Phoenix Intros 3D X-Ray Inspection System Phoenix X-Ray Systems, Camarillo, Calif., has introduced the 3D Inspector, a high-resolution X-ray inspection and analysis system. The unit is designed for verification and in-depth analysis of single- and double-sided PWBs populated with BGA, flip-chip, µBGA and other dense package types. The company claims the 3D Inspector, employing micro-laminography, produces the highest resolution 3D images of any offline planar system available.
The system provides up to 240 slices, which detect shorts and voids in flip-chip, fine pitch and BGA packages. The Inspector also finds missing vias and misaligned inner layers in PWBs. The unit accommodates sample sizes up to 8 in. x 8 in, and collects the image while rotating the sample in only one axis. Competitive machines, according to Phoenix, rotate/translate two out of three elements (tube or detector) in at least two axes, which increases potential errors. The system is priced at $180,000, with an 8 in. x 8 in holder, software and 21-inch monitor. [phoenix-xray.com] IDI Upgrades Titanium Pro ICT Probes Interconnect Devices Inc. has announced the availability of the upgraded ICT Probe Series, originally released two years ago. The modified version continues to feature pin and socket technology that replaced outdated bias technology and offers additional advancements, the Kansas City, Kansas-based company says. The upgraded series features an advanced plunger plating. Through detailed test experiments, IDI has developed the hardest electro-deposited gold, reaching up to 400 knoop, which is over twice as hard as the standard cobalt gold plating found in most probes. The patented G2 barrel uses proprietary plating to provide a "less slick" fit between the barrel and receptacle to minimize any tendences for probe "walkout." To further reduce the chance for walkout, IDI receptacles also feature four detents compared to conventional single detent designs. [idinet.com]
Japan Unix, Pace Release Soldering Robots Working in partnership with Japan Unix Co. Ltd., Pace Inc., Laurel, Md., has introduced a line of selective soldering robots, including the MOVESTAR 601, a 6-axis unit designed for high-volume soldering in any manufacturing environment. The MOVESTAR 601 is styled with an articulated arm and is capable of soldering on any plane for both in-line and cellular manufacturing. Accessory options include a fume extraction attachment, nitrogen envelope, safety covers and in-line conveyor systems. Robotic selective soldering improves solder joint quality, consistency and accuracy while increasing productivity and decreasing labor costs, the company notes. The unit, adds Pace, is "ideal for high-volume applications involving components with heavy mass joints, non-standard geometries and sensitive temperature requirements. [paceworld.com] Unitive Offers Lead-Free Solder Bumping Unitive Advanced Semiconductor Packaging, Research Triangle Park, N.C., has developed a lead-free solder and a new low-alpha, lead-free solder. The processes, according to Unitive, were developed in response to the increasing demand for environmentally sensitive electronics manufacturing methods. The company says the Unitive process for electroplating tin-silver alloy on semiconductor wafers offers cost savings compared to traditional lead-tin alloy solder. This savings offsets much of the increased material cost of most lead-free solders, according to the company. The company's low alpha emission tin-silver alloy, lead-free solder employs ultra-refined materials to produce ultra-low emission rates. Lead, Unitive observes, can cause "soft errors" in ICs because of its radioactive properties, even in so-called "lead-free" solder. [unitive.com]
Alpha Bumping Co. Installs Pac Tech System Alpha Bumping Co. Ltd has installed a Pac Tech PacLine 2000 A25 at its Tokyo headquarters and acquired Pac Tech process technology through a license agreement. The A25 is a fully automatic electroless nickel-gold wafer bumping system capable of processing wafers from 100-300 mm. "This sale of the PacLine A25 serves to validate that electroless nickel-gold wafer bumping is an arriving technology-an alternative to costly, traditional electroplating process technologies," according to Ron Blankenhorn, president/CEO of Pac Tech USA. Alpha Bumping will employ the A25 system to produce flip-chip pacakges for Japanese consumer market applications. The technology, developed and licensed by Pac Tech GmbH, provides a low-cost method of forming the barrier metal connection layer between the Al or Cu upper metal layers of an IC and the solder bumps used in flip-chip assemblies. According to the company, the ability of the PacLine to handle wafers of different sizes can reduce production costs by up to half. [pactech.de] Connect2it Intros Research Microscope Unit Connect2it, Incline Village, Nevada, has introduced the View2it microscope system for use in semiconductor research applications. The unit offers a magnification of 1.1x-225x and a working distance of 32 mm to 314 mm. The optical components-lenses, eyepieces and a CCD coupler-can be mixed and matched to produce different magnifications and working distances. [connect2it.com] |
Copyright © 2001