VARDAMAN: The Road to Recovery

AUGUST 2009 circuitsassembly.com

Optimizing
Wave
Soldering

Inside
Koh Young

Measuring
Customer
Satisfaction

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VARDAMAN: The Road to Recovery

AUGUST 2009 circuitsassembly.com

Optimizing
Wave
Soldering

Inside
Koh Young

Measuring
Customer

AUGUST 2009 – Vol. 20 No. 8 Satisfaction

FIRST PERSON
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FEATURES ON THE COVER: An acoustic image of

6 Caveat Lector an MLCC containing a single void.

The estimable legacy of iNEMI CEO Cover Story

Jim McElroy.
17 Preventing MLCC Failures
Mike Buetow Mechanical anomalies can cause electrical failure in MLCCs. Many defects – including cracks
caused by panel separation – can be uncovered by first performing acoustic imaging on
unassembled parts.
By Tom Adams
TECH TALK
Reflow Profiling
14 On the Forefront 20 Oven Adjustment Effects on a Solder Reflow
The backend semiconductor industry is feeling
the recovery’s bumps.
Profile
A recipe that works for one board won’t necessarily work for another board if the weight or
E. Jan Vardaman design is significantly different. This study found that of the three oven adjustments, zone set
points have the biggest effect on peak temperature and TAL.
By Fred Dimock
15 Screen Printing
Understencil cleaning’s little devil.
Koh Young

Clive Ashmore
22 More than Just a Look
SPI market leader Koh Young is shrugging off the recession and taking Europe head on.
CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY visits the OEM to learn why now, and to get an in-depth look at its new 3-D
16 Better Manufacturing AOI machine.
The need for speed. By Mike Buetow

Jeff Knight
ONLINE at PCDandF.com
24 Wave Soldering
Optimizing the wave process is no simple feat. Fluid Dynamic Simulation for Cool Designs
Dr. Ursula Marquez de Tino Computational fluid dynamics-based simulations that examine temperature and heat flux can
help engineers make better thermal management decisions.
26 Tech Tips By Robin Bornoff

Changing the finish for BGA boards could

mean no more “HASLs.”
Electroplating for HDI and Packaging
ACI Technologies Inc.
Substrates
Process chemistry, substrate condition, mass transport and current density have a significant
impact on the via-filling capability of electroplated copper.
27 Wave Soldering By Mark Lefebvre, Elie Najjar, Luis Gomez and Leon Barstad
Troubleshooting
No stick solder. Redefining the Role of BoM
Today’s BoM is a roadmap of the engineer’s design intent up and down the manufacturing
Paul Lotosky supply chain.
By Nolan Johnson
28 Getting Lean
How to measure customer satisfaction.
Tony Bellitto
DEPARTMENTS
29 The Defects Database
9 Industry News 31 Ad Index
Thin hole plating could be susceptible
to lead damage. 12 Market Watch 31 Assembly Insider
Dr. Davide Di Maio 30 Product Spotlight 32 Technical Abstracts
 circuitsassembly.com

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4 Circuits Assembly AUGUST 2009 circuitsassembly.com

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Caveat
Lector Lucky 13
J
im McElroy is about the last person who would
want to be profiled in an industry magazine,
which is probably why the iNEMI chief executive
has been so effective over the past 13 years.
Indeed, he has made his mark in the background.
To McElroy, running the consortium is not so much
about leading, but “leadership facilitation.” Or, as the
low-key, longtime New Hampshire resident describes
it, “leading from the rear.”
Association management tends to be
intramural, attracting candidates from
other associations, rather from industry.
But one of the secrets to McElroy’s success
has been the more than two decades he
spent as an engineer and business manag-
er for the likes of RCA, Digital Equipment
Corp. and MMS, where he eventually rose
to vice president of international opera-
tions. Such background and experience
cannot help but inform a person about
how difficult a task it is to conceive,
design and build quality electronics prod-
ucts, and how in an industry that changes
at light speed, nothing can be taken lightly or for
granted.
These notes resounded in an interview McElroy
conducted with Circuits Assembly on July 6, the day
he announced his retirement. (For the full transcript,
visit circuitsassembly.com/cms/component/content/
article/5-current-columns/8560-leading-from-the-
rear.)
Asking what type of person it takes to succeed
in his job elicits a laugh from McElroy, who admits
he’s “probably biased.” Still, he elaborates in a way
that’s refreshingly candid, especially given the tech
industry's penchant for secrecy. “The biggest part is
leadership ability. It’s different from leadership ability
in a public company, where in a sense, you’re in charge
of your own destiny; you can do what you have to do.
That’s not the way it works in this job. The leadership
has to be subtler. Our role is more one of leadership
facilitation, forging direction and making things hap-
pen. The most successful things we do are driven by
industry leaders with the passion to drive it to timely
completion.
“[And you] have to be able to interact at a num-
ber of different levels. Our project [staff] might be
working at the engineering level or the first level of
management. But if we’re driving a new initiative, we
have to get the attention of senior-level people. Execu-
tives approach technology gaps in a different way than
technologists do. We need to be able to speak the lan-
6 Circuits Assembly AUGUST 2009
guage that each understands so that we can connect
with them and gain their support.”
When McElroy took over, iNEMI primarily was
a vehicle for roadmapping activity. Name recogni-
tion was limited. On his watch, the organization
has grown both in scope and stature. It expanded
overseas, where it now has a pair of outstand-
ing engineers, experienced handling operations in
Europe and China, respectively. It took a lead role
in facilitating the lead-free transition, helping to
settle on a SAC alloy from which the industry could
start baselining solutions, and publishing extensive
research on the subsequent tests. And McElroy was
perhaps the only person capable of sorting out the
longstanding battle between various trade groups
and companies over the competing data transfer
formats – a conflict about as lengthy and arcane as
the Middle East's.
Although it lacks a dedicated research facility, it is
the closest undertaking to Sematech insofar as being
a forum where the best and brightest engineers share
ideas, resources and work out problems. (The road-
maps, which iNEMI has steadily published every two
years, have become, in McElroy’s words, “self-fulfill-
ing prophecies,” pointing to the targets and setting the
industry in motion toward them.)
As is his style, McElroy didn’t spend much time
discussing his legacy, preferring to note the work
ahead. As the supply chain becomes more segmented,
the layers add to the complexity of the problems –
and solutions. “We still have to orchestrate across that
supply chain in order to drive the technology,” he says.
“When companies were integrated, it was easier to do.
We’re doing tech initiatives across a number of differ-
ent companies and cultures, and in an environment
when many companies have limited margins. So folks
have limited funds to invest in R&D. The question is,
How do we do this in a positive way that has the big-
gest impact?”
It’s someone else’s turn to address that issue. Now
64, McElroy is looking for a change, citing the oppor-
tunity to spend more time with family and give back
to the community. The electronics community should
be grateful, for among his peers managing associa-
tions, McElroy is head and shoulders above the crowd.
For iNEMI, it’s been a lucky 13 years.
Mike Buetow, Editor-in-Chief
mbuetow@upmediagroup.com
circuitsassembly.com
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 Industry
NEWS
In Brief
Reinke Manufacturing (reinke.com) will
outsource $1 million worth of electronics
design and manufacturing services to Elecsys
(elecsyscorp.com).
Variosystems Inc. (variosystems.com)
purchased Valor’s (valor.com) Trilogy 5000
DFM analysis software.
Sparton (sparton.com) will relocate its
headquarters to Schaumburg, IL, in October
and lay off 15 workers as part of its corporate
restructuring.
Kyzen (kyzen.com) plans to open a sales
and support facility in Penang, Malaysia.
ACE Production Technologies (ace-
protech.com) named Europlacer Distribu-
tion (europlacerdistrib.com) its exclusive rep-
resentative in France, and parts of Switzerland,
Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco.
Data I/O (dataio.com) named as sales
representatives Kurt Whitlock Associates
(kurtwhitlock.com) in Florida and West Tech
(westtechinc.com) in Colorado, Utah and Wyo-
ming.
Nortech Systems (nortechsys.com) will
close its Garner, IA, EMS facility here by early
August and lay off 57 workers. Nortech pur-
chased the facility from Suntron (suntron.
com) in February 2007.
YesTech (yestechinc.com) named Inter-
Latin (interlatin.com.mx) to represent its AOI
and x-ray line in Mexico.
Manitowoc Cranes (manitowoccranes.
com) named Morey Corp. (moreycorp.com)
to design, build, and supply the telematics
control unit for its CraneSTAR asset manage-
ment system.
Enhanced Video Devices (enhanced-
videodevices.com) named Digi-Key (digikey.
com) as worldwide distributor of its EVD 1000
and EVD 1500 ICs.
Aqueous Technologies (aqueoustech.
com) named Horizon Sales as its manu-
facturer’s representative for Michigan, Ohio,
Indiana and Kentucky.  Also, Prodelec, like Prod Electronic a subsidiary of Fin.Pro. Holding, was recently appointed by DEK as exclusive
circuitsassembly.com Circuits Assembly AUGUST 2009
Edited by Mike Buetow
Ericsson to Buy Elcoteq’s Estonia Ops
TALLINN, ESTONIA – LM Ericsson (ericsson.com) will acquire part of Elcoteq’s (elcoteq.com) manufacturing opera-
tions in Tallinn for EUR 30 million ($42 million), pending regulator approval, the companies said on June 17.
The deal includes about 1,200 Elcoteq employees. Production is expected to begin under the Erics-
son name by Aug. 1.
The site reportedly builds radio access products for Ericsson’s 2G and 3G base stations.
The announcement comes not long after Alcatel-Lucent (alcatel-lucent.com) and other major OEMs have
announced plans to bring production in-house. Despite the purchase, Ericcson said its outsourcing strategy remains
intact.
Elcoteq is the world’s sixth largest EMS company, but has been undergoing a long restructuring. – Mike
Buetow
Creation Launches Expansion Project
ST. PETER, MN – Creation Technologies (creationtech.com) will move into a 50,000-sq. ft. plant here by next year,
the company said in late June. The announcement comes on the heels of a deal signed with the city of St. Peter,
under which the EMS company agreed to create a minimum of 24 new full-time jobs within the next two years. 
Creation is working with local real estate and construction companies to build the new plant, estimated
at $4.8 million. Once complete, Creation Technologies will sign a 15-year lease agreement. In return, St. Peter
Economic Development Authority reportedly will purchase the company’s existing 37,000 sq. ft. building, acquired
when the company bought Taytronics in 2007.
The site currently employs 115 workers. – Mike Buetow
Celestica to Exit Philippines
CEBU CITY, PHILIPPINES – Celestica (celestica.com) will shutter its manufacturing plant here by the end of August
and lay off 800 workers, according to local reports. The Mactan plant shutdown will be completed by Aug. 31, a
company spokesman reportedly said.
The move will take Celestica completely out of the Philippines. The firm closed its Laguna site last December.
– Mike Buetow
Videoton Expanding in E. Europe
STARA ZAGORA, BULGARIA – Videoton EAS (videoton.hu) in April opened a production plant here, where the
EMS company plans to build electronics for household appliances.
In May, the firm also opened a site in Mukachevo, West Ukraine. The Ukraine plant initially will employ 450
workers and will assemble and test wire harnesses for the automotive industry. The full ramp-up of the project is
expected by the end of the year, with the workforce expected to reach 600.
Videoton is the world’s 27th largest EMS firm, according to the Circuits Assembly Top 50. – Mike Bue-
tow
DEK Stencil Mfg. Ops on the Move
REYNOSA, MEXICO – DEK (dek.com) has teamed with equipment representative and stencil franchisee InterLa-
tin (interlatin.com.mx) to open a stencil manufacturing facility here. The facility, which opened in March, serves
regional EMS and OEM customers.
There are now three DEK stencil franchises and two DEK-operated stencil manufacturing sites in the Americas,
with more planned later this year. 
Franchisees are licensees of the VectorGuard stencil system, a frame and foil tensioning design.
Separately, Prod Electronic (prodelecgroup.com/fra) has acquired DEK’s platform product sales business and
stencil sales and manufacturing business in France. Terms of the deal, which was finalized on June 5, were not
disclosed.
The new businesses will trade as Prodelectronic Technologies SAS and Prodelectronic Stencils SAS, respectively.
In a press release, DEK said its France staff would continue to support customers and provide tactical support.
distributor in Italy. – Chelsey Drysdale
9
 Industry
NEWS
In Brief
DancoTech (dancotech.com) purchased
an Asymtek (asymtek.com) Spectrum S-910N
dispenser.
JJS Electronics (jjselectronics.com)
installed a DEK (dek.com) Horizon 03i screen
printer, two BTU (btu.com) Pyramax 100A
reflow ovens and a Goepel (goepel.com)
Opticom Advancedline CLX4M AOI.
Northrop Grumman awarded a $2.3
million contract to LaBarge (labarge.com) for
a missile countermeasure system.
Rehm Thermal Systems (rehm-group.
com) named Encon (encon.pl) as its distribu-
tor in Poland.
Rockwell Automation (rockwellauto-
mation.com) will close plants in Dublin, GA,
and Sumner, IA, next year and lay off more
than 300 workers.
People
Miyachi Unitek hired Andrew Dodd as
senior sales engineer, responsible for Laser and
Systems Sales and Applications Support in the
Midwest US.
Hansatech EMS appointed Tom Collett
business development manager.
Manncorp named Chris Ellis to its East
Coast sales team.
Asymtek promoted Paul
Gallo to sales manager,
USA and Americas, and Tom
Schafer (pictured) to gen-
eral manager, Asia Pacific,
and global accounts program
manager.
Corrections
Due to an editing error, our July 2009
write-up of the Microscan MINI Hawk (p. 30)
ran with the wrong photo.
Due to a translation error, the Chinese
caption in Materials World (July 2009) was
incorrect. The corrected caption is available at
circuitsassembly.com/cms/images/stories/Articl
eImages/0907/0907materialsworld.pdf.
We regret the errors.
10 Circuits Assembly AUGUST 2009
Dage Moves to Larger UK HQ
AYLESBURY, UK – Dage Precision Industries (dage.
com) has moved its group headquarters to a 36,000
sq. ft. building here that includes a production area
twice the size of its old facility.
The facility features an expanded applications lab
and training center that will house the company’s
bond testers and x-ray inspection systems. The new
site also contains a cleanroom for assembling and
testing high bandwidth bond tester transducers.
Dage has more than 200 employees and facilities Inside the x-ray production floor at Dage.
in China, Japan, Singapore, Germany and the US. –
Chelsey Drysdale
iNEMI Defines ‘Low Halogen’ in Electronics
HERNDON, VA – The International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (inemi.org) released a
statement defining low-halogen (BFR/CFR/PVC-free) for electronics products.
For PCBs and board laminates, iNEMI members define low halogen as containing no more
than 1500 ppm of total halogens in the resin plus reinforcement matrix, and no more than 900
ppm (each) of bromine or chlorine.
For components, each plastic in the component should contain less than 1000 ppm of bro-
mine, if the source is from brominated flame retardants, and less than 1000 ppm of chlorine, if
the source is from chlorinated flame retardants, PVC or PVC copolymers.
Members supporting the statement include Cisco, Dell, Doosan, H-P, Intel, Lenovo, Nan Ya
Plastics, Senju Comtek, Sun Microsystems and Tyco Electronics.
The statement comes following iNEMI’s April announcement of its HFR-Free Leadership Pro-
gram, through which several of the consortium’s OEM and supply-chain members are working to
assess the feasibility of a broad conversion to HFR-free PCB materials.
Three specific project teams are now working on the program, including:
• The HFR-Free PCB Materials Project, which plans to identify technology limitations involved in
transitioning to HFR-free PCB materials.
• The HFR-Free Signal Integrity Project, which focuses on ensuring no electrical signal degrada-
tion in HFR-free PCB materials.
The PVC Alternatives Project, which evaluates alternatives to PVC (including additives) in elec-
tronic cable and wire applications using a lifecycle assessment approach. – Chelsey Drysdale
Consulting Group Launches OEM-EMS Match-
maker Tool
SAN JOSE – Call it EMS Harmony. EMS consulting group Charlie Barnhart & Associates (char-
liebarnhart.com) has launched an online program said to enable OEMs to identify appropriate
electronics manufacturing services partners.
The program includes a sponsorship program that includes custom webcasts and communica-
tions activities, and a searchable “EMS Index” to help OEMs find specific services.
The program also comes with CBA’s free Leading Indicators index, which encompasses global
labor rates, a novel geographic risk factors algorithm, capacity utilization rates, and other data.
“My methodologies are founded on GAAP-standards, and in case after case, we are seeing
proof that  many of the assumptions about electronics outsourcing in operation today among
OEMs are dead wrong,” Barnhart said in a press release. “OEMs are invariably stunned at the
benchmark data we are able to show them about their own total costs of outsourcing. ” – Mike
Buetow
circuitsassembly.com
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• Fine pitch probing capability of 0.2mm • Conforms to IPC/JEDEC J-STD 033b.1

