Electronics Manufacturing Technical Articles

Manufacturer of Bare PCBs, Manufacturer of Assembled PCBs, Assembly, Component Packaging, Contract Manufacturer

A world leader in high-performance PCB fabrication & assembly, semiconductor packaging, systems integration & test, advanced laboratory services and contract R&D.

Endicott, New York, USA

Enterprise-wide Supplier Quality Management: The Big Payoff for Global SPC

Jun 04, 2008 | Zontec Inc.

The convergence of a wide range of global influences is having a profound effect on current-day quality in manufacturing. Today's operational strategies must take into account business cycles, risk-based management, logistics, workflows, outsourcing, regulatory issues, product development, corporate mergers and acquisitions. In this ever-changing economy it is imperative that companies compete more effectively on two fronts: by reducing costs and emphasizing quality....

Publisher: Zontec, Inc.

Zontec, Inc.

SPC software manufacturer. Our software includes such extras as defect tracking, traceability, trend and root cause analysis, overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), rolled throughput yield (RTY), equipment uptime/downtime and supplier quality management in a true real-time production-based system.

Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Software Manufacturer

Solder Paste Inspection Technologies: 2D-3D Correlation

May 28, 2008 | Rita Mohanty, Vatsal Shah; Speedline Technologies, Paul Haugen, Laura Holte; Cyber Optics Corp.

This paper describes correlation between a true 2D area measurement (e.g. printer) and a height map generated area from a SPI system. In addition, this paper will explore the correlation between area/volume measurements and bridge detection between 2D/3D techniques. The ultimate goal is to arm the process engineers with information that can be used to make decision that will impact defects, cost, throughput and Return On Investment....

Manufacturer of Assembly Equipment, Adhesives/Dispensing, Cleaning, Screen Printing, Soldering

Speedline Technologies serves the electronics assembly and semiconductor packaging industries with class-leading equipment, responsive support and unparalleled process knowledge.

Franklin, Massachusetts, USA

Flux Collection and Self-Clean Technique in Reflow Applications

May 14, 2008 | Speedline Technologies, Inc.

This paper will review some basic past and present flux chemistries that affect flux collection methodology. It will also review some of the most common flux collection methods, self-cleaning techniques, and maintenance goals. And, finally, data will be presented from high volume production testing of an advanced flux management system....

Manufacturer of Assembly Equipment, Adhesives/Dispensing, Cleaning, Screen Printing, Soldering

Speedline Technologies serves the electronics assembly and semiconductor packaging industries with class-leading equipment, responsive support and unparalleled process knowledge.

Franklin, Massachusetts, USA

Printed Circuit Board Tracking with RFID: Speed, Efficiency and Productivity Made Simple.

May 07, 2008 | Chris Cook, Hank Tomarelli.

Tracking goods through manufacturing was originally accomplished with pencil, paper and human input. Barcodes introduced an automated, machine-readable tracking mechanism that streamlined all types of manufacturing. But modern printed circuit board (PCB) assemblies are running into limitations because of barcode labels. And though barcodes and RFID tags will co-exist, the relatively large barcode labels have to find increasingly scarce real estate on high density boards....

Publisher: Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments Incorporated provides innovative DSP and analog technologies to meet our customers real world signal processing requirements. In addition to Semiconductor, the company includes the Educational & Productivity Solutions business. T

Dallas, Texas, USA

Manufacturer of Components

The Impact of Reflowing A Pb-free Solder Alloy Using A Tin/Lead Solder Alloy Reflow Profile On Solder Joint Integrity.

Apr 29, 2008 | David Hillman, Matt Wells, Kim Cho

The electronics industry is undergoing a materials evolution due to the pending Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) European Directive. Printed wiring board laminate suppliers, component fabricators, and printed wiring assembly operations are engaged in a multitude of investigations to determine what leadfree (Pbfree) material choices best fit their needs. The size and complexity of Pbfree implementation insures a transition period in which Pbfree and tin/lead solder finishes will be present on printed wiring assemblies...

Publisher: Rockwell Collins

Rockwell Collins

Rockwell Collins (NYSE: COL) is a pioneer in the development and deployment of innovative communication and aviation electronic solutions for both commercial and government applications.

Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA

Manufacturer of Assembled PCBs, Other

Design Environment ROI: How Design Teams On A Budget Can Build A Best In Class Design Environment

Apr 22, 2008 | Nolan Johnson

Design workflow is the core to your design team's competitive advantage; it’s the conduit by which you turn your team's expertise and ideas into manufacturable products. And yet, all engineering teams face the challenge of maximizing their productivity within limited financial resources. How can the less-capitalized teams develop a design workflow that competes with the highly-capitalized teams? Simple: open tools....

