Ismeca Introduces M-32AT Test Handler

The M-32AT Plunge-to-Board Test Handler

Ismeca USA has introduced the M-32AT Plunge-to-Board Test Handler. Based on the company's M-32 high-speed multifunction platform, the M-32AT is said to be the first handler offering a four-up, true vertical plunge-to-board capability for two-sided microdevices and/or any device in plastic tubes or multitracks.

To minimize MTBA and to avoid lead damage, the M-32AT reduces gravity motion to a minimum. The unit combines rotary and linear movements with a newly developed transfer system.

Up to four devices are plunged into the sockets of the load board simultaneously to allow high frequency and low current tests. Small pitch ICs can be connected to the testhead through the automatic recentering plunger units without placing stress on their leads.

The M-32AT has been designed to conserve factory floor space and can merge a variety of subsystems, including orientation, laser marking, mark inspection, three-dimensional lead inspection and multibin component sorting into tubes and tape-and-reel.

THERMAXX die attach adhesives are ideal for uses requiring high heat dissipation from the die.

Ablestik Laboratories, a National Starch & Chemical Company, has introduced the THERMAXX 2600 series of high thermal conductivity die attach adhesives, developed for use where high heat dissipation is essential, such as with high power devices and heatsinks.

THERMAXX 2600 products incorporate a suspension system that contains silver, thermoplastic and thermoset resin particles suspended in a solvent carrier. Once the materials are fully cured and the solvent is evaporated, the adhesives possess extremely high silver loading.

The result, according to Ablestik Laboratories, are adhesives that demonstrate thermal conductivity approaching 20-25 W/mNK, which is eight to ten times higher than conventional conductive epoxy resins.

THERMAXX 2600 products provide good dispensability and 24-hour work life on the assembly line. They can be used in standard dispensing equipment and curing ovens.

Fax your news release to the Editor at 209.824.2799 or mail it to Tools & Technologies, Chip Scale Review, 7291 Coronado Drive, Suite 8, San Jose, CA 95129.

The Leica MZ7.5 stereo microscope offers enhanced optical properties.

Leica Microsystems has announced the Leica MZ7.5 stereo microscope with a standard magnification of 6.3-50 x and 7.9:1 zoom for general electronics inspection, with 250 line pairs per mm resolution.

Flexible modular design enables users to add accessories and customize the microscope for specific applications. All components and accessories retrofit to existing Leica products.

RVSI Electronics has developed the LS-7700 inspection and handling system for use with a wide range of semiconductor packages and components, including leadframes, BGAs and CSPs.

The basic LS-7700 consists of an input tray stacker, 3D laser inspection cabinet, high-speed pick-and-place system, output tray stacker and trip tray bin reject. The system may be upgraded as production needs require to include input package visual inspection, tray inverter, mark and output package, visual inspection or tape-and reel-modules.

FormFactor Inc. is shipping the first production 64 device-under-test probe card for production wafer probing of 64 Mbyte SDRAMs.

The 64-DUT probe card reduces the time needed to test a wafer from over four hours to less than one hour, according to the company. The 64-DUT card is an extension of FormFactor's 32DUT MicroSpring contact technology.

Advantest Inc. claims its new M6751A Dynamic Test Handler, coupled with its T5591 ATE system, provides the industry with the highest throughput available for memory test by processing 4500 devices per hour.

Handling 32 devices in parallel, the M6751A is network ready. With the addition of a LAN card, a company network can be easily constructed, Advantest says. This feature allows instant sharing and integration of information.

As an additional productivity measure, Advantest has improved changeover time. The M6751A features an adjustment-free change kit that requires replacing only the change kit and HIFIX interface.

The M6751A handles an extensive range of package types, including BGA, CSP, QFP, SOJ and TSOP formats. User-friendly and productivity features include a touch screen display and split tray mapping function to increase the number of categories.

August Technology has introduced the NSX B-100 automated bump inspection system targeted at wafer-level packaging, which provides bump inspection down to 0.5 micron.

The NSX B-100 inspects wafers and die for all common bump defects, such as bump presence, diameter, shape, placement and defects on bumps.

The unit offers three speed configurations, depending on throughput requirements. In a common 200-mm wafer bump application, the unit's inspection time is about 60 s/wafer.

Options for the B-100 include logic area inspection, inking/wafermaps, OCT/barcode, modular automated handling systems and SECS II networking.

Emerson & Cuming has introduced two series of no-flow, fluxing underfill encapsulants, AMICON E 1330 and AMICON E 1350, for enhancing the reliability of area array devices, including flip chips, BGAs, CSPs and flip chips.