Anritsu 3D High Precision In-Line Solder Sawa Ultrasonic Stencil Cleaners/Misprint Cleaner
Paste Inspection • Low solvent usage and running costs
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and Nihon Superior solder products. Learn more at: www.seikausa.com.
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 Market
WATCH Edited by Chelsey Drysdale

A/V Up
Trends in the U.S. electronics equipment market (shipments only). 2010 Recovery for Equipment
------------- % Change --------------
April Aprilr April* YTD
Production
Computers and electronics products -1.0 3.0 -1.9 -14.5 LOS ALTOS, CA – The dismal picture for global equipment produc-
Computers -9.1 3.3 -1.8 -20.4 tion should brighten considerably next year as worldwide equip-
Storage devices 10.7 -0.7 -2.7 -21.9 ment production is predicted to expand 5.4% in 2010 and 8.4% in
Other peripheral equipment 4.9 -7.3 0.5 -11.3
2011, says research firm Henderson Ventures (hendersonventures.
Nondefense communications equipment 3.0 -4.5 -2.6 -23.5
com).
Defense communications equipment -15.0 10.5 -9.1 13.9
A/V equipment 2.0 -7.1 15.1 -30.6
The rebound is a dramatic improvement over the 12.3% decline
Semiconductors -3.7 40.4 -9.0 -30.9 Henderson forecasts for this year. While each region is forecast
Components1 -1.1 -1.9 -1.6 -19.6 to see a drop in 2009, China will take the smallest hit, at 6.6%.
Nondefense search and navigation equipment -4.5 -6.6 0.4 -13.2 Japan’s output is forecast to drop 21.3%, slammed by investment
Defense search and navigation equipment 0.4 -0.6 0.8 -2.7 retrenchments and plant closings. The US is forecast to drop 10.1%
Medical, measurement and control 0.0 -0.8 0.7 3.8
this year, then rebound to 3.3% growth in 2010.
rRevised.
*Preliminary. 1Includes semiconductors. Seasonally adjusted. Source: U.S. Department of
Commerce Census Bureau, July 2, 2009

ISM: Mfg. Trends ‘Encouraging’ IT Buying to Recover in Q4

CAMBRIDGE, MA – Global purchases of IT goods and services by
TEMPE, AZ – Production in the US manufacturing sector rose 12.1 points
businesses and governments will fall 10.6% this year. But buying
between April and June, reaching 52.5%, according to the latest survey of
the nation’s supply executives. should resume in the fourth quarter, says Forrester Research (for-
Month to month, the PMI index of manufacturing contracted, but at a rester.com).
slower rate, said the Institute for Supply Management (ism.ws), which tracks The research firm revised an earlier forecast, which called
the data. The index rose two points sequentially to 44.8%; a reading above for a 3% drop worldwide this year. The firm downgraded its US
50% indicates the manufacturing economy is generally expanding. IT outlook to a 5.1% drop, from a 3.1% decline. Computer and
The New Orders index registered 49.2%, down 1.9 points from May. An communications equipment sales will drop 13.5% and 12.4%,
index above 48.8%, over time, is generally consistent with an increase in the respectively, this year, the company said.
Census Bureau’s series on manufacturing orders (in constant 2000 dollars).
In a statement, ISM spokesman Norbert J. Ore said, “Manufacturing
continues to contract at a slower rate, but the trends in the indexes are
encouraging, as seven of 18 industries reported growth in June. Most EMS to Surge Next Year
encouraging is the gain in the Production Index.” He noted that “aggressive SAN JOSE – The worldwide electronics manufacturing services
inventory reduction continues and indications are that the de-stocking cycle market grew 12.5% last year, while the assembly market rose only
is at or near the end in most industries.” 0.5%, according to Electronic Trends Publications (electronictrend-
Feb. Mar. Apr. May June pubs.com). This year will see a steady drop, but the EMS market will
PMI 35.8 36.3 40.1 42.8 44.8
surge again in 2010, as outsourcing ramps, says ETP.
New orders 33.1 41.2 47.2 51.1 49.2
The research firm says electronics assembly revenues reached
Production 36.3 36.4 40.4 46.0 52.5
Inventories 37.0 32.2 33.6 32.9 30.8
$964 billion last year, and will reach more than $1.2 trillion in
Customer inventories 51.0 54.0 49.5 46.0 43.5 2013. The firm says the EMS industry will increase from $294 bil-
Backlogs 31.0 35.5 40.5 48.0 47.5 lion in 2008 to $435 billion in 2013.
Source: Institute for Supply Management, July 1, 2009

Industry Market Snapshot Metals Index

Price Per Lb.
Book-to-bills of various components/equipment.
Date 7/7/08 4/6/09 5/4/09 6/1/09 7/6/09
Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May
LME Cash Seller and
$10.60 $4.99 $5.81 $6.69 $6.58
Semiconductor equipment1 0.47 0.49 0.56 0.65r 0.74p Settlement for Tin
Semiconductors2 -28.6% -30.2% -29.8% -25.1%r -23.2%p LME Cash Seller and
$0.71 $0.58 $0.61 $0.74 $0.77
Settlement for Lead
Rigid PCBs3 (North America) 0.88 0.89 0.92 0.98 1.03
Handy and Harman
Flexible PCBs3 (North America) 0.98 1.02 0.87 0.94 0.96 $262.02 $187.74 $182.58 $229.98 $195.60
Silver (COMEX Silver)
Computers/electronic products4 5.60 5.57 5.66 5.72r 5.79p
LME Cash Seller and
$3.34 $1.87 $2.04 $2.24 $2.26
Sources: 1SEMI, 2SIA (3-month moving average growth), 3IPC , 4Census Bureau, ppreliminary, rrevised Settlement for Copper

