Nanotechnology applications in electronics, head-in-pillow defects, WLCSP technologies, package on package (PoP) defects, lead compliancy, ESD protection and more.
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www.globalsmt.net The Global Assembly Journal for SMT and Advanced Packaging Professionals Volume 10 Number 3 March 2010 ISSN 1474 - 0893 NAME Interview Inside NEW PRODUCTS INDUSTRY NEWS INTERNATIONAL DIARY Global SMT & Packaging Volume 10 Number 3 March 2010 NANOTECHNOLOGY STARTING TO FIND APPLICATIONS IN ELECTRONICS HEAD-IN-PILLOW: IDENTIFYING AND HIGHLIGHTING SUSPECT SOLDER JOINTS ADVANCES IN WLCSP TECHNOLOGIES FOR GROWING MARKET NEEDS NANOTECHNOLOGY STARTING TO FIND APPLICATIONS IN ELECTRONICS HEAD-IN-PILLOW: IDENTIFYING AND HIGHLIGHTING SUSPECT SOLDER JOINTS ADVANCES IN WLCSP TECHNOLOGIES FOR GROWING MARKET NEEDS
Transcript
www.globalsmt.net
The Global Assembly Journal for SMT and Advanced Packaging Professionals
Volume 10 Number 3 March 2010
ISSN 1474 - 0893
NAMEInterview Inside
NEW PRODUCTS
INDUSTRY NEWS
INTERNATIONAL DIARY
Global SMT &
Packaging Volume 10 Num
ber 3M
arch 2010
NaNotechNology startiNg to fiNd applicatioNs iN electroNics
head-iN-pillow: ideNtifyiNg aNd highlightiNg suspect solder joiNts
advaNces iN wlcsp techNologies for growiNg market Needs
NaNotechNology startiNg to fiNd applicatioNs iN electroNics
head-iN-pillow: ideNtifyiNg aNd highlightiNg suspect solder joiNts
advaNces iN wlcsp techNologies for growiNg market Needs
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Contents
ContentsGlobal SMT & Packagingis published monthly
by Trafalgar PublicationsLimited. The journal is FREE to qualified professionals and
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Designed and Published by Trafalgar Publications Ltd,
Bournemouth, United Kingdom
Printed by Progress Printing,Lynchburg, VA, USA.
Volume 10, No. 3
March 2010
34
2 Are the chickens coming home to roost for lead-free? Trevor Galbraith
TechNoloGy FocuS
10 Nanotechnology is now starting to find applications in electronics
Alan Rae, TPF Enterprises LLC
14 Head-in-pillow: Identifying and highlighting suspect solder joints
Dr. Evstatin Krastev and Dr. David Bernard, Nordson Dage
26 Advances in WLCSP technologies for growing market needs R. Anderson, R. Chilukuri, T.Y. Tee, C.P. Koo, H.S. NG, B.
Rogers, and A. Syed, Amkor Technology
SPecial FeaTureS
34 Interview—Jean-Yves Gomez, Vi TECHNOLOGY40 2010 IPC APEX Expo—Technology Preview38 Case Study: Reliability and versatility bring success in motor drive manufacturing
REGULAR COLUMNS
4 The not so obvious costs of ESD protection (and ways to mitigate them) Joe Fjelstad
18 Recovery: getting back to 2008 levels Walt Custer and Jon Custer-Topai
36 On lead compliancy—how it works and how it does not work Werner Engelmaier
56 Package on package (PoP) defects Bob Willis
6 Industry News50 New Products
54 Association News60 International Diary
10
Flexible circuits created using carbon nanotubes. (Source: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
American edition
OThER REGULAR FEATURES
14
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In terms of blunders, the Toyota “sudden acceleration” saga has become a PR nightmare, similar to the bird-flu epidemic or the baby milk scandal suffered by their Chinese neighbors. And, like their Chinese neighbors, Japanese management has been overly secretive and ostrich-like in their approach to handling the problem.
Some claim this problem first surfaced as many as six years ago. We certainly know it has been around for over two years and in that time accounted for over 35 deaths and countless injuries. First the blame was put squarely on a mechanical problem and a sticky accelerator pedal. The blame soon moved to the electronics world and potential EMI interference.
There is no doubt that there is now a colossal amount of electronics in modern cars, and certainly the potential for a number of EMI problems, but if this were the case, would the defect not be intermittent in nature, and why would it only occur around the accelerator and not the many other, more densely populated areas of automotive electronics? No, the EMI story, like the sticking gas pedal, was only a smoke screen.
Some weeks ago, when this story first surfaced, a colleague of mine said he would lay money on the fact that this was caused by tin whiskers. After all, the defect is not intermittent, suggesting a dead short in the system. I agree with him. Tin whiskers have been a cause in many system failures from the space shuttle to pacemakers. As many of us know, the seat of the problem is connected to the thickness of the intermetallic layers on pads and component leads. This problem has multiplied many times over since the introduction of lead-free solders with their higher tin content.
If tin whiskers are at the root of the Toyota “sudden acceleration” crisis, then the effects could send ripples around the electronics manufacturing world. Not least of these are the lawsuits that are already starting to fly around the United States. Curiously, in Europe manufacturers have a get out of jail card in the form of an EC Directive that states “the producer is not liable if the defect occurs as a result of his compliance with the RoHS regulations.” However, the United States is not covered by this legislation and is fiercely more litigious.
Are the regulators in Brussels going to have to consider yet another revision to the RoHS rules (they have only just finished a revision in Q3 last year), and are manufacturers going to be subjected to more change to switch back to SnPb or to yet another alloy less affected by tin whiskers, tin pest, creep, voiding and the many other defects that lead-free has thrust upon our industry?
And finally, there has to be some irony about this problem landing back in Japan, the country that brought lead-free onto the world stage in the first instance. Perhaps it’s time for a little more honesty from researchers and the trade bodies that represent us around the world before many more people get hurt.
—Trevor Galbraith
Are the chickens coming home to roost for lead-free?
Title
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Package on package (PoP) defects
12 3 4 5
The topic of ESD (electrostatic discharge) control has been discussed in this column in the past ; however, it remains an important issue and opportunity, both technologically and economically and it is thus a topic worth revisiting.
As a starting point, one will find the simple fact is that as “Moore’s Myrmidons” continue to press to find the lower limits of semiconductor feature size below which the laws of physics finally win out, the
matter of ESD increases in importance. While efforts of the faithful followers of Moore’s Law have made possible much of the advance and growth of the electronics industry, there is a price to pay for that goal driven pursuit. This is because, with each reduction in feature size, there has been a corresponding increase in the prospective impact of a number of other factors including ESD protection. Thus the importance of controlling static electricity is now on the rise; this due, at least in part, to the fact that there is an inverse relationship between the reduction in
feature size and switching voltages on the semiconductor integrated circuit chip, and thus the threshold for prospective damage is also lowered. And when that threshold is crossed, it can get expensive.
Based on estimates made by experts in recent years , the total cost of ESD events today could possibly exceed 90 billion dollars annually. That is not small change. The damage from unmitigated ESD events is often manifested as the destruction of
some to many of the miniscule circuits and transistors that populate semiconductor devices. Considering the fact that semiconductor switching voltages are now shrinking below the 1.5 volt range and that the human body can store many thousands of volts of static charge, the risk of ESD is as clear. Clear also is the need for protection against it.
While protection against ESD can be provided at many different places in a system, the first and most important protection is provided at the level of the integrated circuit itself. This is typically
provided at or near the I/O terminals as seen in Figure 1. As pointed out in the earlier discussion of ESD, one downside of on-chip protection against ESD is that it has a parasitic effect on the signal, resulting in a need to increase power beyond what might be otherwise required. The amount of energy can be significant,
The not so obvious costs of ESD protection (and ways to mitigate them)
The not so obvious costs of ESD protection (and ways to mitigate them)
Joe Fjelstad
Based on estimates made by experts in recent years, the total cost of ESD events today could possibly exceed 90 billion dollars annually.
Figure 1: ESD protection diodes consume nearly 15% of illustrated die area. This is a high price to pay for a function which, while it protects the die, actually limits performance and increases power requirements.
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The not so obvious costs of ESD protection (and ways to mitigate them)
6 7 8 9 10
for as I/O power rises, the core power must be increased to keep the voltage swing between the two in a reasonably close range for best performance. Thus, lowering I/O power can result in much lower overall power requirements and the related costs of thermal management. Another down side is that ESD protection on the IC uses up significant amounts of chip real estate. In Figure 1 it can be seen that approximately 15% of the area us used for ESD protection. ESD protection is important but it is also a rather mundane use of such expensive real estate. Moreover, future chips designs are likely to find themselves “ESD limited” as illustrated in Figure 2.
So clearly, there are both technical and economic advantages to the possibility of identifying ways of mitigating ESD risk that do not cause need for increased parasitic effects at the I/O and which will also reduce the amount of chip area required for ESD and unfetter the shrinking of die. One way to do this is to remove most of the ESD protection from the die and handle it using a separate, off chip, ESD protection structure. Figure 3 shows an example of how this can be accomplished using a novel proprietary method . The method offers all of the benefits of on-die ESD protection; that is, efficient, fast protection, along with die design flexibility, without any of the associated disadvantages.
By placing a strip containing an array of ESD diodes or circuits onto, adjacent or beneath the primary IC die, chip designers and manufacturers can remove the majority of ESD protection from their die, allowing them to freely design smaller chips and saving significant amounts of die space. Alternatively, a designer could also keep the existing ESD protection on their IC and increase their level of protection by utilizing the ESD strip, without having to take up more die or PCB real estate. In practice, the ESD protection devices can be processed using more suitable materials, with better characteristics, so that circuit performance is not compromised.
In summary, static electricity is nothing to trifle with, especially as semiconductor features continue to shrink. ESD can severely damage or destroy electronic products, and with ever lower voltage thresholds on the horizon, the risk increases and protection of electronic devices at every level is critical. However ESD protection comes at a cost both in terms of performance and cost and physics will not allow ESD protection to shrink
with the chip, so even as ESD protection is increasing in importance for product reliability, it is also fast becoming a design hurdle as ICs reduce in size. Concepts such as what has been described should find increasing use to meet the growing ESD challenge.
acknowledgements Gratitude is extended to Matthew Anderson of the TPL Group for his analysis and for preparing the graphics used in this month’s column.
references1. Global SMT & Packaging magazine
issue 7.3 - March 20072. http://www.allbusiness.com/
management/641122-1.html3. US Patent 6,933,610
Verdant Electronics founder and president Joseph (Joe) Fjelstad has more than 35 years
of international experience in electronic interconnection and packaging technology in
a variety of capacities from chemist to process engineer and from international consultant to CEO. Mr. Fjelstad is also a well known author writing on the subject of electronic
interconnection technologies. Prior to founding Verdant, Mr. Fjelstad co-founded SiliconPipe
a leader in the development of high speed interconnection technologies. He was also
formerly with Tessera Technologies, a global leader in chip-scale packaging, where he was
appointed to the first corporate fellowship for his innovations.
Figure 2. In the figure a) shows a chip with ESD while b) shows how little benefit is gained in area savings if the designer wishes to shrink the chip while maintaining the same level of ESD. Moreover as seen in the c) and d) images, if the designer needs to increase ESD protection for more ESD sensitive future generation devices, the savings actually disappear as diode real estate use is increased.
Figure 3) Placing a strip containing an array of ESD diodes or circuits onto, adjacent or beneath the primary IC die allows chip designers and manufacturers to remove the majority of ESD protection from their die, allowing them to freely design smaller chips and saving significant amounts of die real estate.
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Industry NewsIndustry News
Digi-Key corporation Surpasses 2,000 employeesDigi-Key Corporation recently resumed hiring new employees and surpassed the 2,000 employee mark. As of January 3, 2010, Digi-Key had 2,020 employees. “If our projections for 2010 materialize, we would expect to see a significant increase in this number,” said Digi-Key president and COO Mark Larson. “In the first six months of 2009 we saw our sales plunge more that 20% when compared to 2008,” Larson said. “However, by the second half of the year we saw signs of improvement. In October it was almost like somebody flipped a switch and sales turned up just as sharply as they had turned down at the end of 2008.” www.digikey.com.
aqueous Technologies reports highest quarterly revenue in company historyAqueous Technologies Corp., North America’s largest provider of batch defluxing systems, reports its highest quarterly revenue in its 18-year history.
“While 2009 was a challenging year for the electronics assembly industry, we experienced sharp increases in booked orders and revenue in the fourth calendar quarter,” said company president Michael Konrad. “While a fourth quarter increase is common in our specific business, the rise was greater than previous periods of seasonal increase. We also witnessed increased spread across multiple regions
including North America, Europe, and Asia. Most importantly, January and February production schedules are unseasonably busy, indicating that a recovery is underway.” www.aqueoustech.com
Keithley instruments restores employee compensationKeithley Instruments, Inc., restored employee compensation to full pay effective January 1, 2010. The company had previously reduced compensation by ten percent for the majority of U.S. exempt employees and by twelve percent for the company’s three senior officers and had implemented unpaid days off for U.S. non-exempt employees, effective January 1, 2009. The compensation was restored as a result of improved global economies and the company’s expectation that it will be profitable in fiscal year 2010. www.keithley.com
consumer electronics to grow in 2010, according to cea ForecastThe consumer electronics (CE) industry will generate more than $165 billion in U.S. shipment revenues this year, a slight increase from 2009, according to the semi-annual industry forecast released by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)®. The CE industry will see positive revenue growth in 2010 after a revenue decline in 2009. Total industry shipment revenues fell an estimated 7.8 percent in 2009, although unit volume
increased nearly ten percent for the year as consumers bought electronics at a value, limiting industry revenues. As the economy begins its slow recovery from the recession, the CE industry will lead the way as popular product categories, such as wireless handsets, netbooks, smartphones and Blu-ray players, are poised for growth in 2010.
The U.S. Consumer Electronics Sales and Forecast 2005-2010 (January 2010) is published twice a year, in January and July, at www.CE.org
Symetrics industries purchases Valor’s automated DFM verification softwareSymetrics Industries recently purchased Valor Computerized Systems’ Trilogy 5000 design-for-manufacturing (DFM) analysis software. Headquartered in Melbourne, Fla., Symetrics builds their own designs as well as doing a lot of build-to-print. In the past, they’d found themselves slowed down by problems they would wish they’d caught earlier in the design process. They felt that good DFM capability would benefit their design engineers and facilitate their process, resulting in fewer production slowdowns. Once they found Valor, through Valor’s Florida representative Technical Resources Corporation (TRC), it was an easy decision. Valor’s DFM software brings designers and the manufacturing supply chain together. It rationalizes the requirements of the design engineer and manufacturers who need to build products at a rapid pace and with the highest quality. Valor DFM is comprised of more than 700 design checks, covering all stages of the design process. www.symetrics.com, www.valor.com
Panasonic Factory Solutions company of america adds six sigma black belt to its credentialsPanasonic Factory Solutions Company of America recently added Six Sigma Black Belt Certification from the American Society for Quality to the credentials of its Enterprise Consulting team. Black Belt Certification indicates understanding and experience in applying Six Sigma philosophies and principles, including supporting systems in a variety of business situations. A certified Black Belt demonstrates team leadership in all aspects of the DMAIC model (define, measure,
STi electronics becomes iSo14644-1:1999 certifiedSTI Electronics, Inc., a full service organization providing training, electronic and industrial distribution, consulting, laboratory analysis, prototyping, and small- to medium-volume PCB assembly, has received certification in accordance with Nebb Procedural Standards per the requirements of ISO14644-1:1999 for ISO Class 6 (Class 1000) Manufacturing Cleanroom for Electronic Hardware. STI’s 2,000 sq ft cleanroom facility has been added to produce military and medical devices that require cleanroom manufacturing standards and practices. This is another milestone and building block for STI’s growth to become a full-service provider of microelectronic assemblies and sensors as well as high-end standard and hybrid electronic assemblies for its customer base. www.stielectronicsinc.com
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analyze, improve, control), understands lean enterprise concepts, and uses tools to identify non-value-added activities. www.panasonicfa.com
Kyzen partners with yankee TronicsKyzen appointed Yankee Tronics as its official representative for the Upstate New York region. Yankee Tronics will be partnering with Kyzen to provide world-class cleaning products for the electronics and semiconductor markets. Since 1986, Yankee Tronics has been providing personal attention and service to its entire territory in markets including technical support and service through solid knowledge and experience. This team has strategically aligned itself with world-class suppliers including Speedline, Indium, Juki, Photo Stencil and now Kyzen. Like Kyzen, Yankee Tronics is known for process development and solving process support challenges for its customers. www.kyzen.com
Production Solutions appoints hitech eletrônica as its distributor for BrazilProduction Solutions, Inc., appointed Hitech Eletrônica, an industry-recognized specialist in electronic products, as its distributor for Brazil. Hitech Eletrônica is a South American representative and value-added distributor of a range of high-tech products, solutions and services
covering the entire electronic design and production supply chain, including EDA, semiconductors, peripherals, production and test equipment as well as maintenance and professional services. Established in 1974 and based in Brazil, Hitech is qualified with many years of both technical and application expertise. Hitech Eletrônica will represent Production Solutions’ RED-E-SET line throughout Brazil. www.hitech.com.br, www.production-solutions.com MyDaTa partners with new representative in eastern canadaMYDATA appointed Oempartners representative for Eastern Canada, including Ontario and points east. Oempartners Inc. brings to this partnership over 30 years of experience serving Canadian CEM and OEM customers in the electronics industry. www.oempartners.com, www.mydata.com
r&D Technical Services appoints arK Manufacturing Solutions, llcR&D Technical Services Inc. appointed ARK Manufacturing Solutions, LLC as its representative for Arizona, New Mexico and Southern Nevada. ARK Manufacturing Solutions, LLC has been a registered corporation in the state of Arizona since January 2008 with customers located in the states of Arizona, New
Mexico, Southern Nevada, and Sonora, Mexico. The company specializes in the fields of microelectronics, SMT and electronic packaging. ARK Manufacturing Solutions, LLC will represent R&D Technical Services’ vapor phase systems. www.rdtechnicalservices.com
Milara appoints new applications engineerMilara Incorporated added Vatsal Shah to its core team of engineering members. The new applications engineer brings with him several years of printing process experience in the semiconductor and SMT industries. Shah holds an MS in industrial systems engineering from Binghamton University and a BS in electrical engineering from Mumbai University, India. www.milarasmt.com
call for participation—int’l Symposium on Tin WhiskersThe Center for Advanced Life Cycle Engineering (CALCE) at the University of Maryland, in collaboration with The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research (ISIR) at Osaka University, is calling for participation for the Fourth International Symposium on Tin Whiskers, to be held June 23, 2010, at the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland. Presentations submitted for this year’s symposium may cover case histories, theories of tin whisker growth, experiments and results, risk evaluation methods and risk mitigation strategies. Free admission will be provided to symposium participants. Abstracts are due by March 12th; presentations by June 4th. Contact Dr. Michael Osterman, CALCE, at [email protected].
