Rising customer demands in the field of PCB repair are a daily occurrence as the rapid electronic industry follows new trends in a blink of an eye. New strategies and technologies are required to fulfill those demands. Out of the long list of today’s customer demands for efficient BTC and SMT PCB repair some subjects show up on a daily basis and are agreed to be relevant for the coming years:
• BTC types with new effects -> voidless treatment
• Smaller components -> miniaturization (01005 capability)
• Large board handling -> dynamic preheating for large board repair
• Repeatable processes -> flux and paste application (Dip and Print),residual solder removal (scavenging),dispensing,multiple component handling,and traceability
• Operator support -> higher automation,software guidance (Human Computer Interface)
• Cost effectiveness -> Rework Systems for different budgets and ROI situations

Automating electronics assembly is complex because many devices are not manufactured on a scale that justifies the cost of setting up robotic systems,which need frequent readjustments as models change. Moreover,robots are only appropriate for a limited part of assembly because small,intricate devices are particularly difficult for them to assemble. Therefore,assembly line designers must minimize operational and readjustment costs by determining the optimal assignment of tasks and resources for workstations. Several research studies address task assignment issues,most of them dealing with robot costs as fixed amount,ignoring operational costs. In real factories,the cost of human resources is constant,whereas robot costs increase with uptime. Thus,human workload must be as large and robot workload as small as possible for the given number of humans and robots. We propose a new task assignment method that establishes a workload balancing that meet precedence and further constraints. The following must be determined before using our method: which tasks robots can perform,and which workstations robots are assigned to. We assume that humans can perform every task and consider the constraints that restrict the tasks robots can perform. By applying our method to several case studies,problems involving 20humans were solved within 1minute and 1% dispersion. These results indicate that our method can be used in actual factories where a short-term planning period corresponding to frequent production fluctuations is required. We also applied our method to real assembly data for laptops manufactured by our company and obtained task assignment that reduces the operational costs by 30%. This suggests that our method can contribute to promoting the automation of electronics assembly by demonstrating its cost reduction potential.

Choosing an outsourced manufacturing partner that is perfect for a new product and close to your design team is quite different to choosing a partner that can manufacture that same product in volume in lower cost locations and fulfil globally. This is where the Gateway model comes into its own. Most large EMS have structured their organizations to leverage proximity to OEM design teams in high cost regions while providing the benefits of low cost regions for volume manufacturing. The “Gateway” facility in higher cost regions provides design engineering,supply chain design,prototype,and NPI services. The goal of the Gateway is to develop an effective build recipe that can then be effectively and seamlessly transferred to one or more volume manufacturing facility that offers lower costs and direct fulfillment to consumers. We will present a case study that highlights the value of this model and that shows some of the key elements that allow for seamless transitions from plant to plant. The Gateway model is an essential element to a successful global manufacturing model and helps ensure that products are made in the right geography.

As the demand for higher routing density and transfer speed increases,Via-In-Pad Plated Over (VIPPO)has become more common on high-end telecommunications products. The interactions of VIPPO with other features used on a PCB such as the traditional dog-bone pad design could induce solder joints to separate during the second and thereafter reflows. The failure has been successfully reproduced,and the typical failure signature of a joint separation has been summarized [1].To better understand the solder separation mechanism,this study focuses on designing a test vehicle to address the following three perspectives: PCB material properties,specifically the Z-direction or out-of-plane Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE); PCB thickness and back drill depth; and quantification of the driving force magnitude beyond which the separation is due to occur. The test vehicle is designed such that each VIPPO pad is surrounded by dog-bone via pads and each of the VIPPO joints has independent daisy chain for in-situ monitoring during the second reflow cycle. There are four different pad designs: all VIPPO design; VIPPO and dog-bone mixed pad design; VIPPO and skip via mixed pad design; and back-drilled VIPPO mixed pad design. The all VIPPO design is the baseline benchmark. The VIPPO and dog-bone mixed pad design is expected to be the worst case scenario. The VIPPO and skip via mixed pad design together with the VIPPO and back-drilled VIPPO mixed design are included to narrow the magnitude of inherent build-in stress induced by the CTE mismatch which causes the VIPPO joints to separate during the second reflow. The test vehicles are fabricated with two different PCB materials. Material A is a traditional high-end PCB material with high Z-direction (out-of-plane) CTE; while Material B has approximately one third of the Z-direction CTE of Material A.A Design of Experiment(DoE)with two PCB materials (Material A and Material B) and two PCB thicknesses(93mil and 125mil) has been performed. With the designed single-ball daisy chain test vehicle and installed thermocouples,the correlation between electrical continuity (daisy chain resistance) and solder joint temperature (thermocouple) can be derived. A video was taken of two cross-sectioned samples during the second reflow cycle using a reflow simulator. The observation is consistent with the findings of the test vehicle (TV)for in-situ monitoring. The results also provide more accurate and broader information for the investigation on why,how,and when the solder separation occurred during the second reflow cycle.

