with reference to fig1 a and 1 b , a first preferred embodiment 100 of the low - stress die removal apparatus of the present invention is shown . apparatus 100 includes a base 110 , including a plate member 120 , a screen 112 positioned over the plate member , and a vacuum source 114 connected to the base beneath the plate member . preferably , embodiment 100 also includes a vacuum pick - up head 116 , positioned above base 110 . vacuum pick - up head 116 is also operably connected to a vacuum source 117 , which may comprise vacuum source 114 or a second vacuum source . [ 0042 ] fig1 a and 1 b also depict a diced wafer 101 disposed upon a carrier film 104 , which may also be referred to as a carrier tape , film , or tape . diced wafer 101 includes several singulated dice 102 a , 102 b , 102 c , etc . a frame 106 , also referred to as a ring or a frame ring , supports carrier film 104 under tension for transport of wafer 101 . preferably , frame 106 has a shape and dimensions which facilitate placement upon and connection with the top of base 110 . preferably , in embodiments of the invention where a plunge - up head 550 ( fig6 and 7 ) is employed , the perimeter ring 111 of base 110 is of similar size to frame ring 106 , there being enough lateral clearance between the perimeter ring and the periphery of wafer 101 for the plunge - up head to operate . the foregoing elements are collectively referred to as wafer assembly 108 . base 110 includes a plate member 120 having an uneven , or bumpy , surface which includes a plurality of raised members 124 a , 124 b , 124 c , etc . extending upwardly from the surface of the plate member , which may also be referred to as supports . spaces 122 a , 122 b , 122 c , etc . are formed between supports 124 a , 124 b , 124 c , etc . although fig1 a shows supports 124 a , 124 b , 124 c , etc . in a staggered arrangement , the supports may also be configured in straight rows or in any other configuration which facilitates removal of carrier film 104 from a die 102 while adequately supporting the die . similarly , while the top of each of the supports 124 shown in fig1 a has a small surface area , other configurations of supports are also within the scope of the apparatus of the present invention , including , without limitation , horizontally elongate supports , larger supports having a shaped ( e . g ., circular , square , rectangular , triangular , oval , n - sided polygonal and others ) orthogonal cross - section with a hollow center , concentrically arranged shaped supports , and other configurations of supports . the shape , the arrangement and the spacing of supports 124 are preferably sufficient to facilitate pulling a significant portion of carrier film 104 from each of dice 102 . yet , the shape , arrangement and spacing of supports must also adequately support each of the dice 102 and reduce the likelihood of fracturing or otherwise damaging the die as portions of the film are removed therefrom by a vacuum . referring to fig1 b , screen 112 , which is preferably flexible , rests above plate member 120 . supports 124 a , 124 b , 124 c , etc . and spaces 122 a , 122 b , 122 c , etc . impart screen 112 with an uneven surface , which includes peaks 128 and valleys 130 . suitable materials for manufacturing screen 112 include , but are not limited to , wire mesh , silk screens , thin layers with a plurality of fenestrations formed therethrough , and other meshes and screens which permit the flow of air therethrough . woven as well as punched screen materials may be employed . anti - static materials are preferred . vacuum source 114 is operatively connected to base 110 through vacuum port 115 . as vacuum source 114 is activated , air is pulled through screen 112 and the carrier film 104 is pulled away from the dice 102 until it contacts the screen material . thus , vacuum source 114 facilitates the removal of the portions of carrier film 104 which overlie valleys 130 from the backs of dice 102 . [ 0046 ] fig2 a illustrates an alternate variation of base 210 , wherein the screen 212 is a substantially flat member positioned above plate member 220 . plate member 220 includes supports , also referred to as raised members 224 , extending upward therefrom , through the screen , and forming a bumpy , or uneven , surface above the plate member . supports may be arranged in straight rows , staggered , or in any other configuration which facilitates removal of the carrier film from the dice while adequately supporting the dice . [ 0047 ] fig2 b depicts a third variation 310 of the base , which includes a plate member 320 with a plurality of vacuum orifices 332 a , 332 b , 332 c , etc . formed therethrough . each of vacuum orifices 332 a , 332 b , 332 c , etc . is operably connected to a vacuum source 314 . preferably , vacuum orifices 332 are consistently spaced over substantially the entire surface of plate member 320 . embodiment 310 also includes supports , or raised