An apparatus includes a fixed assembly and a reciprocating assembly. The fixed assembly includes a hopper, a first gas manifold, and a dispensing chamber, and the reciprocating assembly includes a channel assembly defining a channel conduit, a shield plate vertically aligned therewith, and a second gas manifold. The reciprocating assembly may move, in relation to the fixed assembly, to a first position to enable the channel conduit to be filled with bulk compressible material from the hopper, a second position to enable compressible material to be pushed from the channel conduit to the dispensing conduit and to be compressed in the dispensing chamber according to a first gas directed through the channel conduit by the first gas manifold, and a third position to enable the compressed material to be pushed out of the dispensing conduit according to a second gas directed through the dispensing conduit by the second gas manifold.

A mold of an embodiment includes a plunger, a cull, a plurality of cavities, and a plurality of runners. The plunger is provided inside an opening of one of upper and lower dies to be movable forward and backward in the up and down direction. The cull is provided on the other of the upper and lower dies to face the opening. The cavity is capable of receiving a semiconductor chip. The plurality of runners connect the cull to the plurality of cavities. The cull includes a plurality of first flow passages and a plurality of second flow passages. The first flow passage extends from a center toward a connection position with the plurality of runners. The second flow passage extends in a circumferential direction centered on the center. The second flow passage surrounds the plurality of first flow passage. The second flow passage is connected to the plurality of first flow passage.