Michael S Servedio, Age 72Grand Junction, CO

5626276, May 6, 1997

Mar 14, 1996

8/616127

Michael Servedio - Boca Raton FL

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

H01L 21603

228 45

An ultrasonic wirebonding assembly, consisting of an actuator producing vibrations at an ultrasonic frequency and a tip transmitting such vibrations to a bonding wire atop a terminal to which the wire is to be bonded, is moved among positions on a circuit chip where wirebonding operations are to occur by means of a linkage. The linkage consists of first and second drive arms, each of which is pivoted on a single stationary shaft, a drive link pivoted on the second drive arm, and a connecting link extending between the drive link and the first drive arm, being pivoted at each end. Each arm is independently driven using a motor having a coil moving over an arcuate permanent magnet. The wirebonding assembly is driven vertically, downward in a direction of engagement with the workpiece and upward in a direction of disengagement with the workpiece, on the drive link by means of a linear motor. The rapid movements available from this linkage facilitate the use of an incrementally moving conveyer holding a number of circuit chips on which wirebonding operations are to be performed.

5775567, Jul 7, 1998

Mar 14, 1996

8/616128

Michael Servedio - Boca Raton FL

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

B23K 2010

228 11

In ultrasonic wirebonding apparatus, vibrations produced using a tubular piezoelectric (piezoceramic) actuator, driven by electrical current at an ultrasonic frequency, are used to provide energy for the wirebonding process. An assembly including means for mounting the actuator at a proximal end, the actuator itself, and a bonding tip extending from a distal end of the actuator, are moved by a carrier between the various points at which wirebonding is to occur. The bonding wire is fed through a passageway in this assembly. The carrier slides on a first carriage for movement into engagement with the workpiece. The first carriage slides in a first direction on a second carriage, which in turn slides in a second direction, to move between points at which wirebonding is to occur. The workpieces, such as circuit chips being manufactured, are moved into a workspace for wirebonding, are held therein during processing, and are subsequently removed from the workspace.

5461324, Oct 24, 1995

Aug 8, 1994

8/287313

James E. Boyette - Delray Beach FL
Christopher M. Fleck - Boca Raton FL
James C. Mahlbacher - Lake Worth FL
Michael Servedio - Boca Raton FL

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

G01R 3128

324754

A fixture is provided for locating open conditions within circuits and short conditions between adjacent circuits on a flexible substrate having circuits extending along each side, as well as individual circuits extending along both sides. In one station of the fixture, the flexible circuit extends against a conductive backing plate, and conductivity measurements, to detect open conditions, are made between two probes moving among test points on the first side of the substrate, which is opposite the backing plate, and between one of these probes and the conductive backing plate. The latter type of measurement is used particularly to detect an open condition in a via extending through the substrate. In another station of the fixture, the first side of the flexible circuit extends against a conductive backing plate having an insulating sheet adjacent to the substrate, conductivity measurements, to detect open conditions, are made between two test probes moving along a side of the substrate opposite this insulated conductive backing plate, and capacitance measurements, to detect short circuit conditions, are made between one of these probes and the insulated conductive backing plate.

5532611, Jul 2, 1996

May 26, 1995

8/451635

Michael Servedio - Boca Raton FL
James M. Hammond - Boca Raton FL
James E. Boyette - Delray Beach FL

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

G01R 3122

324758

Disclosed is a Probe Positioning Actuator which is low in cost and mass, capable of high accelerations, relatively long stroke and compact packaging, as well as high in efficiency. The actuator assembly comprises a frame, and at least one pair of spaced apart, laterally extending, conductor carrying, flexible beams attached to the frame. A non-magnetic armature, substantially U-shaped in cross section, is attached adjacent or approximate the extended terminal ends of the beams, and a probe is attached to the base of the "U" of the armature for contacting selected points in the electrical circuit associated with the device being tested. The heart of the actuator includes a coil mounted on the upstanding legs of the U-shaped armature and arranged so that the axis of the coil is perpendicular to the base of the armature but substantially parallel to the probe tip. This arrangement places the `motor` portion of the actuator adjacent the probe and permits accurate and repeatable, fast control of not only probe tip position but probe tip movement. To complete the motor portion of the actuator, means, carried by the frame create a magnetic field across the coil, whereby upon energization of the coil, deflection of the armature (and thus the beams) occurs, effecting movement of the prob into contact with selected portions of the device being tested.