members 324 , extending upwardly from the surface of plate member 320 to create an uneven surface thereon . [ 0048 ] fig2 c depicts a fourth variation 340 of the base , wherein plate member 342 has a substantially flat bottom surface and an uneven top surface having a plurality of peaks 344 and valleys 346 formed thereon . plate member 342 may also include vacuum orifices 348 formed therethrough which , upon activation of a vacuum source ( not shown ), facilitate the removal of gas from valleys 346 . alternatively , the vacuum source may connect to outside of the base through the sidewall thereof and adjacent the bottom , as long as the peaks 344 are higher than the distance a carrier film may be drawn thereinto . [ 0049 ] fig2 d illustrates a fifth variation 350 of the base , which includes a self - supporting , highly convoluted screen 352 , which includes a plurality of peaks 354 and valleys 356 . screen 352 may be manufactured from the same materials as those described above in reference to screen 112 of fig1 b . as used herein , the term “ screen ” not only encompasses screens having transversely dispersed woven elements , but may comprise a plurality of convoluted elongated elements extending in mutually parallel relationships , preferably with offset peaks and valleys in adjacent elements . also , in an embodiment employing a screen without associated discrete supports , it will be understood that the laterally - spaced peaks or protrusions of the screen comprise laterally - spaced supports . [ 0050 ] fig2 e shows a sixth variation 360 of the base , which includes a plate member 362 with a plurality of upwardly extending support pins 364 thereon . each of support pins 364 includes an enlarged head 366 at the top thereof , against which a carrier film may be drawn . referring now to fig3 another variation 370 of the base is shown . base 370 includes a plate member 372 which has a plurality of apertures 376 formed therethrough . a wafer assembly ( not shown ) is supported on supports 374 , which are located between adjacent apertures 376 of plate member 372 . preferably , supports 374 are narrow members . apertures 376 , which impart plate member 372 with a honeycomb - like appearance , may have any shape , including , without limitation , circular , hexagonal , square , oval , and other shapes . further , the walls defining the aperture may be undercut , as shown in broken lines , to permit the film to be drawn lower in select areas . referring again to fig1 b , as an example of the use of the base 110 of the apparatus of the present invention , the carrier film or film 104 , upon which a sawed , processed wafer 101 is positioned , is placed upon the base over screen 112 . frame ring 106 secures wafer assembly 108 to base 110 . next , vacuum source 114 is activated , pulling air through the spaces 122 , which pulls portions of carrier film 104 against the surfaces of screen 112 which overlay the recesses , releasing those portions of the film from dice 102 . selected dice are then ready for removal from carrier film 104 . as defined herein , the terms “ select die ” and “ selected die ” refer to a die which has been selected for removal from sawed wafer 101 for further processing . in systems where embodiments 210 , 310 , or other embodiments of the base of the present invention are employed , the methods for removing portions of the carrier film from the dice are substantially the same . referring now to fig4 an embodiment 400 of a die removal mechanism is shown . embodiment 400 includes a vacuum head 410 , which is positionable over a base 420 and operatively connected to a vacuum source 430 . several dice 102 a , 102 b , 102 c , etc ., which are disposed upon a carrier film 104 , are shown . vacuum head 410 is positionable directly above a select die 102 a . systems which select dice , track select dice , and position a vacuum head above a select die are each well known in the industry and are useful in connection with the apparatus of the present invention . upon activation of vacuum source 430 , vacuum head 410 utilizes a vacuum to pull select die 102 a upward from carrier film 104 . vacuum die pick - up mechanisms , which are well known and currently used in the industry , are useful in the system of the present invention . [ 0054 ] fig5 shows another embodiment of a die removal mechanism 500 according to the present invention , which includes a vacuum head 510 and a die plunge - up head , also referred to as striking mechanism 550 . fig5 also shows several dice 102 a , 102 b , 102 c , etc . disposed upon a carrier film 104 . the carrier film 104 is secured by a frame ring ( not shown ). preferably , vacuum head 510 operates in substantially the same manner as that described above in reference to fig4 . die plunge - up head 550 is of the type known and commonly used in the industry . die plunge - up head 550 , which is positionable beneath a select die 102 a , includes one or more needles 554 