SMT, PCB, EMS Technical Articles

Decapsulation of Integrated Circuits

May 29, 2019 | ACI Technologies, Inc.

Decapsulation, or de-cap, is a failure analysis technique which involves the removal of material packaging from an integrated circuit (IC). After de-cap, visual inspection by optical microscopy of the internal circuitry may reveal areas where damage is most likely to have occurred. In addition, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) can identify the composition of any anomalies present after de-cap under higher magnification. The removal process of package material can be done either mechanically or chemically depending on the design of the integrated circuit. With ceramic packaging, de-cap is usually done mechanically by chiseling off the top with a fine razor and small hammer. For plastic packaging, de-cap requires chemical etching by strong acids. In this Tech Tips article, de-cap by chemical etching will be outlined step by step....

Publisher: ACI Technologies, Inc.

ACI Technologies, Inc.

ACI, an authorized IPC Training Center operating the National Electronics Manufacturing Center of Excellence providing analytical testing, manufacturing and repair services to the electronics industry.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Consultant / Service Provider, Standards Setting / Certification, Training Provider

PCB vias design recommendation

May 29, 2019 | PCBNPI

1.Vias near SMD pads: Solder can flow into the via after melted. As a result cold joint will appear in the end. Check the picture below. 2.Vias on SMD pads: Solder can flow into the via more easier after melted. Check the picture below. 3.Via opening without soldermask covered. When workers solder TH parts by hand, soldering iron can touch vias sometime, then tiny amounts molten solder will stay on vias. This can lead to electrical short easily. We recommend you make all vias tenting (covered by solder mask) if it is possible. ...

Publisher: PCBNPI-Professional PCB Fab/PCB Assembly Service Provider From China

PCBNPI-Professional PCB Fab/PCB Assembly Service Provider From China

Professional PCB Prototype & Assembly Turnkey Service For Low Volume Quantity With High Quality And Low Cost! Professional NPI Team Support & Quality Guarantee!Easy Quote online!No MOQ & hidden fee here.Just Have a Try

Hangzhou, China

Manufacturer

Decapsulation of Integrated Circuits

May 24, 2019 | ACI Technologies, Inc.

Decapsulation, or de-cap, is a failure analysis technique which involves the removal of material packaging from an integrated circuit (IC). After de-cap, visual inspection by optical microscopy of the internal circuitry may reveal areas where damage is most likely to have occurred. In addition, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) can identify the composition of any anomalies present after de-cap under higher magnification. The removal process of package material can be done either mechanically or chemically depending on the design of the integrated circuit. With ceramic packaging, de-cap is usually done mechanically by chiseling off the top with a fine razor and small hammer. For plastic packaging, de-cap requires chemical etching by strong acids. In this Tech Tips article, de-cap by chemical etching will be outlined step by step....

Publisher: ACI Technologies, Inc.

ACI Technologies, Inc.

ACI, an authorized IPC Training Center operating the National Electronics Manufacturing Center of Excellence providing analytical testing, manufacturing and repair services to the electronics industry.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Consultant / Service Provider, Standards Setting / Certification, Training Provider

Coating Application Methods

May 24, 2019 | ACI Technologies, Inc.

Conformal coatings are applied to Printed Circuit Board Assemblies(PCBAs) using a variety of different methods. There are six main methods of applying conformal coatings: manual spraying, automated spraying, dipping, brushing, selective coating, and vacuum deposition....

Publisher: ACI Technologies, Inc.

ACI Technologies, Inc.

ACI, an authorized IPC Training Center operating the National Electronics Manufacturing Center of Excellence providing analytical testing, manufacturing and repair services to the electronics industry.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Consultant / Service Provider, Standards Setting / Certification, Training Provider

Preparation for Reflow Profiling

May 24, 2019 | ACI Technologies, Inc.