5550483, Aug 27, 1996

Nov 18, 1994

8/342433

James E. Boyette - Delray Beach FL
James M. Hammond - Boca Raton FL
James C. Mahlbacher - Lake Worth FL
Michael Servedio - Boca Raton FL
Ali R. Taheri - Boca Raton FL

International Business Machines - Armonk NY

G01R 3102

324758

Probing system performance is improved by dynamically positioning a test probe at a test site during the gantry settling interval using a high performance secondary positioner to compensate for the inherent moving mass oscillational displacements. A primary positioner positions the gantry and its associated test probe to within a predetermined axis distance of the test site and a secondary positioner dynamically maintains the test probe at a target position corresponding to the test site during the settling interval by imparting compensating displacements to the test probe to counteract the displacement errors incurred as the primary positioner attempts to settle the gantry at the test site. Similarly, automatic machine tool performance is improved by dynamically positioning a work tool at a work site during the gantry settling interval using a high performance secondary positioner to compensate for the inherent moving mass oscillational displacements. A primary positioner positions the gantry and its associated work tool to within a predetermined axis distance of the work site and a secondary positioner dynamically maintains the work tool at a target position corresponding to the work site during the settling interval by imparting compensating displacements to the work tool to counteract the displacement errors incurred as the primary positioner attempts to settle the gantry at the work site.

5635848, Jun 3, 1997

Mar 10, 1995

8/402417

James M. Hammond - Boca Raton FL
James C. Mahlbacher - Lake Worth FL
Kenneth G. Roessler - Boca Raton FL
Michael Servedio - Boca Raton FL
Li-Cheng R. Zai - Ossining NY

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

G01R 1073

324758

A digital and analog controller for controlling a high-speed probe actuator is disclosed. This method and system provide the probe actuator system with improved damping ratio and reduced impact force, so the throughput of the tester is increased with fast settling actuator armature. With this method and system, the steady-state probe force is less sensitive to the servo system, test probe and variation in the probing distance d. An electronic circuit, which consists of analog operational amplifiers, monostable multivibrators, and D flip-flops, is presented for low-cost applications.

5635849, Jun 3, 1997

May 6, 1996

8/643523

Michael Servedio - Boca Raton FL
James M. Hammond - Boca Raton FL
James E. Boyette - Delray Beach FL

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

G01R 3122

324758

Disclosed is a Probe Positioning Actuator which is low in cost and mass, capable of high accelerations, relatively long stroke and compact packaging, as well as high in efficiency. The actuator assembly comprises a frame, and at least one pair of spaced apart, laterally extending, conductor carrying, flexible beams attached to the frame. A non-magnetic armature, substantially U-shaped in cross section, is attached adjacent or approximate the extended terminal ends of the beams, and a probe is attached to the base of the "U" of the armature for contacting selected points in the electrical circuit associated with the device being tested. The heart of the actuator includes a coil mounted on the upstanding legs of the U-shaped armature and arranged so that the axis of the coil is perpendicular to the base of the armature but substantially parallel to the probe tip. This arrangement places the `motor` portion of the actuator adjacent the probe and permits accurate and repeatable, fast control of not only probe tip position but probe tip movement. To complete the motor portion of the actuator, means, carried by the frame create a magnetic field across the coil, whereby upon energization of the coil, deflection of the armature (and thus the beams) occurs, effecting movement of the probe tip into contact with selected portions of the device being tested.

6093930, Jul 25, 2000

Apr 2, 1998

9/054013

James Edward Boyette - Delray Beach FL
James Michael Hammond - Boca Raton FL
Salvatore R. Riggio - Boca Raton FL
Michael Servedio - Boca Raton FL

International Business Machnines Corporation - Armonk NY

H01J 37067

250306

A scanning probe microscope having a probe attachment fixture, to which a probe assembly is removably attached during measurements, driven in an engagement direction, and a sample stage driven in scanning directions perpendicular to the engagement direction includes a buffer with a number of buffer stations within the sample stage. When the stage is driven so that one of the buffer stations is in alignment with the attachment fixture, and when the attachment fixture is driven in the engagement direction to be in proximity to the buffer station, the probe assembly is selectively transferred in either direction between the attachment fixture and the buffer station. In a preferred embodiment, probe assemblies are transferred on transfer pallets, and a stationary magazine is provided for storing these pallets, which are transferred in either direction between the magazine and the buffer.