Technical Library | 2011-10-06 13:59:04.0
The desire to have more functionality into increasingly smaller size end products has been pushing the PCB and IC Packaging industry towards High Density Interconnect (HDI) and 3D Packaging (stacked dies, embedded packaged components). Many companies in the high-end consumer electronics market place have been embedding passive chip components on inner PCB and IC Packages for a few years now. However, embedding packaged components on inner layers has remained elusive for the broader market due to lack of proper design tools and high cost of embedding components on inner layers (...) This paper will highlight several key industrialization aspects addressed in the frame of the European funded FP7 HERMES* project to build a manufacturing environment for products with embedded components. The program entered its third year and is now dealing with the manufacturing of functional demonstrators as an introduction to industrialization.
Technical Library | 2013-05-16 15:52:00.0
In response to a growing concern within the Electronic Industry to the transition to Halogen-Free laminates (HFR-Free) within the Client Market space (Desktop and Notebook computers) iNEMI initiated a HFR-Free Leadership Workgroup to evaluate the readiness of the Industry to make this transition. The HFR-Free Leadership WG concluded that the electronic industry is ready for the transition and that the key electrical and thermo-mechanical properties of the new HFR-Free laminates can meet the required criteria. The HFR-Free Leadership WG verified that the laminate suppliers can meet the capacity demands for these new HFR-Free laminates and developed a "Test Suite Methodology" (TSM) that can facilitate the comparison and choice of the right laminate to replace brominated FR4 in the Client space... First published in the 2012 IPC APEX EXPO technical conference proceedings.
Technical Library | 2021-09-08 14:10:12.0
The Pb-Free Alloy Characterization Program sponsored by International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI) is conducting an extensive investigation using accelerated temperature cycling (ATC) to evaluate ball grid array (BGA) thermal fatigue performance of 12 commercial or developmental Sn based Pb-free solder alloys. This paper presents the initial findings from a specific subset of the temperature cycling test matrix. The focus is on comparing alloy performance for two of the most commonly specified temperature cycles, 0 to 100 °C and -40 to 125 °C.
Technical Library | 2022-08-08 15:06:06.0
Selective soldering has evolved to become a standard production process within the electronics assembly industry, and now accommodates a wide variety of through-hole component formats in numerous applications. Most through-hole components can be easily soldered with the selective soldering process without difficulty however some types of challenging components require additional attention to ensure that optimum quality is maintained. Several high thermal mass components can place demands on the selective soldering process, while the use of specialized solder fixtures, or solder pallets, often places additional thermal demand on the preheating process. Fine-pitch through-hole components and connectors place a different set of demands on the selective soldering process and typically require special attention to lead projection and traverse speed to minimize bridging between adjacent pins. Dual in-line memory module (DIMM) connectors, compact peripheral component interface (cPCI) connectors, coax connectors and other high thermal mass components as well as fine-pitch microconnectors, can present challenges when soldered into backplanes or multilayer printed circuit board assemblies. Adding to this challenge, compact peripheral component interface connectors can present additional solderability issues because of their beryllium copper base metal pins. Key Terms: Selective soldering, drop-jet fluxing, sustained preheating, flux migration, adjacent clearance, lead-to-hole aspect ratio, lead projection, thermal reliefs, gold embrittlement, solderability testing.
Technical Library | 2021-07-28 18:35:13.0
The performance of electronic components is compromised by factors such as bubbles in the potting medium. Increasing numbers of applications – particularly in the automotive and electronics industries – therefore require completely bubble-free dispensing methods. This is where potting in a vacuum comes into focus. The widespread school of thought about this technology is that it is too complicated, too expensive and too slow. But a closer look shows that this view is incorrect. This is a mastered technology. As for costs, the calculation basis is key, since usually the potting and vacuum method is only considered after the required potting quality cannot be achieved reliably any other way. Under total cost of ownership assessments, higher system costs no longer play a key role, since component failure would result in much higher subsequent costs. And now there are proven solutions for high production volumes and/or shorter cycle times. This whitepaper explains when potting in a vacuum is ideal for your projects and what to be aware of.
