Technical Library | 2015-08-13 15:52:40.0
Pad cratering has become more prevalent with the switch to lead free solders and lead free compatible laminates. This mainly is due to the use of higher reflow temperature, stiffer Pb-free solder alloys, and the more brittle Pb-free compatible laminates. However, pad cratering is difficult to detect by monitoring electric resistance since pad cratering initiates before an electrical failure occurs. Several methods have been developed to evaluate laminate materials' resistance to pad cratering. Pad-solder level tests include ball shear, ball pull and pin pull. The detailed methods for ball shear, ball pull, and pin pull testing are documented in an industry standard IPC-9708. Bansal, et al. proposed to use acoustic emission (AE) sensors to detect pad cratering during four-point bend test. Currently there is an industry-working group working on test guidelines for acoustic emission measurement during mechanical testing.
Technical Library | 2021-11-03 17:05:39.0
Additively printed circuits provide advantages in reduced waste, rapid prototyping, and versatile flexible substrate choices relative to conventional circuit printing. Copper (Cu) based inks along with intense pulsed light (IPL) sintering can be used in additive circuit printing. However, IPL sintered Cu typically suffer from poor solderability due to high roughness and porosity. To address this, hybrid Cu ink which consists of Cu precursor/nanoparticle was formulated to seed Cu species and fill voids in the sintered structure. Nickel (Ni) electroplating was utilized to further improve surface solderability. Simulations were performed at various electroplating conditions and Cu cathode surface roughness using the multi-physics finite element method. By utilizing a mask during IPL sintering, conductivity was induced in exposed regions; this was utilized to achieve selective Ni-electroplating. Surface morphology and cross section analysis of the electrodes were observed through scanning electron microscopy and a 3D optical profilometer. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis was conducted to investigate changes in surface compositions. ASTM D3359 adhesion testing was performed to examine the adhesion between the electrode and substrate. Solder-electrode shear tests were investigated with a tensile tester to observe the shear strength between solder and electrodes. By utilizing Cu precursors and novel multifaceted approach of IPL sintering, a robust and solderable Ni electroplated conductive Cu printed electrode was achieved.
Industry News | 2021-08-13 08:37:00.0
Circuit Technology Center announces that it has recently purchased and commissioned an Oxford 980 X-Strata series XRF (x-ray fluorescence) system to support the testing of electronic components for restricted substances such as lead or tin above specified limits. The system can also verify the coating thickness. Defense base customers often require XRF verification testing of components after components have been processed through lead-free to leaded solder alloy exchange for tin mitigation applications. XRF testing may also be required to verify RoHS compliance of components that have been re-balled or re-processed for lead-free applications. In addition to XRF testing, Circuit Technology Center also supports ionic cleanliness testing, X-ray, Acoustic Microscopy, Solderability, and BGA ball shear testing services.
Industry News | 2016-09-02 03:22:09.0
We present the market leading Condor Sigma W12, equipped with a rotating 13500W 518x513mm heater stage that can uniformly warm up your sample to temperatures up to 175°C. The system is designed for die shear testing on large rectangular glass carriers and 12 inch round carriers, to test glued or solder interconnections on a coating.
The Condor Sigma W12 is specifically designed for precision shear testing and Cold Bump Pull (CBP) on wafer or at wafer level. The system has the largest X/Y and fastest stages available in the industry, to reach all positions on the wafer with the t
Technical Library | 2020-12-16 18:38:49.0
Fabrication of large structures using out-of-autoclave prepreg materials will lead to a great amount of savings in manufacturing costs. In the out-of-autoclave processing method, the presence of voids inside the laminate has been an issue due to the lack of high pressure during manufacturing. This study aims primarily to observe the moisture absorption response of composite samples containing different levels of void. By changing the vacuum level inside the bag during the manufacturing process, three different unidirectional laminates at three levels of void have been manufactured. After immersing the samples in warm water at 60°C for about one year, the moisture absorption level was monitored and then diffusion coefficients were calculated using Fick's law. Results show that the moisture absorption coefficient changes by %8 within the experimental range of void contents. The mechanical behaviour of these laminates has been studied at four different moisture levels by performing dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and short beam shear tests. Empirical results indicate that, in general, interlaminar shear strength and glass transition temperature decrease by moisture build-up inside the samples. DiBenedetto equation is proposed to make a correlation between the moisture content and glass transition temperature.
Industry Directory | Consultant / Service Provider
Winslow Automation has been advancing lead finish and soldering technology for the military and aeropace, telecommunications, medical, and consumer electronics industry since its inception in 1986.
Industry Directory | Manufacturer
XYZTEC is the market and technology leader in bond testing worldwide. The Condor Sigma is the most advanced bond tester, providing leading customers with fully automated shear, push and pull testing.
Technical Library | 2020-08-05 18:49:32.0
The evolution of internet-enabled mobile devices has driven innovation in the manufacturing and design of technology capable of high-frequency electronic signal transfer. Among the primary factors affecting the integrity of high-frequency signals is the surface finish applied on PCB copper pads – a need commonly met through the electroless nickel immersion gold process, ENIG. However, there are well-documented limitations of ENIG due to the presence of nickel, the properties of which result in an overall reduced performance in high-frequency data transfer rate for ENIG-applied electronics, compared to bare copper. An innovation over traditional ENIG is a nickel-less approach involving a special nano-engineered barrier designed to coat copper contacts, finished with an outermost gold layer. In this paper, assemblies involving this nickel-less novel surface finish have been subjected to extended thermal exposure, then intermetallics analyses, contact/sheet resistance comparison after every reflow cycle (up to 6 reflow cycles) to assess the prevention of copper atoms diffusion into gold layer, solder ball pull and shear tests to evaluate the aging and long-term reliability of solder joints, and insertion loss testing to gauge whether this surface finish can be used for high-frequency, high density interconnect (HDI) applications.
Career Center | Milpitas, California USA | Clerical,Production,Quality Control,Research and Development,Technical Support
Winslow Automation, Inc. (aka Six Sigma), an industry leader in electronic component interconnect technology & related test and failure analysis services, is seeking a ‘hands on’ Materials Engineer to join our Test services team. This individual wi