FcT assembly appoints arK Manufacturing SolutionsFCT Assembly appointed ARK Manufacturing Solutions LLC as its representative for Arizona, New Mexico and Southern Nevada. ARK Manufacturing Solutions has been a registered corporation in the State of Arizona since January 2008. The company specializes in microelectronics, SMT and electronic packaging. ARK will represent FCT Assembly’s stencil manufacturing and electronic assembly products. For more information on ARK, contact Dave Murrin, President at (602) 684-4636. www.fctassembly.com
lyman Brown retires from BPM; William White to assume ceo positionBPM Microsystems announced the retirement of Lyman Brown, executive vice president and chief operating officer, effective January 31, 2010. William White will transition back into the role of president and chief executive officer. White founded the company in 1985 while attending Rice University in Houston, Texas. Brown began his career with BPM Microsystems in June 2003 as the director of business development. He was promoted to executive vice president and chief operating officer in November of the same year. www.bpmmicro.com
Victron names Sudarshan Bahl director of quality and regulatory affairsEMS services supplier Victron, Inc., added Sudarshan Bahl as its new director of quality and regulatory affairs, reporting to Todd Lovejoy, COO. In this position, Mr. Bahl has responsibility for Victron’s quality organization and the company’s compli-ance with CA FDB licensing, ISO 9001, 14001 and 13485 certifications, ITAR, and other key regulatory agency approvals and certifications. Mr. Bahl arrives with more than 20 years of EMS and OEM experience. www.victron.com
altium names roger Shen regional ceo of Greater chinaAltium appointed Roger Shen as the regional CEO of Altium’s business across Greater China. At the same time, the company has raised the status of the business from being a sales region to a regional business. Previously a sales and support organization, Altium’s Greater China operations will grow along with the Australian-headquartered company as a whole to help electronic designers everywhere build the next generation of electronic products. www.altium.com
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Nanotechnology is now starting to find applications in electronics
introductionThe first presentation on nanotechnology at Pan-Pac predicted that nanomaterials would be entering the electronics supply chain and being assembled into products. Today, there are indeed products in use—not as many as anticipated and not necessarily the same products as predicted. We will explore some of these products and the areas in which they are being used.
We have seen controversy about nanomaterials in the workspace, we have seen completely new materials families such as graphenes emerge, and we have seen new electronics markets such as solar photovoltaics where nanomaterials play a key role in their success. Other areas have taken longer to develop than expected.
The iNeMi 2009 roadmapThe iNEMI roadmap (www.inemi.org ) is a comprehensive document that reviews the key issues affecting the electronics supply chain. Gaps in the technology or infrastructure that can adversely affect NEMI members are identified, and the NEMI Research Committee was formed to prioritize and disposition the tasks and identify companies, universities and government laboratories that can address them for the mutual good. The results are published in the Research Priorities1, downloadable from the iNEMI web site.
Almost every roadmap chapter in the 2009 roadmap identifies aspects of nanotechnology that
can enhance existing products or replace their structure or function.
Nanotechnology in semiconductors beyond the normal feature size shrinkage is raising interest in electronics circles. The novel 3-D structures known as FinFETs are predicted to be used in the next generation of semiconductor devices arriving in 2011-2012 and nano-wire based structures will be starting to appear in the same time frame.
These are highly complex structures made by sophisticated processes. Most nano applications that are reaching the market today are actually much more basic and many are concentrated in the area of improved materials.
Small size features—around the wavelength of light—can produce very interesting properties. Below the wavelength of light, nano structures can become invisible to the naked eye; band gaps in semiconductor materials can be modified to alter electrical and optical properties; metals can sinter and coalesce well below their melting temperatures and nanotubes and nano-wires can behave as individual transistors. Structured surfaces
Four years ago we outlined some of the areas where nanotechnology might be applied to electronics. We are now seeing real examples of use, particularly in new areas such as photovoltaics, but there are applications in more conventional applications such as solder and surface finishes.
Alan Rae, TPF Enterprises LLC, Wilson, NY, USA
Nanotechnology is now starting to find applications in electronics
Figure 1. Enthone Nanofinish® (with permission).
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Nanotechnology is now starting to find applications in electronics
can be scratch-resistant, ultrahydrophobic or self-cleaning.
Nanotechnology has been described as a toolkit for the electronics industry in that it gives us tools that allow us to make nanomaterials with special properties modified by ultra-fine particle size, crystallinity, structure or surfaces. These will become commercially successful when they give a cost and performance advantage over existing products or allow us to create new products.
Semiconductors and packagingIn 2009 we saw 45 nm node semiconductors deployed and real progress being made towards the next nodes. We haven’t yet come to the “brick wall” predicting the end of Moore’s Law... but it is still on the horizon.
Packaging continues to be a concern and we are starting to see a real emphasis on 3D packing to address integrated functionality, speed, form factor, and cost (yes, better-faster-smaller-cheaper still rules, especially for smart phones and netbooks). Nanomaterials use has generally been limited to evolution of filler systems used in packaging materials and underfills.
Replacement concepts for silicon
semiconductor technology have focused for several years on carbon nanotubes. This technology has been slowed by the difficulties of separating metallic and semiconducting nanotubes produced together in the synthesis process which differ only in the stacking sequence of carbon atoms in the tubes. Better process control and new separation processes have allowed separation to take place but there are still cost and other issues involved.
Shepherding individual nanotubes into useful devices has also proved tricky. One approach is to create a random mesh (rather like a non-woven fabric) that is then cut to shape; the other approach, pioneered by the NSF Center for High-Rate NanoManufacturing,2 is to
assemble them into lithographically formed features. We are still some way from widely deployed applications of nanotubes in electronics although structural applications and those based on bulk conductivity are growing.
interconnectionWe predicted a widespread use in interconnection, which has proved rather more difficult to achieve in practice. In composites and coatings the law of mixtures is always difficult (conductivity is dominated by the less conductive material especially if conductivity is
directional, as with carbon nanotubes) and so concentrations required to reach acceptable conductivity may be higher than is economic.
The iNEMI nano solder project showed that nano-sized SAC alloy could sinter at 180˚Cand below but that flux formulation was problematic. Nano-sized metals can catalyze some flux ingredient
“We have seen controversy about nanomaterials in the workspace, we have seen completely new materials families such as graphenes emerge, and we have seen new electronics markets such as solar photovoltaics where nanomaterials play a key role in their success.”
Figure 2. Hydrophobic and antibacterial coating of 80 nm Ag in polyurethane. (NanoDynamics)
Figure 3. Spectral Coverage of Si quantum dots. (University of Buffalo)
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Nanotechnology is now starting to find applications in electronics
decomposition as low as 120˚Cand flux residues could really hinder solidification. Work is continuing on solder and solder replacement.
Nano Surface finishes have been faster to market. Nano surface finishes have been commercialized by Enthone (Cookson Electronics Inc.) Their novel surface finish, originally developed by Ormecon in Germany, combines a conductive polymer with a nano silver to combine the best features of OSP and silver. This product is potentially a substitute for ENIG as well as other surface finishes due to its superior, aging, oxidation and solderability properties coupled to multiple reflow capability3
Printed electronics as a discrete industry has not developed as fast as the marketing reports suggested—except in the solar area (see below). Nano inks, particularly those based on silver, are compatible with polymer substrates but are in general waiting for the markets to develop.
clean energyClean tech represents a huge growth opportunity for electronics. For the first time ever, alternative energy sources outstripped nuclear electricity in the USA in the first half of 2009—0.7 quadrillion BTU January-May 2009, according to the Department of Energy’s Monthly Energy Review4. Alternative energy depends heavily on nanomaterials used in electronics structures—in nano silver inks for current collectors for silicon cells, in printable thin film copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) cell materials themselves as well as the conductors in the newer types of rigid and flexible cells that can lower cell costs below $1 per peak watt. They are an area of increasing focus for EMS companies, with Jabil, Flextronic and Celestica among others very active in the field.
Nanomaterials have many potential applications in fuel cells and alternative fuel catalysis but their first widespread application has been in solar photovoltaics.
In the “front end” or cell formation process, reactive exothermic nano foils
formerly produced by RNT Inc. are now supplied by Indium Corporation.5. This novel process uses a local exotherm to provide controlled heating and reliable mounting of sputter targets to backplates.
Printable CIGS (copper indium gallium sulpho-selenide) cells are being produced using nano inks by NanoSolar Inc.6. The nano ink is coated onto a metal backplate to allow the formation of these flexible and potentially low-cost cells.
At the “back end” of the process, metallization inks based on silver are used on the front surfaces of silicon solar cells. These metallizations together with backside aluminum and silver are co-fired at 800˚Ccausing cracking and distortion of the cells. Nano silvers processing at 200-300˚Care available but have yet to be widely accepted.
DisplaysThe use of carbon nanotubes as “self-sharpening” cold cathodes in plasma televisions has been limited by improvements in the competing LCD televisions and concerns over the energy consumption of large plasma TV sets, California has enacted ground-breaking legislation limiting the energy consumption of TV sets7 and other states are likely to follow. Plasma TVs are typically less energy-efficient than LCD TVs, which are becoming more efficient as LCDs replace fluorescent backlights.
Indium tin oxide (ITO) is used not only in TV sets but also monitors, phone displays and solar cells and is supply limited. Nano alternatives being given serious consideration include carbon nanotube and graphene containing films.
Anti-smear nano coatings are being sold by suppliers including Aculon Inc8. Hydrophobic and oleophobic coatings of this kind will be increasingly used for screens and other surfaces.
LEDs are replacing fluorescent tubes in TV and monitor screens to reduce power usage and mercury usage. Eventually they will start to replace fluorescent lighting more generally as costs start to fall. Efficiency and spectral performance can be modified using quantum dots, nano-sized
particles of silicon that absorb unwanted frequencies and re-emit at desired frequencies. Silicon quantum dots will replace the first generation Cd materials.
NeMSNEMS—nano-electro-mechanical systems—are the nano equivalent of the micro systems in MEMS. Two examples below are the NEMS nose and nanotube-based memThe “NEMS Nose” is being developed by groups such as the Roukes Group at CalTech9. Here a nano-sized resonator can be used to detect molecular mass by alterations in the resonant frequency of a vibrating cantilever. Arrays with different surface treatments can be used for selective detection of chemical species and here we have created a NEMS analog of a mass spectrometer. This reduces the detector size from a device the size of a refrigerator to a NEMS device that can fit in a handheld detector. This has obvious applications for emergency services and medical use—and in addition, if the coating on the cantilever contained palladium, an extremely sensitive detector for hydrogen would be created—a sensor that will become vital if the hydrogen-fueled vehicle becomes a reality. Hydrogen has an extremely wide explosive range—from 4% to 75% in air, much wider than gasoline, which has a range from 1% to 7%. Hydrogen leaks in enclosed spaces are bad news!
Polymer based NEMS sensors such as those produced by NEMS AB10 promise to be very inexpensive to produce and can be made selective to specific molecules.
Nantero’s NRAM11uses bundles of carbon nanotubes in arrays that can be switched to form a n array of 0’s and 1’s depending on whether they have moved position under an applied field. This non-volatile memory promises to be faster and more durable than flash memory and to use a lot less power then SRAM, fast and low power but can not hold a lot of data, or DRAM, slow and high power consumption but high capacity. Interestingly, as 2GB RAM memory is getting to be about the minimum memory requirement for a PC, cooling of memory
Figure 4. Schematic of a NEMS single molecule detector. Plan view is in the left, side view is on the right.
Figure 5. Schematic of the two possible states of a carbon nanotube based memory cell (NRAM).
Global SMT & Packaging – Celebrating 10 Years – March 2010 – 13www.globalsmt.net
Nanotechnology is now starting to find applications in electronics
is now an issue.Totally new devices for new
applications are quite rare and difficult to predict! These are totally new concepts giving us new tools to address opportunities that we don’t know how to address just now. An example from the past was the AFM (atomic force microscope), which allowed us to explore surfaces in previously unknown detail using a totally new principle. “Killer apps” like this may have shortcomings—there are a limited number of AFMs needed in the world and relatively few companies producing the detector heads.
NEMS can also enhance existing MEMS applications. These enhanced MEMS devices could detect smaller changes in acceleration, pressure, flow etc. Here the cost-benefit analysis is fairly straightforward if there is a clear market need for this type of measurement. This type of product will often be developed by established MEMS manufacturers
New materials reaching commercializationOne key new materials system has surfaced in the past 4 years. Graphene, composed of sheets of carbon atoms one atom thick, which seem to have many of the desirable properties of carbon nanotubes without the high cost and potential health and safety concerns. Potential applications include ITO replacement
Many nano materials have been developed because of their interesting properties and companies have been founded on products for which there are limited market demand (technology push). This tends to produce leading edge products with very limited immediate commercial potential. Work by iNEMI and others suggests the time for deployment in the electronics industry is typically seven years for a new product that fits with the existing infrastructure and 15 years for a disruptive product. Doubters only need to look at the intensive phase of lead-free solder qualification and implementation (1999 to 2009…and still not complete for complex boards) or the implementation of MEMS devices in accelerometer applications—30 years! The electronics industry is fast moving in term of ultimate product development but very conservative when it comes to accepting new materials, devices and systems.
Managing hSe issuesThere continues to be a lively discussion internationally about whether nanomaterials should be regulated
separately from traditional materials There are many opinions and the challenge is the diversity of types and diversity of applications—how do you equate nanosized silver, carbon nanotubes and liposomes, or nanomaterials in cosmetics, wind turbine blades, injected for medical image enhancement and automotive clear coat? Some nanomaterials behave differently at below 100 nm—for example silver which can be sintered as low as 120˚C, well below its 961˚Cmelting point—and others such as sodium chloride (which you inhale every time you go to the beach) do not appear to behave differently.
At the moment products are registered under EPA’s TSCA and, if appropriate, FIFRA programs. Only two materials have been singled out for special attention, carbon nanotubes because of their unique structure and properties, and silver because of the large number of antibacterial products being launched—not all of them properly registered—including computer keyboards and mice.
ISO TC 229 “Nanotechnologies” is at the forefront of the harmonization task. As with any new technology there is a “land grab” by national and international standards and other organizations; ISO is looking to harmonize nomenclature, metrology, health and safety guidelines and communication (data sheets, MSDS, labeling etc) to bring some order to the process.
It is highly likely that all nanomaterials presented to the electronics board fab and assembly industries will be in some way encapsulated as inks, as pastes, in resins or as coatings compatible with existing processes and probably will not be subject to specific regulations.
conclusionsNanomaterials are starting to be more widely used in electronics but it takes a significant time for these applications to take hold and for significant business to result. Most applications will be evolutionary rather than revolutionary but
will still yield significant performance and economic benefits.
acknowledgements Past colleagues at NanoDynamics Inc; current colleagues and associates at Graphene Devices Ltd, University of Buffalo, Purdue University, Global Solar Technology, Cookson Electronics, iNEMI, ISO and the Inventures Group.
4. US Department of Energy Monthly Report http://www.eia.doe.gov/mer/
5. “Indium Corporation Acquires Assets of Reactive Technologies” http://www.indium.com/news/nanotechnologies/
6. NanoSolar Inc. http://www.nanosolar.com/technology
7. CA TV restrictions http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/03/california-tv/
8. Aculon Inc. display coatings http://www.aculon.com/displays.html
9. Roukes Group CalTech http://nano.caltech.edu/
10. NEMS AB http://www.nems.se/ 11. Nantero NRAM http://www.nantero.
com/mission.html
Figure 6. TEM of Graphene. (Wikipedia)
14 – Global SMT & Packaging – Celebrating 10 Years – March 2010 www.globalsmt.net
Head-in-pillow: Identifying and highlighting suspect solder joints
introductionHead-in-pillow (HIP) defects, also known as head-on-pillow (HOP), can occur after reflow soldering when the solder paste wets the printed circuit board pad while not fully wetting a BGA ball. While the resulting solder joint may initially exhibit electrical conductivity, it may lack sufficient mechanical integrity. Often these HIP defects are not detected during in-circuit or functional testing but arise as an intermittent field failure when the solder joint is placed under physical or thermal stress throughout its product life cycle. Head-in-pillow defects have become more predominant with the advent of lead-free solder paste due to greater board warpage and resulting solder ball lifting caused by higher reflow temperatures. Studies have
shown that because board and component warpage are inconsistent and cannot be predicted, attention should be focused on reflow process parameters and material issues1. Process variables impacting upon HIP defects include the BGA solder ball alloys used, the type of reflow profile applied, the peak reflow temperature used as well as the solder paste chemistry. In some cases destructive cross sectioning with scanning electron microscope (SEM) examination may be required to confirm this type of deficiency after a circuit board has been returned as a field failure, having previously passing outgoing in-circuit or functional test.
identifying hiP defectsEven though HIP defects can be difficult
Keywords: Ball Grid Array, Head In Pillow, Head On Pillow, Solder Joint Integrity, X-Ray Inspection, Oblique Angle View, Artificial Intelligence
Head-in-pillow (HIP) or head-on-pillow (HOP) is the phenomena that can occur when incomplete wetting of a solder joint occurs after solder paste coalesces around, or near to, a ball grid array (BGA) solder ball after reflow but does not inter-mix, resulting in an open joint. These defects are difficult to detect with in-line automatic x-ray inspection (AXI) systems or lower performance 2D x-ray systems. However, head-in-pillow defects can be more easily indentified using modern high-performance digital 2D x-ray systems equipped with 70 degree oblique angle viewing. Enhancing this capability is an automated HIP inspection routine that identifies and highlights suspect BGA solder joints without requiring an operator to manually inspect numerous locations within each BGA.
Dr. Evstatin Krastev and Dr. David Bernard, Nordson Dage, Fremont, CA, USA
Head-in-pillow: Identifying and highlighting suspect solder joints
Figure 1. Head-in-pillow defects imaged with 2D x-ray inspection.
Global SMT & Packaging – Celebrating 10 Years – March 2010 – 15www.globalsmt.net
Head-in-pillow: Identifying and highlighting suspect solder joints
to detect when using in-line automatic x-ray inspection (AXI) systems or 2D x-ray systems with lower performance characteristics, they can be readily identified with state-of-the-art 2D x-ray inspection systems without the need to destroy the printed circuit board as is the case with micro-sectioning (Figure 1)2.
Figure 1 clearly illustrates why these defects are referred to as head in pillow, or better, head on pillow. The defective BGA solder ball appears to be laying on the reflowed solder paste instead of forming a single interconnection after reflow.
Often considered an open joint, HIP defects frequently occur with BGA devices but can also be found in other area array devices such as flip chips and advanced three-dimensional semiconductor packages, including package on package (PoP), package in package (PiP) and system in package (SiP)3. Even with these complex semiconductor packages, HIP defects can be easily identified with off-axis x-ray inspection system without destroying the semiconductor device or damaging the substrate or printed circuit board.
X-ray inspection techniquesOblique angle viewing, or tilt angle capability, is of critical importance in identifying HIP defects (Figures 2a and 2b). It is recommended best practice to use tilt, or oblique angles, of between 55 to 70 degrees with the ability to rotate 360 degrees around the point of inspection by moving the x-ray detector. This allows the ability to examine all around the BGA solder joints and does not suffer from occlusion of view by other solder balls or
other aspects of the printed circuit board. Emphasis should be placed on the proper use of tilt and rotation angles together with x-ray parameters including kilo volts (kV) and power (W) which are important when trying to detect defect features of only a few microns in size such as cracks within solder balls of area array devices including BGA or flip-chip devices.