slidingly disposed within a holder 552 . plunge - up head 550 also includes an actuator 556 disposed behind needle 554 . preferably , the size of plunge - up head 550 is sufficient to include a plurality of needles 554 , reducing the tendency of a die 102 to tilt as the needles strike the die . systems for selecting good dice , tracking select dice , and positioning plunge - up head 550 beneath a select die 102 a are well known in the industry and may be used in connection with the apparatus of the present invention . alternatively , the plunge - up head 550 may include another plunge - up mechanism such as a piston or a pressurized air line . actuators which are useful with die plunge - up head 550 include , without limitation , conventional two - way pneumatic actuators and solenoid actuators , such as those which are known and used in the industry , or any other type of actuator adaptable for use with plunge - up head 550 . actuator 556 forces needle 554 upward with the appropriate amount of force and for the appropriate time period to , either directly or indirectly , further loosen select die 102 a from carrier film 104 without damaging the select die , then retract the needle into holder 552 . preferably , in embodiments of the present invention , needle 554 extends through a base aperture 553 to directly contact select die 102 a . [ 0057 ] fig5 illustrates small base apertures 553 . however , as fig5 a shows , the plate member 120 ′ may have a grid configuration . support members 124 ′ extend upwardly from intersecting portions of plate member 120 ′, while large apertures 553 ′ are formed through plate member 120 ′ in the spaces between the support members 124 ′. preferably , the needle has a raised tip with a convex tip surface , or an otherwise blunt tip 555 , which decreases the tendency of the needle to score the underside of the select die during actuation of the needle and contact of the needle with the select die , collectively referred to as “ striking ” the die . in embodiments of the present invention where striking occurs while the frame , film and sawed wafer assembly ( reference character 108 in fig1 a ) is positioned over the base , blunt tip 555 also prevents perforation of carrier film 104 during striking . perforation of carrier film 104 could cause a loss of the vacuum that pulls the film away from the dice 102 . in such embodiments , needles 554 pass through the plate member and / or the screen during striking . turning again to fig1 a , the preferred dimensions of frame ring 106 are such that the distance between the outer periphery of wafer 101 and the inner surface of the frame permits the plunge - up head 550 ( see fig6 and 7 ) to further remove carrier film 104 from the outermost complete dice without contacting the frame . preferably , in operation , the plunge - up head does not disrupt the vacuum which pulls portions of the carrier film from the dice . thus , as fig6 illustrates , a preferred embodiment of base 610 includes an array of base needles 670 a , 670 b , 670 c , etc . therein , each of which are slidingly engaged within needle ports 676 a , 676 b , 676 c , etc ., respectively . needle ports 676 are each formed through plate member 620 . each base needle 670 includes an actuation end 672 and a needle tip 674 . the actuation end 672 of each base needle 670 is preferably exposed to the lower , outer surface of plate member 620 . preferably , tip 674 of each base needle is raised , with a convex surface , or otherwise blunt to prevent scoring of a select die 102 a as the needle tip comes into contact with the select die . blunt needle tip 674 also prevents perforation of carrier film 104 as needle 670 is actuated , which facilitates maintenance of the vacuum which pulls portions of the film away from dice 102 . preferably , each base needle 670 needle port 676 assembly is sealed in order to maintain the vacuum which has been created in base 610 . alternatively , a positive pressure collett could be employed in place of a plunge - up head by directing pressurized air upward against needle 670 to drive the needle against select die 102 a . as an example of the operation of plunge - up head 550 in the present embodiment of base 610 , the plunge - up head is positioned beneath the base needle 670 or base needles located beneath select die 102 a . as the plunge - up head needle 554 is actuated , it moves upward , contacts actuation end 672 of base needle 670 , and forces the base needle upward against the select die to further loosen the select die from carrier film 104 . with reference to fig7 another preferred embodiment of base 710 includes a sealed plunge - up head housing 780 , within which plunge - up head 550 is disposed . in addition to creating a vacuum within the base , vacuum source 714 creates a vacuum within plunge - up head housing 780 . plunge - up head 550 is repositionable within housing 780 without disrupting the vacuum therein . thus , base 710 permits