Electronics Manufacturing Technical Articles

Air-Vac Engineering Co., Inc.

Advanced Rework Technology and Processes for Next Generation Large Area Arrays, 01005, PoP and QFN Devices.

Jan 16, 2014 | Brian Czaplicki, Director, Technical Marketing Programs, Air Vac Engineering Co., Inc.

BGA Rework is now largely mature, although new supplemental processes that provide improved process control such as Solder Paste Dipping and Non-Contact Site Cleaning can now be integrated into existing processes if the rework technology that is used allows. So what are the next set of challenges that will need to be addressed in regard to Area Array and SMT Rework? The International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative or iNEMI has recently published its 2013 Technology Roadmap for the global electronics industry which includes a section dedicated specifically to rework and repair. Of particular interest and importance is iNEMI’s gap analysis which identifies future specific gaps and challenges that will result from such factors as government regulations, disruptive technologies and new product requirements....

Publisher: Air-Vac Engineering Co., Inc.

Air-Vac is committed to producing the highest quality rework/repair, selective soldering/desoldering and assembly systems designed with the capability and flexibility required to meet changing customer and industry requirements.

Seymour, Connecticut, USA

Embedded Passive Technology

Jan 09, 2014 | Hikmat Chammas

Embedded Passive Technology is a viable technology that has been reliably used in the defense and aerospace industry for over 20 years. Embedded Passive (Resistors and Capacitors) Technology have a great potential for high frequency and high density applications. It also provides better signal performance, reduced parasitic and cross talk. This paper summarizes the selection of resistor embedded materials, evaluations of resistive material (Phase 1) and duplication of a complex digital design (Phase 2). Phase 1 –resistive materials (Foil 25Ω/sq NiCr and 1kΩ/sq CrSiO) and resistive-Ply materials (25Ω/sq and 250Ω/sq NiP) were chosen for evaluation....

Publisher: Honeywell International

Honeywell International

Honeywell is a Fortune 100 company that invents and manufactures technologies to address tough challenges linked to global macrotrends such as safety, security, and energy.

Morristown, New Jersey, USA

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Thermal Shock and Drop Test Performance of Lead-free Assemblies with No-Underfill and Corner-Underfill

Jan 02, 2014 | Bankeem Chheda and S. Manian Ramkumar, Ph.D.; Rochester Institute of Technology-CEMA, Reza Ghaffarian; Ph.D. Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

With ROHS compliance the transition to lead-free is inevitable. Several lead-free alloys are available in the market and its reliability has been the main concern. The results from this experimental research aims at making a comparison of different lead-free alloy combinations. Thermal shock and drop tests are a part of this experimental study....

Publisher: Jet Propulsion Laboratory

The JPL is the lead U.S. center for robotic exploration of the solar system, and conducts major programs in space-based Earth sciences and astronomy.

Pasadena, California, USA

Standards Setting / Certification, Training Provider

Addressing the Challenge of Head-In-Pillow Defects in Electronics Assembly

Dec 27, 2013 | Mario Scalzo Senior Technical Support Engineer CSMTPE, Six-Sigma Black Belt

The head-in-pillow defect has become a relatively common failure mode in the industry since the implementation of Pb-free technologies, generating much concern. A head-in-pillow defect is the incomplete wetting of the entire solder joint of a Ball-Grid Array (BGA), Chip-Scale Package (CSP), or even a Package-On-Package (PoP) and is characterized as a process anomaly, where the solder paste and BGA ball both reflow but do not coalesce. When looking at a cross-section, it actually looks like a head has pressed into a soft pillow. There are two main sources of head-in-pillow defects: poor wetting and PWB or package warpage. Poor wetting can result from a variety of sources, such as solder ball oxidation, an inappropriate thermal reflow profile or poor fluxing action. This paper addresses the three sources or contributing issues (supply, process & material) of the head-in-pillow defects. It will thoroughly review these three issues and how they relate to result in head-in pillow defects. In addition, a head-in-pillow elimination plan will be presented with real life examples will be to illustrate these head-in-pillow solutions....

Publisher: Indium Corporation

Indium Corporation

Solder pastes, solder preforms, solder spheres, soldering fluxes, electrically-conductive adhesives. All alloys: tin-lead, lead-free, indium alloys, and more.

Utica, New York, USA

Mixed Metals Impact on Reliability

Dec 19, 2013 | Rick Gunn, Vice President of Engineering / Chief Technology Officer, Nextek Incorporated.

With the adoption of RoHS and implementation of Lead Free solders a major concern is how this will impact reliability. Both commercial and military hardware are impacted by this change even though military hardware is considered exempt from the requirements of RoHS. As the supply chain has moved to the new lead free alloys both markets are being forced to understand these impacts and form risk mitigation strategies to deal with the change. This paper documents the effect of mixing Leaded and Lead Free alloys on BGA devices and how this impacts reliability. Three of the most common pitch BGA packages are included in the study to determine if the risk is the same as pitches decrease...

Publisher: Nextek

Nextek

NexTek is an excellence-oriented engineering company that provides best-in-class lightning protection, and EMC / power conditioning products and services.

