The present invention generally relates to the inverting of devices, and particularly to the simultaneous inverting of a plurality of devices.
During the manufacture of devices such as semiconductors and similar electronic devices, such devices must be tested for operability, efficiency, and other conditions. Thus, a need exists for apparatus which mechanically handles such devices to reduce the cost of such testing. Additionally, such mechanical handling also includes the need to perform tests or other functions on both sides of the device.
When it is necessary to remove the device from the carrier or tray, inverting apparatus such as of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,374,158 has proven to be very effective. However, especially when it is not necessary to remove the devices from the carrier such as for mechanical vision testing, branding, or the like, inverting the devices one at a time is very time consuming and inefficient.
Thus, a need exists for simultaneously placing a plurality of devices contained in a first carrier in an inverted orientation. Past attempts to solve this need have not proven to be effective. Specifically, the positioning of the devices in the carrier is required for referencing the results of the various tests and other processing operations to individual devices. Because of warping of the carrier and for other reasons, devices tended to move in the carrier while they were being inverted so that damage to the devices such as to the leads thereof during the inverting process or during later handling operations and/or so that reference positioning was lost in the carrier. Additionally, devices also tended to fall from the carrier which is clearly undesirable due to the loss of the devices themselves but also because of the potential the devices could fall upon and short out electrical equipment in the vicinity.