Publisher: Sunstone Circuits

Sunstone Circuits

Sunstone Circuits offers a family of PCB Services to meet all of your PCB needs from design to delivery! We are trusted innovators in the marketing and manufacture of quickturn PCBs, design-checked boards, and design software.

Mulino, Oregon, USA

Manufacturer of Assembled PCBs

Laser Direct Imaging of Tracks on PCB Covered With Laser Photoresist

Apr 15, 2008 | R. Barbucha, M. Kocik, J. Mizeraczyk , 2, G. Kozioł, and J. Borecki, Polish Academy of Sciences

The increasing demands for miniaturization and better functionality of electronic components and devices have a significant effect on the requirements facing the printed circuit board (PCB) industry. PCB manufactures are driving for producing high density interconnect (HDI) boards at significantly reduced cost and reduced implementation time. The interconnection complexity of the PCB is still growing and today calls for 50/50 μm or 25/25 μm technology are real. Existing technologies are unable to offer acceptable solution. Recently the Laser Direct Imaging (LDI) technology is considered as an answer for these challenges....

Publisher: Unipress - Institute of High Pressure Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences

Unipress - Institute of High Pressure Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences

The mission of Unipress is to use high pressure methods for advanced fundamental research and technology development. The main fields: Solid state physics, Optoelectronics, Sintering of nanocrystalline materials...

Warsaw, Poland

Strength of Lead-free BGA Spheres in High Speed Loading

Apr 08, 2008 | Keith Sweatman, Shoichi Suenaga, Tetsuro Nishimura

Concern about the failure of lead-free BGA packages when portable devices such as cell phones are accidentally dropped and a general concern about the resistance of these packages under shock loading has prompted an interest in the impact strength of the soldered BGA connection. This paper reports the results of the measurement of the impact strength of lead-free 0.5±0.01mm diameter BGA spheres on 0.42mm solder mask defined pads on copper/OSP and ENIG substrates using recently developed equipment that can load individual BGA spheres at high strain rates in shear and tension....

Publisher: Nihon Superior Co., Ltd.

Nihon Superior Co., Ltd.

Nihon has been a leader in soldering and brazing since 1966. Nihon manufactures SMT solder joining materials e.g. lead-free solder (SN100C:Sn-Cu-Ni-Ge etc): solder paste, solder spheres, flux cored solder wire, solder bar, etc.

Osaka, Japan

High Reliability Lead-free Solder SN100C?Sn-0.7Cu-0.05Ni?Ge?

Mar 31, 2008 | Satoshi Mizuta

While the situation varies from country to country, nearly one year after the EU RoHS Directive came into force implementation of lead-free solder is progressing steadily. For lead-free soldering to be considered successful it is not sufficient just to have dealt with the challenges of mass production. It is also necessary to establish that the soldered joints produced are at least as reliable as those made with Sn-37Pb alloy. In this context "reliability" means the length of time in service that the initial functionality of the joint can be maintained. In this paper we will discuss some of the issues involved in solder joint reliability through a comparison of the properties of two alloys that are widely used for lead-free wave soldering, SAC305 (Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu) and the Sn, Cu, Ni, Ge alloy SN100C....

Publisher: Nihon Superior Co., Ltd.

Nihon Superior Co., Ltd.

Nihon has been a leader in soldering and brazing since 1966. Nihon manufactures SMT solder joining materials e.g. lead-free solder (SN100C:Sn-Cu-Ni-Ge etc): solder paste, solder spheres, flux cored solder wire, solder bar, etc.

Osaka, Japan

Nextreme Thermal Solutions, Inc.

Embedded Thermoelectric Cooling

Mar 25, 2008 | Jesko von Windheim, Nextreme Thermal Solutions

Thin film thermoelectric devices offer a fundamentally new operating regime for integrated, active cooling solutions and localized thermal management, yet the assembly methodology used to implement these devices is fully compatible with existing surface mount approaches. In order to take advantage of these unique characteristics, thin film thermoelectric devices need to be designed for the appropriate thermal and form-factor environments, with system-level constraints carefully considered as an integral part of the overall design process....

Publisher: Nextreme Thermal Solutions, Inc.

Nextreme designs and manufactures manufactures micro-scale electronics cooling and energy harvesting solutions for telecommunications, semiconductor, consumer, medical, aerospace and government markets.

Durham, North Carolina, USA

Pin in Paste Stencil Design for Notebook Mainboard

Mar 18, 2008 | Atilim Demirtas, Vestel Digital

This paper examines the construction of a notebook mainboard with more than 2000 components and no wave soldering required. The board contains standard SMD, chipset BGAs, connectors, through hole components and odd forms placed using full automation and soldered after two reflow cycles under critical process parameters. However, state of the art technology does not help if the process parameters are not set carefully. Can all complex BGAs, THTs and even screws be soldered on a single stencil? What will help us overcome bridging, insufficient solder and thombstoning issues? This paper will demonstrate the placement of all odd shape components using pin-in-paste stencil design and full completion of the motherboard after two reflow cycles....