One of the best ways board level assemblers can control costs is by maximizing production yields so there are fewer first-pass failures, as well as minimizing subsequent rework and repair. Assemblers should concentrate on setting up the right inspection and test regime that will eliminate difficult and reoccurring problems. One way to do this is to implement a highly capable x-ray inspection system with user-friendly features and sub-micron feature recognition. The payback on such a piece of inspection equipment can be substantial considering the full range of faults it can detect in addition to HIP defects, thereby providing a significant advantage in improving process control, maximizing manufacturing yields and reducing operating costs.
automated inspection hiP routineThe traditional method for detecting HIP defects before they leave a factory has been for an operator to manually inspect each solder ball within a soldered BGA using a modern 2D x-ray inspection system equipped with oblique angle viewing and sub-micron feature recognition capability. While this method has proven to be highly reliable in detecting HIP
defects, it is time consuming and labor intensive. All technological advances that help board level assemblers improve yield enhancement in a cost-effective manner are extremely helpful in general, and especially so in the current economic situation. Working with leading industry authorities, an automated HIP inspection routine has been developed that can identify and highlight suspect HIP defects without requiring an operator to manually inspect each individual solder joint location within a BGA.
As an optional extension module to standard automated analysis software, this automated inspection routine automatically analyses BGA solder joints for HIP failures. The system scans an entire BGA and a sophisticated artificial intelligence algorithm analyses all solder balls indicating those BGA solder joints that it considers to be HIP defects. These are then displayed via a color-coded overlay to the operator together with an HIP confidence value for each BGA joint (Figure 3). Further investigation can then be simply carried out by the operator to confirm the joint status, including the use of oblique angle views at high magnification. This additional information is then fed back into the HIP algorithm to improve the automated analysis function.
This automated inspection routine identifies the presence and locations of HIP failures within BGA devices with a statistical variance, even if the solder joints are fully or partially obscured by the presence of other components on the opposite side of a board. As with most x-ray
Figures 2a and 2b. 2D x-ray image and enhanced 2D image of head-in-pillow defects.
16 – Global SMT & Packaging – Celebrating 10 Years – March 2010 www.globalsmt.net
Head-in-pillow: Identifying and highlighting suspect solder joints
automation routines the auto HIP software does have certain limitations, however its performance improves with continued use due to the incorporated learning feature.
conclusionsOccurrence of head-in-pillow defects remains an industry wide concern despite improvements in solder paste flux chemistry and enhanced wetting characteristics of BGA ball solder alloys. Indications are that HIP defects will persist for the foreseeable future due to higher lead-free reflow temperatures. While manual inspection with a 2D x-ray inspection system continues to prove an effective method in detecting HIP defects, implementing an automated HIP inspection software routine is a further step in providing additional confidence
in solder joint integrity and helping to prevent HIP defect escapes.
references1. Seelig, K., “HIP Defects in BGAs,”
Circuits Assembly magazine, December 2008
2. Krastev, E., “Modern 2D X-Ray Tackles BGA Defects,” SMT magazine, July 2008
3. Krastev, E., “Investigating Defects in 3D Packages,” Advanced Packaging magazine, June 2009
Dr. Evstatin Krastev is national applications manager for semiconductor packaging and
printed circuit board inspection at Nordson Dage and may be contacted at evstatin.
Figure 3. Color-coded overlay displaying HIP confidence values for each BGA ball.
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Based upon a sample of 62 global electronic equipment vendors representing over 50% of the world’s electronic equipment sales, revenues rose 7% in 4Q’09 vs. 4Q’08 (Chart 1). The fourth quarter of 2009 was the first “growth quarter” since 3Q’08 (Chart 2).
Regionally SE Asia is leading the recovery (up 40% in the three months ending January 2010 vs. the same three-month period a year earlier). The USA was up 2%, Europe down 14% and Japan off 16% based upon the most recent data available in mid February (Chart 3).
Supply chain inventories relative to sales dropped throughout 2009 (Chart 4), suggesting that we have entered 2010 with minimal excess stock levels to inhibit a decent sales recovery.
Semiconductor shipments are consistent with the recent electronic equipment data. Global chip shipments were up 28.9% on a three-month (3/12) basis in December (Chart 5). Regionally all areas moved back in to double-digit semiconductor shipment growth except Japan (Chart 6). However as we have
cautioned in recent columns, don’t be misled by huge growth rates in 2010 as they are relative to a very bad 2009. Chart 7 shows the actual semiconductor monthly sales that drove Chart 6. The high 2010 growth rates are merely returning us to 2008 levels.
Looking at the global electronic “food chain growth,” 2009 was indeed a very difficult year relative to 2008 (Chart 8). However the fourth quarter of 2009 was MUCH better (Chart 9).
The electronic food chain is growing again, with electronic equipment, semiconductors and printed circuit boards all finally back in positive territory (Chart 10). This year our “recovery” will mean returning to levels that proceeded the 2009 recession!
end markets• Worldwide IT spending will grow 4.6%
y/y to US$3.4 trillion in 2010 (Table 1)—Gartner (January 2010)
• China produced 180 million computers, 620 million mobile phones & 99.66 million color-TVs in 2009.—Ministry of Industry and Information Technology
Personal computers• Asia Pacific demand for notebooks
will surpass the USA in 2010 and W Europe in 2012.—IDC
Walt Custer and Jon Custer-Topai
Recovery: Getting back to 2008 levels
Chart 1. Chart 2.
Electronic Equipment SuppliersComposite of 62 Public Companies
Computer 11, Internet 5, Storage 7, Communication 11, SEMI 13, Medical 3, Instruments 6, Military 6
Recovery: getting back to 2008 levels
2009 2010
Spending Growth % Spending Growth %
Computing Hardware
326.4 -13.9 331.7 1.6
Software 220.7 -2.1 231.5 4.9
IT Services 780.9 -3.5 824.2 5.6
Telecom 1887.7 -3.6 1976.66 4.7
All IT 3215.7 -4.6 3364.0 4.6
Table 1. Worldwide IT spending. (Source: Gartner)
Global SMT & Packaging – Celebrating 10 Years – March 2010 – 19www.globalsmt.net
Recovery: getting back to 2008 levels
• Global e-book reader shipments should reach 9.3 million units in 2010.—Digitimes Research
• Worldwide PC shipments rose 22.1% in Q4’09, the strongest growth rate in the past seven years.—Gartner
• Media tablets shipments will rise from 4 million in 2010 to 57 million units in 2015.—ABI Research
• Worldwide netbook shipments increased 79% y/y to 30.2 million in 2009.—Strategy Analytics
Mobile communications• Global handset shipments grew 10%
y/y to 324 million units in 4Q’09.—Strategy Analytics
• Global market for smart cellular telephones is expected to grow from 181 million units in 2009 to 439 million in 2013. – iSuppli
• Worldwide mobile phone market grew 11.3% in 4Q’09 to 325.3 million units; 1.13 billion units were shipped on a cumulative worldwide basis in 2009.—IDC
Internet/datacom• China residential gateway shipments
are expected to rise from 4.5 million in 2009 to 11.4 million in 2010 and 16 million units in 2013. – iSuppli
• Consumer 802.11n Wi-Fi access point shipments should exceed 32 million in 2010.—ABI Research
• Global demand for mobile network cards and modules is expected to top 80-90 million units in 2010.—CCS Insight
SEMI equipment• Global semiconductor equipment
market is expected to grow by 46.8% y/y in 2010. – iSuppli
• N. American semiconductor equipment industry posted US$863.3 million in orders in December 2009 (on a 3-month average basis) and a book-to-bill ratio of 1.03.—SEMI
AutomotiveChina surpassed the USA to become the world’s No.1 auto marker. Passenger car sales increased 49.70% to 9.23 million in
first 11 months in 2009 and are expected to grow 10% to 15 million new units sold in 2010.—China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.Consumer electronics• Consumer electronics OEM market
revenue will rebound 1.6% in 2010 to US$317.3 billion on improved sales of LCD-TVs, digital set-top boxes and appliances. – iSuppli
• Consumer electronics prices fell by nearly 8% in 1H’09.—CEA
• Consumer electronics sales in the 5-week Christmas holiday-shopping season fell 1% y/y to US$10.8 billion.—CEA
• Worldwide consumer electronics revenue to OEMs is forecast to rise 1.6% to US$317.3 billion in 2010, to counter the 6.7% decline to US$312.3 billion seen in 2009. – iSuppli
• 3D-capable TVs will grow from 1.2M+ shipments in 2010 to 15.6M in 2013.—DisplaySearch
20 – Global SMT & Packaging – Celebrating 10 Years – March 2010 www.globalsmt.net
Recovery: getting back to 2008 levels
• expected to reach 171 million units in 2010.—DisplaySearch
• Global LED LCD TV shipments should reach 32 M. units in 2010. – DisplayBank
• Major appliance shipments grew 4.5% m/m and 0.9% y/y to 4.6 million in December.—Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers
• U.S. retail videogame console sales increased 16% y/y to nearly US$2.2 billion in December.—NPD Group
• Digital-camera shipments are expected to grow 3.8% y/y to 110 million cameras in 2010 following 106 million (-11.6% y/y) in 2009.—Camera and Imaging Products Association.
eMS, oDM & related assembly activity• Worldwide EMS and ODM provider
revenue will rise 7.8% y/y to US$280.8 billion in 2010.—iSuppli
• World’s top 100 connector
manufacturers recorded 2008 shipments of US$38.258 billion; 87% of connector market.—Bishop and Associates
ACW Technology is building its first manufacturing facility in the U.S in Durham.Alchemy Technical Consulting added a IBL SV260 tabletop vapor phase machine.Altech UEC added Universal Instruments’ Genesis platform.Altrel appointed Bertnard Demoule director of Eolane group.Axiom Electronics received AS9100 and ESD S20.20-2007 certifications. Bitron Sosnowiec (South Poland) went on strike over salary.Catalyst Manufacturing Services received AS9100 Aerospace certification in Endicott, New York; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Tijuana, Mexico.Celestica:• acquired Invec Solutions.• invested US$2.8 million+ to establish
a metrology laboratory in its Suzhou, China, facility.
• Healthcare Division appointed Nancy Duarte-Lonnroth director of quality, regulatory affairs, Richard Rubin director of market development, and Michael Sobolewski director of sales and business development
Compal Broadband Networks acquired Motorola’s Euro Docsis CPE business units for NT$300 million (US$9.43 million).CTS produced redesigned (post-recall) Toyota gas pedal parts in three plants.EE Technologies added a high speed rapid prototyping line in Reno, Nevada.Elcoteq:• issued EUR 29 million hybrid securities
to repay outstanding subordinated debt.
• Monterrey, Mexico, received Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) security certification.
• received contract to build Inmarsat sat phones in Estonia.
Global "Electronic Foodchain" Growth 4Q'09 vs. 4Q'08 (preliminary results)
74
-4-8
9-1
811
2117
2988
-626
63
Electronic EquipmentMilitary
Business & OfficeInstruments & Controls
MedicalCommunication
InternetComputer
StorageSEMI Equip
Semiconductors (SIA)Passive Components
Component DistribEMS-Large
ODMPCB
PCB Process Equip0 10 20 30 40-10
% Change
20100218
US$ equivalent at fluctuating exchange; based upon industry composites including acquisitions
World Electronic Equipment, PCB & Semiconductor Shipments
Meet us atIPC APEX EXPOTM 2010Mandalay Bay Resort & Convention Center
April 6th - 8thSouth Convention Center,
Bayside Halls C & D, Booth 1948Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
22 – Global SMT & Packaging – Celebrating 10 Years – March 2010 www.globalsmt.net
Recovery: getting back to 2008 levels
• will expand its Tallinn Estonia facility in 2Q10.
• began offering after market support for Nokia.
FCT Assembly:• received ISO 9001:2008 certification.• appointed ARK Manufacturing
Solutions as its representative for Arizona, New Mexico and Southern Nevada.
Flextronics:• re-hired workers in Timisoara,
Romania.• experienced supply chain shortages in
3Q.•• Foxconn/ Hon Hai:• is constructing 1,000 hectare industrial
park in Hai An District,Vietnam.• entered talks to buy Motorola Israel’s
Arad plant• offered 500,000-yuan (73,219 U.S.
dollar) reward regarding employee’s January 2010 death.
• set up China LED epitaxial wafer joint venture with Nichia.
• added 30,000 employees in Shenzhen.• signed one billion SMD LED lead
frames/month supply agreement with Chang Wah.
• is building an NB PC integrated supply chain in Chongqing, China.
• received order for five million LCD TVs from Samsung.
Hansatech EMS implemented lean manufacturing and reduced NPI cycle times by 40%.IMI:• listed 1.137 billion common shares in
the Philippine Stock Exchange.• is closing its Philippines LCD assembly
unit.Incap will close down its Vokatti factory and transfer production to Estonia in 2010.Integrated Ideas & Technologies named Matthew Associates its representative for the SMT and metal fabrication divisions for Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.Inventec plans to expand its server R&D center in Taoyuan, Taiwan, from 1,400 workers to 3,000 in 2012.Jabil:• Cassina de Pecchi, Italy, plant went on
strike over change in hours worked.• started 45 MW solar module line in
Chihuahua, Mexico, to accomodate BP Solar assembly contract.
• cut 1,500 jobs in Jalisco, Mexico, due to lower BlackBerry shipments.
•Kitron received a €2.5 million defense order from Kongsberg Group.Mack Technologies became PCBA services provider for Performance Technologies
(Rochester, NY).Matric (Seneca, PA) received AS 9100 certification.Mikroelektronika added a new testing facility in Brno, Czech Republic.NBS installed additional SMT line at its headquarters facility in Santa Clara, California.Northstar Electronics received contract add-on from L-3 to build consoles for the Canadian Navy’s Halifax Class Frigate Upgrade Program.Note appointed Göran Jansson to CEO and president.Plexus:• appointed Steve Gearhart to CIO.• established legal entity in Germany,
Plexus Deutschland GmbH. • named Christin Taege European
customer manager and Rena Thomas European business development director.
PKC Wiring Systems:• ended Kempele, Finland opeations.• appointed Harri Ojala managing
director.Qualastat Electronics will move into its new 13,175 SF Chandler headquarters in June, 2010.Qual-Pro appointed Richard Fitzgerald to COO.Quanta Computers began building its third Chinese mainland manufacturing base in Chongqing.Remploy Electronics appointed Tony Harrison key account manager.Sanmina-SCI:• San Jose, California PCB facility
received AS9100 Aerospace certification.
• Became EMS provider for broadband, IPTV and NGN solutions products manufactured at UTStarcom’s Hangzhou facility.
SMTC regained compliance with the minimum bid price requirement of The Nasdaq stock market.STI Electronics received ISO14644-1:1999 certification.Surmotech added an ERSA Versaflow 3 selective soldering machine.Syrma Technology joined wireless industry consortium DASH7.TECHMA U.S.A., Inc. will begin closing its Gretna, Virginia, manufacturing operations March 19, 2010.Technical Manufacturing Corporation celebrated its 25th anniversary.Titan Supply Chain Services launched new sales division, Titan EMS.TT electronics’ Kuantan, Malaysia’s manufacturing facility received ISO 13485:2003 medical certification.Ultra Electronics Manufacturing & Card Systems received NADCAP AC7120 for electronic and mechanical assembly
processes.Victron named Sudarshan Bahl director of quality and regulatory affairs.
Materials & process equipment• Global lithium ion battery materials
are expected to grow from 306.6 billion yen in 2009 to 652.1 billion yen in 2014.—Fuji Keizai Co.
• Global specialty films market will grow at 6.1% CAGR from US$22.18 billion in 2009 to US$29.77 billion by 2014.—Pira International
• Global SMT placement equipment revenues are expected to grow from US$1,740.5 million in 2008 and to US$2,498.5 million in 2015.—Frost & Sullivan
Acculogic Manufacturing Test Systems opened a testing services and support satellite office in Laguna Hills, CA.AdoptSMT Group opened a new 600 sq. m. London office.Assembléon:• Nordic was renamed Nordic SMT.• started SUPREME (SUstainable
PRoduction EquipMEnt) research project with the Technical University of Eindhoven, TNO, Xycarb Ceramics, Tegema Group en Fiberworx.
atg Luther & Maelzer promoted Martin Faulhaber to Managing Director of global atg-LM group.Beckhoff acquired Smyczek GmbH & Co. KG.BPM Microsystems named William White CEO, replacing retired Lyman Brown.Christopher Associates released new SPC software for Koh Young solder paste inspection systems.Computronics released its BEN-Z300 bench lead-free wave solder machine.Conexant appointed Phillip Pompa senior VP of product marketing.Cookson:• appointed Peter Hill and François
Wanecq to its board.• Altoona, PA, electronics’ laboratory
achieved ISO 17025 accreditation. DEK launches its new VectorGuard® double layer platinum stencil.Dow Corning opened a Warsaw office for silicon-based materials and solutions.Etek Europe began purchasing and stocking Aqueous Technologies’ automated defluxing, stencil cleaning and cleanliness testing equipment.Goepel electronics added a third building at its headquarters in Jena, Germany.Heraeus acquired Lord Corporation’s thick film cermet product line.IBL Vapour Phase named Blundell its UK soldering equipment representative.Japan Gore-Tex commercialized LCP film with high thickness accuracy suitable for high-frequency flexible printed circuit
Global SMT & Packaging – Celebrating 10 Years – March 2010 – 23www.globalsmt.net
Process challenges and solutions for embedding chip-on-board into mainstream SMT assembly
• Intelligent inspection system inspects virtually anything – Patented SAM™ technology inspects any component or surface – Detects both typical and unanticipated defects • SAM™ technology self teaches – NOT a simple image comparison software technology – Constantly learning technology – Does not have to be pre-programmed with defect images • High performance at high speed – Zero escapes with lowest false calls (<0.02%/200 ppm) – High speed pre- and post-reflow capabilities• Simple – saves time and cost – SAM™ technology eliminates complex algorithm selection – Only one moving part drives low maintenance cost
Flex HR™ – High Performance Made Easy
• Superior inspection speed and accuracy• Ability to inspect solder pads of ultra-small components at line speeds• No system calibration – ELIMINATES FALSE CALLS • Superior measurement capabilities – Highlight the TRUE values for process optimization – Able to inspect flexible circuits with ease
CyberOptics understands the importance of delivering the highest value to customers. Increased productivity and product quality is our goal. Our SE500 Solder Paste and Flex HR Automatic Optical Inspection systems do just that.
The Leader in Intelligent Inspection Systems
Be sure to contact CyberOptics to learn how we can help you improve productivity and product quality.