There is a smaller process window and a much narrower margin of error when creating and using lead-free reflow profiles for surface mount parts on printed circuit boards (PCBs). Solder balls, dewetting, tombstones, voids, and head-on-pillow problems will occur much more frequently because lead-free alloys behave differently than eutectic pastes. Problems are compounded due to the extra heat necessary for some lead-free pastes to reach their melting points....

Publisher: ACI Technologies, Inc.

ACI Technologies, Inc.

ACI, an authorized IPC Training Center operating the National Electronics Manufacturing Center of Excellence providing analytical testing, manufacturing and repair services to the electronics industry.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Consultant / Service Provider, Standards Setting / Certification, Training Provider

When the Soldering Specialist Bans Soldering Fume

May 24, 2019 | ULT

Soldering system vendor SEHO runs a Technology Center in its headquarters in Germany, in which all available machines are exhibited and demonstrated. Additionally, the SEHO Academy provides knowledge as a perfect balance of theory and practical application. In both facilities soldering fume occurs, which has damaging effects on human health, manufacturing equipment and products. That's why the company had installed several air cleaning solutions in terms of fume extraction technology. How and why they take care of clean air is the subject of this article....

Publisher: ULT Canada Sales Incorporated

ULT Canada Sales Incorporated

ULT is a vendor of efficient fume extraction solutions for air purification. The company's systems are utilized for the removal of laser fumes, soldering fumes, odors, vapors, gases, dusts etc. in electronics production.

Okotoks, Alberta, Canada

Consultant / Service Provider, Manufacturer

Fully automatic online shoe sole and upper spraying robot

May 23, 2019 | Peter Chen

Automatic on-line shoe sole spraying system: automatic shoe sole spraying system, simple and convenient operation, using 3D vision positioning system. Automatic recognition and automatic generation of spraying trajectory. Robot non-contact spraying gun is used to complete the process of shoe sole spraying with maturity, stability, high speed and high precision along the predetermined trajectory. The automatic generation of spraying trajectory is the realization of shoe sole spraying technology. Shoe sole spraying characteristics: 1.Positioning System: 3D Visual Positioning 2.Components: Intelligent Robot, Laser Scanner, Industrial Computer, Gum Spraying System, Conveyor Belt, Electrical Control System, etc. 3.Spraying time: slightly different according to shoe size and spraying time Fully automatic sole spraying advantages: 1. Simple application: suitable for soles of different specifications, models and sizes 2. Faster speed: 6-8 seconds to complete sole scanning and spraying, superior to similar products at home and abroad. 3. Quality stability: gum spraying trajectory is scheduled, gum dosage is fixed, gum spraying quality is greatly improved. 4. High cost performance: the same performance, the price is only 1/3 of the same type of equipment of European brand. 5. Reduce wear and tear: glue is fully utilized and not wasted, reducing human contact with glue. Intelligent operation advantage manual only need general operation can be automated workshop, mechanical arm automatic spraying glue, accurate spraying, reduce glue waste. Environmental protection effect of long-term close contact with glue seriously affects human health and mechanical work, glue does not directly contact, do not harm the human body. Fully automatic spraying, shoe sole adhesion process for automatic spraying machine, will not cause great challenges! With the deepening of personalized shoemaking, higher requirements have been put forward for the spraying technology in shoemaking process. The method of creating spraying trajectory must be adapted to shoes of different sizes and styles. The automatic generation of spraying trajectory is one of the key technologies to realize the automation of shoe sole spraying process. The method of off-line programming and real-time generation of spraying trajectory for robots based on the three-dimensional CAD model of sole and the data of sole. A new method of generating spray trajectory by scanning the sole of shoe upper with linear structured light sensor is presented. The feasibility of the method is verified by industrial robots. Aiming at the need of generating shoe sole spray rubber trajectory based on line structured light, the format standard of IGES file of three-dimensional model of shoe sole was tested. The shoe sole contour line and the shoe sole surface were extracted, and then the offset curve of the shoe sole contour line on the shoe sole surface was calculated to obtain the spray rubber trajectory. Three-dimensional profilometer is to use structured light to obtain sole information, effectively improve the automatic shoemaking spraying process, which will help to improve the efficiency of shoemaking, improve the quality of footwear products, and promote the development of personalized shoemaking....