12 Circuits Assembly AUGUST 2009 circuitsassembly.com

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 On the
Forefront The Backend Will Feel the Bumps
For many package subcontractors, the road to recovery won’t be smooth.
S
emiconductor industry
analysts argue that the
worst is behind us. In the
second quarter, wafer shipment
growth is tracking at over 50%
quarter-over-quarter at TSMC,
UMC, SMIC and Chartered. ASE,
Amkor and SPIL reported posi-
tive revenue growth during the
period, and are optimistic about
the third quarter. Yet, while each
quarter may be better than the
last, the road to recovery for the
backend equipment OEMs and
material suppliers may be a bit
bumpy.
Advanced packages, comprised
of ball grid arrays and chip-scale
packages, are the source of much
of the unit and revenue growth
in the semiconductor packaging
and assembly sector. While BGA
and CSP shipments will improve
quarter-over-quarter, unit vol-
umes will not return to 2008 lev-
els until 2011. Wafer-level pack-
aging seems a bright spot, with
many companies favoring use of
WLPs instead of some conven-
tional packages because of their
smaller form factor and lower
profile. With this year’s capital
expenditures for the top four IC
package subcontract assembly
and test operations expected to
be less than half the dollar value
in 2008, many backend assembly
E. Jan Vardaman equipment makers may face hard
is president of times over the next 18 months
TechSearch Interna- (Figure 1). The key question then
tional, (techsearchinc. is, Are these companies strong
com); jan@techsearch enough to survive such a pro-
inc.com. Her column tracted dry spell? Even if they
appears bimonthly. are, can we expect any advances
in assembly technology over the
next two years? What level of
orders will sustain R&D activities
for the development of future
equipment (and materials)?
Feeling the pinch. What makes
up backend assembly equipment
14 Circuits Assembly AUGUST 2009
infrastructure? A typical assem-
bly line for a wire-bonded pack-
age consists of systems for dicing,
cleaning, die attach, wire bond,
epoxy mold and curing. If the
package is a BGA or CSP, equip-
ment for solder ball attach, reflow
and cleaning are also needed. If the
package is a leadframe, some lead
forming and excise equipment will
be part of the process. Inspection
systems also are used at the final
part of the assembly process. If the
package has flip chip instead of
wire bond, the die attach and wire
bond will most likely be replaced
by a pick-and-place system for
mounting the flip-chip die on the
substrate, underfill dispense, and
cure system. Test sockets, burn-in
ovens, test handlers, and testers
are all part of the backend infra-
structure, not to mention dic-
ing blades, wire bond capillary
tools, bonder heads, nozzles and
a host of other components used
in the assembly process. While
some equipment suppliers are part
of large organizations, many of
the companies that make up this
infrastructure are relatively small
in size and revenue, and would
feel a prolonged period of slow
sales. What does this mean for
our industry’s future? As Business
Week noted in June, tech compa-
nies have seen the deepest cuts
in global capital spending, down
28% year-over-year. This much is
certain: Even if these companies
survive, few will be able to afford
to devote resources to R&D for the
next generation of packages. In
some cases, these companies will
Table 1. Capex Spending, Top 4 Package
Subcontractors
Year Capital Expenditures
2008 $1,263 million
2009 $530 million
Source: TechSearch International, Inc., adapt-
ed from Goldman Sachs
merge with larger ones, and the
equipment infrastructure will be
maintained. For example, ESEC
is now a part of BESI, and ESI has
purchased the assets of XSiL. In
some sad cases, operations will
simply cease to exist. Agilent, for
instance, announced the closures
of its AOI and AXI business units.
Is this of concern, or is this just
another part of the semiconductor
supply chain that will contract?
Fewer material choices? Materi-
als such as substrates, leadframes,
bonding wire, mold compounds,
underfill materials, dielectrics,
plating solutions, solder balls,
thermal interface materials, and
a variety of other products are
also part of the infrastructure.
The materials sector has already
seen consolidation (Henkel’s
acquisition of National Starch's
Ablestik and Emerson & Cum-
ing business; Dow Chemical’s
acquisition of Rohm and Haas.)
In Taiwan, substrate suppliers
PPT and Unimicron will merge.
Will this result in few choices of
suppliers, and shortages? In Tai-
wan, Chipbond reports the LCD
driver IC backend assembly busi-
ness is experiencing a shortage
of substrates (tape in the form
of chip-on-flex). Will prices rise
over time? Will material suppli-
ers be healthier in the future and
therefore able to invest resourc-
es in materials to meet future
industry needs? These questions
remain.
Future shock. Semicon West
this year had fewer companies
for the semiconductor backend
assembly sector, and part of the
reason certainly was the down-
turn. The question remains, after
the recovery, will these companies
return, or will empty halls echo
with the sounds of ghosts from
our industry’s past? n
circuitsassembly.com
Going Under
When it comes to understencil cleaning, the devil’s in the details.
M
ost would consider screen printing a single
process: the first step in the assembly line.
However, understencil cleaning is a process
itself: a screen-printing sub-process. Not only must
the production engineer be adept at printing tech-
niques, but cleaning parameters and routines as well.
Understanding software features such as cleaning
rates (how often should you clean) and modes (wet,
dry, vacuum and their various combinations) is criti-
cal and, of course, highly application-dependent. The
industry default mode is generally wet/dry/vac – not
that it is necessarily the right choice always, but that
is what most operators are used to. Aside from deter-
mining rates and modes, cleaning materials selection
is also tantamount to a robust cleaning process. The
understencil fabric and solvents used to remove solder
paste from today’s ever-smaller apertures play a large
part in the success of the cleaning sub-process, and
the overall print process.
As an example, let’s take a look at the fabric. Obvi-
ously, the main goal with any cleaning fabric – even
those used at home – is to clean the object free of
debris at the end of the process. Unfortunately, quite
a few understencil cleaning materials don’t do that.
Instead, they put lint back onto the stencil, which may
in turn block apertures. I’ve heard many engineers
debunk the lint effect, arguing a 10 µm thread would
have little to no impact. That may have been true five
years ago when, by comparison, apertures were fairly
big. Today it’s a whole new ballgame.
In fact, during some recent stencil testing using
various understencil fabrics, our company discovered
lint is, indeed, quite problematic. With 0.3 mm CSPs
that required aperture sizes of approximately 180 µm,
DIY Fabric Tests
Here are three easy, do-it-yourself fabric performance
tests:
• Lint: Take a piece of Scotch tape, adhere to fabric,
press down and then rip it off. You will quickly see if a so-
called “lint-free” material actually lives up to its claim.
• Vacuum: Simply turn the vacuum on and feel the
flow to sense the power and volume of the air coming
through the weave. More elaborate air-flow measure-
ment mechanisms can be used, but a simple “touch and
feel” should do the trick.
• Wicking: Cut a strip of fabric, place a line of solvent
across it with a basic dropper and evaluate the speed and
uniformity of the wicking.
circuitsassembly.com Circuits Assembly AUGUST 2009
Screen
Printing
our AOI results and analysis turned up some strange
trends. When we evaluated the stencils in question,
we found lint contamination. In most instances, we
were finding low paste volumes, which were directly
attributable to lint blockage of the apertures. In one
case, a lint particle had become drenched in paste, and
the inspection system actually viewed it as a bridged
deposit. Keep in mind the lint issue is primarily a
problem for the dry cycle, but the fabric selection
impacts wet and vacuum cycles too.
Ever tried to breathe through a paper towel? How
about a piece of printer paper? I’d argue the former
is more beneficial for your oxygen intake. The same
theory holds true for the vacuum on the printer’s
understencil cleaning system. You’re trying to pull
vacuum through the fabric to clean out the apertures
and, hopefully, dislodge and then capture all the
residual paste into the open weave of the fabric. If the
weave is too dense, you are blocking the vacuum, thus
compromising its power and your cleaning process.
You want a fabric constructed of porous material that
permits air flow, yet captures material into the pores
of the fabric.
Then, of course, there is the wet bit. The solvent
selected can most certainly have an impact on print
performance (a topic for another column). Consider
the importance of how the fabric wicks the solvent
across the exposed area of the material. The solvent
breaks down solder paste that remains on the outer
edges of and inside the aperture walls, so a fabric that
absorbs the solvent uniformly is desired. This must
be a stable and highly repeatable process to be effec-
tive. The material should be fast and absorbent, and
should almost instantly start wicking and create one
solid bar across the fabric. What you definitely don’t
want is a quick wick that keeps on wicking all the way
through the paper because then, when you index the
paper along for a dry wipe, it would still be wet. A
Clive Ashmore
is global applied
good solvent process is primarily about the absorp- process engineering
tion rate of the fabric and also a little bit about the manager at DEK
ability of the machine’s solvent bar to dispense the (dek.com);
solvent at consistent volumes. If the fabric doesn’t cashmore@dek.com.
wick properly, a thorough clean is unlikely. This His column appears
introduces the potential for blocked apertures and, bimonthly.
therefore, defects.
The bottom line: Treat the understencil cleaning
process with as much rigor and attention as the other
parameters of the screen-printing operation. Don’t
skimp on the fabric because, in the end, a few more
cents for a high quality material will likely save big
bucks. n
15
 Better
Manufacturing The Quickturn Era
Those who can’t ramp might lose time-to-market.
T
he electronics interconnection industry is con-
tinually changing. Not only is the technology
becoming more complex, the nature of business
itself is rapidly evolving. The rise of the EMS segment
of the industry, accompanied by the swift demise of
vertically integrated OEMs, has pushed printed circuit
board design, fabrication, assembly and test expecta-
tions of the current suppliers to their technical limits.
Today, with reduction of the new product introduction
(NPI) cycle time, time-to-market is critical for busi-
nesses to remain competitive.
Quickturn and prototype services make up an
important segment of the PCB fabrication market and
it is imperative that North American suppliers offer
this capability. However, today’s
requirements go beyond the
typical QT feature card designs
and now include new dense PCB Acceptance criteria
fabrication with more complex-
ity, higher layer counts and more
for QT and prototypes
precise registration than previ- may vary from those
ously required. Regardless of the
complexity, fast cycle time has of volume production.
become an expectation, which in
turn has led many suppliers to
exit the business rather than make
the large capital investment required for new, state-
of-the-art tools with advanced processing capabilities
necessary to stay ahead of the technology curve. Those
suppliers that remain have picked up the customers
of the departed, but continual capital investment, as
well as investment in the technical personnel required
to develop new processes capable of running new and
advanced materials on state-of-the-art equipment, is
required (not to mention expensive).
For the customer, the payback of QT and proto-
type services is recognized in a significant reduction
in process cycle time and process costs, which provides
Jeff Knight is vice
president of busi-
additional capacity and gets products to market faster.
Doing so, however, means that the production fabrica-
ness development at tor must be able to produce the same highly complex
Endicott Interconnect product as the quickturn fabricator, lest all the time and
Technologies (eitny. effort be wasted. Thus, many end-customers are looking
com). for fabricators capable of providing a rapid turn for the
early user hardware or prototypes along with the ability
to supply the low volume ramp and volume production
quantities of their products. To do this, the QT/proto-
type line must be a mirror image of the production line
with identical processes, chemistries, and techniques
implemented, plus a common set of design and data
release tools used for both production and QT.
16 Circuits Assembly AUGUST 2009
As readers know, defense programs have been a
growing and profitable piece of electronics manufac-
turing over the past several years. In military programs
specifically, suppliers have learned that in order to be
considered for production work, fabricators must be
able to provide quickturn, early user hardware/pro-
totype boards. Customers use these boards to verify
the design, and expect their fabricators to offer advice
regarding design for performance and manufacturabil-
ity, along with delivering on time and within budget.
Acceptance criteria for QT and prototype products
is another matter to consider, as they may differ from
the volume production requirements due to the use
and expectations of those products. Furthermore, dis-
cussions defining when the clock
starts for ultimate delivery of
a quickturn order and require-
ments for accepting design data
need to be clearly communicated
at the forefront of any project.
Quickturn and prototype ser-
vices are not only an important
differentiator for North Ameri-
can PCB fabricators today, but
it is also an essential part of
remaining competitive and satis-
fying customer’s expectations. While there is an upside
to providing these services – premium pricing, gaining
entry into potentially higher volume production and
new customers – huge investment is also required to
maintain a competitive edge. n
Stake Out
Your Territory
Learn how by calling
Krista Fabian today
at 678-589-8840.
circuitsassembly.com
 Cover
Story
Preventing MLCC Failures
Understanding how mechanical anomalies can cause electrical failure in MLCCs.
By Tom Adams
W
hen engineers go through the task of pinning down the
cause of one or more field failures, the cause often turns
out to be a damaged or failed multilayer ceramic chip
capacitor. The nature of a field failure caused by a bad capacitor
may range from total system failure to a failure of one or more
system functions, to an intermittent failure, the latter of which can
mimic a software problem.
Here, we look at the mechanical causes of failures in MLCCs
from the fabrication of the capacitor through system assembly.
Much of the detailed information comes from Sonoscan’s applica-
tions laboratories, which have imaged acoustically and analyzed
tens of millions of MLCCs.
An understanding of how mechanical anomalies can cause elec-
trical failure in MLCCs is important for three reasons:
1) End-of-line electrical testing usually does not detect a
mechanical anomaly because the electrical signature of the anom-
aly is minute or absent at this time.
2) A mechanical anomaly may endure weeks or months of ser-
vice use before it changes or expands enough to reveal itself as an
electrical failure.
3) The number of field failures resulting from a single type of
mechanical anomaly can be large.
Defects introduced during manufacture. MLCCs are made by laying
down alternate layers of dielectric and electrode materials, and then
firing the capacitors. Of the three most frequent types of internal
damage (voids, delaminations and cracks), two – voids and delami-
nations – can form during the manufacturing process. Cracks as a
result of manufacturing processes were frequent a decade or two
ago, but have been made rare by more precise control over the
processing. Voids are most often tiny air bubbles trapped within
the capacitor. A void can be very much flattened – its width might
be 100 times its height – but dielectric material will be missing
from one or more layers. A delamination is simply a non-bonded
area between layers, without loss of dielectric material. When an
MLCC is cross-sectioned, a void is typically lens-shaped (because
circuitsassembly.com Circuits Assembly AUGUST 2009
it is a bubble flattened by the pressure of overlying layers), while a
delamination is simply a thin horizontal gap.
Voids and delaminations can be the precursors of cracks. Cracks
also can be caused by variable porosity in the dielectric layers, a
condition in which irregularly distributed microscopic air bubbles
weaken the ceramic.
The photo on the cover of this month's issue shows the acous-
tic image of an MLCC that contains a single void. In performing
acoustic imaging of an MLCC, the scanning ultrasonic transducer
of the acoustic microscope pulses ultrasound into the MLCC sev-
eral thousand times a second as it moves back and forth across the
MLCC. A fraction of a microsecond after pulsing, it also registers
the return echoes from within the MLCC. System software typically
accepts return echoes from just below the top surface of the MLCC
to just above the bottom surface, a technique known as bulk imag-
ing. A defect-free MLCC will send back no return echoes, but an
MLCC having any gap-type defect such as a void, delamination or
crack will send back very high amplitude echoes from the defect.
(Here, the void appears red, which is highest level on the color map
at left, because the solid-to-air interface reflects nearly all of the
ultrasound.) The amplitude is very high because of the extreme
difference in acoustic properties between the solid material of the
capacitor and the air inside the defect. It is this interface between a
solid and gas that reflects virtually 100% of the pulsed ultrasound
and produces an acoustic image of the anomaly.
Voids such as the one shown on the cover are important because
they can cause long-term failures in MLCCs. For example, a void
may be located in the middle of one layer of dielectric. This may
seem like a harmless location, and in some capacitors it is harm-
less. But the electric field between two electrodes may cause metal
to migrate and to plate the inner surface of the void. Eventually, a
weak current may begin to flow between the electrodes. Ultimately
– weeks or months after the beginning of field service, perhaps
– the metal plating becomes substantial enough to cause a short.
Many of the MLCCs imaged in Sonoscan’s laboratory are destined
17
 Cover
Story