Cyberoptics SE500 and Flex HR 8.1 1 8/4/2009 8:44:12 AM
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Recovery: getting back to 2008 levels
boards.KEERS Technologies entered the refurbished feeder business.Kuraray introduced two grades of liquid crystal polymer film for flexible printed circuit boards, multilayer circuit boards and white light emitting diode substrates.Kyzen appointed Yankee Tronics as its representative for upstate New York.Manncorp introduced seven new electronic assembly turnkey lines with throughput rates ranging from prototyping to 10,500 CPH.Mentor Graphics added full-wave 3D electromagnetic analysis functionality for PCB design.Microscan introduced a new track, trace and control solution.Micro-tec unveiled copper paste fine line (30 micron) printing technology.Milara and Mirae combined technologies to produce a printer and pick-and-place system.MIRTEC was named one of Inc. 5000 fastest growing companies in 2009.Mydata appointed Oempartners as its representative in Eastern Canada including Ontario and Points East.Nordson YESTECH appointed Kevin Garcia as regional sales manager.Orpro Vision appointed David Llewellyn European sales & distribution manager.Panasonic Factory Solutions named Assembly Products its representative for Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine and Rhode Island.Park Electrochemical appointed Susan Macaluso to program manager, Jean-Francois Le Rouzic to director of marketing and sales in Europe and Mark Carlson to director of global RF marketing.R&D Technical Services named ARK Manufacturing Solutions its representative for Arizona, New Mexico and Southern Nevada.Seho named Laryo S.R.L. its exclusive distributor in Italy.Sigrity introduced an electrical and thermal co-simulation tool for IC package and printed circuit board design.SMART Group introduced new solder paste assessment test.Sonoscan developed analytical techniques that separate counterfeit plastic IC packages from genuine packages.Spectra-Physics introduced a high power 355 nm industrial laser for via hole drilling and flex circuit cutting.Union Tool plans to increase printed circuit board drill unit sales by 61% y/y to 354 million units in 2010.Vitronics Soltec:• entered new distribution partnership
agreement with GPS Technologies GmbH.
• eliminated its Advanced Technology Group.
XJTAG introduced second generation boundary scan test system.
Semiconductor & other componentsTop 10 OEMs/ODMs accounted for one-third (US$77.3 billion) of ‘09 semiconductor consumption revenue.—GartnerGlobal semiconductor sales in December fell 1.2% m/m (rose 29$ y/y) to US$22.4 billion; total 2009 sales declined 9% y/y to US$226.3 billion. – SIA$1 billion capex club members are: Samsung ($6 billion), Intel ($5.3 billion), TSMC ($3 billion), Hynix ($2 billion), Toshiba ($1.95 billion), AMD/GlobalFoundries ($1.9 billion), Micron ($1.3 billion), Nanya ($1.1 billion) and Elpida ($1 billion).—IC InsightsSemiconductor fab utilization rates reached about 80% at the end of 2009 from 48% in 1Q’09 and is expected to rise in 2010 to 87% in 3Q’10.—iSuppliSemiconductor days of inventory (DOI) for distributors fell 15% y/y to 36.9 DOI at the end of the 3Q’09; DOI at semiconductor makers declined 11% to 66.4 during the same period.—iSuppliChina IC production value is expected to rise 15.4% to 120 billion yuan (US$17.6 billion) in 2010. – CSIAChips:• Worldwide PC chip shipments
increased 31% y/y in 4Q’09.—IDC• Worldwide microprocessor shipments
increased 2.5% in 2009 to 320.7 million.—IDC
• Global microprocessor sales are expected to rise 15.1% in 2010.—IDC
• Graphics chip shipments grew 14% y/y in 2009.—Jon Peddie Research
• Wi-Fi IC shipments grew 28% y/y in 2009.—ABI Research
• Cellular broadband chipset market is forecasted to grow 35% y/y through 2014 fuelled by notebooks, netbooks/smart books, mobile internet devices, and eReaders.—IDC
• Global digital signal processor market will grow 15% in 2010 as revenue rises from US$5.6 billion in 2009 to US$6.4 billion.—Forward Concepts
Taiwan-based IC designers were asked to order 12-weeks earlier due to tight foundry capacity.IC market is expected to grow 15% y/y to US$270.7 billion in 2010 with top 10 growth markets being:
7. Computer and Peripherals—Special Purpose Logic/MPR—15%
8. Consumer App-Specific Analog—15%
9. MPU— 15%10. Data Conversion—14%11. Voltage Reg. & Ref—14%.
Source:IC InsightsTouch-screen module shipments are expected to grow from 971,755 units in 2009 to 5.4 million units in 2013.—iSuppliTouch-screen display revenues should grow from US$2.2 billion in 2010 to US$3.4 billion in 2014.—NanoMarkets Research
Walt Custer is an independent consultant who monitors and offers a daily news service
and market reports on the PCB and assembly automation and semiconductor industries. He
can be contacted at [email protected] or visit www.custerconsulting.com.
Jon Custer-Topai is vice president of Custer Consulting Group and responsible for the
corporation’s market research and news analysis activities. Jon is a member of the IPC and active in the Technology Marketing Research Council.
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Advances in WLCSP technologies for growing market needs
introductionAs WLCSP technology matures, it is being adapted to fit into other application spaces that were once thought to be outside of its reliability capabilities. For example, die size continues to increase to accommodate high I/O RF applications. In addition, in recent years we have seen the pitch shrink from the more common 500 µm to 400 µm, and now the industry is even testing 300 µm pitch. Both larger die size and smaller pitch are solutions for customer needs to fit more I/O on the surface of the die.
Board level testing of WlcSPAlthough the subject of reliability testing standards can quickly spark a heated debate regarding how one type better replicates reality than another, the JEDEC standard remains a widely accepted and an easily repeatable set of guidelines. In
aaddition, many other testing standards are proprietary and thus, impossible to share and discuss in public forums. The most important aspects of testing are to prove repeatability in experimental procedure and results and to keep variables at a minim µm so that outcomes can be compared from test matrix to test matrix. Even though each test standard (JEDEC vs. proprietary methods) has its merits, each has its downsides that prevent it from fully replicating the real environment that the WLCSP device will experience. This creates loopholes within each testing guideline, which may be exploited, intentionally or unintentionally, by reliability engineers. To guard against this, test vehicle designs, test procedures, and results have been reported in detail in an attempt to accurately convey the lifetime of the parts. Figure 1
Keywords: WLCSP, Board Level Reliability, CSPnl
This paper will share current results of Amkor’s WLCSP board level reliability testing for both larger package size and smaller pitch. The 6.8 mm test vehicle used for the large WLCSP package testing has 196 I/O set on a 400 µm pitch uniform array. The 300 µm pitch package has 100 I/O and is 3.8 mm on each side. Amongst other design variations, solder alloy and redistribution layer thickness are explored as a means to enhance reliability. In addition to board level reliability testing, processing challenges will be discussed, as well as lower cost processing solutions for standard pitch designs.
R. Anderson, R. Chilukuri, T.Y. Tee, C.P. Koo, H.S. NG, B. Rogers, and A. Syed, Amkor Technology, Research Triangle Park, NC, Singapore and Chandler, AZ
Advances in WLCSP technologies for growing market needs
Figure 1. Die Design: (a)10x10 I/O, 300 µm pitch, 3.8 mmx3.8 mm, 200 µm diameter sphere (b)14x14 I/O, 400 µm pitch, 6.8 mmx6.8 mm, 250 µm diameter sphere.
(a)
(b)
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Advances in WLCSP technologies for growing market needs
shows die designs for both the 300 µm pitch WLCSP and the 400 µm pitch large die test vehicle. Figure 2 illustrates the Cu redistribution layout on the PCBs. The drop test board is an eight-layer board, and the thermal cycle board has four layers.
JEDEC drop testing The setup of the board level drop tester follows the guidelines of JEDEC drop test standards1-3, with 15 WLCSP devices (3x5 matrix) assembled on a test board (132x77 mm). The test board is connected to a fixture with the die side facing down and then mounted to a drop block with screws in the four corners of the PCB. This procedure insures that the board experiences maxim µm flexure. The drop block is dropped from a certain height along two guiding rods, onto a rigid base covered with a rubber layer. A multi-channel in-situ high speed data acquisition system is used to measure input/output acceleration, in-plane strains on board, and resistance of daisy-chained components.
The JEDEC drop test standard recom-mends certain input acceleration values and pulse shapes1-3. The testing described in this paper applied the aggressive JEDEC condition H (2900 G/0.3 ms). The widely used JEDEC condition B (1500 G/0.5 ms) proved to be impractical for these parts due to the extensive testing time that would have been required to collect sufficient data for statistical analysis. Four boards per test case were utilized for drop testing.
In previous papers, a comparison between condition B and condition H has been made for Amkor’s CSPnl stack-up6-8. Figure 3 is a cross section cartoon of the CSPnl stack-up layers. The acceleration factor derived between condition H and condition B is approximately 1.8x5,8. Consequently, if the first failure (FF) of a design under the condition H test condi-tions is 100, then the FF under condition B would be estimated to be 180.
JEDEC thermal testing The JEDEC thermal cycling condition used for this study was JEDEC JESD22-A104C, Condition G4. Parts were cycled between -40 to 125˚C at 1 cycle/hour. The temperature ramp was 18 minutes and
the dwell time at temperature was 12 minutes. Three boards with 15 mounted WLCSP devices were used for each test case.
WLCSP layer stack-up and failure analysisGood failure analysis is important for interpreting reliability test results. Failure analysis provides insight on the point of initial failure and the cause for the open in the circuit. Without this, the testing provides merely pass/fail information without affording insight on design changes that can make the devices more reliable. Typically, dye and pry tests and cross-sectioning are performed on failed samples to determine the failure locations and modes. The methods used for failure analysis have been outlined in past proceedings7-8.
The primary failure mode for drop testing, using the above device stack-up and board design combination, has been observed to be breaks in the Cu RDL. The likelihood of these breaks can be reduced by thickening the copper, which tends to move the failure mode to a separation of the UBM metal and the RDL. This new failure is created through a rocking motion of the solder sphere on the UBM, which effectively wedges the UBM from the Cu RDL5-7. As this new failure occurs more slowly than the break of the thin Cu RDL line, the lifetime of WLCSP can be improved by thickening the Cu RDL.
Primary failures for thermal cycle stressing are typically bulk solder failures. For this reason, harder solders generally perform better in thermal cycling8-9. In ad-dition, a weak point for failure is the IMC region between the solder and the UBM on the die side. The thermal cycle lifetime can be increased by choosing solders that suppress formations of brittle IMC layers. Solder vendors offer doped SAC alloys where the dopant is added to suppress the growth of these IMC formations.
Fine pitch WlcSP overviewThe cost savings realized by shrinking pitch sizes down from 500 and 400 µm to 300 µm can be significant. On a 200 mm wafer, the number of die per wafer almost triples when the pitch is reduced from 500 µm to 300 µm. Thus, without sacrificing I/O, the cost per die for backend wafer processing and die processing significantly decreases. The wafer processing capability for a 300 µm pitch design remains the same as a 500 µm design with the exception of the ball place operation. It may be necessary for backend factories to upgrade older ball place tools with newer ones that are capable to place spheres ≤200 µm in diameter. Similarly, repair tools at the ball place operation may need to be upgraded.
In addition to cost savings, the deploy-ment of 300 µm pitch opens the WLCSP market to many chip designs where the number of I/O cannot be fanned-in on the die surface at 400 µm and 500 µm pitch. There are few other desirable wafer level options when excessive I/O prevent a die from being used in a WLCSP application. Currently, it is common to reduce or com-bine I/O or to consider complicated tech-nologies like Wafer Level Fan-out, where die are embedded in an epoxy substrate material so that the I/O can be fanned-out over an area larger than the die while maintaining standard pitch sizes. Both of these options may be avoidable if the pitch can be reduced to 300 µm. For example, a 6.5 mm die has capacity for 144I/O on a 500 µm pitch array but can accommodate up to 400I/O array on 300 µm pitch.
The large-scale implementation of 300 µm pitch WLCSP is not limited by wafer processing technology but is limited by assembly considerations. The assembly equipment that is currently being used at 400 µm and 500 µm pitch is not necessari-ly compatible with 300 µm pitch. Assembly operations at 300 µm pitch would begin to resemble those used for flip chip packag-ing and would necessitate transition to a higher cost and higher accuracy assembly
Figure 2. PCB Cu Daisy Chain : a) 300 µm pitch daisy chain; Cu pad diameter is 150 µm (NSMD) b) 400 µm pitch daisy chain; Cu pad diameter is 250 µm (NSMD).
Figure 3. WLCSP Cross Section: A) Customer die; B) Polymer layer 1; C) Plated Cu RDL; D) Polymer layer 2; E) Sputter UBM metal; F) Plated UBM metal 1; G) Plated UBM metal 2.
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Advances in WLCSP technologies for growing market needs
tool set. In addition to the assembly chal-lenges, the fabrication of fine pitch boards will be more expensive.
Fine pitch WLCSP realibility resultsTypically, it is preferable to mount WLCSP devices on NSMD pads in order to maximize the lifetime of the package. However, at smaller pitches there are risks of failures on the board side where the Cu pad may pull away from the PCB. Therefore, as part of this 300 µm pitch characterization study, the performance of NSMD pads was compared to the SMD case. The NSMD Cu pad is 150 µm in diameter, and the SMO for the SMD case is 180 µm. Figure 4 is a Weibull plot showing drop test results for this comparison for SAC405 solder for all group A positions (four corners of board) on the PCB board. The first failures (FF) for both cases exceed 100 drops even with the Condition H, 2900G acceleration. The NSMD case outperformed the SMD case in FF (228 vs. 118) and Mean Life (1437 vs. 535). The first two failures in both cases appear to have different slope as compared to the other failure data, which would indicate a different failure mode. Still to-be-collected FA data should provide further insight on the failure mechanisms for these early failures.
The thermal cycle data is still under collection for the NSMD vs. SMD case. The data obtained to date is shown in Figure 5. Even after only 1651 cycles, it is evident that the NSMD case is again outperforming the SMD case. The NSMD case exhibits a FF at 1192, while the SMD case has a FF at 876.
Since 300 µm pitch WLCSP begins to resemble flip chip packaging, some ap-
plications may find it necessary to use an underfill with 300 µm pitch parts. This would be in contrast to standard pitch WLCSPs, which generally are mounted without underfill. The benefit of underfill-ing 300 µm pitch WLCSP was ex-plored in this char-acterization study. Figure 6 shows drop data comparing the same SAC405-NSMD case used in Figure 4-5 with an underfilled case. For the underfilled case, no failures were observed for the Group A corner positions on the boards; failures were only observed at the U6 and U10 positions. Therefore, this is the data plotted in Figure 6 for both the underfilled and non-underfilled case. The lifetime of the underfilled case is significantly higher (FF=956 drops) than the non-underfilled case. These parts are still in thermal cycle testing. As of 1651 cycles, there were zero failures for the underfilled case.
large die WlcSP overviewA significant portion of the current market space that utilizes WLCSP technology is focused on die ≤5 mm. In fact, it is estimated that 85% of the WLCSP market is 100 I/O or less. However, the other 15% of the market space consists of applications like RF with larger die needing higher I/O
counts. Therefore, to keep up with market needs, Amkor is expanding their WLCSP product offering to include large die WLCSP devices. As shown in Figure 1, the WLCSP device qualified in this study is a 6.8 mm die with 196I/O.
Large die reliability resultsDoped SAC alloys refer to the addition of trace amounts of an exotic metal like Ni, Sb, Co, Bi, etc. that suppress either the secondary or primary IMC growth. In addition, the dopants can change the grain structure size of the IMC, poten-tially enhancing the lifetime of the device. The doped SAC alloys used in this study have less than 1.5% Ag content and less than 1% dopants. These doped alloys are compared to the performance of the more conventional alloys SAC405 and SAC105.
Figure 7 shows drop data at JEDEC
Figure 4. Drop Data: 300 µm pitch WLCSP, NSMD vs. SMD. Figure 5. TC Data: 300 µm pitch WLCSP, NSMD vs. SMD.
Figure 6. Drop Data: 300 µm pitch WLCSP NSMD, UF vs. non-UF (U6 and U10 only).
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Advances in WLCSP technologies for growing market needs
Condition H (2900 G/0.3 ms) for four different SAC solder types. All solder types had FFs near or greater than 100 drops. The SAC105 had the worst performance. In contrast, the doped alloys exhibited FFs greater than 460 drops, while SAC405 had FF at 184 drops. The first two data points for each case possess a very distinct steep slope, with the rest of the data falling along a less severe slope. This difference in slope indicates a possible change in failure mechanism. Even though two different slopes exist for each data set, the slope for the first two failures in each case is very consistent and conclusions can be drawn on which solder is superior in drop testing.
Figure 8 shows the thermal cycle data for the 6.8 mm die for the same SAC solder types tested in Figure 7. All alloys demonstrate FFs greater 550. In addition, it is apparent that the doped alloys are out performing the standard SAC105 and SAC405 alloys.
cost effective WlcSP solutionsAmkor’s strategy in the past has been to offer one reliable WLCSP offering, CSPnl (Chip Scale Package-next level), that cov-ered the entire product space. The CSPnl offering includes a bump on pad (BOP) de-sign and single layer RDL design (see Figure 9 a-b). The RDL stack-up is the same design explained in Figure 3 and is the design used for the reliability data presented in the previous sections. The RDL-CSPnl enables customers to convert existing wirebond products into WLCSP, while the BOP de-sign provides a solution for customers that design their product in the front end for a WLCSP application. Reliability results for the BOP design were previously shared in
IMAPS proceedings in 20095.Amkor’s recent focus for WLCSP is
to offer a lower cost RDL option that will meet the reliability requirements for most WLCSP applications. This new option is pictured in Figure 9c. The main difference between this lower cost option, named CSPX3, and CSPnl is that it contains two less plated layers under the solder sphere. The ‘X’ refers to the ‘crossing out’, of the two plated layers and the ‘3’ refers to the three photolithography mask levels needed to create this lower cost stack-up. This three mask stack-up provides cost savings through elimination of process steps, lower material costs, and faster process cycle times.
The plated UBM layer in CSPnl not only enhances the mechanical reliability of the device but also serves as a diffusion barrier. Since the solder ball is placed directly on the Cu for CSPX3, it is necessary to use a thicker Cu RDL layer to account for the consumption of the Cu by the Pb-free solder. A study with multiple reflows showed that the IMC growth begins to plateau even after the first reflow for SAC405 solder. The first reflow consumed approximately 3 µm of Cu, the fifth reflow consumed less than 1 µm, and after 20 reflows another 0.5 µm was consumed. Therefore, a Cu thickness for CSPX3 has been chosen so that the Cu remaining is more than the CSPnl RDL thickness, even with the worse case scenario of 4.5 µm of Cu consumption. The selected CSPX3 RDL
thickness has been further validated by other relevant reliability tests. Based on customers’ reliability needs and applica-tions, CSPnl and CSPX3 will be offered as RDL WLCSP solutions.
Figure 9d shows an even lower cost al-ternative named CSPX2,where the first poly-mer layer is left out of the device stack-up. Similar to the simplified stack-up of CSPX3, this two photolithography stack-up requires less processing steps. The application space for the CSPX2 device is still under investiga-tion; the use of this device type requires management of potential RF interference between the I/O array and active areas on the die. More reliability data and informa-tion for this stack-up will be discussed in the near future.
CSPX3 reliability resultsFigure 10 shows the drop performance of CSPX3 for both JEDEC drop condition H (2900G/0.3ms) and condition B (1500G/0.5ms). From failure analysis, the primary failure mode is separation at the IMC formed at the Pb-free/Cu interface. The acceleration factor between the two different drop conditions for this type of
Figure 7. Drop Data: Large die (6.8 mm, 196I/O) WLCSP alloy comparison. Figure 8. TC Data: Large die (6.8 mm, 196I/O) WLCSP alloy comparison.