Cold ball pull testing is used to validate the resistance of PCB pad cratering for the different ultra-low loss dielectrics materials (Dk=3~4.2 and Df <= 0.005 @ 1GHz) in the study. The materials were fabricated in multiple PCB shops using a common test board design utilizing a coupon to result in a 16 mil nominal pad size for the pulls. After fabrication,a 20 mil SAC305ball is SMT attached to the 16 mil nominal pads for pulling. Each material had3 coupons with 50 pull locations on each to generate 150 data points for statistical analysis. The peak pull force differences of the material builds can be compared to differentiate the results. As a result,the different ultra-low loss dielectric material’s performance to withstand PCB pad cratering can be compared comprehensively with the cold ball pull test.

Electroless nickel electroless palladium immersion gold (ENEPIG) surface finish for printed circuit board (PCB) has now become a key surface finish that is used for both tin-lead and lead-free solder assemblies. This paper presents the reliability of land grid array (LGA) component packages with 1156 pads assembled with tin-lead solder onto PCBs with an ENEPIG finish and then subjected to thermal cycling and then isothermal aging. To determine thermal cycle reliability,daisy-chain LGA1156 packages were used to enable the monitoring of solder joint failures. The assemblies,were built with a vapor phase reflow machine or using a rework station. Then,they were subjected to thermal cycling ranging from –55°Cto 125°C. Subsequent to the completion of two hundred thermal cycles,the assemblies were isothermally aged for 324hours at 125°C to determine the effect of isothermal aging on intermetallic formation and growth,which is one of the concerns for tin-lead solder assemblies. To determine the effect of exposure at temperatures higher than 125°C,the aged samples were subjected to 100 thermal shock cycles between –65°Cand150°C.A number of characterization methods were used to ensure the integrity of solder joints. These included nondestructive evaluation by X-ray,daisy-chain monitoring at thermal cycle/aging intervals,and destructive characterization by cross-sectioning. The cycled/aged samples were cross-sectioned and characterized by optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Assembly processes and SEM photomicrographs showing damage progression and IMC/microstructural changes,as well as elemental analyses by x-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS),were also presented.

The stimulating impact of the automotive industry has sharpened focus on immersion tin (i-Sn) more than ever before. Immersion tin with its associated attributes,is well placed to fulfill the requirements of such a demanding application. In an environment dominated by reliability,the automotive market not only has very stringent specifications but also demands thorough qualification protocols. Qualification is ultimately a costly exercise. The good news is that i-Sn is already qualified by many tier one OSATs. The focus of this paper is to generate awareness of the key factors attributed to soldering i-Sn. Immersion tin is not suitable for wire bonding but ultimately suited for multiple soldering applications. The dominant topics of this paper will be IMC formations in relation to reflow cycles and the associated solderability performance. Under contamination free conditions,i-Sn can provide a solderable finish even after multiple reflow cycles. The reflow conditions employed in this paper are typical for lead free soldering environments and the i-Sn thicknesses are approximately 1 µm.