Figure 1. The acoustic image of this MLCC reveals many small voids
formed by dust particles, and a larger elongate void formed by an
organic fiber.

for aerospace or military applications, where a slowly developing

short or other internal anomaly can have catastrophic results.
A crack, like a void, also can experience metal migration and
become plated. Under some conditions, the metal plating within
the void or crack may diminish or disappear. This is likely to hap-
pen if the capacitor is exposed to infrequent higher voltages. If a
capacitor is suspected of having a short, it may intentionally be
exposed to a high-voltage current. This crude method may repair
the capacitor temporarily, although the resumption of normal
lower voltages may restart the plating process. Intermittent fail-
ures can occur in this manner (but see the information on cracks
below). A crack also can cause a short with no metal migration at
all. If the crack extends through multiple electrode layers, thermal
or mechanical forces can move layers until electrodes having differ-
ent polarities come in contact with each other.
Less frequent types of anomalies also can occur during fabrica-
tion of an MLCC. Very occasionally, airborne organic particles can
find their way into the layers. The small white spots in the acoustic
image of the capacitor in Figure 1 are ordinary, microscopic dust
particles trapped during fabrication and burned off during firing
of the capacitor. They leave tiny empty voids that are strong reflec-
tors of ultrasound. The longer feature (left of center) is a micro-
scopic fiber of organic material, which, when burned off, leaves
a characteristically elongate void that, like any other void, has the
potential to cause an eventual short.
When adjacent layers in the MLCC are not bonded during
manufacture, the result is thin air-filled delamination. Delamina-
tions can be large in area, and a single MLCC may have multiple
delaminations at different depths. When the MLCC is imaged
acoustically from above, the delaminations may overlap (Figure
2), where essentially the entire area of the MLCC has a delamina-
tion at least at one depth, and where the yellow edges (marked
by arrows) of some of the individual delaminations can be made
out.
Delaminations are generally very thin, but they can be imaged
acoustically even if the vertical extent of the gap is as few as 0.01
µm. Unlike some voids, delaminations are not typically in a loca-
tion where they can breach a dielectric layer, yet they can cause
shorts, presumably because delaminations may make it easier for
a crack to form.
Defects in the unmounted MLCCs that flow into Sonoscan’s
Figure 2. This MLCC has multiple overlapping delaminations at mul-
tiple depths that collectively cover essentially the entire area. Arrows
mark acoustically visible edges of delaminations.
Figure 3. A novel method finds cracks and delaminations in square-
ended capacitors regardless of orientation.
applications laboratories for imaging are most likely to be voids or
delaminations. Cracks are occasionally seen, but are more likely to
result from handling rather than manufacture. Special techniques
are sometimes needed for imaging. Some newer MLCCs have
acquired additional layers in order to increase capacitance without
increasing footprint; as a result, the MLCC has become square in
end view, and the operator of the acoustic microscope cannot tell
which side is up. A delamination that is obvious when horizontal is
hard to image when it becomes a vertical knife-edge. To avoid the
tedious labor of turning square MLCCs by 90° and imaging them
twice, Sonoscan has developed a technique (Figure 3) that images
cracks and delaminations, regardless of orientation.
Defects introduced during assembly. Damage to MLCCs during
the early stage of assembly is likely to be caused by handling. The
MLCC is picked up by a vacuum tool or tweezers and is either
placed on bond pads in preparation for reflow, or glued to the
board in preparation for wave soldering. In either case, damage –
usually in the form of a crack – is possible.
Damage also can occur during reflow and wave soldering, when
the MLCC receives a thermal shock that can aggravate existing
internal stresses until a crack forms. MLCCs are much less sus-

18 Circuits Assembly AUGUST 2009 circuitsassembly.com

 Cover
Story

ceptible to moisture-related damage than plastic-packaged ICs. go through assembly and are imaged acoustically again after reflow
In theory, moisture can collect within a capacitor and fill an exist- or wave soldering, to remove those steps as causes of the cracks. The
ing void (with destructive results when the moisture flashes into panel is then separated by the same method used for the MLCCs
steam), but such events are far less common in MLCCs than they that caused field failures, and the boards examined acoustically for
are in plastic-packaged ICs. The very small dimensions of some telltale vertical cracks near the terminations. n
MLCCs also may make it harder for moisture-related damage to
occur because the much higher ratio of surface area to volume lets Tom Adams is a consultant at Sonoscan, Inc. (sonoscan.com);
moisture escape more rapidly. tom100adams@comcast.net.
Whether a damaged MLCC can be identified during end-of-line
electrical testing depends first on the extent of
the damage. A small crack or other anomaly
that has not (yet) created contact between
adjacent electrodes will not be identified, even
though it may expand and cause an electrical
failure later. An anomaly that has created a
leakage current within the MLCC might be
found if the MLCC serves an essential func-
tion within the signal path. But an MLCC in
a decoupling role can be found only by exam-
ining the noise level in the supply lines.
These constraints make acoustic imaging
of MLCCs after reflow or wave soldering an
important tool. Finding cracks in a significant
number of MLCCs, or in MLCCs at specific
locations on the board, gives the opportunity
to change process parameters and remove the
stresses generating the cracks. Acoustic imag-
ing is often carried out during R&D or during
pilot production, but also may be used peri-
odically during full production to eliminate
the possibility of field failures.
During assembly, large panels are in some
fashion separated into individual printed wir-
ing boards. Cracks can form in MLCCs during
the separation process. These cracks are most
likely induced when the panel sections are
snapped apart, but they can occur with other
methods of separation and are sometimes
more frequent near the edges of the board,
where mechanical stresses are presumably
higher. They are generally more likely when
Pb-free solders are used, because Pb-free
solders are quite rigid. SnPb solder is more
plastic and better at absorbing mechanical
stresses. Separation-related cracks are likely
to be near the terminations and are likely to
be vertical, and are most easily found with the
method for vertical crack detection developed
at Sonoscan.
When cracks caused by the panel separa-
tion process are suspected of causing field
failures, their role can be clarified by first
performing acoustic imaging on unmount-
ed MLCCs, preferably from the same lot.
Unmounted MLCCs with no internal defects

circuitsassembly.com Circuits Assembly AUGUST 2009 19

 Reflow
Profiling

Oven Adjustment Effects on a Solder

Reflow Profile
Belt speed, zone temperatures and static pressure all impact peak temperature.