Figure 9. Amkor WLCSP Stack-up Options: a) BOP-CSPnl b) RDL-CSPnl c) CSPX3 d) CSPX2.
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Advances in WLCSP technologies for growing market needs
IMC failure is 3x, as compared to 1.8x found for the CSPnl stack-up. The FFs for the condition B and condition H tests are 195 and 684, respectively. The CSPX3 test device was a 5.5 mm die populated with 300 µm SAC405 spheres on a 500 µm pitch in a 10x10 I/O array. The board design layout used for this study is similar to what is illustrated in Figure 2. The boards used were NSMD with 235 µm diameter Cu pads.
The thermal cycling data presented in Figure 11 shows that the FF for CSPX3 is greater than 1000 cycles. Thus, based on the drop data and thermal cycling data, CSPX3 is a cost effective and viable WLCSP option.
conclusionsThe market and application for WLCSP has exponentially grown in the past few years. This has necessitated the need for finer pitch, larger I/O count, and more cost effective solutions. The data in this paper has demonstrated that WLCSP technologies are available at 300 µm pitch as well as large I/O die at standard pitch. In addition, lower cost WLCSP technologies, needing fewer processing steps, can meet industry reliability requirements.
acknowledgmentsAppreciation is extended to our colleagues from the R&D group of Amkor Korea: SS Park, ES Yang, DH Moon, SW Cha, TK Hwang and WJ Kang, for their technical support as well as our colleagues in Amkor Taiwan: Max Chen and Webb Wong
references1. JEDEC Standard JESD22-B111,
Board Level Drop Test Method of Components for Handheld Electronic Products, 2003.
2. JEDEC Standard JESD22-B104-B, Mechanical Shock, 2001.
3. JEDEC Standard JESD22-B110, Subassembly Mechanical Shock, 2001.
4. JEDEC Standard JESD22-A104C, Temperature Cycling, 2005.
5. R. Anderson, T.Y. Tee, R. Chilukuri, H.S. NG, C.P. Koo, and B. Rogers, “Amkor’s CSPnl™: Comparison of Bump on Pad and Cu Redistribution WLCSP Designs”, IMAPS Proc., Scottsdale, AZ, (2009).
6. T.Y. Tee, H.S. Ng, A. Syed, R. Anderson, C.P. Khoo, B. Rogers “Design for Board Trace Reliability of WLCSP under Drop Test”, 10th Eurosime Conference, Netherlands, (2009).
7. T.Y. Tee, L.B. Tan, R. Anderson, H.S. Ng, J.H. Low, C.P. Khoo, R. Moody, B. Rogers, “Advanced Analysis of WLCSP Copper Interconnect Reliability under Board Level Drop Test”, EPTC Proc, Singapore, 1086-1095 (2008).
8. R. Anderson, T.Y. Tee, R. Moody, L.B. Tan, H.S. NG, J.H. Low, and B. Rogers, “Integrated Testing & Modeling Analysis of CSPnl™ for Enhanced Board Level Reliability”, IWLPC Proc., San Jose, CA, 184-190, (2008).
9. R. Anderson, Robert Moody, Boyd Rogers, and Dan Mis, “Board Level Reliability Results for Amkor’s 12x12 I/O CSPnl™”, IMAPS Proc., Scottsdale, AZ (2008).
Figure 10. CSPX3 Drop data for JEDEC condition H and B.Figure 11. CSPX3 TC Data: 5.5 mm die with 300 µm SAC405 spheres on a 500 µm pitch 10x10 I/O array.
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Can you give our readers an overview of Vi TECHNOLOGY, its size, locations and technology segments?
Vi TECHNOLOGY, based in the Grenoble area of France, has been a technology innovator of reflow ovens and AOI equipment for 20 years. Trevor Galbraith spoke with managing director Jean-Yves Gomez to discuss the latest technologies coming out if the VIT stable and his ambitious plans for the future.
Can you give our readers an overview of Vi TECHNOLOGY, its size, locations and technology segments?
Vi TECHNOLOGY is about 100 people in Grenoble, most of them in R&D. We invest about 25% of our revenue in R&D. Despite the 2009 economic crisis we continued to invest in R&D and hired engineers. For 2010, we have a plan to almost double our R&D resources.
Most of the investments are for the AOI products. Optical inspection is split over two product lines, the PCB, which is our main activity, and the semiconductor packaging we started two years ago.
In your VIT AOI platforms, what are the merits of using a CAD data approach to information capture, versus a golden board?
It depends of what the manufacturer wants to do. If the goal is to have a “GoNoGo” approach to show to his own customer that he has an inspection system, the golden board approach is fine. It will generate a lot of false calls and escapes, but it is still easy to program and easy to use. But results will not ensure a high-quality level, and it will not be possible to improve the manufacturing process.
By opposition, using the CAD data approach will take a bit more time in programming the equipment, but the philosophy is very different. Instead of starting from a golden board, supposed to be good, you start from the “reference,” and you compare the board manufacture with the ideal case. It helps to improve the manufacturing process since you can observe all drifts versus the CAD data, and of course use the information to improve the process.
Looking at the quality requirements needed to satisfy the end-customer, it is
more and more difficult to use a golden board approach and pretend that you master your process technology and your quality. The only possible conclusion is to say in comparison with a reference board the product seems to be ok.
You offer inline AOI systems as well as standalone. Are you still able to keep up with the beat rate of the line using the CAD data approach?
The entry point to program our equipment could be at different level, but in any case as I explained, you need to refer to something perfect if you like to ensure your process repeatability, and for that the only absolute reference is the CAD data. All our customers using a Vi TECHNOLOGY standalone system are looking for process improvement and quality of their manufacturing; it is why they always want to refer to the CAD data. Buying AOI equipment is in some way a non-productive cost unless you use it to improve your manufacturing performance. Then you can easily get a payback in about 12 months. It is the first meaning of AOI.
What are the merits of using black and white versus color in AOI?
This is a simple question of gathering the
information. It is better to have a black and white camera with lots of levels of gray than using a camera with only few levels of color. In fact a black and white camera uses different colors for lighting; therefore for each color used, you get lot of information.
A color camera is only a black and white pixel array on which we add some colorization layers filtering the wavelength for each pixel. When using a white color lighting in this case, the attenuation gotten for each pixel, due to the color filter, is such that you are losing information.
Color camera is a marketing fashion; as soon as you know the technologies
2009 Rep & Distributor Review
Interview—Jean-Yves Gomez Vi TECHNOLOGY
Interview
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Interview
Can you give our readers an overview of Vi TECHNOLOGY, its size, locations and technology segments?used you understand the limitation and prefer to have a black and white camera. To illustrate with another example, for instance the DSC camera, most of consumers like to have 10, 12, 14 and tomorrow 20 megapixels DSC, but picture quality taken from a DSC will not mainly depend of the sensor, it will depend of the lens quality and bandwidth. Higher is the number of pixels, better seems to be the quality, which is wrong.
What is Vi TECHNOLOGY’s philosophy towards new product development and introduction?
We are always delivering to our customers technologies enabling them to target new components inspection. This is a continuous work since we introduced new products two to three times a year. The concept there is to be able to upgrade the existing solution already bought by our customers. When we develop a new functionality, our installed-base of equipment is upgradable. Therefore it is always possible for a customer having several years old equipment to use the latest solution from us without having to spend the full cost of a new AOI.
You have an ambitious goal of producing one new product every six months. How are you planning to achieve this goal?
We did it in 2009; we will do it in 2010. Our R&D is organized in different teams. One is focusing on innovations for products at a horizon from two to five years. Another team that we call continuous R&D is focusing on products already introduced on the market or products to be introduced in the next two years. And the third one is maintenance-oriented to develop customer requests or to improve existing equipment.
You entered the 3D SPI space back in 2008. What key differentiators and attributes does the SPI system offer?
The technology we are using is different from the one already existing on the market. It brings to our customer a better accuracy. 3D SPI is a measurement tool and without very accurate measurement it is useless. So with our partner we focus on the absolute measurement value and repeatability.
You have a separate metrology division that manufactures wafer inspection systems. This is a very crowded area. How do you compete against some of the more established vendors, and what features
and benefits does the REVEAL range offer?
We have the capability to inspect wafers as well as special packaging such as 3D package (stacked dice), system in package, TSV, CSP, optical package and MEMS packaging. I believe we have the expertise to observe very small defects less than 1 µ and we are also very fast in inspection. I believe that due to the experience we got from the PCB industry, we have been able to develop fast and accurate positioning equipment and a very speedy way to capture the information and process it. At least it is what our customers are saying. We are in the inspection since nearly 20 years and the accumulated experience in PCB is very useful for the semiconductor. The other benefit is the experience we gain in semiconductor for new type of packages which help us to develop in advance new algorithms for PCB.
Do you see a lot of potential for growth in this segment?
The complexity of electronic appliances is increasing, and semiconductor companies increase the silicon functionalities’ as well as improve silicon packages to answer to these needs. So there are new domains where optical inspection is required since it is the only way to improve manufacturing yields and production ramp-up. Semiconductor companies are very sensitive to these parameters. They can make profit or losses on a new product line by being very reactive at new product introduction. It is where we can help them since we have developed a tools box allowing us to develop equipment able to answer to their needs in few weeks.
Vi TECHNOLOGY still manufactures a range of reflow ovens in China. Can you tell us more about this operation?
A few years ago we decided to partnership with a small company in China to manufacture reflow ovens. It was a manufacturing agreement only as the R&D was done in France and all quality controls made in China before shipment to France. Then all trials were made in France.
The cooperation was working very well and the products quality was answering to western company needs. We decided to take a share in this Chinese company, named DC. With the DC’s shareholder we decided to create a new company named VIT-DC Automation Equipment.
VIT-DC manufactures reflow ovens, wave soldering, conveyors as well as curing
ovens. More products will come.eXelsius, our thermal branch, is
studying all new products, distributing them and ensuring they meet the quality standard. The manufacturing is coming from VIT-DC.
You are positioned toward mid- to high-volume production manufacture, yet you suffered very little downturn during the global recession and in fact, you are on course to record the best quarter in the history of the company. What were the reasons behind this success when most of the consumer-led, high-volume companies were hurting?
To be honest I do not understand all the reasons. I believe there are some major factors for success:
• Listening to customers and delivering the product they are looking for.
• Introducing new solutions, Hardware or Software.
• Being close to them, offering good service from our Application and Support team, Frost and Sullivan delivers to us this award based on a customer survey.
• Having a distribution network, professional and competent in term of sales but also customer support.
Having myself a semiconductor background, I learn two very important things. One, customer service is the number on priority. And two, listen to customers—they know what they need better than us. I applied these concepts to VIT, and I believe this is part of our success.
SMT is a very mature industry. Have you ever considered moving into photovoltaic or other industries?
Moving to silicon based photovoltaic is clearly not in our focus. The market is too crowded. To other industries, maybe, but it is too early to speak about it.
I am still convinced there is a lot to do in the SMT industry, today is state of the art, but with new technologies we will realize within five to 10 years, it will be the Stone Age. The Stone Age did not disappear because of a lack of stone but because of innovation!
Thank you, Jean-Yves. Trevor Galbraith.
36 – Global SMT & Packaging – Celebrating 10 Years – March 2010 www.globalsmt.net
Milestones 2010
In past columns I certainly have talked a lot about the reliability of solder joints in general (see Refs. 1 through 5) and attach-ment with compliant leads in particular (see Refs. 6 & 7). Recent experiences with clients convince me that the issue of how the compliancy of leaded as well as unleaded solder joints works and does not work to enhance reliability needs to be revisited—the working of compliancy in solder attachments is non-intuitive; not to say counter-intuitive.
Let’s first revisit the basics. In Figure 1 a column is shown connecting two plates; the column is displaced a distance D. If the column height is h, then the resulting strain in the column is given by γ.
The previous discussion referred to a straight-cylinder column; most solder joints are not straight cylinders, however. Unless they are stretched to cylindrical or hourglass shapes, they are collapsed solder balls. The strain distribution in those geometries is not uniform; collapsed solder balls typically show failure modes near
their attachments to either the component or the PCB. Note however, these failures are not interfacial. For hourglass-shaped solder joints, the failures are typically away from the attachment regions. This is shown in Figure 2.
Early work on solder joint shapes indicated better creep-fatigue performance with cylindrical or hourglass geometries. The resulting different plastic strain ranges and relative fatigue lives for the various geometries are shown in Figure 3 from Reference 8. Of course, most of the increased fatigue live comes from the increase in solder joint height, but not all of it.
Thus, while the geometry effects are not of first-order importance [Ref. 9], stress/strain concentrations due to highly collapsed solder balls or solder-mask-defined (SMD) attachments have been shown to reduce fatigue life by up to a factor of three [Ref. 10].
Depending on the material, the resulting fatigue damage, if the
displacement is cyclically repeated, can be quite different. If the column is made of a metal and the displacement is small, a return to the original position reduces the strains and stresses to zero. If this displacement is cycled at temperatures where creep is not an issue, e.g. copper at room temperature, than the fatigue damage results in high-cycle fatigue as described by the Basquin equation.
For larger displacements, a combination of elastic and plastic strains takes place and results in a combination of low-cycle fatigue (described by the Coffin-Manson equation) and high-cycle fatigue. However, even under these circumstances, the cyclic strain energy as described by the area in the hysteresis loop is small and thus the numbers of cycles-to-failure are relatively large.
In contrast, for a metal subject to creep, e.g. solder at room temperature or higher, the creep process in normal operation is essentially complete in each cycle, meaning that all the strain is converted to plastic
Werner Engelmaier
On lead compliancy—how it works and how it does not work
On lead compliancy—how it works and how it does not work
“The working of compliancy in solder attachments is non-intuitive; not to say counter-intuitive.”
Figure 1. The strain resulting in a column of height h displaced a distance D. Figure 2. Failure modes for solder joints that have
‘controlled collapse’ ball and hour-glass-shaped geometries [Source: W. Engelmaier, Bell Labs, USA].
Global SMT & Packaging – Celebrating 10 Years – March 2010 – 37www.globalsmt.net
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38 – Global SMT & Packaging – Celebrating 10 Years – March 2010 www.globalsmt.net
On lead compliancy—how it works and how it does not work
deformation due to yielding and creep. This is illustrated in Figure 4 where
the hysteresis loops for copper and solder columns resulting from mechanical loading are relatively compared. It shows that during the creep process the stresses are reduced to zero by converting the elastic strains into plastic strains, thereby maximizing the cyclic fatigue damage.
The consequence is that for the same cyclic strain range, the fatigue life of solder is significantly less than for a non-creeping metal, as illustrated in Figure 5.
Thus, one can think of the solder joint height, h, as a measure of compliancy for leadless solder joints. In practice, the value of h can vary significantly is shown in the examples in Figure 6.
Of course, more compliancy is possible with compliant leads as intermediary elements between the component body and the PCB. Leads come in a variety of geometries (see Figure 7); however not all are sufficiently flexible.
Leads can range from super-compliant to non-compliant. This has been defined in Reference 10 as ‘super-compliant’
having a lead stiffness of KD < ~5 N/
mm (30 lb/in)}, ‘compliant’ in the range of ;~5 N/mm < K
D < ~90 N/mm, and
‘non-compliant’ as KD > ~90 N/mm (500
lb/in). However, these definitions were made
prior to the RoHS Pb-free directive; with the much stiffer Pb-free solders that also have greater yield strength and much lower creep rates, these definitions turn out to be inadequate. As the cyclic hysteresis loops in Figure 8 show the lead compliancy needs to be sufficient to keep stresses in the solder joints below the yield strength of the solder alloy.
The leads shown in Reference 6 clearly
have insufficient compliance to improve solder joint reliability.
references:1. Engelmaier, W., “Solder Joint Fatigue
Reliability—Part 1: Physics of Creep-Fatigue,” Global SMT & Packaging, Vol. 2, No. 3, May 2002, pp. 33-34.
2. Engelmaier, W., “Reliability Improvement with Underfill,” Global SMT & Packaging, Vol. 6, No. 3, March 2006, pp. 66-67.
3. Engelmaier, W., “Achieving Solder Joint Reliability in a Lead-Free World, Part 1,” Global SMT & Packaging, Vol. 7, No. 6, June 2007, pp. 40-42.
10 102 103 104 105 106 Mean Cycles-to-Failure, Nf
100
10
1
0.1
0.01
Total Shear
Strain Range,
Δγ [%]
Copper
Solder
Figure 3. Fatigue Life improvements with solder joints stretched from ‘controlled collapse’ balls to hourglass-shaped columns [Source: R. Satoh, et al., Hitachi, Japan].
Figure 4. Stress-strain hysteresis loops for mechani-cally cycled copper and solder columns.
Figure 5. Manson-Coffin plot of mean cycles-to failure for copper and solder for a range of applied cyclic strains.
Figure 6. Photos very thin solder joint for a ceramic chip capacitor contrasted with solder columns of different heights [Sources: T. Ahrens, Fraunhofer Institut, Germany; W. Engelmaier, Bell Labs, USA; Marie S. Cole, IBM, USA].
Figure 7. Photos J-leads, gullwing leads and S-leads [Sources: J. Waldvogel, Intel, USA; W. Engelmaier, Bell Labs, USA]
Global SMT & Packaging – Celebrating 10 Years – March 2010 – 39www.globalsmt.net
On lead compliancy—how it works and how it does not work
4. Engelmaier, W., “Achieving Solder Joint Reliability in a Lead-Free World, Part 2,” Global SMT & Packaging, Vol. 7, No. 7, July 2007 [EU-edition], pp. 48-50; No. 8, August 2007 [US-edition], pp. 44-46.
5. Engelmaier, W., “How to Estimate Solder Joint Reliability, Part 1,” Global SMT & Packaging, Vol. 7, No. 9, September 2007, pp. 60-64.
6. Engelmaier, W., “Of Ceramic Components: Failed Solder Joints, LLCCCs, ‘Bulbous’ Solder Joints, ‘Super-Compliant’ Leads, and Forgotten Lessons,” Global SMT & Packaging, Vol. 3, No. 2, March 2003, pp. 42-43.
7. Engelmaier, W., “Solder Joint Reliability Prediction for Chip Components, MELFs, TSOPs, SOTs, etc.,” Global SMT & Packaging, Vol. 9, No. 6, June 2009, pp. 30-32.
8. Satoh, R., et al., “Development of New Micro-Solder Bonding for VLSIs,” Proc. 3rd Int. Elec. Pack. Soc. (IEPS), Itasca, Ill., October 1983, pp. 455-461.
9. Engelmaier, W., “BGA and CGA Solder Attachments: Results of Low-Acceleration Test and Analysis,” Proc. Surface Mount International Conf., San Jose, CA, August 1995, pp. 344-358.
10. IPC-D-279, Design Guidelines for Reliable Surface Mount Technology Printed Board Assemblies. IPC—Association Connecting Electronics Industries, July 1996.