Publisher: Vestel Electronic

Vestel Electronic

Presently,Vestel is the biggest TV manufacturer in Europe and increasing it's capacity year by year. As a OEM and ODM,we export our product every continent in the world.

Manisa, Turkey

Comparing Techniques for Temperature-Dependent Warpage Measurement

Mar 13, 2008 | Dr. Jiahui Pan, Ryan Curry, Neil Hubble and Dr. Dirk A. Zwemer, Akrometrix.

Three full-field optical techniques, shadow moiré, fringe projection and digital image correlation (DIC), are used to measure temperature-dependent warpage for a PBGA package and a PCB component land site from room temperature to 250ºC. The results are qualitatively similar, but imaging resolution and noise properties create offsets between coplanarity values. The paper summarizes strengths and weaknesses for each technique....

Publisher: Akrometrix

Akrometrix

Leading provider of full-field metrology solutions for substrates and packages in the OEM/CEM/SATS/PCB segments of the microelectronics industry.

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

OEM, Service Provider

Fundamentals of Solder Paste Technology

Mar 03, 2008 | Dosten Baluch, Gerard Minogue.

Solder pastes are key materials in surface mount technology (SMT) for assembly of printed circuit boards (PCBs). Introduction of lead-free has placed new demands on materials and processes in SMT, requiring materials and process engineers to adopt to lead free whilst ensuring process yields stay at the highest possible levels. Key is the solder paste, a material of great complexity involving engineering sciences, metallurgy, chemistry and physics. This article helps those working with solder pastes improve their understanding of this key material....

Publisher: BizEsp Ltd.

BizEsp Ltd.

The company is currently in liquidation.

Oxford, United Kingdom

Manufacture and Characterization of a Novel Flip-Chip Package Z-interconnect Stack-up with RF Structures

Feb 26, 2008 | Michael J. Rowlands, Rabindra N. Das

More and more chip packages need multi-GHz RF structures to meet their performance targets. The ideal chip package needs to combine RF features with Digital features for these applications. They drive low-loss, controlled impedance transmission lines, flexibility in assigned signal and power layers, and clearances of various shapes in power layers. Building these features in a chip package is difficult without making the stack-up very thick or compromising the reliability of the product. In the present paper, we have designed and built a flip-chip package test vehicle (TV) to make new RF structures, using Z-axis interconnection (Zinterconnect) building blocks....

Publisher: i3 Electronics

Manufacturer of Bare PCBs, Manufacturer of Assembled PCBs, Assembly, Component Packaging, Contract Manufacturer

A world leader in high-performance PCB fabrication & assembly, semiconductor packaging, systems integration & test, advanced laboratory services and contract R&D.

Endicott, New York, USA

Placement Optimisation in a Lean Manufacturing Environment

Feb 20, 2008 | Pierre Chatain, Europlacer Limited, Dorset, UK

Tier 2 and Tier 3 EMS companies face increasing pressure from competition in low-cost manufacturing countries to produce assembled boards at lower cost, with increased complexity and to tighter deadlines. They also face an increasing amount of high-mix, small-to-mediumvolume production runs. Even OEMs find it hard to predict what products they will be manufacturing in three to five years time, driving the need to invest in highly flexible production tools that will cater to their needs over the lifetime of the equipment. This paper examines methodologies for optimising the process, improving stock control and providing greater traceability using lean manufacturing techniques....

Publisher: EUROPLACER

EUROPLACER

Europlacer designs and manufactures a comprehensive range of highly flexible SMT pick and place equipment for the global electronics industry, with a network of distributors across the globe.

Poole Dorset, United Kingdom

Liquid Tin Corrosion and Lead Free Wave Soldering

Feb 12, 2008 | Jim Morris, Speedline Technologies, Matthew J. O’Keefe, Ph.D., University of Missouri

Corrosion of solder pots and solder pot components in wave soldering equipment has been reduced with the introduction of corrosion resistant coatings and improved lead free solder alloys. The latest trends in protecting wave solder machine components from liquid metal corrosion by lead free solder alloys will be presented in order to provide guidelines for evaluating existing equipment as well as for purchasing new systems....

Manufacturer of Assembly Equipment, Adhesives/Dispensing, Cleaning, Screen Printing, Soldering

Speedline Technologies serves the electronics assembly and semiconductor packaging industries with class-leading equipment, responsive support and unparalleled process knowledge.

Franklin, Massachusetts, USA

SnAgCuBi and SnAgCuBiSb Solder Joint Properties Investigations

Feb 05, 2008 | Kisiel R., Institute of Microelectronics and Optoelectronics; Bukat K. and Sitek J., Tele and Radio Research Institute; Gasior W., Moser Z. and Pstru_ J., Polish Academy of Sciences

This study investigates the technological properties of quaternary or quinary alloys made by addition Bi or Bi and Sb elements to the SnAgCu solders. The influence of added elements on the electrical and mechanical properties of solder joints created by these solders between PCB and electronic components were evaluated....