Westford, Massachusetts, USA

DfR Solutions (acquired by ANSYS Inc)

Using Physics of Failure to Predict System Level Reliability for Avionic Electronics

Dec 11, 2013 | Greg Caswell, Sr. Member of the Technical Staff, DfR Solutions

Today's analyses of electronics reliability at the system level typically use a "black box approach", with relatively poor understanding of the behaviors and performances of such "black boxes" and how they physically and electrically interact (...) The incorporation of more rigorous and more informative approaches and techniques needs to better understand (...) Understanding the Physics of Failure (PoF) is imperative. It is a formalized and structured approach to Failure Analysis/Forensics Engineering that focuses on total learning and not only fixing a particular current problem (...) In this paper we will present an explanation of various physical models that could be deployed through this method, namely, wire bond failures; thermo-mechanical fatigue; and vibration....

Publisher: DfR Solutions (acquired by ANSYS Inc)

DfR Solutions has world-renowned expertise in applying the science of Reliability Physics to electrical and electronics technologies, and is a leading provider of quality, reliability, and durability (QRD) research and consulting

College Park,

Starkey Hearing Technologies

Impact of FPC Fabrication Process on SMT Reliability

Dec 05, 2013 | Susie Krzmarzick, John Dzarnoski, Yangjun Xing.

The functionality of electronic devices continues to increase at an extraordinary rate. Simultaneously consumers are expecting even more and in ever smaller packages. One enabler for shrinking electronics has been the flexible circuit board that allows the circuit board to fit a wide variety of shapes. Flexible printed circuits (FPC) have the capability to be very thin and can have unpackaged components directly attached using surface mount technology (SMT) and flip chip on flex technologies. Bare die can also be thinned and attached very close to the circuit board. However one caveat of high density flexible circuit boards with thin die is that they can be very fragile. The use of back side films and underfill can protect the die making circuits more robust. For underfill to work well it requires good adhesion to the circuit board which can mean that flux residues under the die normally must be removed prior to underfilling. ...

Publisher: Starkey Hearing Technologies

Starkey Hearing Technologies is a world leader in the design, development and distribution of comprehensive hearing solutions.

Eden Prairie, Minnesota, USA

Improving Density in Microwave Multilayer Printed Circuit Boards for Space Applications

Nov 27, 2013 | Olivier Vendier, Jean-Louis Cazaux, Jean-Luc Lortal; Thales Alenia Space.

The need in complexity for microwave space products such as active BFNs (Beam Forming Networks) is increasing, with a significantly growing number of amplitude / phase control points (number of beams * numbers of radiating elements). As a consequence, the RF component’s package topology is evolving (larger number of I/Os, interconnections densification ...) which directly affect the routing and architecture of the multilayer boards they are mounted on. It then becomes necessary to improve the density of these boards (...) This paper will present the work performed to achieve LCP-based high density multilayer structures, describing the different electrical and technological breadboards manufactured and tested and presenting the results obtained....

Publisher: THALES

THALES

A French multinational company acting in areas such as defense, aerospace, airlines security and safety, information technology, and transportation.

Neuilly-sur-Seine, France

Shea Engineering Services

Fine Tuning The Stencil Manufacturing Process and Other Stencil Printing Experiments

Nov 21, 2013 | Chrys Shea, Shea Engineering Services; Ray Whittier, Vicor Corporation

Previous experimentation on a highly miniaturized and densely populated SMT assembly revealed the optimum stencil alloy and flux-repellent coating for its stencil printing process. Production implementation of the materials that were identified in the study resulted in approximately 5% print yield improvement across all assemblies throughout the operation, validating the results of the initial tests. A new set of studies was launched to focus on the materials themselves, with the purpose of optimizing their performance on the assembly line (...) Results of the prior tests are reviewed, and the new test vehicle, experimental setup and results are presented and discussed....

Publisher: Shea Engineering Services

We work with electronics industry suppliers to provide top quality technical documentation for their products. Services include: ghost writing, presentation creation and training program development.

Burlington, New Jersey, USA

ASYMTEK Products | Nordson Electronics Solutions

Making Sense of Accuracy, Repeatability and Specification for Automated Fluid Dispensing Systems

Nov 14, 2013 | Nordson Asymtek

Understanding accuracy and repeatability is an important step to analyze fluid dispensing system performance. They can also be prone to misinterpretation when reviewing a product specification. A dispensing motion system can be made to perform better or worse under different operating conditions. This article will explain accuracy and repeatability, and how they can be applied to different specifications. It will also discuss key considerations when interpreting accuracy and repeatability for decision making....

Publisher: ASYMTEK Products | Nordson Electronics Solutions

A leader in automated fluid dispensing, jetting, and conformal coating. Products include stand-alone dispensing workstations and fully automated, in-line conveyorized systems with advanced process controls.

Carlsbad, California, USA

American Progressive Circuits,Inc,

Keeping Pace With Constantly Changing Electronics World.

Nov 07, 2013 | Jorge Maornla.

Today’s customers are more enlightened and aware demanding quality and compact electronics products at competitive prices. Today when a single word spreads out so quickly, no company can afford to put their reputation at stake by manufacturing substandard products....