Publisher: YUSH Electronic Technology Co.,Ltd

YUSH Electronic Technology Co.,Ltd

YUSH Electronic Technology Co.,Ltd was founded in 2004,is located in the world manufacturing city Jiangsu,Guprofessional pcb separator/pcb depanelizer electronic equipment machinery. The company has

Suzhou, China

Manufacturer

Identifying Flux Residues

May 23, 2019 | ACI Technologies, Inc.

Why identify flux residues? The primary purpose of flux is to reduce species of metal oxides from solderable surfaces, and to act as a mechanism for lifting and removing debris. If the assembly is not properly cleaned after manufacturing, flux may continue to reduce metals and may eventually corrode the assembly. When the assembly is powered, the metal ions may precipitate along electromagnetic field lines and form dendritic shorts. In addition, the presence of residue can alter the insulation properties of a board, affect the adhesion of the conformal coating, or interfere with the moving parts of the assembly. In radio frequency (RF) applications, flux may change the RF properties on the surface of the printed circuit board (PCB) such as the dielectric strength, surface resistance, and Q-resonance....

Publisher: ACI Technologies, Inc.

ACI Technologies, Inc.

ACI, an authorized IPC Training Center operating the National Electronics Manufacturing Center of Excellence providing analytical testing, manufacturing and repair services to the electronics industry.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Consultant / Service Provider, Standards Setting / Certification, Training Provider

Cleaning

May 23, 2019 | ACI Technologies, Inc.

Solvent and co-solvent cleaning involves the use of engineered solvents in a vapor phase system. The solvents classically used were Class 1 Ozone Depleting Substances, but new types of solvents have been developed that are less environmentally harmful. In some cases, isopropyl alcohol is used with a co-solvent. In these types of cleaning systems, a cloud of boiling vapor solvent is maintained between a boil sump and a cooling coil. When the items to be cleaned are immersed in the vapor cloud, the solvent condenses on the assemblies and acts to dissolve the residues. These processes usually involve a final rinse step outside of the vapor cloud to ensure that all dissolved residues are washed off the assemblies (Figure 1)....

Publisher: ACI Technologies, Inc.

ACI Technologies, Inc.

ACI, an authorized IPC Training Center operating the National Electronics Manufacturing Center of Excellence providing analytical testing, manufacturing and repair services to the electronics industry.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Consultant / Service Provider, Standards Setting / Certification, Training Provider

Wedge Bonding Tool Selection

May 23, 2019 | ACI Technologies, Inc.

Increasing I/O numbers, device complexity, and product miniaturization requires high precision bonding tools, and sophisticated equipment. Careful consideration should be given to wedge geometry while selecting the tool for a fine pitch wire bonding application. Wire bonding is a process that creates an electrical connection between a die and a substrate or lead typically using gold or aluminum wire. Wedge bonding is a specific type of wire bonding that uses a wedge shaped tool to create the welds. The design of the wedge tool has changed very little over the past decade. The wire is fed at an angle through the back of the wedge. This angle is typically 30 to 60 degrees and is application dependent. Some applications require a higher feed angle due to package clearance issues. Some deep access applications require a 90 degree feed angle. In this configuration, the wire is fed through a hole in the shank of the wedge tool. Wire feed is shown in Figure 1....

Publisher: ACI Technologies, Inc.

ACI Technologies, Inc.

ACI, an authorized IPC Training Center operating the National Electronics Manufacturing Center of Excellence providing analytical testing, manufacturing and repair services to the electronics industry.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Consultant / Service Provider, Standards Setting / Certification, Training Provider