Technical Library | 2015-07-01 16:51:43.0
Aerospace and military companies continue to exercise RoHS exemptions and to intensively research the long term attachment reliability of RoHS compliant solders. Their products require higher vibration, drop/shock performance, and combined-environment reliability than the conventional SAC305 alloy provides. The NASA-DoD Lead-Free Electronics Project confirmed that pad cratering is one of the dominant failure modes that occur in various board level reliability tests, especially under dynamic loading. One possible route to improvement of the mechanical and thermo-mechanical properties of solder joints is the use of Pb-free solders with lower process temperatures. Lower temperatures help reduce the possibility of damaging the boards and components, and also may allow for the use of lower Tg board materials which are less prone to pad cratering defects. There are several Sn-Ag-Bi and Sn-Ag-Cu-Bi alloys which melt about 10°C lower than SAC305. The bismuth in these solder compositions not only reduces the melting temperature, but also improves thermo-mechanical behavior. An additional benefit of using Bi-containing solder alloys is the possibility to reduce the propensity to whisker growth
Technical Library | 2018-01-04 11:05:34.0
Traceability has grown from being a specialized need for certain safety critical segments of the industry, to now being a recognized value-add tool for the industry as a whole. The perception of traceability data collection however persists as being a burden that may provide value only when the most rare and disastrous of events take place. Disparate standards have evolved in the industry, mainly dictated by large OEM companies in the market create confusion, as a multitude of requirements and definitions proliferate. The intent of the IPC-1782 project is to bring the whole principle and perception of traceability up to date. Traceability, as defined in this standard will represent the most effective quality tool available, becoming an intrinsic part of best practice operations, with the encouragement of automated data collection from existing manufacturing systems, integrating quality, reliability, predictive (routine, preventative, and corrective) maintenance, throughput, manufacturing, engineering and supply-chain data, reducing cost of ownership as well as ensuring timeliness and accuracy all the way from a finished product back through to the initial materials and granular attributes about the processes along the way.
Technical Library | 2018-03-28 14:54:36.0
Six decades of legacy experience makes the specification and production of screens and masks to produce repeatable precision results mostly an exercise in matching engineering needs with known ink and substrate performance to specify screen and stencil characteristics. New types of functional and electronic devices, flex circuits and medical sensors, industrial printing, ever finer circuit pitch, downstream additive manufacturing processes coupled with new substrates and inks that are not optimized for the rheological, mechanical and chemical characteristics for the screen printing process are becoming a customer driven norm. Many of these materials do not work within legacy screen making, curing or press set-up parameters. Many new materials and end uses require new screen specifications.This case study presents a DOE based method to pre-test new materials to categorize ink and substrate rheology, compatibility and printed feature requirement to allow more accurate screen recipes and on-press setting expectations before the project enters the production environment where time and materials are most costly and on-press adjustment methods may be constrained by locked, documented or regulatory processes, equipment limitations and employee experience.
Technical Library | 2019-08-14 22:20:55.0
Cleanliness is a product of design, including component density, standoff height and the cleaning equipment’s ability to deliver the cleaning agent to the source of residue. The presence of manufacturing process soil, such as flux residue, incompletely activated flux, incompletely cured solder masks, debris from handling and processing fixtures, and incomplete removal of cleaning fluids can hinder the functional lifetime of the product. Contaminates trapped under a component are more problematic to failure. Advanced test methods are needed to obtain "objective evidence" for removing flux residues under leadless components.Cleaning process performance is a function of cleaning capacity and defined cleanliness. Cleaning performance can be influenced by the PCB design, cleaning material, cleaning machine, reflow conditions and a wide range of process parameters.This research project is designed to study visual flux residues trapped under the bottom termination of leadless components. This paper will research a non-destructive visual method that can be used to study the cleanability of solder pastes, cleaning material effectiveness for the soil, cleaning machine effectiveness and process parameters needed to render a clean part.
Technical Library | 2019-10-17 08:44:01.0
There has been an increase in sealing and encapsulation applications mainly in the field of autonomous driving. Safety and assistance systems already make driving safer and more comfortable today. With increasing progress even more electronic systems will be added. The smooth functioning of computers, sensors, cameras, etc. - and thus our safety as road users - also depends on optimally applied potting media. These can be applied economically, quickly and with high quality in individual applications and are now mastered. With the changing mobility concepts, however, the prerequisites in manufacturing are changing. The requirements are often not fixed at the outset, but only develop during the course of the project. The aim here is to generate a flexible standard that enables attractive pricing and short delivery times. However, we are prepared for these developments: with our modular system consisting of scalable system modules. From this, individual processes can be taken and combined according to requirements. Our new LiquiPrep systems have recently become part of this modular system. They represent a further development of the proven A310 product family and enable reliable processing and conveying of self-levelling media. In addition to a significantly more intuitive operation, the LiquiPrep systems also offer higher performance thanks to a new, patented membrane pump and an optimized agitator. Image: Optimally applied sealants and casting materials form the basis for high quality and smooth functioning of the components.