Publisher: American Progressive Circuits,Inc,

APC is a leading electronics company which committed to provide streamlined PCB manufacturing & Design Services.

ADDISON, Illinois, USA

Setting Up a Conformal Coating Facility

Nov 06, 2013 | Dr Lee Hitchens

The set up of a turnkey conformal coating production line or facility, whether it is a batch or inline process, has many similar characteristics. Whether the coating application is based around a high volume selective coating robot, a batch dip coating system or a spray booth, the process requirements tend to be the same. This bulletin reviews the potential needs of the facility, including the process controls, environmental needs and health and safety issues and provides some starting points for a new facility....

Publisher: SCH Technologies

Consultant / Service Provider, Distributor, Manufacturer, Manufacturer's Representative

SCH Technologies offers a range of conformal coating solutions including global subcontract conformal coating and parylene services, equipment & systems,conformal coatings, consultancy & training.

Barnsley, United Kingdom

High Performance Multilayer PCBs Design and Manufacturability

Oct 31, 2013 | Judy Warner, Chris Savalia; Transline Technology, Michael Ingham; Spectrum Integrity

Multilayer printed circuit boards (PCBs) that utilize high performance materials are inherently far more challenging for a fabricator to build, due to significant material property differences over standard epoxy glass FR4. These unique material characteristics often require higher processing temperatures, special surface treatments (to aid in hole and surface plating), they possess different expansion properties, making layer-to-layer registration more difficult to control, and require many other unique considerations....

Publisher: Spectrum Integrity, Inc.

Spectrum Integrity, Inc.

Spectrum Integrity is a full service Engineering Design Service Firm. We are a Solution Provider for companies requiring outstanding hardware designs for advanced RF, High-Speed, and Semiconductor Test applications.

Simi Valley, California, USA

Consultant / Service Provider, Manufacturer

Why companies prefer to outsource designing of PCBs?

Oct 30, 2013 | Jorge Maornla

While putting the product in the final market and on store shelves, it is not wise to go for the first idea. Especially in the electronics industry, there is always a scope of improving a product and making it better, more precise and functional....

Publisher: American Progressive Circuits,Inc,

American Progressive Circuits,Inc,

APC is a leading electronics company which committed to provide streamlined PCB manufacturing & Design Services.

ADDISON, Illinois, USA

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Effect of Reflow Profile on Intermetallic Compound Formation

Oct 24, 2013 | I. Siti Rabiatull Aisha, A. Ourdjini, M. A. Azmah Hanim, O. Saliza

Reflow soldering in a nitrogen atmosphere is a common process consideration in surface mount technology assembly. This is because the use of nitrogen in reflow equipment may benefit the process as well as the quality of the end product, where it can increase the reliability of the solder joint. (...) The present study investigated thoroughly the effect of different reflow soldering atmosphere, which is air and nitrogen on IMC formation and growth...

Publisher: Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

The FKE was established in late 1974. Since 1st June 1995, the faculty commences operation at the main campus of the University in Skudai, Johor until today.

Johor, Malaysia

Successful Conformal Coating Masking

Oct 22, 2013 | Dr Lee Hitchens

In conformal coating many components and printed circuit board locations must remain uncoated due to the insulating nature of the coating. The purpose of the conformal coating masking materials is to prevent migration of the conformal coatings into components that need to clear and designated keep out areas. This applies to both liquid conformal coating and Parylene processing. Get this basic process wrong and it can be a big problem, leading to the next stage of either repairing the conformal coating leak, stripping the conformal coating off the circuit board, removing a component to replace it or scrapping the board. This paper reviews typical masking application methods in conformal coating and provides advice on minimising problems. ...

Publisher: SCH Technologies

Consultant / Service Provider, Distributor, Manufacturer, Manufacturer's Representative

SCH Technologies offers a range of conformal coating solutions including global subcontract conformal coating and parylene services, equipment & systems,conformal coatings, consultancy & training.

Barnsley, United Kingdom

Looking Forward - The Benefits of Networking your Wire Processing Equipment

Oct 21, 2013 | Pete Doyon, VP Product Management

Having been in the wire processing business for 30 years, I have seen a lot of changes and improvements made possible, primarily by advances in electronics and software. Looking ahead, I see continued improvements in efficiency through networking technology. ...

Publisher: Schleuniger, Inc.

Schleuniger, Inc.

Schleuniger, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of wire processing equipment. Our innovative automatic and semi-automatic machines are designed to cut, strip, crimp and mark all types of wire and cable.

Manchester, New Hampshire, USA

National Pingtung University of Science & Technology

Corrosion Resistance of Pb-Free and Novel Nano-Composite Solders in Electronic Packaging

Oct 17, 2013 | L.C. Tsao

Although several commercial and experimental Pb-free solder alloys are available as replacements for Sn-Pb solders, the following families of solders are of particular interest and are the prevailing choices of industry: eutectic Sn-Ag, eutectic Sn-Cu, eutectic Sn-Zn, eutectic Bi-Sn, and Sn–In. Since the properties of the binary Pb-free solders cannot fully meet the requirements for applications in electronic packaging, additional alloying elements are added to improve the performance of these alloys. Thus, ternary and even quaternary Pb-free solders have been developed, such as Sn-Ag-Cu, Sn-Ag-Bi, and Sn-Zn-Bi solder......