The technology incorporates solder-fluxing capability into an epoxy-based underfill chemistry which yields a robust encapsulant for underfilling area-array devices, according to the National Starch & Chemical Company subsidiary.

By using the no-flow fluxing underfills, users are saved tedious and expensive fluxing, flux cleaning, underfill capillary flow and post-cure operations, making the underfill process SMT compatible, the company says.

The AMICON 1330 series also enables rework of area-array assemblies by not curing through the reflow cycle. Accordingly, area-array devices may be tested and removed prior to underfill cure, leaving the substrate ready to accept another device. A post cure is then needed.

The AMICON E1350 series fully cures during a modified reflow cycle, eliminating a post-cycle.

KES Systems has introduced its newest parallel test and burn-in system, the GEN-1, for logic and memory testing.

Traditionally, parallel test and burn-in systems address mem-ory testing and are not designed for logic test and burn-in. However, the GEN-1, according to KES Systems, can generate both CMOS-1 and Rambus-compatible signals at the same time.

The signals to the device can be reconfigured on the fly to place address lines on data and clock lines on address lines.

The GEN-1 offers a variety of test modes, including normal Rambus operation, memory mode for testing of core memory portion and logic mode, for testing of logic portion.

• CSP Reliability
• Flip Chips
• Microvias
• Rambus Sockets

ICOS CI-5150 Component Inspection System

ICOS Vision Systems is offering the CI-5150 standalone component inspection system, which accepts a single tray, a tray stack or a tube for input. Output can be trays, tubes or tapes. The CI-5150 inspects gull wing, J-lead, BGA and CSP formats.

The CI-5150 is available in two basic configurations. One is for QA/QC inspection; the other is for medium-volume production work.

The 3M Electronic Handling and Protection Division is expanding its test and burn-in socket family to include a 1.00-mm BGA open-top socket and a socket for Rambus memory devices.

The 1.00-mm BGA open-top socket accommodates a wide range of package thicknesses without the need for adaptation and permits airflow around the device. A retractable locating guide proves for easy board mounting, even with hundreds of leads, according to 3M.

According to 3M, the socket's vertical actuation is compatible with most robotic handlers and allows easy manual operation with the normally closed contact design. Double beam contacts deliver balanced opposing forces to solder balls with minimal shear stress.

The Rambus Textool socket handles a 0.8 x 1.0-mm rectangular IC package.

3M is also expanding other test and burn-in socket platforms with the release of the Type III 0.80-mm open-top socket, the Type III 1.00-mm lidded socket and the Type III 1.27-mm open-top socket.

Kester Solder, a division of Litton Systems, has added 9603 Epoxy Flux to its SE-CURE product line. The new flux is a polymer-based, no-clean, tacky soldering flux used to assemble microelectronic devices to PC boards.

SE-CURE 9603 Flux is compatible with standard underfills. The flux demonstrates a standard surface mount reflow profile to enable concurrent processing with traditional SMT devices and solder paste.

Kanematsu USA, worldwide distributor for Seiko Epson test handlers, has integrated precision thermal and vision capabilities into Seiko Epson handlers that the company says increase test accuracy and lower test cost.

An NG-200 active cooling head, manufactured by Silicon Thermal of Mountain View, Calif., has been integrated onto the index unit of Seiko Epson handlers. This unit can maintain a temperature of +/-3žC during test. On most large packages, when a 100-watt spike is applied directly to the die, the NG2000 can sustain the temperature at +/- 5žC.

Kanematsu has also integrated a high-speed, high-accuracy, 3D-BGA lead inspection module into Seiko Epson handlers. This module currently allows inspection of a 400-ball BGA package for coplanarity, XY&Z error, pitch, diameter and missing ball in 0.40 seconds with an accuracy of 0.5 mil and a repeatability of 0.16 mil.

The module can fully inspect BGA packages with 300 or more balls at a speed of 1 millisecond/ball. With the lead inspection module as part of the test handler, the handler can be used offline as a standalone inspection system.

Palomar's LED-based lighting system

Palomar Technologies is offering a two-axis programmable LED-based lighting system and light-calibration software options for the company's 2460-IV and 2460-V ball bonders.

The LED system lights component surfaces with ultra- bright red LEDs for the vision processor to locate and reference bond sites.

The light calibration software enables users to calibrate their programmable lighting systems to produce similar brightness levels across different machines with varying lamp and LED intensities and other manufacturing variables.

The LED lighting system consists of a programmable dual axis controller with manual adjustment knobs, cabling, on-axis, through-lens LED cluster and off-axis LED assembly, as well as mounting brackets for the off-axis LED ring.

The off-axis assembly can swing out of position to allow easy access to the transducer and capillary, and then swing back into its detent position for lighting.