By Fred Dimock

T
he change from eutectic to Pb-
free solder has required new
recipes for reflow ovens. Solder
paste manufacturers have developed
profile parameters, but it remains
the responsibility of the assembly
engineer to find the correct control
settings with a limited number of
reflow oven adjustments. Additional
complications exist because the liq-
uidus temperatures of the new sol-
ders require peak temperatures close
to the point at which components are
damaged. Thus, the importance of
accurate recipes and precision oven
control is amplified.
Conventional reflow ovens have
and temperature uniformity of a 100
and 230 g populated surface mount
board.
Experimental
A Pyramax 98 N reflow oven with
edge rails, fine mesh belt, and closed
loop pressure control was used for
this experiment. A recipe that pro-
duced a Pb-free ramp-to-peak profile
with a belt speed of 28 IPM and static
pressure of 1.0 IWC was chosen as a
baseline (Table 1).
Table 1. Baseline Recipe
E Set Points
Z1 100 °C
The plan was to individually vary
each parameter (high and low) and
record its effect on the TAL, peak
temperature and uniformity of each
board. An additional run was per-
formed with all variables at the high
and low settings to see the combined
effect.
High and low ranges were estab-
lished for each of the variables, as
outlined in Table 2. Data were gath-
ered with a SlimKIC II profiler.
Table 3. Board Weight Results
E 100 G 250 G
Peak (°C) 231.6 225.5

two adjustments for profile devel- Z2 125 °C TAL (sec.) 33.18 25.07

opment. One is the zone set points Z3 150 °C

Z4 175 °C Table 4. Belt Speed Changes
and the other is belt speed. Some
Z5 200 °C E 100 G 250 G
oven manufacturers have added high,
Z6 225 °C BS - IPM 24 32 24 32
medium and low fan speeds as an
Z7 250 °C Peak (°C) 234.8 229.1 229.3 222.2
additional adjustment, and one man-
BS 28 IPM TAL (sec.) 39.61 25.59 35.72 17.19
ufacturer has a closed-loop pressure
SP 1.0 IWC Uniformity 1.7 1.8 1.5 1.6
control.
Given the three possible adjust-
Table 5. Zone Temperature Changes
ments, a study was undertaken to Table 2. Variable Experimental Ranges
E 100 G 250 G
determine the effects varied belt E Ranges
Zone temp. 240 260 240 260
Static pressure ±0.3 IWC
speeds, static pressures and zone Peak (°C) 223.4 240.9 217.7 233.2
Belt speed ± 4 IPM
temperatures have on the peak tem- TAL (sec.) 20.48 42.24 6.16 35.03
Z5 and Z6
perature, time above liquidus (TAL) Set point
±10 °C
Uniformity 2.1 2.2 1.6 1.8

20 Circuits Assembly AUGUST 2009 circuitsassembly.com

 Reflow
Profiling

Figure 1. SlimKIC II profile of the 100 g board. Figure 2. SlimKIC II profile of the 230 g board.

Results lowered the peak temperature and TAL, 7). Uniformity was considerably bet-
The 100 and 230 g boards were run at and slightly decreased the temperature ter with the high oven parameters. In
the baseline operating parameters of uniformity at the peak. the case of the heavy board, the peak
28 IPM, 1.0 IWC and zone 7 set points Zone temperature. The oven was reset temperature did not reach the liquidus
of 250°C. Figures 1 and 2 show the to the baseline parameters, and the when all the settings were set low.
resultant profiles for the 100 and 230 temperatures in zones 6 and 7 were Today’s high performance reflow
g boards, respectively. Table 3 shows increased and decreased by 10°C. Peak ovens have three adjustments that per-
the peak temperature and TAL data for temperature and TAL increased with mit recipes for solder reflow profiles. A
the boards. There was a difference of the higher zone temperature settings recipe that works for one board won’t
about 5°C at the peak and 8 sec. in the and the uniformity decreased (Table necessarily work for another board if
TAL between the two boards because of 5). the weight or design is significantly
weight and board design. Static pressure. The oven was reset to different.
Belt speed. Belt speed was varied the baseline parameters and the pres- Of the three oven adjustments, the
from 24 to 32 IPM with the static pres- sure varied from 0.7 to 1.3 IWC. The zone set points have the biggest effect
sure and zone set points at the baseline increased static pressure increased the on the peak temperature and TAL.
settings. Table 4 shows the peak tem- peak temperature by about 5°C and Changing the belt speed also affects the
perature, TAL and uniformity data for TAL by about 10 sec. (Table 6). The peak temperature and TAL, to a lesser
each board. The increased belt speed uniformity at peak was significantly degree. But the static pressure not only
better with the higher static pressure. affects the peak temperature and TAL,
Table 6. Static Pressure Changes
High and low interactions. Next, the it has the biggest impact on uniformity
E 100 G 250 G
combination of all the high tempera- at peak temperature.
Pressure 0.7 1.3 0.7 1.3
ture parameters (low belt speed, high Pb-free solder’s more stringent pro-
Peak (°C) 229.2 234.0 222.0 227.3
zone set points, and high static pres- cess requirements make it important
TAL (sec.) 26.94 35.79 18.12 29.20
sure) and low temperature parameters that all three adjustments – zone tem-
Uniformity 2.3 1.7 2.3 1.5
(high belt speed, low zone set points, perature set points, belt speed and
and low static pressure) was used to static pressure – be used when develop-
Table 7. Interactions
determine the interactions on each ing recipes. n
E 100 G 250 G
board. There were significant changes
low high low high
Peak (°C) 218.4 245.7 210.6 240.2
in all the profile attributes, with about Fred Dimock is senior process engineer at BTU
TAL (sec.) 4.21 59.36 0 49.25
30°C differences in peak temperature International (btu.com); fdimock@btu.com.
Uniformity 2.7 1.6 2.6 1.5 and close to 50 sec. in TAL (Table

circuitsassembly.com Circuits Assembly AUGUST 2009 21

 Koh
Young
More than Just a Look
SPI market leader Koh Young is shrugging off the recession and setting its sights on Europe.
By Mike Buetow
O
n the subject of expansion, every
business case study says the best
time to do it is during a downturn.
Take advantage of the market lull to grab
market share, the researchers say.
Few do. It’s much safer to protect cash
and other assets than to risk failure (and
one’s job). In other words, follow the herd.
Following the herd isn’t what Koh Young
Technology (kohyoung.com) is about. The
vision machine maker in May opened the
doors on its pristine new demo and training
center in Alzenau, Germany, about 45 min-
utes from Frankfurt’s international airport.
(The event coincided with a less auspi-
cious debut of its Ireland office, which will
handle sales, support and administrative
functions.)
The new offices are set to serve conti-
nental Europe, the UK and Ireland, where
the company through May had sold 230 of
its 940 installations worldwide.
In making the announcement, founder
and chief executive Dr. Kwangill Koh said,
“Today we celebrate a significant mile-
stone in the growth of Koh Young as a
global company. The European market a
key growth area, and the establishment a
strong presence here, in conjunction with
the introduction of our revolutionary new
3-D AOI technology, will fuel that growth.”
That “revolutionary new 3-D AOI tech-
nology,” of course, refers to the Zenith
machine, which debuted at Apex in April
and has been making media waves ever
22 Circuits Assembly AUGUST 2009
since. at Vitronics-Soltec.
Why Europe, and why now? Its staff in place, the company was ready
The stage for Koh Young’s migration to to make its move. After some discussion and
Europe was set by Pieter Stins, a veteran of due diligence, it settled on Alzenau, which
Vitronics-Soltec and Nutek, who saw a Koh offered ready access to the key German
Young SPI machine at Productronica and, market, which still dominates electronics
though on the cusp of retirement, decided manufacturing in Western Europe, but was
to buy one and build a new distribution centrally located and accessible to both the
company around it. (That company, PPT, is traditional pockets in Italy and France, and
now Koh Young’s distributor in Germany, the emerging markets of Eastern Europe.
Austria, Switzerland and parts of Eastern The new center has in place the full
Central Europe.) Meanwhile, in Asia, Koh range of the Koh Young platform, including
Young was going gangbusters, and looking the previously released 8030-2 and 8030-3
to extend its reach abroad. SPI machines, on which the company built
Having gone public on Korea’s KOS- its name and reputation; a KY-3020T, which
DAQ exchange in June of last year, and hit is the semiautomatic tabletop version; and
$35 million in sales in fiscal 2008, Dr. Koh the aSPIre-2 SPI, the four-way light projec-
embarked on a five-year plan with the goal tion system that also debuted at Apex.
to reach $150 million in annual sales, which The new site also features an Ekra screen
would make it by far the larg-
est OEM of electronics assembly
inspection equipment (Table 1).
Seeking to make its mark on
the West, Koh Young turned to
two well-known industry veter-
ans: Harald Eppinger and Thor-
sten Niermeyer. Niermeyer, who
previously worked for Agilent
and MVP, was named global sales
director, based in Ireland, while
Eppinger runs the Germany
office as European sales manager.
It also brought aboard André Opening doors. With help from global sales director Thor-
Myny as global marketing direc- sten Niermeyer, Dr. Kwangill Koh cuts the ribbon at the new
Koh Young facility in Germany. European sales manager
tor, a role he previously handled
Harald Eppinger is in the foreground at right. 
circuitsassembly.com
 Koh
Young

printer for hands-on process training with Table 1. KY SPI Market Share, By Year

customers. 2006 20%

The highlight, however, is the new 2007 26%

automated optical inspection system, now
named Zenith, which is the first to fea-
ture 3-D inspection. The machine senses
and measures the z-axis profilometry of
whole assembled PCB surfaces, including
components, solder joints, patterns, holes,
and foreign material. The system, which
features eight-way projection in order to
compensate for the taller solder joints and
paste, can run conventional 2-D AOI as
well.
Zenith is designed for pre- or post-
reflow, but as of the May open house
had not yet been tested on mixed-tech-
nology boards. (Most AOI traditionally
have struggled with plated through-holes.)
Still, the distributors on hand at the May
open house, including Danutek (danutek.
com), LifeTek (lifetek.it), Amtech (amtech.
cz) and several others, some of which
brought boards to test on it, were visibly
impressed.
Breaking in. With the introduction of the
3-D-capable Zenith, Koh Young has broken
into the AOI market in a big way.
“I do believe the Zenith is a unique
approach to AOI and will guide industries
and competitors to a new era of defect
detection and measured process control,”
said Giovanni Scotece of Meda, Italy-based
LifeTek.
With the opening of the European offic-
es, the company hopes to build an AOI
expert center, expand its service organiza-
tion, and create an innovation center for
new products, which could include solar,
2008 35%
Source: Koh Young
although the executives were a bit coy about
it.
More expansion is ahead, Dr. Koh said.
The company in December will move to a
new headquarters in western Seoul, which
will include an R&D center and manufac-
turing facility. The new site will be 77,000
sq. ft., or 89% larger than the company’s
current digs. It will house most of the firm’s
120 staff, seven of whom have a Ph.D., and
32 of whom have a master’s degree.
Koh Young has in its sights the inspec-
tion markets for PCB, wafer, substrate and
even solar cell markets. It’s an ambitious
plan, but the company hasn’t missed its
targets yet. ■
Mike Buetow is editor in chief of Circuits Assembly;
mbuetow@upmediagroup.com.