Publisher: National Pingtung University of Science & Technology

We recruit the people who talent with materials engineering in all region of the world.

Neipu, Pingtung, Taiwan

Conformal Coating Thickness Measurement

Oct 13, 2013 | Dr Lee Hitchens

The measurement of the conformal coating thickness on a printed circuit board (PCB) to ensure internal and international standards are met is now a critical factor in conformal coating process control. There are several methods for measurement of conformal coating thickness and they fall into two categories. These categories are wet film measurements applied during coating application and dry film measurements made after the coating is dried enough not to damage the coating....

Publisher: SCH Technologies

Consultant / Service Provider, Distributor, Manufacturer, Manufacturer's Representative

SCH Technologies offers a range of conformal coating solutions including global subcontract conformal coating and parylene services, equipment & systems,conformal coatings, consultancy & training.

Barnsley, United Kingdom

Designing Circuit Boards for Selective Robotic Coating Application

Oct 13, 2013 | Dr Lee Hitchens

Designing circuit boards for selective robotic spraying of conformal coating can be straightforward if you follow some design rules. Follow them and you can save money and time in your application process. However, if the rules are not followed, the resultant circuit board design can challenge even the most sophisticated conformal coating system and its operator to achieve the finish desired. ...

Publisher: SCH Technologies

Consultant / Service Provider, Distributor, Manufacturer, Manufacturer's Representative

SCH Technologies offers a range of conformal coating solutions including global subcontract conformal coating and parylene services, equipment & systems,conformal coatings, consultancy & training.

Barnsley, United Kingdom

Choosing the Right Valve for a Selective Robotic Conformal Coating Application Process

Oct 13, 2013 | Dr Lee Hitchens

When investigating the option of a selective conformal coating process it is crucial to consider the right robotic system and valve combination for the material and circuit board that you wish to coat. To fail to do this can lead to difficult process problems in the production line. This article reviews the various valves available and how they can be used with the typical conformal coating materials in the market and highlights some of the key considerations....

Publisher: SCH Technologies

Consultant / Service Provider, Distributor, Manufacturer, Manufacturer's Representative

SCH Technologies offers a range of conformal coating solutions including global subcontract conformal coating and parylene services, equipment & systems,conformal coatings, consultancy & training.

Barnsley, United Kingdom

The Importance of Viscosity in Conformal Coating Process Control

Oct 13, 2013 | Dr Lee Hitchens

There are numerous factors which directly affect the conformal coating process to greater or lesser degrees. Those which have major impacts irrespective of the substrate / PCB and assemblies include choice of coating material and method of application. Whether conformal coating boards by dip, robot, batch spray or brush methods the viscosity of the coating is a critical factor in the overall process control....

Publisher: SCH Technologies

Consultant / Service Provider, Distributor, Manufacturer, Manufacturer's Representative

SCH Technologies offers a range of conformal coating solutions including global subcontract conformal coating and parylene services, equipment & systems,conformal coatings, consultancy & training.

Barnsley, United Kingdom

Printed Circuit Board Technology Inspired Stretchable Circuits

Oct 10, 2013 | J. Vanfl eteren , M. Gonzalez , F. Bossuyt , Y.-Y. Hsu , T. Vervust , I. De Wolf , and M. Jablonski

In the past 15 years, stretchable electronic circuits have emerged as a new technology in the domain of assembly, interconnections, and sensor circuit technologies. In the meantime, a wide variety of processes using many different materials have been explored in this new field. In the current contribution, we present an approach inspired by conventional rigid and flexible printed circuit board (PCB) technology....

Publisher: Centre for Microsystems Technology - Ghent University

Centre for Microsystems Technology - Ghent University

The CMST focuses on smart microsystems integration.

Gent-Zwijnaarde, Belgium

Indian Institute of Technology ( Banaras Hindu University )

Pyrolysis of Printed Circuit Boards

Oct 03, 2013 | T. R. Mankhand, K. K. Singh, Sumit Kumar Gupta, Somnath Das

Printed Circuit Board (PCB) is an essential component of almost all electrical and electronic equipments. The rapid growth of the use of such equipments has contributed enormously to the generation of large quantity of waste PCBs. The WPCBs not only contain valuable metals but also a large variety of hazardous materials. Conventional treatments of such WPCBs have their own limitations. By pyrolysis of WPCBs, it is not only possible to obtain the organic part of it as a fuel or useful chemical but can make further processing to recover metals much easier and efficient. In the present work, a kinetic study on the low temperature pyrolysis of WPCBs using a thermogravimetric analyser has been attempted......