direct contact of needle 554 through plate member 720 and the screen thereon , if any , with select die 102 a to further remove the select die from carrier film 104 . with reference to fig8 another embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention includes a small base 810 , including an uneven film removal surface , as described above in reference to fig1 b , 2 a through 2 e and 3 . base 810 is positionable beneath a select die 102 a on a wafer assembly 108 using known apparatus and methods . base 810 is attachable to a vacuum source ( not shown ) at connector 812 . a die pick - up mechanism 820 , as described above in reference to fig4 may also be used in connection with positionable base 810 . in use , positionable base 810 is oriented beneath select die 102 a and positioned in close proximity to the carrier film attached to the select die . the vacuum source is actuated , pulling air from the lower areas of the base and removing portions of the carrier film from select die 102 a , thereby reducing the adhesion of the film to the die . if desired , the vacuum may be applied continuously , the base then sliding laterally to different locations beneath the carrier film . die pick - up mechanism 820 then completely removes select die 102 a from the carrier film . [ 0065 ] fig8 a shows an alternative embodiment 810 ′ of a positionable base . base 810 ′ is adapted to fit over a die plunge - up mechanism 830 , having a needle 840 , piston , pressurized air line , or other plunge - up mechanism therein . referring again to fig5 as an example of the use of embodiment 500 of die removal mechanism , vacuum head 510 is positioned above a select die 102 a and plunge - up head is positioned beneath the select die . vacuum head 510 is lowered toward select die 102 a . plunge - up head 550 is raised to an appropriate position beneath select die 102 a . vacuum source 530 is activated to direct a vacuum through vacuum head 510 and at the exposed surface of select die 102 a . preferably , while vacuum head 510 is pulling die 102 a , needle 554 is actuated by actuator 556 to strike the select die and further remove carrier film 104 from the select die . in embodiments of the present method wherein removal of select die 102 a occurs while wafer assembly 108 is disposed upon the base , each needle 554 passes through the plate member and the screen , if any , during striking . vacuum head 510 is then raised while holding die 102 a , and transfers the select die to a desired location . when embodiment 610 of the base , discussed above in reference to fig6 is used in the present method , needle 554 contacts actuation end 672 of the appropriate base needle 670 , which contacts carrier film 104 beneath select die 102 a to further remove the film from the die . inexpensive carrier films may be used with the present invention in lieu of those coated with uv - degradeable or other expensive adhesives , or adhesives which contaminate the dice . for example , the pressure sensitive adhesive - coated polymer films manufactured by shinkawa and nitto , both of japan , which are used for protectively coating sheet steel , are particularly useful in the invented system . such films are desirable for use because of their low cost and chemical cleanliness ( i . e ., will not contaminate dice ), both of which advantages provide a reduction in manufacturing costs . another consequent advantage of the invention is that the likelihood of dropping , contaminating , fracturing or otherwise damaging the die is much reduced when compared with methods which were previously known in the art . while the invention has been described in terms of a vacuum drawing the carrier film down and away from the dice supported thereon , those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that it is a pressure differential which effects movement of the film . accordingly , it is also contemplated that a higher ( positive ) pressure may be applied to the top of the carrier film to “ push ” the film downward against ambient pressure therebelow . specifically , a push - up head may be employed within a bell - type chamber placed over the frame ring and carrier film to effect withdrawal of large portions of the film from the dice . although the foregoing description contains many specificities , these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention , but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments . similarly , other embodiments of the invention may be devised which do not depart from the spirit or scope of the present invention . the scope of this invention is , therefore , indicated and limited only by the appended claims and their legal equivalents , rather than by the foregoing description . additions , deletions and modifications to the embodiments of the invention as disclosed , and the combination of features of different embodiments , are specifically contemplated as falling within the scope of the invention .