Publisher: Unipress - Institute of High Pressure Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences

Unipress - Institute of High Pressure Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences

The mission of Unipress is to use high pressure methods for advanced fundamental research and technology development. The main fields: Solid state physics, Optoelectronics, Sintering of nanocrystalline materials...

Warsaw, Poland

Manufacturer of Assembly Material

Optimizing Thermal and Mechanical Performance in PCBs

Feb 04, 2008 | Alex Mangroli, Kris Vasoya

Engineers are always striving to make a lighter, faster and stronger PCB. In order to achieve their designs, engineers must turn to alternative materials to enhance their designs. There are many materials that allow for thermal, coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and rigidity. Many times if a material enables an engineer to have CTE they will have to sacrifice thermal. Currently carbon composite laminates are being used in order to achieve an ideal PCB with thermal, CTE and rigidity with almost no weight premiums....

Publisher: Stablcor

Stablcor

STABLCOR is an innovative Intellectual Property company that is dedicated to solving problems through design.

Costa Mesa, California, USA

Selective Soldering Process

Jan 24, 2008 | Paul Bratt, Lead Package Engineer

Although many through-hole components are being replaced by their surface mount (SMT) counterparts, printed circuit boards (PCBs) are still being designed with both types of components. Often, there are interconnect hardware, displays, or other components that cannot withstand the exposure to the high temperature involved in the wave soldering process. They are generally soldered by hand. The challenge is to determine the optimal method manufacturers can use to solder these boards populated with mixed technology....

Publisher: Electronics Manufacturing Productivity Facility (EMPF)

Electronics Manufacturing Productivity Facility (EMPF)

The EMPF serves as a corporate residence of expertise in electronics manufacturing.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Manufacturer of Assembly Equipment, Soldering, Selective Soldering

Quieting the Noise: Quality Wave Soldering Depends on Control of Its Many Parameters.

Jan 24, 2008 | Gerjan Diepstraten, Senior Process Engineer, Vitronics Soltec BV

The wave solder process is characterized by a large number of process parameters. To understand them all and their interactions is challenging, particularly when it comes to lead-free soldering. Wave soldering has a number of sub-processes, which include fluxing, preheating, soldering and cooling....

Publisher: Vitronics Soltec

Vitronics Soltec

Global manufacturer of XPM Reflow Ovens, ZEVA Selective Soldering and Delta Wave Soldering Equipment.

Camdenton, Missouri, USA

Process Development And Characterization Of The Stencil Printing Process For Small Apertures

Jan 16, 2008 | Dr. Daryl Santos, SUNY Binghamton; Dr. Rita Mohanty, Speedline Technologies

The consumer's interest for smaller, lighter and higher performance electronics products has increased the use of ultra fine pitch packages, such as Flip Chips and Chip Scale Packages, in printed circuit board (PCB) assembly. The assembly processes for these ultra fine pitch packages are extremely complex and each step in the assembly process influences the assembly yield and reliability....

Manufacturer of Assembly Equipment, Adhesives/Dispensing, Cleaning, Screen Printing, Soldering

Speedline Technologies serves the electronics assembly and semiconductor packaging industries with class-leading equipment, responsive support and unparalleled process knowledge.

Franklin, Massachusetts, USA

Lead-free Wave Soldering of Simple to Highly Complex Boards. Process Optimization

Jan 10, 2008 | Denis Barbini, Vitronics Soltec; Paul Wang, Microsoft; Peter Biocca, ITW Kester; Quyen Chu, Jabil

This research takes an in-depth look at the challenges encountered in developing a lead free wave soldering process based on the specific products as well as on specific materials. It attempts to provide the reader with the information necessary to make educated decisions in selecting materials and controlling various process parameters in order to execute a rational implementation strategy for a reliable and robust lead free wave soldering process....

Publisher: Vitronics Soltec

Vitronics Soltec

Global manufacturer of XPM Reflow Ovens, ZEVA Selective Soldering and Delta Wave Soldering Equipment.

Camdenton, Missouri, USA

Manufacturer of Assembly Equipment, Soldering, Selective Soldering

Developing a Reliable Lead-free SMT Process

Jan 03, 2008 | Peter Biocca, Senior Development Engineer, Kester.

Lead-free SMT can be achieved reliably if several process requirements are implemented carefully. Some of the variables to account for are listed below. The most common alloys used in lead-free SMT are tin-silver-copper alloys; these alloys all have a meting range between 217- 220°C. These alloys all melt at higher temperatures than traditional leaded solders such as the 63/37which has a melting point of 183 °C....