Publisher: Indian Institute of Technology ( Banaras Hindu University )

A public engineering institution founded in 1919 as part of the Banaras Hindu University. It was designated an Indian Institute of Technology in 2012. IIT (BHU) has 13 departments and three inter-dis

Varanasi, India

ASYMTEK Products | Nordson Electronics Solutions

Conformal Coating Process Characterization Considerations

Sep 25, 2013 | Brad Perkins, Nordson ASYMTEK

Conformal coating is an enabling process that allows for the ruggedizing of electronic devices and modules. As the process increases the durability of electronics that are subjected to various end-use environmental conditions, it adds value to the product. While it does add value, consumers and manufacturers expect the electronics to work when subjected to dirt, humidity, moisture, corrosive materials, and various other contaminants. This expectation results in a drive to minimize the cost of the process. The lowest cost of ownership for a conformal coating process occurs by utilizing automated selective conformal coating equipment....

Publisher: ASYMTEK Products | Nordson Electronics Solutions

Carlsbad, California, USA

First Article – First Time

Sep 22, 2013 | Alexei Shkolnik

The PCB-assembly industry in constantly changing. Smaller footprints, new types of components and larger and more complex designs are accompanied by constant competitive pressures. As a result, electronics manufacturers need to continuously adapt their processes and make sure they exploit every opportunity for efficiency gains. This is the only way to improve quality and time to market and to increase profitability....

Publisher: Proventus Technologies

Proventus Technologies

Proventus has proven experience in creating software tools for the Electronic and Mechanic Manufacturing Industry in Israel and Canada.

Petah-Tikva, Israel

Reliability Performance of Very Thin Printed Circuit Boards with regard to Different any Layer Manufacturing Technologies.

Sep 19, 2013 | Gerhard Schmid, Martin Fischeneder, Gerhard Stoiber

The next generation of smart phones will demand very thin multi-layer boards to reduce the product thickness again. This paper shows three different manufacturing approaches, which can be used for very thin any-layer build-ups. The technological approaches are compared on reliability level – the any-layer copper filled micro-via technology which is to be considered as state of the art technology for high end phones and the ALIVH-C/G technology that is well established in Japan. A test vehicle design featuring test coupons for comprehensive reliability test series has been defined as target application for investigation......

Publisher: AT&S

AT&S

AT&S is currently Europe’s largest printed circuit board manufacturer and one of the market leaders in high-end printed circuit board technology.

Leoben, Austria

Cincinnati Sub-Zero Products, Inc.

Improving Product Reliability through HALT and HASS Testing

Sep 09, 2013 | Mark R. Chrusciel, Cincinnati Sub Zero

HALT & HASS technology uses a combination of accelerated stresses to expose product flaws early in the design and manufacturing stages, which improves product reliability and customer confidence. HALT & HASS is used to uncover many of the weak links inherent to the design and fabrication process of a new product as well as during the production phase to find manufacturing defects that could cause product failures in the field....

Publisher: Cincinnati Sub-Zero Products, Inc.

Cincinnati Sub-Zero (CSZ) offers a full range of standard and custom-designed Environmental Chambers providing our customers with solutions to meet their most demanding environmental testing requirements.

Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Consultant / Service Provider, Other

Conformal Surface Plasmons Propagating on Ultrathin and Flexible Films

Sep 05, 2013 | Xiaopeng Shen,Tie Jun Cui,Diego Martin-Cano, Francisco J. Garcia-Vidal

Surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) are localized surface electromagnetic waves that propagate along the interface between a metal and a dielectric. Owing to their inherent subwavelength confinement, SPPs have a strong potential to become building blocks of a type of photonic circuitry built up on 2D metal surfaces; however, SPPs are difficult to control on curved surfaces conformably and flexibly to produce advanced functional devices. Here we propose the concept of conformal surface plasmons (CSPs), surface plasmon waves that can propagate on ultrathin and flexible films to long distances in a wide broadband range from microwave to mid-infrared frequencies....

Publisher: Southeast University (SEU)

Southeast University (SEU)

Southeast University is one of only 32 universities directly administered by the Chinese Department of Education, which are considered the top class universities in China.

Nanjing, China

Agilent Technologies, Inc.

Effect of Gold Content on the Microstructural Evolution of SAC305 Solder Joints Under Isothermal Aging

Aug 29, 2013 | Mike Powers, Jianbiao Pan, Julie Silk, Patrick Hyland

Au over Ni on Cu is a widely used printed circuit board (PCB) surface finish, under bump metallization (UBM), and component lead metallization. It is generally accepted that less than 3 wt.% Au in Sn-Pb solder joints inhibits formation of detrimental intermetallic compounds (IMC). However, the critical limit for Au content in Pb-free solder joints is not well established. Three surface-mount package platforms, one with a matte Sn surface finish and the others with Ni/Au finish, were soldered to Ni/Au-finished PCB using Sn-3.0Ag 0.5Cu (SAC305) solder, in a realistic manufacturing setting. The assembled boards were divided into three groups: one without any thermal treatment, one subjected to isothermal aging at 125°C for 30 days, and the third group aged at 125°C for 56 days... ...

Publisher: Agilent Technologies, Inc.

World's premier measurement company, providing the critical tools and technologies that sense, measure, and interpret the physical and biological world.

