An Independent Journal Dedicated to the Advancement of Chip - Scale Electronics January - February 2000 Email the editor

American Equipment Suppliers Must Discontinue Their U.S.-Centric Approach

Continued ball grid array manufacturing growth and globalization of products and processes will be the hallmark of the electronics/advanced packaging industries as we enter the new millennium.

This growth can be attributed to the drive toward smaller, faster, lighter and cheaper products that will place increasingly greater demands on electronics companies, as well as their materials and manufacturing equipment partners. In the new millennium, advanced manufacturing processes will continue to deliver gains in speed, productivity and yields, while testing the practical and theoretical limits imposed by smaller and denser packages. CSPs will also continue to provide increased levels of capacity over conventional packages on PC board surfaces, and will remain a stronger alternative to flip-chips and ongoing manufacturing concerns associated with the use of bare die.

Since the introduction of the µBGA format, new and improved encapsulate dispensing equipment has been introduced to the market and future refinements are anticipated. Tessera's "pared-down" dispensing technology helped manufacturers achieve higher throughput and lower production costs. This process continues to significantly impact this market and inßuence dispensing equipment design and production.

Companies competing in this ever-widening global market must understand the impact of chip-scale processes, and, moreover, the market demands and manufacturing needs of their customers in these global sites. Through this knowledge they can implement a global equipment design and development strategy that truly addresses local market needs.

It is not enough for an equipment manufacturer to label itself a "global" manufacturer when it is manufacturing and selling equipment that needs modification once it reaches the customer site. American equipment suppliers must discontinue their U.S.-centric design approach and offer products that address the ergonomic and manufacturing criteria of specific global markets.

For example, one global issue of extreme sensitivity and importance in Europe and Asia that will influence equipment design is the adoption of lead-free manufacturing processes for electronics products and components.

Creating a roadmap towards the future adoption of no-lead manufacturing processes is perhaps a logical first step for U.S.-based equipment manufacturers.

Those companies must give serious thought to processes and equipment that foster the elimination of lead from assembly processes and must identify all aspects of lead-free manufacturing that need addressing-from laminates, alloys, fluxes, and components, to screen printers, ovens, dispensers, cleaning and recycling systems

. As we enter the new millennium, we'll continue to see the globalization of new, environmentally friendly processes, the adoption of internationally adaptable manufacturing and assembly approaches and a continued migration to smaller and more precise packaging technologies.-Rick Berger, President, Speedline Technologies Inc.

Speedline Technologies Inc., forms the Assembly Equipment Sector of Cookson Electronics. Headquartered in Franklin, Mass., Speedline consists of five integrated business divisions: ACCEL, CAMALOT, ELECTROVERT, MPM and Specialty Coating Systems.[speedline.com]