Publisher: Kester

Kester

A leading global supplier of assembly materials to the electronic assembly, component and microelectronic marketplaces.

Itasca, Illinois, USA

ASM Assembly Systems (DEK)

Lean, Mean Dual-Lane Machines

Dec 27, 2007 | DEK

The latest screen printing platforms unlock more of the potential from dual-lane processing. Simultaneous demands to enhance flexibility while increasing utilisation and overall throughput apply to manufacturers operating at virtually any point in the mix-volume continuum: capacity must work hard to deliver the required return. As these lean manufacturing principles hold sway from the US and Europe to the Far East, no modern assembler has a second to spare....

Publisher: ASM Assembly Systems (DEK)

The ASM SMT Solutions segment is made up of SMT Printing Solutions (DEK) and SMT Placement Solutions (SIPLACE). Under the DEK brand, it sells best-in-class printing solutions for the electronics and solar industries.

Suwanee, Georgia, USA

Screen Printing

Reflow Profiling: Time Above Liquidus

Dec 20, 2007 | David Suraski

Despite much research and discussion on the subject of reflow profiling, many questions and a good deal of confusion still exist. What is clear is that the pains often associated with profiling can be reduced if there is a strong understanding of the variables that can be encountered during the reflow process, as well as the metallurgical dynamics of the soldering process. This paper shall provide a brief outline of the reflow profile in general, with specific emphasis placed upon the suggested time spent above the melting temperature of the solder. The guidelines for soldering to various surfaces and with alternative solder alloys also are discussed....

Publisher: AIM Solder

AIM Solder

AIM is a leading global manufacturer of tin-lead and lead-free solder assembly materials for the electronics industry.

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

ASM Assembly Systems (DEK)

A New Stencil Rulebook for Wafer Level Solder Ball Placement using High Accuracy Screen Printing

Dec 13, 2007 | Steve Watkin, Semicon Packaging Technologies Division, and Tom Falcon, Future Technologies Group, DEK

Printer-hosted processes for solder ball placement are now widely used for package technologies ranging from BGAs using ball diameters above 750μm to the latest WL-CSPs demanding 250μm diameter. This broadening spectrum of applications brings more choices in terms of stencil design rules and production methodologies....

Publisher: ASM Assembly Systems (DEK)

The ASM SMT Solutions segment is made up of SMT Printing Solutions (DEK) and SMT Placement Solutions (SIPLACE). Under the DEK brand, it sells best-in-class printing solutions for the electronics and solar industries.

Suwanee, Georgia, USA

Screen Printing

Lead-Free Solder Wafer Bumping

Dec 06, 2007 | Fred Dimock, Kristen Mattson.

Over the past 30 years we have learned that lead has negative affects on the health of humans and seen strong legislation remove it from gasoline and paints. More recently, governments in Europe and Asia have set deadlines to remove lead from consumer electronic devices that use printed circuit boards. Currently, the ban is not being applied to high reliability applications such as military or medical devices, but we all know that will come someday soon. Likewise many believe that lead free solder is coming to wafer bump reflow and are beginning to make the transition....

Publisher: BTU International

BTU International

Global supplier of advanced thermal processing equipment and processes to the electronics assembly market.

North Billerica, Massachusetts, USA

Manufacturer of Assembly Equipment

Optimizing Flip Chip Substrate Layout for Assembly

Nov 29, 2007 | Pericles Kondos, Peter Borgesen, Dan Blass, and Antonio Prats.

Programs have been developed to predict the expected yield of flip chip assemblies, based on substrate design and the statistics of actual manufactured boards, as well as placement machine accuracy, variations in bump sizes, and possible substrate warpage. These predictions and the trends they reveal can be used to direct changes in design so that defect levels will fall below the acceptable limits. Shapes of joints are calculated analytically, or when this is not possible, numerically by means of a public domain program called Surface Evolver. The method is illustrated with an example involving the substrate for a flip chip BGA....

Universal Instruments is a global leader in the design and manufacture of advanced automation and assembly equipment solutions for the electronics manufacturing industry.

Conklin, New York, USA

Laser Micromachining of Nanocomposite-Based Flexible Embedded Capacitors

Nov 21, 2007 | Rabindra N. Das, Frank D. Egitto, John M. Lauffer and Voya R. Markovich.

This paper discusses laser micromachining of barium titanate (BaTiO3)-polymer nanocomposites and sol-gel thin films. In particular, recent developments on high capacitance, large area, and thin flexible embedded capacitors are highlighted....

Publisher: i3 Electronics

Manufacturer of Bare PCBs, Manufacturer of Assembled PCBs, Assembly, Component Packaging, Contract Manufacturer

A world leader in high-performance PCB fabrication & assembly, semiconductor packaging, systems integration & test, advanced laboratory services and contract R&D.