Werner Engelmaier will be giving some of his reliability workshops at the Reliability Conference in Frankfurt, Germany, May 20-21, 2010; im FED-Kurs in Stuttgart, Deutschland, 26.Mai 2010; at SMT/HYBRID/PACKAGING 1010 in Nürnberg, Germany, June 8, 2010; and at the Universität Wien at the end of June. He will be available for in-house workshops and consulting in both English and German in the May through June timeframe; for details of the workshops go to www.engelmaier.com; for more information about the workshops and consulting contact [email protected].
Werner Engelmaier has over 44 years experience in electronic packaging and interconnection technology and has published over 200 papers, columns, book chapters and White Papers. Known as ‘Mr. Reliability’ in the industry, he is the president of Engelmaier Associates, L.C., a firm providing consulting services on reliability, manufacturing and processing aspects of electronic packaging and interconnection technology. He is the chairman of the IPC Main Committee on Product Reliability. The TGM-Exner Medal was bestowed on him in 2009 in Vienna, Austria, he was elected
into the IPC Hall of Fame 2003, and was awarded the IPC President’s Award in 1996 and the IEPS Electronic Packaging Achievement Award in 1987. He also was named a Bell Telephone Laboratories Distinguished Member of Technical Staff in 1986 and an IMAPS Fellow in 1996. More information is available at www.engelmaier.com, and he can be reached at engelmaier@aol.
Figure 8. Thermal cyclic hysteresis loops for a lead-less solder joint and solder joints with a somewhat compliant and a very compliant lead.
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40 – Global SMT & Packaging – Celebrating 10 Years – March 2010 www.globalsmt.net
Case Study: Reliability and versatility bring success in motor drive manufacturing
Taking place April 6th through 9th, this year’s IPC APEX Expo promises to be one of the most exciting out on the exhibition floor, where more than 300 exhibitors will be showing equipment, materials and services. As always, Global SMT & Packaging brings you just a small preview of what you’ll find at the show. We hope to see you there!
2010 IPC APEX Expo—Technology Preview
acculogic—aPeX booth #249Acculogic’s Manufacturing Test Systems Di- vi-sion will feature the latest testing technologies, in-cluding the FLS 980Dxi Flying Scorpion, only patented double-sided, multi-probe (16) fly-ing probe system with 3-D probing, analog, digital and boundary scan test capability on all probes (top and bottom side). Shrink-ing component sizes and denser packaging technologies are posing new challenges to test. FLS980Dxi uses highly repeatable closed-loop linear motor drives and joystick-like variable angle probe modules (0° to 6°) to maximize physical access and guarantee
repeatable probing of fine-pitch devices and small components such as 0201 and 01005s. www.acculogic.com
aqueous Technologies— aPeX booth 725Aqueous Technologies Corp. will feature its Trident III and Trident Duo automatic defluxing and cleanliness testing systems, along with its Zero-Ion G3 (pictured) and StencilWasher-ECO technologies. The Zero-Ion g3 ionic contamination (cleanli-ness) tester is designed to test electronics assemblies for ionic contamination. It automatically removes and detects contami-nation on an electrical assembly or bare board and provides quantitative contami-nation measurements. The Zero-Ion g3 uses a dynamic technology that provides automatic regeneration of the machine’s
test solution, maintaining a high degree of test solution sensitivity. The system meets the requirements of military and commercial cleanliness testing standards including MIL 2000A, IPC test method
Global SMT & Packaging – Celebrating 10 Years – March 2010 – 41www.globalsmt.net
2010 IPC APEX Expo—Technology Preview
001, MIL-C-28809, MIL-P-55110 and IPC TM650-2.3.26. The Zero-Ion also has been determined to be 3.7 times more sensi-tive than the manual resistivity of solvent extract (R.O.S.E.) test. www.aqueoustech.com
aSc international— aPeX booth #1634ASC International, a manufacturer of true 3D solder paste inspection systems, will be offering live demonstrations of its new inline 3D solder paste inspection system as well as other SPI and AOI products. The LineMaster provides highly accurate and repeatable results at line speeds. Offer-ing defect detection on pads as small as 01005’s and a long list of features such as Gerber programming, bridge detection, registration, defect analysis, onboard SPC run charts and customized report. The LineMaster offers all of these important features and more at a price point that will set a new standard for the industry. www.solderpasteinspection.com
BTu international—
aPeX booth #2171BTU International will feature the Pyramax 100N™ convection reflow oven. The Pyramax 100N™ features 100 inches of heated length and eight zones, 350ºC maximum temperature, flexible platform configuration, low power and gas con-sumption, and a comprehensive menu of options. The oven provides excellent thermal uniformity through BTU’s exclu-sive closed-loop convection control. Add to this, low consumption of nitrogen and power, and you get the kind of productivity and efficiency that customers expect from BTU. www.btu.com
cobar Solder Products— aPeX booth #1876The Balver Zinn Group announces that Cobar Europe BV will introduce its new Aquasol branded water soluble solder paste. Aquasol can be used with any com-mon soldering alloy. SnPb and lead-free SAC and SN100C versions are available, all exhibiting excellent performance in the four key process steps: printing (including
fine-pitch capability), placement, reflow and cleaning. Due to a perfect balance be-tween adhesive and cohesive forces, there is efficient separation from the squeegee and good aperture release with long stencil life. With Aquasol Water Soluble paste, voiding is minimized in both air and nitrogen pro-cesses. Post-soldering flux residue can be removed using hot de-ionized water with or without cleaning agents. www.cobar.com
cyberoptics— aPeX booth #2271
CyberOptics Corporation will feature its latest inspection equipment. The Cyber-Optics brand has become synonymous with combining quality and accuracy with speed. Visitors at the show will be the first
to discover the technology innovations behind the company’s latest inspection equipment—unique image acquisition au-tomatic optical inspection (AOI) and zero machine-to-machine variation 3-D solder paste inspection (SPI) systems. CyberOp-tics will display the industry recognized, award winning SE500™ 100 percent 3-D solder paste inspection system at the show. Building on CyberOptics’ reputation as the leading provider of solder paste inspec-tion systems with industry-leading volume accuracy, the SE500 can inspect pad sizes down to 01005 component size (150 x 150 µm) while keeping up with ever-increasing line speeds. www.cyberoptics.com
DeK—aPeX booth #1573DEK’s Sentinel is a productivity-enhancing print verification and process management technology that captures the full board image, analyzes the data and accepts or rejects the print—all in real time. The system also has the capa-bility to manage printing inputs and outputs, as well as integrate verification and trace-ability tools. Designed to improve yield without impacting cycle time, Sentinel allows printing and high-speed inspection to run concurrently. www.dek.com
Juki— aPeX booth #1735Juki Corporation will showcase a range of leading products, such as its FX-3XL component mounter. With IPC speed of 60K cph, the FX-3XL (large board size 22” x 24”) expands Juki’s presence into the ultra-high-speed assembly market while delivering on Juki’s standards for high quality, reliability and cost of ownership. The modular FX-3 fits seamlessly into Juki’s portfolio of products and adds its powerful optimization software and quick-change feeder banks to set the standard for electronics manufacturing uptime. Also showing is the KE3020XL (large board size 22” x 24”), the newest flexible placement machine from Juki that offers the flexibility, accuracy and repeatability to produce the high quality products that your customers demand. Juki will also display its new, motor-driven electronic feeder that is ideal for steadily feeding ultra small compo-nents, sensitively and fast. The electronic feeder makes setting the feed pitch simple to change with just the press of a button, and status is displayed by a seven segment LED. www.jas-smt.com
42 – Global SMT & Packaging – Celebrating 10 Years – March 2010 www.globalsmt.net
2010 IPC APEX Expo—Technology Preview
ecD—aPeX booth #1361ECD will feature its suite of oven thermal profile ver-ification products. These products
are designed to facilitate the vital step of “verification” being performed at all stages of the thermal process, whether determin-ing profile requirements, characterizing the profile, or confirming the oven’s operation to be within specifications. All help ensure
targeted profiles are met and that OEMs and EMS providers are receiving quality output and being protected from liability. With ECD’s suite of products, verification is now one of the easiest tasks to perform, eliminating any reason for skipping this vital quality management stage, and en-abling full Thermal Quality Management (ThQM™). www.ecd.com
eSSeMTec— aPeX booth #1059Essemtec will feature a range of new equip-ment, including the new Paraquda SMD pick and place ma-chine, which features ultra short change-over times, a new intuitive operation system, Eplace, and an integrated quality management system that reduces manu-facturing costs for electronics. Compared to other pick-and-place machines, the new Paraquda, with up to 210 feeders capacity, brings significant added values regarding precision, quality, flexibility, control and ergonomics. Paraquda’s pick-and-place head can simultaneously hold and measure four components. The range of components is vast—it spans from 01005 resistors up
Kyzen—aPeX booth #2241Kyzen will feature AQUAN-OX® A4703 neutral pH aqueous cleaning chemis-try. An aqueous cleaning solution designed with a pH neutral formulation, AQUANOX® A4703 is combined with Kyzen’s revolutionary inhibition technology to provide superior material compat-ibility. Additionally, A4703 is effective at concentrations as low as three percent, while being environmentally friendly and providing the lowest cost of ownership. This chemistry was developed for use in spray batch and spray in-line cleaning systems to remove OA, no-clean, and RMA pastes and fluxes, including difficult Pb-free residues. AQUANOX® A4703 is easily controlled by refractive index, manually or when using an automated process control system such as the Kyzen PCS. AQUANOX® A4703 is available in one, five, and 55 gallon containers. www.kyzen.com
Global SMT & Packaging – Celebrating 10 Years – March 2010 – 43www.globalsmt.net
2010 IPC APEX Expo—Technology Preview
to 4 inch sq components, up to 1 inch in height. The minimum pitch is specified with 0.01 inches. The high-resolution fly-by vision system is equipped with the latest Cognex SMD image processing technology, thus can detect any kind of component, even odd-shaped parts. www.essemtec-usa.com
europlacer— aPeX booth #2259Europlacer will display its IINEO SMT platform along with its new XPii-II pick-and-place. XPii-II is a new approach to modular pick-and-place, incorporating technology from Europlacer’s innovative award-winning iineo platform. XPii benefits from low-maintenance linear motors, high-resolution digital cameras and advanced on-head optical component sensing. With these advanced features, users benefit from all the capabilities of the iineo in a compact space. As an additional benefit, the modularity enables users to build lines to meet growing demands. XPii-II features
two placement heads and uses Europlacer’s proven core features, such as turret head, intelligent feeders and powerful software without compromise. Unlike traditional chip-shooter style machines, XPii-II has no restrictions or limitations on component range. www.europlacer.com
everett charles Technologies (ecT)—aPeX booth #1283Everett Charles Technologies (ECT) Contact Products Group (CPG) will demonstrate the company’s latest technolo-gies and answer customer inquiries related to its range of products, including Bead Probe Technology, the concept of using small raised bumps for placing test points directly on the PCB’s copper traces, thus forming a “bead” that becomes a test point target for use during in-circuit testing. www.ectinfo.com
eVS international— aPeX booth #1783EVS International will highlight the EVS 9000 solder recovery system in distributor Sono-Tek’s booth. EVS International
worked with the global marketplace to gain invaluable feedback from which to develop solder dross recovery solutions that satisfy the high standards required from a modern manufacturing environment—particularly with regard to reliability, ease of operation, maintenance and environmental manage-ment. The new EVS 9000 offers manufac-turers solutions for all of these issues with reduced footprint, advanced electronic controls and integrated diagnostics. www.solderrecovery.com
FcT assembly— aPeX booth #2317FCT Assembly will highlight NL930PT, a no-clean, lead-free, halide-free pin-probable solder paste. The paste is unique in that it is a clear residue, pin probable paste that can print down to low surface area ratios consis-tently. Combined with SN100C, this solder paste produces the most cosmetically appealing solder joint available on the market. NL932 no-clean, lead-free, halide-free solder paste features
APEXbooth 1759
44 – Global SMT & Packaging – Celebrating 10 Years – March 2010 www.globalsmt.net
2010 IPC APEX Expo—Technology Preview
excellent solderability, enabling the process to handle the most difficult wetting require-ments. www.fctassembly.com
FcT recovery—aPeX booth #2317FCT Recovery, a division of FCT Assembly, will have company representatives on hand to discuss its advanced recovery services. FCT Recovery offers recovery services for lead-free, tin/lead dross and scrap includ-ing solder paste and wipes in quantities as small as 25 lb. Customers are updated at every step in the process, and FCT Recovery writes customer checks within 15 days of receipt of material. Customers also receive a certificate of recycling for their material. www.fctrecovery.com
FiNe liNe STeNcil— aPeX booth #2317FINE LINE STENCIL, a division of FCT Assembly, will feature the UltraSlic™ FG solder paste stencil, the latest breakthrough in stencil technology. With superior paste release below surface area ratios of 0.5, UltraSlic™ FG outperforms all existing stencil technologies on the market today. Using the latest stencil laser technology and Datum Alloys’ new Fine Grain stencil material, exclusively distributed by Ed Fagan, Inc., UltraSlic™ FG stencils provide superior aperture registration, higher performance and lower cost compared to electroform. www.finelinestencil.com
FiNeTech—aPeX booth #2329FINETECH will debut the new FINEPLACER Core rework system in. The FINEPLACER
Core offers proven rework technology for a wide spectrum of SMT components, rang-ing in size from 0201 to 50 x 50 mm BGAs, and handling PCBs up to 300 x 400 mm. The semi-automated design includes force measurement with automatic component lift off and placement. Based on key tech-nology from FINETECH‘s industry leading platforms, the Core represents a compact, yet versatile hot-gas rework system that will provide a level of professionalism exceeding its attractive price. www.finetechusa.com
Fuji america—aPeX booth #659Fuji is intro-ducing some new additions to the world famous NXTII platform. With over 23,000 units installed worldwide, the NXTII con-tinues to develop and evolve with the ever changing surface mount market. First, the new V12 placement head will increase the NXTII’s chip placing capability from the current 22,500 cph to an amazing 28,000 cph. The V12 head can be used on any NX-TII module. Second the NXTII has a new module called the M6SP. This new higher accuracy module can place standard com-ponents and tray parts, as well as package on package and bare die with an accuracy of 10 microns. It’s shown here in the photo with the new MWU8i (Multi Wafer Unit for 8 inch or 200mm wafers). The MWU8i can place bare die directly from the wafer and can present the part to the placement head either bumps up or bumps down. www.fujiamerica.com
Glenbrook Technologies—aPeX booth #559Glenbrook has incorporated ultra-high resolu-tion, powerful microfocus x-ray tubes, five-axis positioners and sophisticated soft-ware into systems that are typically half the size and half the cost of other systems with similar specifications. xamine internal sol-der joints and bonds in advanced technol-ogy packages — BGAs, µBGAs, flip-chips, ICs and other complex components—that cannot be verified by visual inspection. At the same time, obtain precise images from soft materials—molded plastics and encap-sulants—as easily as from denser materials. www.glenbrooktech.com
henkel corporation— aPeX booth #2159
Multicore HF108 is a lead-free, halogen-free solder paste that combines all of the benefits of robust lead-free materials with the advantage of no deliberately added halogen. The material has zero intention-ally added halogens and is under the limit of detection in the rigorous oxygen bomb/ion chromatography test. Formulated for low voiding in fine-pitch CSPs and BGAs and outstanding solderability over a wide range of reflow profiles in air and nitrogen, Multicore HF108 has proven capability on a variety of surface finishes including Immersion silver and OSP copper. www.henkel.com
inovaxe corporation— aPeX booth #658Inovaxe will introduce its Suitcase-Sized Kit Cart. Using the revolutionary “single package, single location” control fea-ture, the system provides non-dedicated, high-density, flexible component package storage and Web-based inventory control. It accommodates the complete SMT kitting function for the production floor, provid-ing location, inventory accuracy and correct component validation for feeder
Nordson aSyMTeK— aPeX booth #1925Nordson ASYMTEK will showcase a new fifth-axis tilt and rotate capability for its conformal coating system. The applicator can now tilt 0° and 30° and rotate 0°, 90°, 180° and 270°. While the nozzle is tilted to 30 degrees, the mechanism can be rotated in 90-degree incre-ments to direct the fan pattern to the left, right, front or back to coat all four sides of a compo-nent. This new mechanism is faster, quieter, and weighs less than the current tilt-and-rotate implementation. The operation saves about 0.3 second in moving from any given position to any other one. www.nordsonasymtek.com
Global SMT & Packaging – Celebrating 10 Years – March 2010 – 45www.globalsmt.net
Failure definition—not as easy as it sounds
Winner of 2008 Advanced Packaging
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WINNER
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An innovative laser cutting companyspecializing in precision thin metal and thin plastic laser ablation. • Precision Cut Parts • • Flexible Circuits • High Precision Metal Parts • High Precision Plastic Parts • High Precision Polyimide Parts
www.fctassembly.com
FCT Assembly’s group of companies are premier suppliers of stencils,precision parts, and lead-free soldering products for the electronics industry
with the technical expertise to help troubleshoot your most challenging problems.
APEXbooth 2317
46 – Global SMT & Packaging – Celebrating 10 Years – March 2010 www.globalsmt.net
2010 IPC APEX Expo—Technology Preview
loading and replenishment. www.inovaxe.com
MarTiN—aPeX booth #638MARTIN, a FINETECH company, will demonstrate the new Expert 10.6XL rework system. The Expert 10.6XL is a fully portable, cost-effective rework solution especially suited for the repair of large, high value PCBs. Due to its intuitive interface,
process repeatability and semi-automated operation, it is an umatched value. The system includes a new hybrid under-heater and control unit, all integrated into one attractive housing. This hybrid platform combines both infrared and convection heating technologies to achieve outstanding board temperature uniformity, thus mini-mizing temperature based PCB distortion. www.martin-smt.de
MirTec—aPeX booth #2219MIRTEC will showcase its com-plete line of AOI and SPI systems. “We are eager to display the latest advance-
ments to our award winning inspection systems at APEX this year,” said Brian D’Amico, president of MIRTEC Corp. “We are especially excited to unveil MIRTEC’s new 15 megapixel ISIS vision system. Although still under prototype development, we are confident that this new technology will bring unprecedented speed and performance to the inspec-tion industry. We are looking forward to sharing this exciting new technology with our customers.” MIRTEC will feature an MV-7xi configured with the new ISIS vi-sion system at booth #2219. All attendees are invited to visit with MIRTEC for a first hand demonstration of this new technol-ogy. www.mirtecusa.com
Nordson yeSTech—
aPeX booth #1759Nordson YESTECH, a subsidiary of Nordson Corporation, introduces its X1 semi-automatic, batch loading x-ray inspec-tion system offering EMS providers and semiconductor packagers a superior yield enhancement solution to reduce costs, improve quality and increase throughput. Nordson YESTECH’s X1 provides users with a high-resolution x-ray capability in a flexible, compact and maintenance free configuration. The X1 is ideal for inspect-ing mixed BGA/SMT devices, connectors and plated though hole (PTH) assemblies. The high power 130Kv x-ray source pro-vides ample energy to image even the most demanding samples, including those with metal sinks. www.yestechinc.com
GOT BALLS?Not Likely… and if so, got more than you can handle?Ordering solder spheres can be difficult. Our competitors would rather not entertain your order for solder spheres … unless, of course, you are looking to order a cool quarter of a million. But what about different alloys and sizes? Yeah, looks like you will have to order too much.