Loveland, Colorado, USA

The Institute of Electron Technology (ITE)

Whisker Growth In Tin Alloys On Glass-Epoxy Laminate Studied By Scanning ION Microscopy and Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy

Aug 22, 2013 | A. Czerwinski, A. Skwarek, M. Płuska, J. Ratajczak, K. Witek

Tin-rich solders are widely applied in the electronic industry in the majority of modern printed circuit boards (PCBs). Because the use of lead-tin solders has been banned in the European Union since 2006, the problem of the bridging of adjacent conductors due to tin whisker growth (limited before by the addition of Pb) has been reborn. In this study tin alloys soldered on glass-epoxy laminate (typically used for PCBs) are considered. Scanning ion microscopy with Focused Ion Beam (FIB) system and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS) were used to determine correlations between spatial non-uniformities of the glass-epoxy laminate, the distribution of intermetallic compounds and whisker growth....

Publisher: The Institute of Electron Technology (ITE)

A major Polish research centre with the primary focus on semiconductor micro- and nanotechnology.

Warsaw, Poland

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

A Printed Circuit Board Inspection System With Defect Classification Capability

Aug 15, 2013 | I. Ibrahim, S. Bakar, M. Mokji, J. Mukred, Z. Yusof, Z. Ibrahim, K. Khalil, M. Mohamad

An automated visual PCB inspection is an approach used to counter difficulties occurred in human’s manual inspection that can eliminates subjective aspects and then provides fast, quantitative, and dimensional assessments. In this study, referential approach has been implemented on template and defective PCB images to detect numerous defects on bare PCBs before etching process, since etching usually contributes most destructive defects found on PCBs. The PCB inspection system is then improved by incorporating a geometrical image registration, minimum thresholding technique and median filtering in order to solve alignment and uneven illumination problem. Finally, defect classification operation is employed in order to identify the source for six types of defects namely, missing hole, pin hole, underetch, short-circuit, mousebite, and open-circuit....

Publisher: Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

The FKE was established in late 1974. Since 1st June 1995, the faculty commences operation at the main campus of the University in Skudai, Johor until today.

Johor, Malaysia

Profiling for Successful BGA/CSP Rework

Aug 14, 2013 | Metcal

This paper discusses how to successfully profile a printed circuit board when reworking Ball Grid Array and Chip Scale Packages....

Publisher: Metcal

Metcal

Manufacturer of high-performance precision rework systems for the electronics bench. Product lines include: Hand Soldering and Desoldering, Convection Rework products, Fume Extraction and Fluid Dispensing tools.

Cypress, California, USA

Crimp Force Monitoring – The Recipe for Success

Aug 13, 2013 | Gustavo Garcia-Cota, Crimping Product Manager, Schleuniger, Inc.

One of the common issues I’ve noticed when visiting shops that use crimp force monitors (CFMs) is that the CFMs are usually turned off, regardless of the brand, because engineers and operators are not using them properly. Why, with all of their benefits, are CFMs not being used regularly by employees? One of the biggest problems is the lack of understanding of the variables affecting the CFM’s ability to detect variations. Crimp quality detection is similar to baking a cake. There are a lot of ingredients and if one ingredient is missing or of bad quality, you likely are not going to achieve your desired result. This article will go back through the basics of a crimp quality detection system and discuss what ingredients or variables you need to consider before switching off that CFM. ...

Publisher: Schleuniger, Inc.

Schleuniger, Inc.

Schleuniger, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of wire processing equipment. Our innovative automatic and semi-automatic machines are designed to cut, strip, crimp and mark all types of wire and cable.

Manchester, New Hampshire, USA

Al-Falah School of Engineering and Technology

Automatic PCB Defect Detection Using Image Substraction Method

Aug 08, 2013 | Sonal Kaushik, Javed Ashraf

In this project Machine Vision PCB Inspection System is applied at the first step of manufacturing, i.e., the making of bare PCB. We first compare a PCB standard image with a PCB image, using a simple subtraction algorithm that can highlight the main problem-regions. We have also seen the effect of noise in a PCB image that at what level this method is suitable to detect the faulty image. Our focus is to detect defects on printed circuit boards & to see the effect of noise. Typical defects that can be detected are over etchings (opens), under-etchings (shorts), holes etc......

Publisher: Al-Falah School of Engineering and Technology

AFSET, established in 1997, is endeavor of Al-Falah Charitable Trust in keeping with the approach for professional education training and guidance.

New Delhi, India

Consultant / Service Provider, Manufacturer

Return of Investment: AOI vs No-AOI

Aug 07, 2013 | Titus T. Suck, Orbotech SA

Inspection and test equipment is expensive, produces nothing and does not contribute to the company’s bottom line! Such may be the thinking of many. But as today’s electronic assemblies use more and ever smaller components that are impossible to inspect manually, and components that are impossible to test electrically, the main question is “What costs are manufacturers absorbing because they do not have an Automated Optical Inspection system?”...

Publisher:

Comparing Costs and ROI of AOI and AXI

Aug 07, 2013 | Peter Edelstein, Teradyne

PCB architectures have continued their steep trend toward greater complexities and higher component densities. For quality control managers and test technicians, the consequence is significant. Their ability to electrically test these products is compounded with each new generation. Probe access to high density boards loaded with micro BGAs using a conventional in-circuit (bed-of-nails) test system is greatly reduced. The challenges and complexity of creating a comprehensive functional test program have all but assured that functional test will not fill the widening gap. This explains why sales of automated-optical and automated X-ray inspection (AOI and AXI) equipment have dramatically risen......