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circuitsassembly.com Circuits Assembly AUGUST 2009 23

 Wave
Soldering Optimizing Process Development
Harmonizing all the parameters is no simple feat.
W
hat are the best settings for a wave solder-
ing process? The answer is not as simple as
one might think. Much depends on the flux
type and end-product. However, adherence to some
basic rules will ensure a robust process. A good wave
process depends on establishing correct machine
and product parameters. Fluxing, preheating, con-
veyor speed, solder temperature, dwell time, wave
height, wave type, nitrogen and exhaust are machine
parameters, while board complexity, component
types, flux type and pallet use are product param-
eters. All these parameters interact and therefore
should be optimized to work in harmony.
A wave soldering process breaks down into the
following categories:
Fluxing. The correct amount of flux to be applied
per board is based on the flux supplier’s specifica-
tions. Excessive flux may interfere with the product’s
electrical reliability, and a moderate amount of flux
may not provide sufficient tail activity to reduce
bridging and to obtain good through-hole penetra-
tion when the board leaves the wave. It is extremely
important to optimize fluxer settings, which are
related to conveyor speed. Visual testing should be
used to ensure proper overlap and penetration of
flux. With alcohol-based flux, thermal fax paper
can be used on the bottom of the assembly and
processed through the fluxer only. A visual footprint
then can be seen and areas missed by the flux pattern
identified. The same is true if the paper is applied to
the top of an unassembled board. The paper must
be fixed to the assembly to avoid movement during
flux application. For water-based flux, pH paper can
be used. Also commercial test fixtures can be used
Ursula Marquez for flux test application. The appropriate flux type
de Tino, Ph.D. is a (i.e., alcohol- or water-based fluxes) depends on the
process and research application, board surface finish, solder resist, board
engineer at Vitron- complexity and other issues.
ics Soltec, based in Preheating. Board preheating is necessary to evap-
the Unovis SMT Lab orate flux solvents and to prepare the board and
(vitronics-soltec.com); flux for soldering. Preheating also is used to reduce
umarquez@vsww.com. thermal shock of components and to promote bet-
Her column appears ter through-hole penetration, especially for multi-
monthly. layer boards. The flux supplier specifies preheating
parameters. For the case of alcohol (i.e., isopropyl)
fluxes, the board topside temperature should be
above 82°C, and for water fluxes above 100°C. Com-
plete evaporation of the solvent is important to
reduce soldering defects such as openings, voiding,
and solder balling. Depending on the type of flux
and board thickness, higher preheat temperatures
24 Circuits Assembly AUGUST 2009
may be required to activate it.
When surface mount components (i.e. chip com-
ponents) are glued to the bottom side of the board, it
is important to ensure that the ΔT between the tem-
perature of the components and solder temperature
is between 100° and 110°C. It is important to follow
the supplier’s specifications for wave soldering sur-
face mounted components.
Conveyor speed. A typical conveyor speed setting
will be in the range of 1 to 1.5 m/min. The speed
setting depends on board complexity. Single-sided
boards often can be soldered at high speed because
they often have a low thermal demand and no plat-
ed-through barrel, and thus do not require topside
fillets. A multilayer board may have a high thermal
demand and 1 m/min could be too fast. To optimize
the conveyor speed, it is also important to consider
the board layout at the solder side, which can be a
decisive factor to prevent solder bridging.
Soldering temperature. The solderpot temperature
setting depends on the type of solder, but also may
be related to the product to be soldered (i.e., board
complexity, pallet use, or exposed bottom-side sur-
face mount components). In general, low tempera-
ture settings are recommended to avoid board war-
page and component damage. Lower temperatures
create less dross, and extend the lifetime of the flux
so that it has better tail activity. During soldering,
the topside board temperature must be below the
melting point of the surface mount component
joints to avoid double reflow. For SnPb solders, 245°
to 250°C is a common setting. For SAC alloys, 260°
to 265°C is the recommended setting. It is important
to keep the solder bath volume constant to maintain
soldering temperatures.
Figure 1. One of three wave types, main wave creates a
smooth wave that prevents bridging.
circuitsassembly.com

Dwell time. A board must touch the wave for a
sufficient time to make a good solder joint. The real
contact of a joint depends on the protruding length
of the leads and the board layout. The typical contact
time for Pb-free applications is between 3 and 6 sec.
The dwell time also may affect board warping. To
avoid excessive warping, board supports or pallets
can be used.
Wave height. The wave height should be kept
low to minimize dross formation. In general, lead
clearance of 6 to 8 mm relative to the bottom of
the assembly to the wave formers in the solder pot
is preferred. Lower settings may move components
during soldering, as the leads may touch the nozzle
rim. A wave height setting should be constant within
a few tenths of a millimeter. For this reason, the sol-
der level of the solderpot should be monitored and
corrected automatically.
Wave type. There are three types of waves: chip,
main and smart wave. Depending on the type of
assembly and flux, it may be best to use one wave
former. Chip wave is a turbulent wave and is used
as first wave to enable wetting of chip components,
which are surrounded by non-wettable component
bodies. Main is the second wave (Figure 1) and is
aSMTA
smooth wave
Expo half that
page prevents 5/13/2009
print2.pdf bridging. 2:19:20
The smart
PM
wave is located over the main wave and produces
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circuitsassembly.com
Wave
turbulence, which may be beneficial for through-
Soldering
hole penetration.
Nitrogen. Nitrogen may be helpful to support flux
activity during the separation of the board from the
solder wave. During this separation process, the solder
should stay on the joints and not in between joints.
Bridging occurs because of solder oxide formation at
this stage. Solder oxides are formed due to lack of flux
activity and the presence of air. By applying nitrogen
at that stage, it can displace the air and assist in better
drainage conditions due to reduced oxides.
Cooling. As soon as the board leaves the wave, the
solder joints cool rapidly at a rate of -10° to -15°C/s.
Heat from the solder joints is absorbed by the com-
ponent leads and the board’s copper traces/layers,
resulting in rapid joint solidification. Here, the cool-
ing system will not affect the microstructure of the
solder joints, but can be used to reduce the board
temperature for handling purposes.
Good wave soldering machines should have proper
control and produce repeatable temperatures to ensure
the profile is the same for all boards. To monitor the
repeatability of a machine, SPC software is used. This
helps monitor several machine parameters, detect
process shifts, and recommend preventive mainte-
nance. This way, the user can be sure all components
and joints reach correct soldering temperatures. n
Put Your
Company In
The Public Eye
Circuits Assembly AUGUST 2009 25
 Tech
Tips Relieving a HASL
Don’t maintain the status quo if potential to reduce manufacturing failures exists.
A
n inquiry led to an investiga-
tion on the possible causes of
printed wiring board failures,
which were becoming increasingly
prevalent after SMT manufacturing.
Failures were detected by electrical
testing, but the location and specif-
ic devices causing the failures were
undetermined. The failures were sus-
pected to be predominantly in the
BGAs located on specific sites on this
16-layer construction. Failure data
provided included high resistance
shorts occurring in those specified
areas. The surface finish was a eutectic
HASL, and the solder paste was a
water-soluble SnPb.
The diagnostic approach agreed
upon included an examination of
both the quality of the manufactur-
ing process and the materials used for
assembly, as reviewed below.
SMT process. The first order of
diagnostics, a manufacturing audit to
assess the SMT process, revealed:
Solder paste was properly stored
and permitted to reach ambient con-
ditions prior to use. The solder mesh
was appropriate for the type of assem-
bly, and the paste was not expired.
Stencils used for paste application
were properly proportioned with an
aperture size appropriate to the BGA
device pitch.
The stencil printing operation
revealed no flaws, and paste was
applied in a smooth, consistent man-
ner with uniform height and width.
The paste reflowed uniformly and
covered leads per IPC-A-610D class 3
The ACI Technologies specifications. No apparent skips or
Inc. (aciusa.org) is
a scientific research
corporation dedicated
to the advancement
of electronics manu-
facturing processes
and materials for the
Department of Defense
and industry. This col-
Figure 1. Wetting balance curves
umn appears monthly.
showing T0 >5 sec.
26 Circuits Assembly AUGUST 2009
dewetting were noticed on resistors, the pad areas, exposed copper under
capacitors or leaded chip devices. the HASL surface finish, and non-
The reflow oven has four zones uniform HASL finish in certain cases.
and short length, but no issues around XRF inspection. BGA devices and
reflow quality were seen as a result. bare board were analyzed using x-ray
The recommendation was made fluorescence to determine the alloy
to increase to a seven-zone oven to composition of the metal (Tables 1
increase profiling flexibility for vari- and 2). This is a common method
ous designs. used when the composition of the
Reflow profile. The reflow pro- component alloy or surface finish is
file was in the specified range for in question.
the solder paste of choice (Alpha XRF summary. Components indi-
WS-809). Thermocouple placement cate a eutectic or near eutectic SnPb
was in appropriate locations, and the composition. Analysis of the HASL
temperature uniformity among each finish indicated a non-uniform thick-
location reflected an even distribu- ness, and at certain locations, the fin-
tion of heat. The time above liquidus ish was thin enough to permit the
(TAL) varied by only 6 sec. between underlying copper to overwhelm the
the highest and lowest time, while alloy analysis.
the peak temperature varied by 13˚ X-ray analysis. X-ray analysis was
among locations. There was no evi- performed on a populated board at
dence of hot or cold spots. the various BGA locations suspect-
The assembly TAL averaged 90 ed as problematic. No evidence of
sec., well within the vendor-recom- shorting opens or misalignment was
mended TAL range of 40-120 sec. As prevalent.
reflow was clearly achieved, and there Optical endoscope. The populated
was no evidence of cold solder joints, assembly was analyzed through an
a recommended step was to decrease endoscope to see any evidence of
the TAL from 90 to 60 sec., which incomplete collapse or other observ-
would improve wetting without a risk able phenomena such as dewetting
of incomplete solder reflow. However, or head-in-pillow effect. No unusual
the present reflow profile is consistent occurrences such as excessive solder
with the recommended parameters or flux residue were visible. However,
prescribed by the solder paste vendor. the graininess of the solder balls may
Bare board inspection. A visual indicate the start of an oxidizing sur-
assessment of the bare boards showed face. This can be due to excessive time
evidence of solder mask overlap into in liquidus state. The solder balls seem
to be well collapsed and formed.
Table 1. XRF Data – Components Wetting balance. The wetting bal-
Component Area Sn (%) Pb (%)
ance test showed significant issues with
1 1 68.01 31.99
the wettability of the HASL board at
1 2 68.51 31.49
various locations (Figure 2). J-STD-
1 3 6.13 33.87
003 criteria suggest time to buoyancy
2 1 68.25 31.75
corrected zero, T0 (where the wetting
2 2 67.47 32.53
force goes positive), should be less
2 3 68.32 31.68
3 1 69.65 30.35
3 2 69.76 30.24 Table 2. XRF Data – PWB Board Surface
3 3 72.11 27.89 Board Area Sn (%) Pb (%) Cu (%)
4 1 65.82 34.18 1 7.77 15.02 92.75
4 2 65.99 34.01 2 39.70 35.46 24.84
4 3 64.27 35.73 3 0.0 0.0 100.0
circuitsassembly.com

than 1-2 sec. In every sample tested,
T0 was greater than 5 sec.
Conclusions and Recommen-
dations
The HASL surface finish is non-uni-
form, with copper exposure and very
thin layers of HASL in some areas.
The wettability is well below
the recommended wetting criteria,
as specified by IPC specifications,
and can be a primary concern dur-
ing assembly. Residual oxides on the
HASL surface may prevent proper
wetting, or form weak intermetallic
interfaces when reflowed. The type
and amount of oxide residue can
be ascertained through Sequential
Electrochemical Reduction Analysis
(SERA).
The x-ray images showed no evi-
dence of poor alignments, opens or
shorts.
Optical endoscope images showed
no anomalies and good BGA ball
collapse.
ENIG should be considered as a
board surface finish instead of HASL,
if available. It is the most common
finish for BGAs, and would eliminate
the non-uniform surface finish.
Application of a more uniform
HASL surface would ensure complete
coverage of the underlying pad and
alleviate exposure of the underlying
copper, while reducing the risk of
oxidation.
The HASL bath should be ana-
lyzed for contamination from exces-
sive metals and other residuals from
the soldering process.
Reducing the liquidus time by 30
sec. may help alleviate excessive for-
mation of oxides on the solder.
A seven-zone oven would per-
mit more flexibility in shaping the
reflow profile around a varied array of
designs and constructions.
Lessons Learned
Results of the analysis indicated that,
although certain process and manu-
facturing improvements can be made
to reduce both systematic and ran-
domized failures, examination of the
raw materials (for example, the PCB)
can prevent a significant amount of
manufacturing defects.
Tech
In this particular case (which is
Tips
not atypical), a thorough investiga-
tion provided the engineer enough
data to support the claim that the
cause of electrical failure was due to
noncompliancy in the surface fin-
ish that caused dewets. Establishing
documented proof of failure can
exonerate the manufacturing process,
and prevent excessive and unneces-
sary expenses.
There is a natural inclination
to avoid impugning an established
process that has, for the most part,
produced a successful product. How-
ever, the temptation to maintain the
status quo should be avoided if the
potential to reduce manufacturing
failures exists. Most issues arise when
an interaction between non-centered
processes result in a multiplicative
effect. In this case, the effect of poor
distribution of the HASL surface,
along with a marginalized reflow pro-
cess, combined to produce failures
that may not have occurred if either
of the conditions for HASL or reflow
was optimized. n

Dewetting or Non-wetting Causes Wave

Soldering
Trouble-
shooting
When the solder doesn’t stick, first check the pad.