EasySpheres solves this dilemma. You need 10,000 of a Sn63/Pb37 .020” diameter? No sweat, we can help. How about filling that engineering request for Sn10/Pb90 .030” diameter? Your engineer can have those in his hands tomorrow morning*. At EasySpheres, we stock a broad selection of first run solder spheres, alloys and sizes. We can easily fill your order whether you want 10,000 or several million. Our state-of-the-art Web site can process your request in three easy steps. After all, our name is our word.
* Orders placed by 11:00 AM Pacific Standard will ship the same day.
Visit us at www.easyspheres.com
Global SMT & Packaging – Celebrating 10 Years – March 2010 – 47www.globalsmt.net
2010 IPC APEX Expo—Technology Preview
Nordson eFD— aPeX booth #1641Nordson EFD’s new Solder Plus® UV is a UV-fluorescent solder paste that enables pre- and post-reflow detection of solder deposits on automated production lines with cost-effective standard vision systems. Typical uses include consumer electronics, automotive and medical device applications. It is very difficult to detect solder paste deposits and verify proper reflow with conventional vision systems and inspection software. Exciting Solder Plus® UV paste with a UV light source causes it to emit a fluorescence that is easily detected with a conventional vision system. www.efd-inc.com
Pillarhouse—aPeX booth #2149Pillarhouse International new, patented sliding bottom side IR pre heat for its Jade Handex selective soldering system is con-trolled via the Pillarcomm software or the optional closed loop sensor systems for ease of set-up and operation. With the addition of the bottom side unit, the Handex is now configurable with top and bottom IR heater to help process thermally challeng-ing boards. Pillarhouse is also introducing a rotating Jetwave solder nozzle system and a combination fluxer and preheat module. www.pillarhouseusa.com
Polyonics—aPeX booth #1377Polyonics Inc. will exhibit its full line of THERMOGARD® and TRIBOGARD® thermal transfer printable label materi-als. TRIBOGARD®, a new generation of barcode labels with enhanced anti-static technologies, not only enables you real-time information for WIP tracking, but also pro-vides you with anti-static features to protect boards and their components from ESD events during label application or during label life. www.polyonics.com
Qualitek—aPeX booth #1548Qualitek’s lead-free DSP866 is even lower in halogens than the adopted levels devel-oped by the (IEC) International Electro-chemical Commission as acceptable in final assembled product. DSP866 contains 0% total halogens. DSP866 is also a no-clean lead free formulation that provides excel-lent print definition characterized by brick-like prints. Good release is seen on 12-9 mil apertures with print speeds in the range of 1.0-6.0 inch per second. (25mm-150mm). www.qualitek.comSeho Systems—aPeX booth #259
SEHO Systems GmbH will have the GoSelective light and other soldering equip-ment on display. Depending on the application, the GoSelective light is designed for stand-alone operation or as an inline system to be integrated into a fully automated production line. During the process, the assembly remains on its position. The various workstations, i.e. the
fluxer unit, and preheating and soldering units that are mounted on a high-precision axis system, successively approach the solder joints. This allows flexible process-ing of assemblies up to 500 x 500 mm with absolutely reproducible results. www.sehona.com
Seika Machinery, inc.— aPeX booth #407Seika Machinery, Inc., a provider of advanced machinery, materials and engineering services, will feature its leading
See Acculogic’s Latest Testing Technologies at APEX 2010Booth 249
In-Circuit TestFiS640 Compact and Low Cost In-Circuit Test System Small footprint In-Circuit Tester (ICT), with up to 2048 non-multiplexed channels, high-ac curacy analog measurement instrument, Power-up and Boundary Scan (JTAG) Test and programming, patented Vectorless test for Open pins detection on digital devices.
Flying Probe Test Flying Scorpion FLS980Dxi Patented Double-Sided, Multi-probe (16) Flying Probe system with 3D probing, analog, digital and Boundary Scan JTAG , test large circuit boards and backplanes (41”x25.5”).
Boundary Scan JTAG TestScanNavigator™ powered by Victory™ Software is a leading suite of powerful tools for Bound ary Scan JTAG testing and programming, full support for IEEE1149.1 and IEEE1149.6 standards. Wide range of hardware platforms, including PCI, PXI, VXI,PC104, USB and Ethernet based multi-and-parallel remote processing.
Acculogic Ltd.500 West Cummings Park, Suite 1850Woburn, MA 01801Phone: +1-781-937-5907Fax: +1-781-658-2504www.acculogic.com
New
48 – Global SMT & Packaging – Celebrating 10 Years – March 2010 www.globalsmt.net
2010 IPC APEX Expo—Technology Preview
machinery, including the new Solder Paste Recycling Unit, which enables approximately 90 percent of waste solder paste to be recovered as solder bar. The system provides a major decrease in disposal costs for factory waste, a reduction in CO2 emissions, and reduced costs for solder bar as a result of recycling waste. As an additional benefit, the recycling unit enables selection of manual mode and automatic mode using a touch screen panel. Also on display is the Anritsu 3D Solder Paste Inspection System, which features advanced technology like ultra-high resolution—horizontal (10 µm/20 µm interchangeable) and vertical (1 µm, best in class)—high-speed inspection (33 sq cm/sec at 20 µm resolution; 13.8 sq cm/sec at 10 µm resolution) and easy programming and maintenance in that program generation is accomplished in approximately five minutes and consistent results are provided, regardless of the operator. www.seikausa.com
Siemens—aPeX booth #2011Siemens Elec-tronics Assembly Systems (SEAS) will introduce its new SIPLACE SX placement machine platform. The SIPLACE team will demon-strate how quickly and easily you
can add performance to an existing line without influencing feeder capacity and how quickly and easily you can add feeder capacity without influencing performance, enabling manufacturers to make a minimal initial investment and gain maximum scal-ability. SIPLACE SX is the first placement platform on the market to offer optimum placement speed and feeder capacity with scalable gantry modularity. www.siplace.com
Sono-Tek—aPeX booth #1783Sono-Tek’s SonoFlux EZ ultrasonic recipro-cating spray fluxing system is an economi-cal system designed on a reciprocating plat-form. The ultrasonic atomization module uses a high-impact flux transfer system for maximizing topside fill. The system is easily integrated into all major wave solder machines and is compatible with all PCB
fluxes, including fluxes that contain rosin (often used in lead-free manufacturing). The SonoFlux EZ brings all of the benefits of ultrasonic spray fluxing to manufactur-ers otherwise unable to invest in a higher cost ultrasonic spray fluxing system. www.SprayFluxing.com
universal instruments— aPeX booth #1083Universal Instruments Corporation offers complete solutions and can assist you with every aspect of your products’ life cycle, ranging from applied materials selection, prototype production builds, factory layout to applications design and development. At the show, Universal will be exhibiting the latest in semiconductor technology, including their high-accuracy single-beam platform, which features unmatched capa-bilities of accuracy, speed and flexibility. This machine is equipped to manage the as-sembly requirements of emerging technolo-gies such as flip chip, system in package, embedded components and 3D assembly. Also learn how their Line Level software can make prototyping, NPI programming and set-up both fast and simple while elimi-nating the risk of errors! www.uic.com
Valor—aPeX booth #2228Valor Computerized Systems, Inc., will show a complete interoperable manufactur-ing execution suite designed to integrate solutions that will assist manufacturers in the design, planning, monitoring, control, scheduling, box build, traceability, test and rework processes. The product suite encompasses the entire production process, from the receipt of goods into the produc-
tion inventory locations through to PCA assembly and test, full system assembly and test, right through to the final packing of the finished goods ready for shipment. Components include vPlan for complete SMT programming and data management; vManage, for complete SMT/PCB material control, verification and traceability; and vCheck, a complete PCB quality manage-ment solution with AOI/ICT direct inter-faces and synchronized delivery of detailed work instructions for board and system level assembly. www.valor.com
VJ Technologies— aPeX booth #2059VJ Technologies, Inc., will demonstrate advanced rework with solder scavenging performed by the Summit Series and 400 Series rework systems. The Summit 1800 performance rework platform incorporates all of the innovative features that have been developed since the invention of high-level, semi-automatic surface mount and microelectronics rework technology. The 400 series value rework platform is capable of addressing challenging lead-free rework applications. On the x-ray side, VJ will display the Vertex 130 versatile x-ray platform capable of 2D and 2D off axis x-ray inspection. The Vertex is highly suitable for production environments and capable of addressing a wide range of applications. www.vjelectronix.com
Smart Sonic—aPeX booth #1771Smart Sonic will introduce the Enviro-Guard™ 100% closed-loop stencil cleaner at APEX 2010. EnviroGuard is the first and only aqueous stencil cleaner able to clean all types of solder paste with a 100% closed-loop process—wash and rinse! Smart Sonic matched the unique properties of its 440-R® SMT Detergent to a specifically designed filtration/UV system that facilitates 100% close-looping and zero VOCs of both the wash and rinse solutions. Normal opera-tion requires the filters to be changed only quarterly at a cost of approximately $300 per maintenance cycle. The liquid hazard-ous waste never exits the system! 99% of the waste solder paste from stencils and misprinted PCBs is captured for easy recycling. The remaining 1% is removed by the EnviroGuard filtration system for a completely contained and environmentally benign cleaning process! Users simply return the spent filters to Smart Sonic for regeneration and reuse. www.SmartSonic.com
Global SMT & Packaging – Celebrating 10 Years – March 2010 – 49www.globalsmt.net
Productronica confirms industry rebound
Los Angeles Office:3528 Torrance Blvd., Suite 100
Torrance, CA 90503Phone: (310) 540-7310 Fax: (310) 540-7930
Atlanta Office:3030 Business Park Drive, #3030-B
Norcross, GA 30071Phone: (770) 446-3116 Fax: (770) 446-3118
McDry Dry Cabinets • Store MSDs safely without nitrogen• Conforms to IPC/JEDEC J-STD 033b.1
Anritsu 3D Solder Paste Inspection Machine• High-speed, ultra-high resolution• Easy programming, auto calibration
Advanced SMT Solutions forElectronics Assembly
Hioki Flying Probe Tester• High-speed, fixture-less testing• Fine pitch probing capability of 0.2mm
As a multinational distributor, SEIKA has a strong reputation for providing high-performance and quality SMT solutions at cost-effective pricing. We even provide every product with full technical support, installation, and engineering services.
Our reputation along with our partners is solid in Asia and Japan, and now it’s time the rest of the world discovers what the East already knows – our advanced machinery and materials for the electronics industry.
YJ Link Conveyors• Patented magnetic roller mechanism limits stress on PCB’s during transfer• Safety covers with interlocked doors
Visit us at www.seikausa.com to see more of our products!
Hirox Digital Microscopes• Inspect objects in 360° with patented Hirox design• BGA, QFP, cross section inspection with measurement
Seika Solder Paste Recycling System• Recover 90% of your solder paste waste• ROI within months!
seika_8.5x11.indd 1 1/12/10 3:10:19 PM
APEXbooth 407
50 – Global SMT & Packaging – Celebrating 10 Years – March 2010 www.globalsmt.net
New Products
essemtec introduces simultaneous through-hole leDs and SMD placementEssemtec’s CLM979 radial component feeder enables the assembly of through-hole LEDs on a standard pick-and-place machine, saving space, time and money. The feeder releases LEDs from the tape, cuts the wire ends and prepares the component for pickup. The CLM979 feeder transports the components, releases them from the radial tape, cuts the wire ends to the desired length and aligns them parallel, ready to be handled by the SMD pick-and-place with a vacuum pickup tool. In order to guarantee smooth insertion of the LEDs into the soldering holes, the wire ends are inspected by using optical systems (laser and vision). If the wires are out of tolerance, e.g. because of a bent terminals, the component is rejected. The CLM979 feeder can be mounted in parallel to standard SMD component feeders, making mixed placement possible in one run. www.essemtec.com
Microscan introduces new Track, Trace and control solutionMicroscan’s new Track, Trace and Control (TTC) solution, developed in partnership with Cogiscan, features new Microscan TTC middleware, which can partner with any of Microscan’s machine vision or auto ID hardware to address plant-wide information. Microscan’s TTC middleware is specifically designed to provide work-in-progress (WIP) visibility through any factory (tracking), validate the process flow (control) and provide the history of the process steps accomplished on a product (traceability). With TTC middleware, efficient data collection is combined with error proofing to demonstrate process compliance, while reducing material and
assembly costs. The TTC middleware is the first jointly released solution since the company’s strategic partnership agreement with Cogiscan last year. www.microscan.com
DeK launches new VectorGuard® double layer platinum stencilDEK has extended its popular VectorGuard® stencil portfolio with the addition of the double layer platinum stencil, a unique stencil technology offering manufacturers a series of performance benefits over conventional screens. The mesh layer of the two-layer structure serves to hold the stencil intact while accurately controlling the flow of paste to the second layer. VectorGuard double layer platinum stencils are an ideal solution for semiconductor applications and component manufacture, meeting the needs of production challenges requiring fine line or mixed feature sizes. www.dek.com
New SPc software for Koh young solder paste inspection systemsChristopher Associates is pleased to announce the introduction of Koh Young’s new statistical process control software package, allowing the user to track manufacturing performance and improve yields in real time. The system will generate very useful SPC data and present this in pie charts, pareto charts, etc. using any number of different parameters including pad size, part number, pad shape, part type, by pcb supplier and other metrics. The software can be used on or offline. www.christopherweb.com
intertronics get tough with electronic componentsThose clever people at Intertronics are getting tough with electronic components that need to be made more rugged, to be more resistant to shock, vibration and rough handling. This “toughening-up” process involves edge bonding or underfill of components with the recently introduced DYMAX 9422-SC or 9-20790 room temperature, fast, light cure adhesives. In particular the 9422-SC is a component reinforcement and staking material engineered to hold critical components, such as ball grid arrays (BGA) and video graphic arrays (VGA), for secondary processes or for long-term reliability. These light-curable
New Products
New productsNew Products
Manncorp.com launches seven new SMT turnkey linesManncorp introduced seven new electronic assembly turnkey lines with throughput rates ranging from prototyping to 10,500 cph. The lines are targeted to OEMs and others who are considering turning away from outsourcing by bringing PCB assembly in-house for the first time. The systems are also aimed at existing assemblers who wish to upgrade to latest-generation equipment. The turnkeys, priced from $29,500 to $180,000, include stencil printer (or solder paste dispense capability), automated pick-and-place machine, and lead-free reflow oven. The higher-end lines additionally include a pass-through inspection conveyor and board loader/unloader. www.manncorp.com
www.globalsmt.net
New Products
adhesives dispense and cure in seconds to provide the optimal balance of production efficiency and technical performance. www.intertronics.co.uk
JTaG ProVision™ —now with added ‘Buzz’JTAG Technologies has announced an interim update to its renowned ProVision™ boundary-scan development tools suite that includes the new continuity test module ‘Buzz’. Service Pack 1 for CD release 15 (CD15-SP1) is available immediately for download for licensed users with current support contracts. JTAG ProVision™, first released in 2006, uses a unique project database structure, automatically analysing the boundary-scan and non-boundary-scan elements of a design to create rapidly a full set of tests and in-system programming applications. The new Buzz module allows users, with minimal design information, to check quickly the continuity between two or more pins without the need to import detailed design (netlist) information. www.jtaglive.com
No surprises with Paragon TcM® kitting solutionReducing the real cost of component acquisition by up to 20%, Paragon Electronic Components’ unique kitting solution aims to eliminate unwelcome surprises and hidden costs from manufacturers’ procurement processes. Known as Total Component Management™ or TCM®, the Paragon
approach to kitting manages the series of complex logistical tasks required to create and deliver a bill of materials ready to enter production without the need for further inspection or preparation. www.paragon-plc.com
Questar gold ball bonder simplifies set-up, changeoverQuestar Products International has developed a fine-pitch, fine-wire (17 µ-75 µ), automatic gold ball bonder designed specifically to meet today’s production challenges associated with smaller lot sizes, multiple product variations and frequent set-up changes. Designated the Q2119A, this gold ball auto bonder supports a variety of customer needs from prototyping to medium volume production. Package conversions can be completed in minutes while accommodating a multitude of device configurations. The system offers fine-pitch capability, fast and accurate pattern recognition system, ball bumping and coining capability, and programmable security bonds. www.questarproducts.com
XJTaG unveils XTr series second-generation boundary scan systemNew features and usability enhancements on the latest XTR series are guaranteed to save developers time and reduce the amount of test equipment required. The XJTAG XTR series includes all the features of the XJTAG development system plus lots of new features and usability enhancements, from support
The Adventures of James BondlessThe Adventures of James BondlessThe Adventures of James Bondless
Smart Sonic’s 440-R® SMT Detergent is guaranteed to safely clean any type of solder paste from any fine-pitch stencil and is the only stencil-cleaning chemistry verified for specific parameters of Environmental Safety, User Safety and Cleaning Efficiency by the U.S. EPA’s Environmental Technology Verification Program.
Request your sample today!