Publisher: Teradyne

Teradyne

Teradyne is a leading supplier of Automatic Test Equipment used to test semiconductors, wireless products, data storage and complex electronic systems which serve consumer, communications, industrial and government customers.

North Reading, Massachusetts, USA

Essentials of SMT - Practical Know How

Aug 07, 2013 | Young Bong Kang

This is a practical technical book written by the author based on 24 years of experience. Almost all SMT books, due partially to a few SMT-related books, put weight on equipment, single process or part technology rather than deal with practical process. The book dealing with practical process know-how is rarely found and this is perhaps the first book in which overall SMT practical processes and standards are presented....

Publisher:

A Review of Corrosion and Environmental Effects on Electronics

Aug 01, 2013 | Rajan Ambat

Electronic industry uses a number of metallic materials in various forms. Also new materials and technology are introduced all the time for increased performance. In recent years, corrosion of electronic systems has been a significant issue. Multiplicity of materials used is one reason limiting the corrosion reliability. However, the reduced spacing between components on a printed circuit board (PCB) due to miniaturization of device is another factor that has made easy for interaction of components in corrosive environments. Presently the knowledge on corrosion issues of electronics is very limited. This paper reviews briefly the materials used in electronic systems, factors influencing corrosion, types of corrosion observed in electronics, and testing methods....

Publisher: Technical University of Denmark

Technical University of Denmark

The Technical University of Denmark has an overall mission of developing and creating value using the natural sciences and the technical sciences to benefit society.

Lyngby, Denmark

Flex (Flextronics International)

Using Automated 3D X-Ray Inspection to Detect BTC Defects

Jul 25, 2013 | Barbara Koczera, An Qi Zhao

Bottom-termination components (BTC), such as QFNs, are becoming more common in PCB assemblies. These components are characterized by hidden solder joints. How are defects on hidden DFN joints detected? Certainly, insufficient solder joints on BTCs cannot be detected by manual visual inspection. Nor can this type of defect be detected by automated optical inspection; the joint is hidden by the component body. Defects such as insufficients are often referred to as "marginal" defects because there is likely enough solder present to make contact between the termination on the bottom-side of the component and the board pad for the component to pass in-circuit and functional test. Should the board be subjected to shock or vibration, however, there is a good chance this solder connection will fracture, leading to an open connection....

Publisher: Flex (Flextronics International)

Flextronics is a global full-service supplier of a full spectrum of value-added Electronic Manufacturing Services.

Singapore, Singapore

Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts

Effect of Surface Oxide on the Melting Behavior of Lead-Free Solder Nanowires and Nanorods

Jul 18, 2013 | Fan Gao, Karunaharan Rajathurai, Qingzhou Cui, Guangwen Zhou, Irene NkengforAcha, Zhiyong Gu

Lead-free nanosolders have shown promise in nanowire and nanoelectronics assembly. Among various important parameters, melting is the most fundamental property affecting the assembly process. Here we report that the melting behavior of tin and tin/silver nanowires and nanorods can be significantly affected by the surface oxide of nanosolders....

Publisher: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts

The Chemical Engineering Department boasts an accomplished faculty, a diverse range of programs and degrees and well-established ties to industrial and research institutions.

Lowell, Massachusetts, USA

MARTIN (a Finetech company)

Effect of BGA Reballing and its Influence on Ball Shear Strength

Jul 11, 2013 | S. Manian Ramkumar Ph.D., Andrew J. Daya, Daniel B. Lewanda; Rochester Institute of Technology, Scott Rushia; MARTIN

This research paper will focus on the effect of various parameters that are used to reball a BGA and their effect on the overall shear strength. Factors that will be looked at include the type of BGA (SAC305 or 63Sn/37Pb), the alloy used to reball (SAC405 or 63Sn/37Pb), the type of flux used (Water Soluble or No Clean), and the environment in which reballing takes place (Nitrogen or Ambient)....

Publisher: MARTIN (a Finetech company)

Manufacturer of rework and reballing systems, hand soldering solutions, and micro-dispensing technologies

Manchester, New Hampshire, USA

Consultant / Service Provider, Manufacturer

PCB Guide Design

Jul 11, 2013 | Y. B. Kang

The basic is essential to understand any technology. In SMT, PCB design is an important factor as the technology is fully automated and all the work is performed by machine. Machine is a sensor and it works by sensing the data given to it, so the data should be accurate for quality product. In the attached topic the basics of SMT designing is explained. In the book “Essentials of SMT: Practical Know-How” all the basics of SMT manufacturing is explained in very simple and easy to understand language. ...

