Product category:
IC and Hybrid Processing Equipment
News Release from: Production Equipment Sales | Subject: Itrak plasma cleaning system
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 19 March 2001
Plasma cleaning improves packaging
integrity
Production Equipment Sales claims the Itrak plasma cleaning system eliminates delamination, improving wirebond strength, ensuring void-free underfill and giving increased die attachment.
Production Equipment Sales claims the Itrak plasma cleaning system eliminates delamination, improving wirebond strength, ensuring void free underfill and giving increased die attachment Trends towards smaller geometries and increased units per substrate of matrix/array packages have increased the need for absolute cleanliness
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 13 Aug 2002 at 8.00am (UK)
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Process and packaging engineers have therefore turned to plasma cleaning systems to improve yields and ensure reliability on electronic packages such as BGA, flip chip, QFP, COB and CSP.
The Itrak automated inline system, manufactured by Nordson Plasma Systems, has been engineered without moving parts in the chamber to increase reliability and reduce cycle times.
In addition the system easily integrates with most process equipment including wirebond, die attach, dispense, mold and marking.
The system's self contained design requires minimal floor space, adding less than 2.5ft to any line.
Cleaning and surface treatment of BGA substrates is critical for quality production results since BGA package substrates are typically thinner and lighter than standard FR4 and BT resin substrates.
Plasma cleaning greatly improves the bonding in these applications as it removes contaminants and increases the surface energy of the substrates and bond pads.
The same obstacles found in the BGA production steps are also experienced in chip scale packaging.
However, the reduced size in circuitry and bond pads in CSP increase the reliability and yield issues.
In packages that are wire bonded, the fine pitch applications can present a wire bond challenge for the secondary bonds.
Plasma cleans at the molecular level providing increased yields in those difficult production situations.
The presence of oxides inhibits successful wire bonding and solder reflow.
Assurance of an oxide-free surface is important to obtain good bond yields and as an oxidation-reduction process, plasma can be utilised as a replacement method for flux.
In flip chip packaging the unique challenge is the underfill process, particularly with designs that utilise large dies, tight gaps and high density ball placement.
Plasma cleaning has been proven to increase surface energy promoting adhesion, minimising voiding and increasing wicking speeds.
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