52 – Global SMT & Packaging – Celebrating 10 Years – March 2010 www.globalsmt.net
New Products
for multiple JTAG chains to the ability to measure supply rail voltages and signal frequencies. These features are designed to save developers, test engineers, OEMs and contract manufacturers time and money, and reduce the amount of test equipment required during production testing and board bring up. www.xjtag.com
Sonoscan expands counterfeit identification menuSonoLab®, the applications laboratory division of Sonoscan, has developed analytical techniques that bring the number of acoustically detectable features and characteristics used to separate counterfeit plastic IC packages from genuine packages to 25. Identifying counterfeit components is becoming more difficult as counterfeiters are becoming more skilled at making their knock-offs resemble genuine components. Using a greater number of acoustic techniques increases the confidence factor when separating genuine parts from fake parts. Measuring two or three parameters may suggest that a part is genuine or fake, but having a menu of 25 items on hand makes it much easier to make clear distinctions. www.sonoscan.com
Teknek launches NanocleenTeknek launched a new, advanced contact cleaning system for the electronics industry. Two years in development, Nanocleen heralds a new generation of contact cleaning technology with advanced contamination and static control features. Nanocleen offers a number of benefits over conventional contact cleaning systems including the ability to remove particles
down to 25 nm and to dissipate static. Nanocleen’s high performance roller can remove 25-50% more particles than other contact cleaners. The roller and adhesive roll are 100% silicone free. The Nanocleen system can be fitted to old and new versions of the Teknek Clean Machine as well as other makes of contact cleaning machine using an optional upgrade kit, so investment in new hardware is unnecessary. www.nanocleen.co.uk
a-laser provides precision cutting for Kapton spacersLaser cutting service provider A-Laser’s laser operators are trained to understand and implement high-level process demands, allowing the company to take on work that other shops turn away. The company, a division of FCT Assembly, recently announced that it is now able to provide intricate cutting services for Kapton spacers. Spacers often are used in test socket applications as contact holders, where part profiles seem to be shrinking. A-Laser is capable of cutting 2 mil slots with its lasers with the highest precision. www.a-laser.com
Bliss industries renews focus on custom carts and racksBliss Industries Inc. has a renewed focus on custom engineered carts and racks. In this economy, customers need to do more with less. Customers often require a custom cart that is designed to solve a specific problem. Bliss offers quick turnaround on modified, standard and custom carts for all types of material and tooling applications, specializing in ESD-safe carts and racks. Bliss Visual 3D Engineering significantly speeds the process and gets it right the first time, even for one cart. Specializing in electronics manufacturing and assembly, Bliss offers a complete line of support equipment from the receiving dock to the shipping dock, covering every step of the manufacturing process. Bliss products help ensure that manufacturing areas are as lean as possible. www.blissindustries.com
Kelvin test socket for low resistance testing of devices with lead pitch down to 0.4 mmAries Electronics now offers a new Kelvin test socket that handles devices with a lead pitch down to 0.4 mm. The new socket uses two independent Aries Kelvin spring probes per device pad for highly reliable, low resistance testing of MLF, QFN, LGA and other leadless devices. With a signal path of only 0.082” (2.08 mm), the new
Kelvin test socket provides minimal signal loss for higher bandwidth capability. The socket’s low cost, two-piece construction and small overall size allows the maximum number of sockets per test board. www.arieselec.com
low maintenance poppet valve for precision fluid dispensingThe Tridak Model 785 poppet valve can be used in numerous applications to dispense low-to-medium viscosity materials such as adhesives, silicones, greases, and other filled materials. This economical valve improves fluid dispensing accuracy and consistency. The Model 785’s design minimizes friction between the actuating components of the valve and the material being dispensed. Minimizing this friction substantially decreases valve maintenance and downtime. www.tridak.com
4 and 6-inch wide label printers from Tharo SystemsThe Tharo Systems H-400/H-600 series thermal transfer, bar code label printers, available in 203 or 300 DPI, feature a durable all metal construction with a cast aluminum center wall for added strength. The large media window allows for easy viewing and monitoring of supplies. Standard features include a high-speed USB 2.0 interface for super-fast data transfer and a real-time clock for time and date stamping of labels. The standard stripper sensor on the H-400 Series can be used for either strip-and-peel or tear-off applications. Along with all of these standard features, the Tharo H-Series printers also ship with a free version of Tharo Systems’ EASYLABEL® Start software for custom designing and printing labels. Options include cutter, internal rewind, ethernet adapter, and applicator interface. www.tharo.com
Global SMT & Packaging – Celebrating 10 Years – March 2010 – 53www.globalsmt.net
New Products
Kic introduces the Profiling KitKIC’s new, comprehensive Profiling Kit contains all the necessary accessories for profiling a PCB: thermocouples (TCs), aluminum tape, gloves, scissors, pick and more. KIC’s Explorer profiler series has gained a reputation for being exceptionally easy and quick to use. The Profiling Kit is yet another extension to the complete experience with quick and convenient profiling. Profiling is essentially a means to an end. What is important is to set up the oven quickly, and to make sure that each and every product is processed in spec. The new Profiling Kit joins the other KIC offerings designed to help electronics manufacturers achieve world-class quality and productivity, and to accomplish this quickly and conveniently. www.kicthermal.com
heraeus introduces dielectric and lead-free silver conductor pastes for aluminum substratesThe Thick Film Materials Business Unit of Heraeus has developed two new products to improve the efficiency of mounting silicon IC’s to aluminum substrates. Working in tandem, this new thick film dielectric and conductor system provides very low thermal resistance between the chip and the heat sink in high power applications such as HB LEDs. The unique glass system of the new lead- and cadmium-free dielectric paste (IP6075) from Heraeus was developed to offer excellent thermal conductivity on both 3003- and 6061-grade alloy aluminum substrates. The conductor paste, fired together at 550°C with the dielectric paste, provides excellent solderability and adhesion. www.heraeus.com
assembléon introduces high speed, high quality screen printer Royal Philips Electronics subsidiary Assembléon introduces its MCP screen
printer, with an innovative head design offering variable attack angle printing, allowing it to maintain constant solder pressure independent of the stencil thickness. The single-head system also allows easy setup, and reduces maintenance by half. With a board cycle time as low as 11 seconds, it is the first stencil printer to match the high throughput of some of today’s high-volume pick & place machines. It is the first printer to match their high quality, too, by reducing defect per million (dpm) figures by up to 50%. www.assembleon.com
Replace costly DeDicateD pcB suppoRt toolingRED-E-SET® Ultra HD is the latest technology in ultra high-density board support from Production Solutions.
Ultra HD benefits users by:• Replacing expensive custom tooling plates• Providing flexibility between PCB revisions• Reducing changeover time• Eliminating defects due to inadequate board support• Increasing revenue by reducing machine downtime• Eliminating component damage
The Ultra HD modules are available in both strip format for adding/removing support depending on board width and our new format, which is board/application specific.
Contact Production Solutions to learn how to improve your productivity by replacing costly dedicated PCB support tooling.
production solutions, inc.12675 Danielson Court, 403 | Poway, CA 92064Phone: 858-486-1088 | www.production-solutions.com
APEXbooth 2150
Title
54 – Global SMT & Packaging – Celebrating 10 Years – March 2010 www.globalsmt.net
Association & institutes newsAssociation & institutes news
iPc executive Summit highlights recorded liveLive recordings of selected presentations from IPC’s October 2009 Executive Sum-mit are now available as synchronous audio with slides. Delivered by some of the indus-try’s most renowned subject-matter experts, the 30- to 60-minute presentations provide updates on major market opportunities as well as key management issues.
Offering perhaps the most significant impact on the electronics supply chain, major market opportunities in medical electronics, printed electronics (PE) and solar technology are featured. In “Mobile Health Applications and Medical Electronics,” industry leader Bruce Kline from Mayo Clinic discusses healthcare restructuring, tele-medicine, remote monitoring and system requirements and challenges. Printed electronics guru Raghu Das covers PE applications in “Printed Electronics Trends & Opportunities: How Electronic Interconnect Companies Can Benefit,” and provides insight on a low-cost means of producing components, their materials and the commercial market for these products. In “Outlook for the Global Solar Market,” Paula Mints, head of the solar practice at Navigant Consulting, provides an overview of global solar power generation, thick- and thin-film cell materials and pricing.
On the management side, presentations cover important and timely subjects, including mergers and acquisitions (M&A), EMS contracts and protecting intellectual property. In “Mergers and Acquisitions: Buying and Selling for the Best Value,” M&A investment banker Paul Emello, Capitol Technologies, identifies key issues buyers and sellers must consider to maximize the value of mergers and acquisitions and how to avoid costly mistakes in the process. Leading patent attorney Patrick Muir, Muir Patent Consulting, discusses the patent application in “Protecting Your Intellectual Property,” as well as the importance of following up on the application, the value of the patent and the potential for litigation. In “Caveat Emptor:
Key Contract Do’s and Don’ts for EMS Providers on the Purchasing Side,” Jeff Roth, a legal expert on EMS contracts with Fees & Burgess, discusses why the terms and conditions of a purchase order should be given wide distribution and clarifies important areas of coverage.. He also explains warranty, indemnity and material flow-through as well as international procurement agreements.
For more information on the Executive Summit presentations or to purchase the audio-slides, visit www.ipc.org/exsum-09. The audio-slide presentations are available to IPC members for $35 per presentation or $75 per three-pack. Nonmembers may purchase the presentations for $50 each or $100 per three-pack.
New adversaries, new challenges changing the focus of the u.S. Department of DefenseThe changing global security landscape calls for the U.S. Department of Defense and its suppliers to respond in innovative ways to successfully carry out challenging mission responsibilities. What does this mean for the global electronics base? Jeff Wilcox, vice president for engineering, Lockheed Martin, will provide insight for IPC APEX EXPO attendees in his keynote address, “Achieving Strategic Balance: Integrating Global Security Solutions in the New Operational Landscape,” Tuesday, April 6, 2010, in Las Vegas.
Responsible for developing and executing strategy for the Lockheed Martin Engineering Enterprise and its 71,000 engineers and scientists, Wilcox will discuss how the company is meeting the challenges of developing a full spectrum of global security solutions and the implications that defense “re-prioritization” of goals and objectives has for the global electronics base.
“The global security solutions we are developing today are being architected to provide unprecedented flexibility for addressing customer needs that will evolve over decades to come in ways that are difficult to predict today,” says Wilcox.
In his role with Lockheed Martin, Wilcox collaborates with business area leadership to ensure the right people, processes, tools and technology are in place to successfully deliver solutions
to customers’ most complex challenges. He adds, “Designing greater degrees of flexibility into our system solutions requires a new partnership with the global supplier base, one focused on high levels of transparency, reliability, performance and scalability.”
Providing valuable insight for IPC APEX EXPO attendees, Wilcox will share information on Lockheed Martin systems in development that meet the military’s challenges of rapid capability deployment, affordability and achieving strategic balance.
For more information on IPC APEX EXPO activities, visit www.ipcapexexpo.org.
international Wafer-level Packaging conference (iWlPc) call for papersThe SMTA, in conjunction with Chip Scale Review magazine, is pleased to release the Call for Papers for the 7th Annual In-ternational Wafer-Level Packaging Confer-ence and Tabletop Exhibition (IWLPC) to be held October 11-14, 2010 at the Marriott Santa Clara Hotel in Santa Clara, CA. The IWLPC Technical Chair, Lee Smith of Amkor Technology, and the IWLPC Technical Committee would like to invite you to submit an abstract for this program on or before April 23, 2010.
The conference will include three tracks in 2010 with two days of papers covering:
This premier industry event explores leading-edge design, material, and process technologies focused on Wafer-Level Pack-aging applications. There will be special emphasis on the numerous device and end product applications (RF/wireless, sensors, mixed technology, optoelectronics) that demand wafer level packaging solutions for integration, cost, and performance require-ments.
Visit www.iwlpc.com/call_for_papers.cfm to view the complete call for papers and to submit an abstract. For more information contact Melissa Serres at 952-920-7682 or [email protected].
Global SMT & Packaging – Celebrating 10 Years – March 2010 – 55www.globalsmt.net
GSP9.11
GEM Expo Brazil offers you a unique opportunity to display your equipment and/or materials to a highly-focused audience of production engineers, managers and decision makers from contract manufacturers and other EMS companies throughout Brazil, Argentina and Chile.
If you are a provider of equipment or materials to the PCB, EMS or Advanced Packaging communities, then this show is an essential forum where you will meet new and existing customers and network with your peers.
The majority of electronics products are manufactured in Brazil for the Latin American market. This world-class event will attract exhibitors from Europe, Asia and the Americas to
display the latest equipment and materials that can enhance yield, improve reliability and save cost in today’s manufacturing environment.
GEM Expo Brazil is fully supported by Brazilian and South American publications and trade associations. It will also contain an extensive conference and workshop program to meet the huge demand for training and process knowledge in Latin America.
Book now to take advantage of our early-bird rates! Raw space from $315 per sq. metre. Shell scheme from $87 per sq. metre.
Learn more exhibiting at or sponsoring GEM Expo Brazil at www.gemexpobrazil.com.
��������������������������������OctOber 5-7, 2010—eXPO ceNter NOrte, SãO PAULO, brAZIL
Light a fire under your salesin the hottest market in South America
Organizer SponsorsVenue
Title
56 – Global SMT & Packaging – Celebrating 10 Years – March 2010 www.globalsmt.net
Bob Willis
Package on package (PoP) assembly is new to many engineers. PoP introduces different processes, materials and challenges, which will undoubtedly highlight some process defects. The trick with any new production process is to gain as much hands-on practical experience as possible. It’s great fun seeing engineers presented with a PCB, PoP components, a tub of dip paste and rubber gloves!! Much better than looking at a computer screen all day, and a better learning experience?
X-ray imaging of PoPWhen you look at a PoP x-ray for the first time, don’t be surprised. It’s confusing, but the example in Figure 1 is perfectly normal and represents a satisfactory assembly. The high-resolution view shows two parallel rows of balls on two layers of a PoP assembly. The larger balls are on the topside component, the smaller balls on the bottomside, close to the printed board. As with any high-resolution x-ray system, it is possible to see the pad to ball interface, visible in the joint area, indicating satisfactory reflow and connection.
Pad cratering/resin cracksFigure 2 is a microsection image taken of an area array solder joint termination showing the bottom of the ball to copper pad interface. A small void cavity is present in the solder connection, and just below the pad is a crack in the PCB resin. This is a common fault seen on boards which have
been exposed to drop testing, flexture or vibration. The crack is through the resin in the interface next to the copper circuitry. It has become a more common defect on high Tg laminates and with the increased rigidity of lead-free terminations
Wet paste shortSolder paste dipping is a common process used in PoP assembly. The second level package is dipped onto a flat plate of specially formulated dip solder paste during the placement cycle. In the case shown in Figure 3, the application plate depth control has been ineffective. When dipping, the depth of paste on the plate must be controlled accurately, otherwise excess or insufficient paste application will occur. In the example, there is a paste short between four terminations, and one ball has a limited deposit
Solder ballsFigure 4 is an x-ray image showing a four stack PoP assembly with columns of solder balls visible on the same pitch. In addition, the image shows chip component terminations with some evidence of voiding on the surface of the printed board. There is also some evidence of solder balling on the left of the image; however it’s difficult to say on which layer of the PoP assembly the random balls are located. Dip paste has a lower metal content, often designed for nitrogen reflow, and has a smaller solder particle
size than stencil printing grades hence more prone to solder balling and slump during reflow.
PoP poor coplanarityOne of the reasons solder paste is used on PoP assembly as opposed to dip flux is coplanarity of the ball terminations. Possible warping of the components during reflow can cause the balls to be separated from the surface of the matting pads resulting in an open connection as shown. Dip flux is less forgiving in filling the separation gap whereas dip paste can bridge the gap between the two surfaces when reflowed. The JEDEC specification for PoP packages can provide an indication of the ball-to-ball coplanarity of the package but not the potential variation across the packages during reflow. Variations will be dependent on the package construction, soldering parameters and the base PCB flatness.
uneven dip flux surfaceJust like dip solder paste on a rotary or linear application plate, the surface and the depth of the material must be controlled accurately to avoid excess or missed application of material to the terminations. Figure 6 shows an uneven flux layer on a rotary plate. As the doctor blade has passed over the plate there are groves in the surface. This can be an indication of material drying on the doctor blade, the flux surface is staring to dry, limited blade
Package on package (PoP) defects
1 2 3 4 5
Package on package (PoP) defects
Global SMT & Packaging – Celebrating 10 Years – March 2010 – 57www.globalsmt.net
Title
There’s no oTher show like iT in The world!Benefit from the industry’s premier technical conference, half-day professional development courses and IPC standards development meetings. Solve your manufacturing challenges, visit hundreds of exhibitors and meet thousands of peers and industry experts in electronics assembly and test, board design and manufacture.
Focus on critical areas, such as reliability, impact of RoHS and REACH, leadless packages, surface finishes and SMT processes. New technical sessions target counterfeit components, embedded devices and solar panel assembly.
Pre-register for free exhibit hall admission and take advantage of free keynotes, posters, forums and networking events.
Learn
Emerging Technologies
Industry Experts
Network
Top Suppliers
New Opportunities
TEST • ElEcTronicS aSSEmbly • prinTEd boardS •
dESiG
n
Solutions
Reliability
CONfERENCE & ExhIbITION 6–8 April 2010
MEETINgS & EduCaTION6–9 April 2010Mandalay bay Resort & Convention CenterLas Vegas, Nevada
www.ipcapEXEXpo.org
PutYourself
Here
diScoVEr. connEcT. THriVE.
58 – Global SMT & Packaging – Celebrating 10 Years – March 2010 www.globalsmt.net
Package on package (PoP) defects
APEXbooth 725
sweep is being used or damage to the blade surface has occurred. Regular checks on the flux plate are important to eliminate the possibility of skipped flux application.
excess flux depthFigure 7 shows the bottom of a PoP device prior to placement onto the first package. The liquid flux should only be on the surface of the balls. In this case the part has been drowned with flux covering all of the balls and the surface of the package. Excess application of flux can result in component float during reflow—depending on the solvent in the flux, the part could even jump off the board during reflow. Excess flux should be avoided. It shows poor control, may cause problems during cleaning and will impact successful underfill if conducted.
PoP flux depositIn Figure 8, in-process inspection of a PoP assembly is shown after the second level
component has been placed. The flux is visible at the ball to pad interface prior to reflow. With the blue colour the level of the original flux dip height is discernable as being approximately 50% of the ball. This is considered to be satisfactory and should result in a reliable connection after reflow.
Poor underfill coverageFigure 9 is a sideways view of a PoP assembly showing one row of terminations after underfilling. The black underfill can be seen between the top and bottom of adjacent packages. The underfill is present but has failed to fill the cavity and cover all of the interconnections. Currently there are no international standards for underfilling, and it’s probably not known if this incomplete underfill would have any impact on the reliability for either temperature cycling or drop testing. It is, however, good practice to have a standard
for reference and an in process control. References for PoP assembly inspection are available at SolderingStandards.com.
underfill reservoirUnderfilling is common practice on portable products where large area array packages are used in combination with thin substrates. This practice is to provide, in most cases, mechanical strength to the interconnecting surfaces rather than thermal expansion relief. It has been good practice over the years to apply underfill to the edge of parts and allow capillary action to suck the material under the parts to fill all the void areas under the packages and between the balls. Due to the decreased space on portable products, it is often the case that materials are now applied in larger quantity to adjacent area array devices and allowed to fill two parts at the same time. The result is other chip parts being coated with underfill. In reality is
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Global SMT & Packaging – Celebrating 10 Years – March 2010 – 59www.globalsmt.net
Package on package (PoP) defects
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this an issue of a poorly controlled process or a well engineered application?
PoP solder ballingAs previously stated, dip solder paste has a lower metal content, is more often designed for nitrogen reflow, and also has a smaller solder particle size, type 5-6 powder as opposed to a stencil printing grade of type 3-4—hence more prone to solder balling during reflow. It’s important for engineers to go back to school and learn how to conduct solder balling and solder slump measurements of paste from different vendors.
Bob Willis is a process engineer working in the electronics industry, providing training,
consultancy and process/product failure
analysis. Bob will be running three new US
workshops at APEX 2010 covering PoP, Conformal Coating
Application and Counterfeit Component Inspection. In addition
he will be running his Package On
Package Workshop at SMT in Nurnberg,
Germany. Bob offers on site workshops on
conventional and lead-free manufacture, he
is also happy to assist you set-up, fault find
and optimise production lines for users and also
provides conferences and workshops worldwide www.bobwillis.co.uk
11—Underfill reservoir
Title
60 – Global SMT & Packaging – Celebrating 10 Years – March 2010 www.globalsmt.net
International Diary2-3 MarchVirtual PCB Onlinewww.virtual-pcb.com
16-18 Marchproductronica China Shanghai, Chinaglobal-electronics.net/link/en/16545154
31 March-April 1SMT/PCB & NEPCON Korea Seoul, South Koreawww.smtpcb.org
6-8 AprilIPC APEX Expo Las Vegas, Nevadagoipcshows.org
13-14 AprilPrinted Electronics Europe Dresden, Germanyidtechex.com
2-4 June Protec JISSO/JPCA Tokyo, Japanwww.jpcashow.com
8-10 June SMT/Hybrid/Packaging Nuremberg, Germanywww.smt-exhibition.com
International Diary
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