Publisher:

Performance of Kapton Stencils vs Stainless Steel Stencils for Prototype Printing Volumes Processes

Jul 03, 2013 | Bob Wettermann, Hung Hoang

It has been demonstrated in numerous pieces of work that stencil printing, one of the most complex PCB assembly processes, is one of the largest contributors to defects (Revelino et el). This complexity extends to prototype builds where a small number of boards need to be assembled quickly and reliably. Stencil printing is becoming increasingly challenging as packages shrink in size, increase in lead count and require closer lead spacing (finer pitch). Prototype SMT assembly can be further divided between industrial and commercial work and the DIYer, hobbyist or researcher groups. This second group is highly price sensitive when it comes to the materials used for the board assembly as their funds are sourced from personal or research monies as opposed to company funds. This has led to development of a lower cost SMT printing stencil made from plastic film as opposed to the more traditional stainless steel stencil used by industrial and commercial users.This study compares the performance of these two traditional materials and their respective impact on solder paste printing including efficiency and print quality....

Publisher: BEST Inc.

BEST Inc.

BEST offers professional rework, repair and prototype builds of PCBs. Our expertise is on BGA rework and QFN rework. Our experienced instructors teach professional soldering classes as we are an IPC certified training center

Rolling Meadows, Illinois, USA

Justifying AOI and Automated X-Ray

Jul 02, 2013 | Don Miller, YesTech Inc.

AOI and AXI systems can address multiple tasks in various locations of the manufacturing process and have become the leading technologies in the quest to identify defects and improve process yields....

Publisher: Nordson YESTECH

Nordson YESTECH

Nordson YESTECH is a leading global provider of automated optical inspection and high-resolution x-ray inspection systems.

Carlsbad, California, USA

Industry Council on ESD Target Levels

System Level ESD Part II: Implementation of Effective ESD Robust Designs

Jun 27, 2013 | Industry Council on ESD Target Levels

While IC level ESD design and the necessary protection levels are well understood, system ESD protection strategy and design efficiency have only been dealt with in an ad hoc manner. This is most obvious when we realize that a consolidated approach to system level ESD design between system manufacturers and chip suppliers has been rare. This White Paper discusses these issues in the open for the first time, and offers new and relevant insight for the development of efficient system level ESD design....

Publisher: Industry Council on ESD Target Levels

An independent body of ESD experts with the mission to review the ESD robustness requirements of modern IC products for allowing safe handling and mounting

Dallas, Texas, USA

Association / Non-Profit

Low Surface Energy Coatings Rewrites the Area Ratio Rules

Jun 20, 2013 | Ricky Bennett; Assembly Process Technologies, Eric Hanson; Aculon

With today's consumer technologies driving the need for denser and more compact devices, the assembly process for surface mounted devices has becoming increasingly more difficult. With the mixture of components requiring a broader range of print deposition volume, various techniques are in use in an attempt to ensure consistent and appropriate paste volume is achieved. Some of these techniques include step etching a stencil locally on a targeted device, promoting electroformed smooth wall nickel stencils, through to laser cutting newer grade stencil materials. This paper focuses on the relevant attributes that affect the properties of solder paste release and introduces the effects of surface free energy with respect to key elements that make up the stencil printing process....

Publisher: Assembly Process Technologies LLC

Assembly Process Technologies LLC

With over 20 years of experience in the electronic and semiconductor assembly design, we offer rapid prototypes for R&D or New Product Introduction.

Flemington, New Jersey, USA

Electronic Packaging Laboratory, State University of New York

Electromigration Damage Mechanics of Lead-Free Solder Joints Under Pulsed DC: A Computational Model

Jun 13, 2013 | Wei Yao, Cemal Basaran

Electromigration (EM) is a mass transportation mechanism driven by electron wind force, thermal gradient, chemical potential and stress gradient. According to Moore’s law, number of transistors on integrated circuits (ICs) doubles approximately every 2 years. Moore’s law holds true since its introduction in 1970s. This insatiable demand for smaller ICs size, larger integration and higher Input/Output (IO) count of microelectronics has made ball grid array (BGA) the most promising connection type in electronic packaging industry. This trend, however, renders EM reliability of solders joints a major bottleneck to hinder further development of electronics industry......

Publisher: Electronic Packaging Laboratory, State University of New York

The purpose of this laboratory is to develop the computational and experimental tools needed to develop the next generation of nanoelectronics and nanophotonics devices.

Buffalo, New York, USA

Best Practices Reflow Profiling for Lead-Free SMT Assembly

Jun 05, 2013 | Ed Briggs and Ronald C. Lasky, Ph.D., PE.

The combination of higher lead-free process temperatures, smaller print deposits, and temperature restraints on electrical components has created difficult challenges in optimizing the reflow process. Not only are the electronic components and the PWB at risk, but the ability to achieve a robust solder joint becomes difficult, especially if the PCB is thermally massive. In addition, the constant miniaturization of electronic components, hence smaller solder paste deposits, may require the use of smaller particle-sized powders (...) This paper is a summary of best practices in optimizing the reflow process to meet these challenges of higher reflow temperatures, smaller print deposits, decreased powder particle size, and their affect on the reflow process....

Publisher: Indium Corporation

Indium Corporation

Solder pastes, solder preforms, solder spheres, soldering fluxes, electrically-conductive adhesives. All alloys: tin-lead, lead-free, indium alloys, and more.

Utica, New York, USA