Endicott, New York, USA

Case Study on the Validation of SAC305 and SnCu Based Solders in SMT, Wave and Hand-soldering at the Contract Assembler Level

Nov 15, 2007 | Peter Biocca, Carlos Rivas

At the contractor level once a product is required to be soldered with lead-free solders all the processes must be assessed as to insure the same quality a customer has been accustomed to with a Sn63Pb37 process is achieved. The reflow, wave soldering and hand assembly processes must all be optimized carefully to insure good joint formation as per the appropriate class of electronics with new solder alloys and often new fluxes....

Publisher: Kester

Kester

A leading global supplier of assembly materials to the electronic assembly, component and microelectronic marketplaces.

Itasca, Illinois, USA

Maximizing Production Productivity of Automatic Termination Machines

Nov 08, 2007 | Rob Boyd.

ways to increase machine utilization and productivity for automatic termination machines. This article will discuss just a few of the basic concepts. For some, this may seem academic, but going over the basics is a good reminder so we don’t overlook best practices. So, how do we get more products out the door every day?...

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

Manufacturer of Assembly Equipment

Making A Case for Continuous Furnaces

Nov 08, 2007 | Fred Dimock

A continuous furnace is ideal for processes requiring high production volumes, process consistency, and precision control. This overview discusses some of the newer temperature and atmosphere capabilities of continuous furnaces and addresses the various components that make up a continuous furnace....

Publisher: BTU International

BTU International

Global supplier of advanced thermal processing equipment and processes to the electronics assembly market.

North Billerica, Massachusetts, USA

Influence of Nanoparticles, Low Melting Point (LMP) Fillers, and Conducting Polymers on Electrical, Mechanical, and Reliability Performance of Micro-Filled Conducting Adhesives for Z-Axis Interconnections

Nov 01, 2007 | Rabindra N. Das, Konstantinos I. Papathomas, John M. Lauffer and Frank D. Egitto

This paper discusses micro-filled epoxy-based conducting adhesives modified with nanoparticles, conducting polymers, and low melting point (LMP) fillers for z-axis interconnections, especially as they relate to package level fabrication, integration,...

Publisher: i3 Electronics

Manufacturer of Bare PCBs, Manufacturer of Assembled PCBs, Assembly, Component Packaging, Contract Manufacturer

A world leader in high-performance PCB fabrication & assembly, semiconductor packaging, systems integration & test, advanced laboratory services and contract R&D.

Endicott, New York, USA

Electrical Performance of an Organic, Z-interconnect, Flip-Chip Substrate

Oct 25, 2007 | Michael J. Rowlands, Rabindra Das.

More and more substrate designs require signals paths that can handle multi-gigahertz frequencies [1-3]. The challenges for organic substrates, in meeting these electrical requirements, include using high-speed, low-loss materials, manufacturing precise structures and making a reliable finished product. A new substrate technology is presented that addresses these challenges....

Publisher: i3 Electronics

Manufacturer of Bare PCBs, Manufacturer of Assembled PCBs, Assembly, Component Packaging, Contract Manufacturer

A world leader in high-performance PCB fabrication & assembly, semiconductor packaging, systems integration & test, advanced laboratory services and contract R&D.

Endicott, New York, USA

A Practical Guide to Achieving Lead-Free Electronics Assembly

Oct 18, 2007 | Karl Seelig, David Suraski

To successfully achieve lead-free electronics assembly, each participant in the manufacturing process, from purchasing to engineering to maintenance to Quality/Inspection, must have a solid understanding of the changes required of them. This pertains to considerations regarding design, components, PWBs, solder alloys, fluxe s, printing, reflow, wave soldering, rework, cleaning, equipment wear & tear and inspection....

Publisher: AIM Solder

AIM Solder

AIM is a leading global manufacturer of tin-lead and lead-free solder assembly materials for the electronics industry.

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Manufacturer of Assembly Equipment

Maximizing Process Control with Controlled Convection Rates

Oct 10, 2007 | Rob DiMatteo, Fred Dimock, Pierre LeMieux.

Process engineers, who are seeking to achieve the most effective and reproducible thermal transfer process, look to today's forced convection ovens for applications such as flipchip, BGA, and lead-free soldering. A forced convection process to maximize thermal uniformity can be best accomplished by employing static pressure generation in what's known as "closed loop convection"....

Publisher: BTU International

BTU International

Global supplier of advanced thermal processing equipment and processes to the electronics assembly market.

North Billerica, Massachusetts, USA

RF Packaging Advancements for Navy Applications

Oct 02, 2007 | Fred Verdi, EMPF Technical Director

The vast majority (99%) of the electronics market in North America is composed of products produced for commercial applications. The 1% share of the electronics market driven by Department of Defense (DoD) applications has created a niche market for RF qualified devices. The DoD, with its emphasis on COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf) and "Open" systems, is beginning to become more interested in using commercially oriented RF devices for military applications as a means to leverage the volumes and innovations of the commercial world....