While there have been quite dramatic and evident improvements in almost every facet of manufacturing over the last several decades owing to the advent and mass adoption of computer automation and networking,there is one aspect of production that remains stubbornly unaffected. Massive databases track everything from orders,to inventory,to personnel. CAD systems allow for interactive and dynamic 3D rendering and testing,digital troubleshooting,and simulation and analysis prior to mass production. Yet,with all of this computational power and all of this networking capability,one element of production has remained thoroughly and firmly planted in the past. Nearly all manufacturing or assembly procedures are created,deployed,and stored using methodologies derived from a set of assumptions that ceased to be relevant fifty years ago. This set of assumptions,referred to below as the “Paper Paradigm” has been,and continues as the dominant paradigm for manufacturing procedures to this day. It is time for a new paradigm,one that accounts for the vastly different technological landscape of this era,one that provides a simple,efficient interface,deep traceability,and dynamic response to rapidly changing economic forces. There are of course,numerous different systems available to streamline the creation,deployment,and storage of ‘paperless’ work instructions but it is very important to understand that the simple absence of tactile paper,does not mean that a system has transcended the limitations of paper. Most procedures today are created using standard word processing tools,managed using file management systems and deployed using various different flavors of PDF. While the tools are slightly different than those available in decades’ past,there is no fundamental revolution in process and capability. A word processor is nothing more than a simple,logical extension of a typewriter. A file management system is nothing more than a virtual version of a folder overseen by a manager,and a PDF has the effect of turning a computer screen into nothing more than a sheet of paper. Regardless of the tool used for creation,regardless of the system used to manage files,and regardless of the mechanism of deployment,nearly all manufacturing instruction systems in place today conform to the same fundamental assertions as systems in place over one hundred years ago. The Paper Paradigm:
1.Procedures must be deployed to operators in a paper or paper analogue format.
2.Procedures can only provide a one-way flow of information from the document to the operator.
3. Procedures cannot react to changing circumstances.
4. Procedures cannot be interactive.
5. Procedure revision must be manually controlled.
This paper seeks to present an alternative. Instead of enhancing and improving on systems that became irrelevant with the invention of a database,instead of propping up an outdated,outmoded and inefficient system with incremental improvements; rewrite the paradigm. Change the underlying assertions to more accurately reflect our current technological capability. Instead of relying on evolutionary improvements,it is time for a revolution in manufacturing instructions. It is time to embrace a new paradigm.

Work instructions are time consuming to generate for engineers,often requiring regeneration from scratch to address very minor changes. They need to be produced in varying levels of detail,with varying guidelines,for multiple stations,operators and lines. Minor component,station or process changes –down to the modification of an individual BOM component –can cause headaches when attempting to maintain consistency across multiple work instructions that are touched by the change. The solution presented here improves efficiency and saves engineering time by making use of a database driven approach. Manufacturing details,component information,process guidelines,annotations,machine-specific data,and more can be stored in one central database. Any information stored in this single repository can then be modified quickly in one location and automatically propagate seamlessly throughout multiple work instructions. These can be instantly printed out or displayed on screens at appropriately affected stations with the simple click of a button,as opposed to regenerating from scratch,or going in and reviewing many documents to find and update with the change. An object-oriented based approach with information stored in one central location encapsulates all of the appropriate information at the level it should be presented. This allows clearer work instructions to be provided almost instantly –the moment any change is made to the database –while also maintaining consistency across all instances of the change in question.

Electronic assemblies use a large variety of polymer materials with different mechanical and thermal properties to provide protection in harsh usage environments. However,variability in the mechanical properties such as the coefficient of thermal expansion and elastic modulus effects the material selection process by introducing uncertainty to the long term impacts on the reliability of the electronics. Typically,the main reliability issue is solder joint fatigue which accounts for a large amount of failures in electronic components. Therefore,it is necessary to understand the effect of polymer encapsulations (coatings,pottings and underfills) on the solder joints when predicting reliability. It has been shown that there is a large reduction in fatigue life when tensile stresses exist in the solder due to the thermal expansion of the polymer encapsulation. The inclusion of tensile stress subjects solder joints to cyclic multiaxial stress state which is found to be more damaging than a conventional cyclic shear loading. Isolating the tensile stress component is necessary in order to understand its influence on a reduced fatigue life of microelectronic solder joints. Therefore,a unique specimen was constructed in order to subject Pb-free solder joints to the fluctuating tensile stress conditions. This paper presents the construction and validation of a thermo-mechanical tensile fatigue specimen. The thermal cycling range was matched with potting expansion properties in order to vary the magnitude of tensile stress imposed on solder joints. Solder joint geometries were designed with a scale factor that is relevant to BGAs and QFN solder joints while maintaining a simplified stress state. FEA modeling was performed to observe the stress-strain behavior of solder joints during thermal expansion for various potting material properties. The magnitude of axial stress in solder joints is shown to be dependent on both the coefficient of thermal expansion and modulus along with the peak temperature of thermal cycles. Results from thermal cycling of the specimen assist in correlating the magnitude of tensile stress experienced by solder joints due to the thermal expansion of potting material with various expansion properties and provides new insight into low cycle fatigue life of solder joints in electronic packages with encapsulations.