D
ewetting is a condition that results when molten
solder coats a surface and then recedes, leaving
irregularly shaped mound(s) of solder separated
by areas that are recovered with a thin film of solder and
with the basis metal unexposed.
Non-wetting is a condition in which there is partial Figure 1. Dewetting or non-wetting usually is tied to pad
adherence of molten solder to a surface it has contacted, contamination. Paul Lotosky is global
and the basis metal remains exposed. director - customer
While we usually list in this space the primary process • Flux SP GR too low. technical support at
setup areas to check, dewetting and non-wetting typically • Conveyor speed too fast or slow. Cookson Electronics
are board-related due to pad surface contamination. • Board not seated properly. (cooksonelectronics.
Other things to look for in the process include: • Flux SP GR too high. com) plotosky@cook-
• Solder temperature too low. • Solder contamination. sonelectronics.com.
• Preheat too high or low. Other things to look for with the assembly include:
• Excess or insufficient flux blow-off. • Board or component contamination.
• Solder wave height low. • Improper board handling.
• Flux not making contact. Other things to look for with the board design
• Flux contamination. include:
• Board pallet too hot. • Oxidation.
• Flux applied unevenly. • Contamination. n

circuitsassembly.com Circuits Assembly AUGUST 2009 27

 Getting
Lean Applying Lean Principles to
Customer Satisfaction Measurement
A new system weighs the impact of proposed changes.
A
basic premise in Lean manufacturing principles is the
elimination of non-value added activity by minimiz-
ing variation. However, standardizing systems while
accommodating the needs of 30 or more customers can be
a significant challenge for EMS providers. Customer satisfac-
tion measurement is one area where standardization can
improve efficiency. Yet, the more standardized the format, the
less meaningful it may be at the customer level.
Like many contract manufacturers, Epic ran a dual cus-
tomer satisfaction system. Epic participated in its customers’
ratings systems and conducted monthly and annual web-
based customer satisfaction surveys. However, only 8% of
customers were sending formal monthly scorecards defining
their expectations. Of the remaining customers, only 20%
were filling out monthly surveys, and the surveys tended to
generate subjective responses that did not necessarily tie to
specific improvement activities or clearly defined goals.
In the fourth quarter 2007, the company’s management
team decided to put a new system in place that would:
• Work seamlessly across multiple facilities.
• Better align with each customers’ measurement criteria
(expectations of Epic performance).
• Deliver quantitative feedback, even on softer areas of
evaluation such as quality of team interaction.
• Ensure that both Epic’s customer focus teams (CFT) and
operational management had continuous visibility into
customer issues and status of corrective actions.
• Integrate with long-term objectives for account growth.
The new system was fully implemented in 2008, then re-
evaluated and fine-tuned last March.
System overview. We manage projects using a Customer
Focus Team model. Each CFT includes a program manager,
account manager, quality engineer, product engineer, test
engineer, material analyst and inside salesperson.
Early in our operational strategy formulation, manage-
Tony Bellitto is quality ment developed a methodology for measuring and sharing
manager-US Opera- performance information, known as the Plant Operational
tions at Epic Technolo- Review (POR) system. The original version monitored
gies (Epictech.com); approximately 60 metrics company-wide down to the floor
tony.bellitto@Epictech. level. These metrics were formally reviewed on a daily/weekly
com. basis by project personnel, monthly by plant managers, and
quarterly by senior management. Over time, the system
has evolved to include the original metrics list, external
benchmarks and longer-term performance trends. The POR
process starts with a summary of overall company financial
performance metrics, then focuses on specific productivity
and operational performance in human resources, quality,
manufacturing, engineering, sales, purchasing and finance.
28 Circuits Assembly AUGUST 2009
The functional managers responsible for performance to
measured metrics are also responsible for defining the exter-
nal benchmarks relevant to their areas.
During the gap analysis of the former Customer Survey
System, opportunities for improvement were identified that
could tie into the management review cycle (POR) to close
our internal loop. One such opportunity was to create a
working tool for use by the CFT and customer that would
define expectations based on the monthly survey. The rede-
signed customer satisfaction measurement tool was named
the Customer Expectation Worksheet. A goal for the new
system was that it link to POR, showing both customer issues
and the status of corrective actions related to those issues.
Another goal was to link the customer satisfaction survey
closely with other program management tools. One key tool
that was developed was the CFT Tracker.
The CFT Tracker is a living diary of each customer. It is
an Excel workbook resident on the company’s intranet that
includes tabs for core customer team contact list, product/
part number lists, NPI planning, meeting agenda, CFT open
action items, continuous improvement team (CIT) tracker,
CFT Paynter chart, customer PPM tracking, scrap analysis,
closed CFT action list and the Customer Expectation Work-
sheet. In short, the CFT provides the entire account history
and current status information at the fingertips of anyone
within the organization.
Because the CFT Tracker stores trends information
related to quality and continuous improvement initiatives,
it enables real-time analysis of customer issues identified
through the Customer Expectation Survey and makes it easy
for the CFT to respond with specific data related to issues
identified by the customer.
For example, if our team has made DfM recommenda-
tions that are currently affecting manufacturing, on-time
delivery, quality, etc., then this will be tracked in the CFT
Tracker through the Paynter charts. If the customer has
opted not to adopt the recommendations, but indicates in
its monthly survey that defects exceed predefined limits,
the CFT can look at the CIT tracker, PPM data and CFT
Paynter to determine what percentage of defects relate to the
unadopted DfM recommendation. With the Paynter chart,
the team can show a weighted analysis of the impact of
adopting the proposed changes. Similarly, if the defects relate
to an out-of-control process, we would have the data to drive
internal improvements. The result: a hyper-focused correc-
tive action tool. Training was conducted at all Epic facilities.
In Mexico, training was conducted in Spanish to ensure full
understanding among all CFT members.
Continued on pg. 29
circuitsassembly.com

The survey process. The Customer Expectation Worksheet
was designed as a relatively simple tool. We have defined a
series of ratings tied to quality, delivery performance and
partnership. Each of the three sections has three-to-four
defined performance indicators. Within each performance
indicator, respondents rate on a 1 to 5 scale:
• 5 – Frequently exceeds requirements (green color code).
• 4 – Occasionally exceeds requirements (green).
• 3 – Meets requirements (yellow).
• 2 – Occasionally does not meet requirements (red).
• 1 – Frequently does not meet requirements (red).
The CFTs work with their customer to establish a cus-
tomer-specific metric for each of these defined performance
indicators. Customers then rate on the 1 to 5 scale against
their predefined performance metrics. Although a rating
of 3 indicates requirements are met, it is coded yellow and
reported as an opportunity for improvement. Ratings of 1 or
2 are coded red and generate a corrective action requirement,
which is tracked at both the CFT and POR level.
Each CFT provides a list of key contacts that Epic interacts
with on a day-to-day basis. The survey is sent as a web-based
choice board form to customer contacts. Requests are rotated
among the total list of core contacts so that each contact only
gets a request a couple times a year. If there is no response to
the initial survey request, up to two reminders are sent out.
If the customer contact still doesn’t return a survey, the CFT
will touch base to determine the reason why.
Also, a more detailed annual Customer Loyalty Survey
conducted via email measures:
• Overall performance satisfaction compared to
Getting
satisfaction with other EMS providers.
Lean
• Perception of management and key support
competencies.
• Relationship with project team.
• Responsiveness to problems.
• Perception of price competitiveness.
• Plans for future business allocation.
This annual survey is sent to multiple contacts at each
customer and includes areas for detailed comments and sug-
gestions for improvement. Survey data are reviewed at the
plant and corporate level.
Results and lessons learned. When the new survey was
deployed in 2008, it consistently generated a 45 to 50%
response rate, compared to the prior 20% response rate.
In 2009, that has dropped to about 30%, but that percent-
age typically includes 100% of our largest customers. In
determining survey improvements for 2009, one issue has
stood out. Customer project teams prefer to do the survey
as a group. When individuals are contacted for a survey,
they often solicit feedback from other members of the core
customer team. If they do not get feedback, they often do
not return the form. As a result, a 2009 change to the survey
method will be to offer the customer the opportunity to
complete surveys from each core customer group, rather
than to attempt to rotate between those team members.
An additional indicator of the robustness of the process
is that we won all five individual service category awards in
our revenue size class in Circuits Assembly’s 2009 Service
Excellence Awards for EMS providers.  n

PWB Delamination and Measling The Defects

Database
A thinly plated hole could be susceptible to PTH lead damage.