Publisher: Electronics Manufacturing Productivity Facility (EMPF)

Electronics Manufacturing Productivity Facility (EMPF)

The EMPF serves as a corporate residence of expertise in electronics manufacturing.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

The Pin-in-Paste (or AART) Process for Odd Form and Through Hole Printed Circuit Boards

Sep 27, 2007 | Jay B. Hinerman, DEK Inc; K. Srihari, Ph.D., Department of Systems Science and Industrial Engineering State University of New York; George R. Westby, Director - SMT Laboratory, Universal Instruments Corporation.

Considerable interest exists in the process known as the pinin- paste, or the Alternative Assembly and Reflow Technology (AART) process. The AART process allows for the simultaneous reflow of both odd-form and through hole devices as well as surface mount components. This process has several advantages over the typical mixed technology process sequence that includes wave soldering and/or hand soldering, often in addition to reflow soldering....

Universal Instruments is a global leader in the design and manufacture of advanced automation and assembly equipment solutions for the electronics manufacturing industry.

Conklin, New York, USA

Electronics Manufacturing Productivity Facility (EMPF)

Laser Solder Reflow: A Process Solution Part II

Sep 13, 2007 | John Vivari; EFD, Inc., Alex Kasman, Leister Technologies USA

With the use of laser light for reflow having been established, all that remains is to apply it to best effect. Each time a laser is fired, it pumps a specific amount of energy at a particular wavelength to a particular point in space. Where technique comes in is choosing where and for how long to apply that light along with the application of accessory equipment to optimize solder paste reflow. This presentation covers the specifics of how to determine which process choices are the right process choices based on the needs of your product to maximize yield and throughput....

Publisher: Nordson EFD

Nordson EFD

The world's leading designer and manufacturer of precision dispensing systems that apply accurate, consistent amounts of the adhesives, sealants, lubricants and other assembly fluids used in virtually every manufacturing process.

East Providence, Rhode Island, USA

Adhesives/Dispensing

Laser Solder Reflow: A Process Solution Part I

Sep 06, 2007 | John Vivari; EFD, Inc., Alex Kasman, Leister Technologies USA

EFD Inc. and Leister USA have collaborated to bust the myth that you cannot perform laser reflow with solder paste. Using Leister diode lasers, EFD has formulated solder pastes that survive the rapid reflow cycle typical of laser heating. These solder pastes reflow and wet well, without spatter, even when heating is accomplished in less than half a second. The flux core in wire solders cannot boast such flux spatter resistance in such an aggressive heating environment....

Publisher: Nordson EFD

Nordson EFD

The world's leading designer and manufacturer of precision dispensing systems that apply accurate, consistent amounts of the adhesives, sealants, lubricants and other assembly fluids used in virtually every manufacturing process.

East Providence, Rhode Island, USA

Adhesives/Dispensing

Characteristics of Conformal Coatings

Aug 28, 2007 | Dave Poulin, Senior Materials Engineer, EMPF.

A conformal coating is defined as a thin polymeric material which covers the surface of an electronic assembly. These coatings are used to provide an electrically insulative and environmentally protective seal or cover to a completed printed circuit board (PCB)....

Publisher: Electronics Manufacturing Productivity Facility (EMPF)

The EMPF serves as a corporate residence of expertise in electronics manufacturing.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Repair/Rework, Soldering, Service Provider

Boundary Scan Skews Test Coverage Tradeoffs in your Favor

Aug 23, 2007 | Dominic Plunkett, Chief Technology Officer, XJTAG, Ltd.

The complexity and programmability of modern embedded boards means that knowledge built up during debugging and testing must be regarded as Intellectual Property (IP) and therefore preserved. But many of the processes and tools used today do not provide a means to preserve or pass on this IP, and thereby forego valuable opportunities to save time and improve quality during subsequent stages of product development....

Publisher: XJTAG

XJTAG

XJTAG provides a full range of JTAG products to help you debug board designs with BGAs, test hardware that includes FPGAs, CPLDs, DSPs or microprocessors.

Cambridge, United Kingdom

Software Manufacturer

Lead-Free BGA Rework-Transition Issues

Aug 16, 2007 | Best Inc

While experienced inspectors may be able to determine the aesthetic differences between a lead-free PCB assembly and a tin-lead version, one cannot rely on the "experienced eye". "Less wetting out to the pad edges" (Figure A) and "graininess and lack of shininess of the solder joint" (Figure B) are typical comments about some lead-free solder joints. However, in cases where a Nitrogen atmosphere was present during the reflow of the solder joint (Figure C), there will be little visual differences between the lead free alloys and their tin-lead counterparts....

