding means is adopted for securing each microstructure upon the carrier.
Please refer to FIG. 4, which is a schematic diagram showing an assembly apparatus according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention. The assembly apparatus 3 of FIG. 4 is provided for enabling the aforesaid method for microstructure assembly, which comprises: a transportation device 30, a transfer imprinting device 31, a droplet formation device 32, a chip placing device 33, a droplet removal device 34, and a pasting device 35. The transportation device 30 is used for transporting a carrier 90 having a plurality of joints formed thereon. Please refer to FIG. SA, which is a schematic view of a carrier according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. The carrier 90a of FIG. SA is a roll-to-roll carrier 90a having a plurality of joints 901 formed thereon. As seen in FIG. 5B, each joint 901 is comprised of two electrical terminals 9010, 9011. It is noted that the transportation device illustrated in this first embodiment is a roll-to-roll device.
Moreover, in FIG. 4, the transfer imprinting device 31 is used or receiving the carrier 90 while forming a pedestal on each joint 901, whereas each pedestal can be made of a hydrophobic material or a hydrophilic material. Please refer to FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B, which are schematic diagrams showing two chip placing devices used in an assembly apparatus respectively according to a first and a second preferred embodiments of the invention. In FIG. 6A, the transfer imprinting device 31a is substantially a roller 310 capable of forming pedestals on the carrier 90 by a manner of transfer imprinting. In FIG. 6B, the transfer imprinting device 31b is substantially a screen plate 311 capable of printing pedestals on the carrier 90. It is noted that the pedestals 312, no matter it is formed by transfer imprinting or screen printing, are formed on the carrier 90, as those shown in FIG. 6C.
In addition, in FIG. 4, the droplet formation device 32 is capable of receiving the carrier. 90 with pedestals formed thereon while forming a droplet on each pedestal. Please refer to FIG.7, which is a schematic diagram showing a droplet formation device according to a first embodiment of the invention. In FIG. 7, the droplet formation device 32 further comprises: a container 320, having an accommodating space 322 for receiving a liquid 5, and a plurality of orifices 321 formed on a side thereof while each being channeling to the accommodating space 320.Preferably, the droplet formation device 32 further comprises: a pressure unit, for providing a pressure 91 to be exerted on the liquid 5 and thus enabling droplets 50 to be formed on the carrier through the plural orifices 321. In addition, the droplet formation device 32 can further comprises a nebulization unit, which can be nebulize the liquid so as to form droplets 50 on each pedestal since each pedestal either is made of hydrophobic material, or has a hydrophobic coating.
Please refer to FIG. 8A, which is a schematic diagram showing a droplet formation device according to a second embodiment of the invention. As seen in FIG. 8A, the droplet formation device 32a creates droplets by a soaking means, that is, as the carrier 90 is traveling across a container 320a containing a liquid, the pedestals of the carrier 90 is enabled to soak in the liquid and thus droplets can be congregated on each pedestal with respect to the hydrophobic/hydrophilic properties thereof as soon as the carrier exits the container 320a. In addition, the droplet formation device 32 can substantially a nebulizer selected from the group consisting of a piezoelectric nebulizer, a thermal-bubble type nebulizer and an ultrasonic nebulizer. Please refer to FIG. 8B, is a schematic diagram showing a droplet formation device according to a third embodiment of the invention. In FIG. 8B, the droplet formation device 32b creates droplets 50 by a dripping means, which is substantially a liquid-containing container 320 having a dripping hole 321b arranged at a bottom thereof. By controlling the dripping of the dripping hole 321b, droplets can be generated and placed on the pedestals corresponding thereto.
Please refer to FIG. 9A, which is a schematic diagram showing a chip placing device of the invention. The chip placing device 33 is used for providing a plurality of microstructures 4 while placing each microstructure 4 on a droplet 50 corresponding thereto. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9A, the chip placing device 33 is substantially a supporting board 331 having a plurality of holes 330 formed therein, whereas each hole 330 is capable of receiving a microstructure 4 while the microstructure 4 hold securely by the negative pressure exerted thereon by a corresponding vacuum channel 332. Please refer to FIG. 9B, which is a schematic diagram showing the placing of microstructures on droplets. By the use of the aforesaid chip placing device 33, each microstructure 4 can be placed on its corresponding droplet 50.