T
he latest addition to the
database is delamination
on the surface of a board
assembly. A microsection (Figure
1) shows a plated through-hole
with a through-hole lead after sol-
dering using a PbSn process. Prior
to sectioning, the board had shown
evidence of minor delamination
and measling around the pad area
on the board subsurface. The board
was being produced in medium
volume for a consumer product.
Mechanical strain or damage
may occur during pin insertion.
The soldering temperature or
the time to solder may have been
excessive, causing board expansion.
The image in Figure 1 is not very
clear, but based on the examina-
tion and comparison of the relative npl.co.uk), available to all Circuits
dimensions, the plating in the hole Assembly readers, allows engineers
is thin, probably less than 20 µm. to search and view countless defects
There is evidence of delamination/ and solutions, or to submit defects
separation of the glass bundles at online. n
the hole-copper interface.
Close examination of the micro- Dr. Davide Di Maio
section and the rest of the board is with the National
will be required for root cause Physical Laboratory
analysis. There are a number of Industry and Innova-
possible causes, and along with the tion division (npl.
board examination, all the process co.uk); defectsdata-
details would be reviewed, or even base@npl.co.uk.
the assembly/soldering operation
audited.
These are typical defects shown
in the National Physical Labora-
tory’s interactive assembly and
soldering defects database. The Figure 1. Lead insertion may cause
database (http://defectsdatabase. delamination near thinly plated holes.

circuitsassembly.com Circuits Assembly AUGUST 2009 29

Product
SPOTLIGHT
SPI/AOI Conveyors
Link conveyors for SPI NG/good buffer are designed to stack no-
good PCBs and transfer good PCBs to the next process using FIFO.
Have RS-232C interface with SPI and NG PCB anti-touch verifica-
tion. Are said to provide increased line efficiency and require mini-
mal space. No need to filter NG PCBs, and SPI operates normally,
even during NG PCB verification. AOI NG Buffer stacks NG PCBs
and pushes good PCBs to the next AOI inspection process. Both
systems feature PCB shock-free and noncontact power transmis-
sion, SMEMA interface, a slim, round design, adjustable stacking,
an LED tower light and touch-screen operation.
Young Jin/Seika Machinery Inc., seikausa.com
Flex Circuit Connectors
The FH family of ZIF and LIF flexible circuit connectors come
in different configurations with contact pitches ranging from
0.3 to 1 mm. Are for flexible printed circuit and flat flex cable-
type connections. Certain models feature side-retention tabs. assembly manufacturing execution system
Hirose Electric Co., hiroseusa.com
Pb-Free, Halide-Free Paste
Multicore LF700 halide-free solder paste is said to reduce voiding
in BGA solder joints, deliver high tack force and offer long printer
abandon times of up to 4 hrs., even when printed on 0.4 mm CSP
apertures. Is said to be solderable over a range of reflow profiles in
both air and nitrogen and effective on several surface finishes, includ-
ing NiAu, immersion tin, immersion silver and OSP copper. 
Henkel, henkel.com/electronics
3-D, 8-Way Projection AOI
Zenith has an eight-way projection system said to sense and
measure the Z-axis profilometry of entire assembled PCB surfaces,
including solder joints, patterns, holes, and components (even
with foreign material on them). Combines 3-D measurement with
2-D AOI to reduce escapes, false calls and inspection errors. Is said
to eliminate specular problems associated with shiny solder joints,
shadowing due to relatively taller components, and object and
reference plane shadow problems between the adjacent leads of
fine-pitch QFPs. Software inspects to IPC-A-610.
Koh Young Technology, kohyoung.com
No-Clean, No-Halogen Solder Paste
Alpha CVP-520 solder paste is a Pb-free, no-clean, zero-halogen
paste designed for pin-in-through-hole assembly of temperature-
sensitive components. Reportedly reflows at peak temperatures of
155° to 190°C. Is said to provide fine feature printing on 0.30 mm
circles at speeds up to 100 mm/sec., and in-circuit pin test yield.
Cookson Electronics, alpha.cooksonelectronics.com
30 Circuits Assembly AUGUST 2009
Reusable Stencil Frame
ZelFlex Protect is an alternative to glued
stencil frames. Stencil foil can be stored as
a flat sheet if not in use. Can stay on the
stencil to permit safe handling and quick
changeover. Changing a stencil is said
to take 30 sec. or less. Comes in indus-
try standard form factors and reportedly
is compatible with virtually any stencil
printer. Outer dimension is 23" x 23" and
total thickness is 1".
LPKF Laser & Electronics, lpkfusa.com
Production Planning
Tools
PanaCIM Enterprise Edition electronics
software includes nine modules: produc-
tion analysis, production planning, pro-
duction monitoring and dispatch, material
verification, traceability, material control,
product changeover and control, mainte-
nance, and enterprise link. Includes pro-
duction monitoring and dispatches cen-
tralized and real-time data monitoring
to identify events such as part exhausts,
changeovers and process shifts. Dispatch-
es tasks to the necessary labor resources
via email, PDA, or visual display; generates
reports for analysis of event history by
product, operator and equipment.
Panasonic Factory Solutions Co. of
America, us.panasonic.com
Ultrasonic Selective
Fluxer
SelectaFlux Retrofit retrofits into all
major selective soldering machines and is
said to be compatible with all flux types,
including Pb-free. Operates by trigger sig-
nal, and has controlled velocity spray.
Combines Microspray ultrasonic atom-
izing nozzle with low air pressure. Spray is
restricted through a separately controlled
module that handles input and output.
Distance between nozzle and substrate
can be varied from near contact to approx-
imately 50.8 mm.
Sono-Tek, sono-tek.com
circuitsassembly.com
 Special Advertising Section

Ad Index
ADVERTISER INFO: To learn about the advertisers
Assembly Insider
in this issue, go to circuitsassembly.com and sand
select "Current Issue" to access the digital edition.
This will provide you with direct links to the home
or product pages of each advertiser in this index.

Company Page No.

American Hakko Products, www.hakkousa.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

"Asahi Chemical & Solder, Inc.", www.asahisolder.com. . . . . . . . . C3

Bare Board Group, www.bareboard.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Compufab Inc., www.compufab.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Get

your
daily dose
Cookson Electronics, www.cooksonelectronics.com. . . . . . . . . . . . C4

Digi-Key Corp., www.digikey.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C2

of PCB industry news and views.

ECD, www.ecd.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Subscribe to
EMS Directory, www.circuitsassembly.com/dems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 PCB UPdate
www.pcbupdate.com
Imagineering, Inc., www.pcbnet.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 The daily e-mail newsletter filled
with news and resources for PCB
design, fab and assembly professionals
MIRTEC Corp., www.mirtecusa.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

PCB UPdate, www.pcbupdate.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,31

PCB West, www.pcbwest.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Seika Machinery, www.seikausa.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

PRINTED CIRCUIT
SMTA International, www.smta.org/smtai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Stake Out BOARD STIFFENER
SMTA International, www.smta.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Your Territory Large PCBs require a mechanical stiffener to
eliminate warp and bow, also to prevent copper
trace damage due to bending, vibration and rough
handling. A must for guidance of a PCB into its
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Learn how by calling • Unique aluminum bar shape accepts a screw or

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COMPUFAB INC.
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www.compufab.com

circuitsassembly.com Circuits Assembly AUGUST 2009 31

 Technical
Abstracts In Case You Missed It
Bare Board Qualification
“Qualification of Thin Form Factor PWBs for Hand-
set Assembly”
Author: Mumtaz Y. Bora; mbora@kyocera-wire-
less.com.
Abstract: Qualification of thin (less than 0.8
mm) PWBs requires careful evaluation of PWB
stackup for warpage, delamination and successful
Pb-free reflow and rework. This paper presents
qualification testing of thin PWBs for warpage
characteristics. X-sectional analysis, shear testing,
thermal shock, humidity testing and drop test
for long-term reliability. (IPC Apex, March-April
2009)
SMT Processing
“Lead-Free Process Development with Thick Multi-
layer PCBA Density in Server Applications”
Authors: L. G. Pymento, W.T. Davis, Ben Kim
and Surangkana Umpo
Abstract: This paper examines the effects of
varying surface finishes, temperature-sensitive
component limitations, process parameters and
resulting interactions that affect solder attach
attributes. The study includes characterization of
solder joint attributes from a time-zero perspec-
tive and extends to accelerated temperature cycling
with post-stress characterization. The intent is to
document the need to identify design and pro-
cess options for applications where density and
assembly functions extend beyond commercially
developed Pb-free solutions. (IPC Apex, March-
April 2009)
“SMT Process Characterization and Financial
Impact”
Author: Fan Li; fli@rim.com.
Abstract: A number of the companies study
the process capability at the time they evaluate
or purchase the equipment, or at the time they
design the product to fit the process capability.
Circuits Assembly But process capability changes over time. A pro-
provides abstracts of cess or machine that was once capable may not
papers from recent be capable now. The paper focuses on process
industry conferences capability and process control. It suggests process
and company white capability study should be routine, rather than a
papers. With the one-time effort. The paper is based on the practic-
amount of information es in our company’s manufacturing environment.
increasing, our goal is For placement, the Cpk measurement was trialed
to provide an added on some of our lines. The measurement machine
opportunity for read- problem was analyzed and a proper measurement
ers to keep abreast of machine that fits the requirement was chosen. The
technology and busi- Cpk result and product yield after proper calibra-
ness trends. tion were very encouraging. For printing, a DoE
32 Circuits Assembly AUGUST 2009
was conducted based on a 0.4 mm pitch BGA.
The significant factors related to output of paste
volume and paste deposit variation were found
and an optimum setting combination suggested
to production. Process characterization has been
proven to have a significant financial impact. (IPC
Apex, March-April 2009)
Solderability
“Comparison of Thermal Fatigue Performance of
SAC 105 (Sn-1.0Ag-0.5Cu), Sn-3.5Ag, and SAC 305 (Sn-
3.0Ag-0.5Cu) BGA Components with SAC 305 Solder
Paste”
Authors: Gregory Henshall, Jasbir Bath, Sundar
Sethuraman, David Geiger, Ahmer Syed, M.J. Lee,
Keith Newman, Livia Hu, Dong Hyun Kim, Wei-
dong Xie, Wade Eagar and Jack Waldvogel; greg.
henshall@hp.com.
Abstract: Many BGA and CSP component sup-
pliers have begun shipment of components with
a variety of “second-generation” Pb-free solder
ball alloys. Much of the motivation for the alloy
changes has been to improve mechanical shock
resistance. Several publications have established
the improved performance of such second-level
BGA/CSP sphere alloys; however, much less has
been published regarding the thermal fatigue
resistance of components with these new Pb-
free ball alloys. As these components and alloys
become mainstream, their use in situations where
thermal fatigue resistance is critical to product life
will become an important consideration. There-
fore, understanding thermal fatigue performance
for new alloys is necessary. This study compared
thermal fatigue performance under accelerated
test conditions for three common BGA ball alloys:
SAC 105, SnAg3.5, and SAC 305 as a control.
Accelerated thermal cycle (ATC) testing was per-
formed using 676 PBGA components with 1.0 mm
pitch and electrolytic NiAu finished component
pads. These components were assembled to high-
temperature rated Cu-OSP-coated printed circuit
boards using SAC 305 solder paste, which repre-
sents one of the most common assembly practices.
ATC testing was performed using IPC-9701A TC1
condition of 0/100°C with 10-min. dwells (nomi-
nal); three different failure criteria were used in
constructing the Weibull failure curves. The data
indicate that SAC 105 has the lowest thermal
fatigue resistance among the alloys tested, with
SnAg3.5 and SAC 305 having similar and supe-
rior performance. Impact of failure criterion on
the Weibull curves is also presented. (IPC Apex,
March-April 2009)
circuitsassembly.com
 Silver is the
key ingredient for
reliable solder joints
®
SACX

How do you manage your

alloy costs without
sacrificing soldering
performance and
reliability?

Even small amounts of silver in an ALPHA® SACX® alloy will:

®

• Lower alloy liquidus temperatures

• Optimize soldering performance
alpha

• Increase thermal fatigue resistance

Alpha’s lower-cost, low-Ag alloys in solder paste, bar and
cored wire have the optimum amounts of silver needed to produce
excellent solderability and reliability across a wide range of simple to complex
assembly types. When tested* against Pb-free alloys with no silver (e.g., SnCuNi, etc.),
ALPHA® SACX® alloys consistently deliver better performance at lower processing
temperatures thus reducing energy costs and increasing assembly reliability.
Join the over 1,000 companies that have saved money with ALPHA® SACX® alloys.
They made just the right amount of silver their KEY to soldering success.
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Or, contact your Cookson Electronics representative.
* Data available

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