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

Achieving SMT Compatible Flip Chip Assembly With No-Flow Fluxing Underfills

Aug 09, 2007 | Tony DeBarros and Doug Katze of Emerson and Cuming And Pericles Kondos of Universal Instruments

Recent developments in No Flow-Fluxing Underfill (NFFUF) products have demonstrated their utility to enhance the reliability of flip chip assemblies with reduced processing steps over conventional capillary flow methods. This basic work considered processing conditions such as dispensed volume and placement force, speed and dwell time. Further evaluations of these new products on a variety of flip chip assembly configurations manufactured by various processes have been undertaken to provide further evidence of their suitability and potential in high volume electronic manufacturing. This paper summarizes the recent evaluations and discusses new studies of additional assembly configurations, which include higher input/output (l/O) counts up to full arrays in excess of 1200 l/Os....

Universal Instruments is a global leader in the design and manufacture of advanced automation and assembly equipment solutions for the electronics manufacturing industry.

Conklin, New York, USA

Manufacturer of Assembly Equipment, Assembly, Component Packaging, Inspection, Pick and Place

Package on Package (PoP) Stacking and Board Level Reliability, Results of Joint Industry Study

Aug 02, 2007 | Moody Dreiza, Lee Smith - Amkor Technology, Gene Dunn - Panasonic Factory Solutions, Niranjan Vijayaragavan, Jeremy Werner - Spansion.

This paper presents the results of a joint - three way study between Amkor Technology, Panasonic Factory Solutions and Spansion in the area of package on package (PoP) board level reliability (BLR) (...) The scope of this paper is to cover the already popular 14 x 14mm PoP package size that provides a 152 pin stacked interface which supports a high level of flexibility in the memory architecture for multimedia requirements....

Publisher: Amkor Technology, Inc.

Amkor Technology, Inc.

Amkor Technology is the world's largest independent supplier of outsourced packaging and test semiconductor interconnect services; with more than 33 years of continuous improvement, growth and innovation. http://www.amkor.com

Chandler, Arizona, USA

Two-Photon Polymerization: A New Approach to Micromachining

Jul 24, 2007 | Andreas Ostendorf, Boris N. Chichkov, Laser Zentrum Hannover eV.

The rapid technical development of ultrashort laser systems is creating exciting possibilities for very precise localization of laser energy in time and space. These achievements have triggered novel laser applications based on nonlinear interaction processes. A promising three-dimensional microfabrication method that has recently attracted considerable attention is based on two-photon polymerization with ultrashort laser pulses....

Publisher: Aerotech, Inc.

Aerotech, Inc.

Since 1970, Aerotech has designed and manufactured the highest performance motion control, positioning tables/stages, and positioning systems for our customers in industry, government, science, and research institutions worldwide.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Reduced Oxide Soldering Activation (ROSA)

Jul 19, 2007 | Sam Pepe, Chemist, American Competitiveness Institute / EMPF

ROSA is a surface restoration technique that removes hard to reduce species like metal oxides or sulfides. At the time of its development, the focus was on solderability and compliance to environmental regulations. Industry trends and regulatory changes as a result of the Montreal Protocol were the driver for much of the concern over environmental compliance. The result was an increase in the development of no-clean and water soluble fluxes and the removal of halogenated cleaning chemistries....

Publisher: Electronics Manufacturing Productivity Facility (EMPF)

Electronics Manufacturing Productivity Facility (EMPF)

The EMPF serves as a corporate residence of expertise in electronics manufacturing.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Implementing Lead Free Soldering - European Consortium Research

Jul 12, 2007 | Dr. M. Warwick.

Over the last ten years, there have been a large number of publications describing work into lead free electronics soldering. They have come from all regions of the world and from academic organisations, individual companies and consortia. Although a number of these studies have culminated in "production trials", these have invariably been on a limited scale and they were essentially a demonstration, rather than the first step to implementation....

Publisher: Multicore Solders

Multicore Solders

Manufacturer of soldering materials, paste solder

Richardson, TX, United Kingdom

Distributor

Low Force Placement Solution For Delicate and Low IO Flip Chip Assemblies

Jun 27, 2007 | Jason Higgins - Universal Instruments Corporation, Robert Hemann - Medtronic Microelectronics Center.

Traditionally most flip chips were designed with large bumps on a coarse pitch. However, as the trend towards smaller, more compact assemblies continues the sizes of semiconductor packages are forced to stay in line. New designs are incorporating smaller bump diameters on increasingly aggressive pitches, and in many cases decreasing the total IO count. With fewer and smaller bumps to distribute the load of the placement force it is becoming increasingly vital for equipment manufacturers to meet the challenge in offering low force placement solutions. One such solution will be presented in the following discussion. Also presented will be ways to minimize the initial impact spike that flip chips experience upon placement....

Universal Instruments is a global leader in the design and manufacture of advanced automation and assembly equipment solutions for the electronics manufacturing industry.

Conklin, New York, USA