Moreover, in FIG. 4, the droplet removal device 34 is capable of receiving the carrier 90 carrying the plural microstructures 4 while removing each droplet 50 for jointing each microstructure 4 with its corresponding joint 901. In a preferred aspect, the droplet removal device 34 can remove the droplets by allowing to dry naturally, or drying by heating. After the droplets 50 are removed, as seen in FIG. 5B and FIG. 10A, each microstructure 4 is stacking directly on its corresponding pedestal 312 while each is in contact with a joint corresponding thereto. Therefore, as seen in FIG. 4 and FIG. 10B, a pasting device 35 is adopted for receiving the carrier 90 exiting from the droplet removal device 34 while proving a paste 350 to the carrier 90 for securing each microstructure 4 on the carrier 90. In a preferred aspect, the pasting device 35 further comprises: a pasting unit, for providing the paste 350 to be coated on each microstructure 4; a baking unit, for curing the paste 350; and a cooling unit, for cooling the paste 350. It is preferred to use a testing device to examine the electrical properties of the integrate device of the joint and the microstructure 4, after the paste is cured.
Please refer to FIG. 11A, which is a schematic view of a carrier according to another preferred embodiment of the invention. Except for the abovementioned roll-to-roll carrier, the carrier 90b can be a flexible substrate or printed circuit board, previously cut into a specific size, lo whereas the previous-cut substrate is placed on a platform 60. Moreover, the platform 60 carrying the substrate 90b is being transported by a platform transportation device 61, such as a conveyer belt or a device capable of moving the platform in a step-by-step manner.
As seen in. FIG. 9B, a surface tension of the droplet 50 will force the microstructure 4 float on top of the pedestal 312 as soon as the microstructure 4 comes into contact with the droplet 50, and then, by the operation of minimal surface free energy, the microstructure 4 is self-aligned to the pedestal 312. That is, by the edge effect caused from the affecting of the edge of the pedestal 312 upon the droplet 50, there can be only a position corresponding to the minimal surface free energy, and thus the microstructure 4, affected by the minimal surface free energy, will approach that position such that it is aligned. It is noted that the aforesaid method can be applied in an array-type apparatus for rapidly packaging massive small chips, as seen in FIG. 11B.
Please refer to FIG. 12, which is a flow chart depicting 7 a method for microstructure assembly according to a second preferred embodiment of the invention. The flow starts at step 70. At step 70, a carrier 40 is provided, which has a plurality of joint formed thereon to be used for forming electrical connections with microstructures, and then the flow proceeds to step 71. In a preferred aspect, the carrier 40 can be a roll-to-roll carrier, or a flexible substrate or printed circuit board, previously cut into a specific size, and each microstructure can be a RFID chip, a LED chip or other passive components. At step 71, a layer of paste is formed on each joint, and then the flow proceeds to step 72. At step 72, a droplet is formed on the layer of paste corresponding to each joint, whereas the droplet can be made of a material selected from the group consisting of water, oil, alcohol, liquid-state paste, and liquid-state metal, and then the flow proceeds to step 73. At step 43, a microstructure is provided and placed on each droplet, and then the flow proceeds to step 74. At step 74, each droplet is removed for enabling each microstructure to couple with the joint corresponding thereto, and then the flow proceeds to step 75. At step 75, each microstructure is jointed with the layer of paste of the joint corresponding thereto; whereas the jointing of each microstructure with the layer of paste of the joint corresponding thereto can be performed by a means selected from the group consisting of a heating means, and an ultrasonic means.
Please refer to FIG. 13, which is a schematic diagram showing yet another assembly apparatus according to a third preferred embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the assembly apparatus 8 is a roll-to-roll apparatus. The assembly apparatus 8 of FIG. 4 is provided for enabling the aforesaid method for microstructure assembly, which comprises: a transportation device, a transfer imprinting device, a droplet formation device, a chip placing device, a droplet removal device, and a jointing device. The transportation device 30 is used for transporting a carrier 90 having a plurality of joints formed thereon. It is noted that the transportation device illustrated in this first embodiment is a roll-to-roll device. In addition, the transportation device, the transfer imprinting device, the droplet formation device, the chip placing device, and the droplet removal device are all similar to those of FIG. 4, and thus are not described further herein.
The jointing device of FIG. 13 is substantially paste transfer imprinter, which is capable of transferring and forming a layer of paste by imprinting roller or screen printing, as those shown in FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B. After a paste layer is formed, the droplet formation device is enabled to form droplets on the layer of paste corresponding thereto. Thereafter, the chip placing device is enabled to place microstructures on the droplets corresponding thereto, and then the droplets are removed by the droplet removal device enabling each microstructure to couple with the joint corresponding thereto, as seen in FIG. 14B. Finally, the jointing device is used for securing each microstructure on the carrier. In a preferred aspect, the joint device is a device selected from the group consisting of an ultrasonic bonding device and a heating device.
It is noted that the microstructures referred in the present invention is not limited to be electronic components, such as the aforesaid RFID chips, LED chips or other passive electronic components, which are only referred as an illustration of the invention, and thus is not limited thereby. To sum up, the method and apparatus for microstructure assembly is capable massively and rapidly packaging microstructures in great alignment precision, that is an improvement over the prior art.
While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been set forth for the purpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiment of the invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all embodiments which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Patent Application
20080016682
