Award Winners
09/01/2003
Third Annual Advanced Packaging Awards Celebrates Success
The winners of the 2003 Advanced Packaging Awards were announced at a special reception during the first evening of SEMICON West in July. A standing-room only crowd was the first in the industry to learn which company's products most impressed the panel of independent industry judges.
The program, launched by Advanced Packaging Magazine in 2001, was held in the McEnery Convention Center on July 16. Advanced Packaging assembled a group of six prominent figures from industry and academia to evaluate 57 products submitted in 14 categories. The criteria included innovation, cost-effectiveness and throughput, among others, and products had to be introduced between April 1, 2002, and March 31, 2003, to be eligible for an award.
Advanced Packaging congratulates and thanks all winners and participants in the 2003 Advanced Packaging Awards program and recognizes each participant's part in keeping this constantly changing industry at the forefront of excellence.
For a table listing the winning company and product in each of the 14 categories and a group shot of the winners, visit http://www.apmag.com. Following is a detailed look at the winning products for each category
DIE PLACEMENT & ATTACH
Eutectic Die Bonder
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Model 6500 Precision Eutectic Die Bonder is said to provide a high accuracy, high-throughput solution for hybrid assembly. With a footprint of 38 x 48", the bonder takes up less than half the ..cleanroom space of comparable equipment, according to company claims. Its 6 x 12" work area eliminates the need for additional bond heads to feed and preposition die in the work area. The system's rigidity and speed enable post-process accuracy of better than 1.5 µm at 3 sigma at cycle times of less than seven seconds per pick/place operation. A six-position, bidirectional tool turret maximizes flexibility and throughput by changing pick tools "on the fly" rather than using a tool docking/undocking system. Palomar Technologies, Vista, Calif., www. palomartechnologies.com.
ENCAPSULATION/MOLDING
Encapsulation Machine
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IDEALmold R2R produces microelectronic encapsulated packages. The company's pinnacle gating system has been added to avoid the ..tape damage due to runner and gate sticking, as well as easy CGR removal. To address tape damage, a linear tape transfer mechanism has been installed with the aid of a high-precision stepper motor that self-aligns to the molding tool. ASM Assembly Automation, Singapore; www.asmpt.com.
FLIP CHIP PROCESSES, MATERIALS & PRODUCTS
Flip Chip Bonder
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The AFC-800 high-speed flip chip bonder reportedly optimizes lead frame-based applications at 6,000 units/hour with ±25 µm placement accuracy. Synchronized vertical and horizontal multi-headed turrets allow for 8,000 units/hour. Each of the multiple turret heads is ..said to pick a bumped chip from a wafer and transparently index it vertically into a flipped position for transfer to one of the multiple pick-and-place heads of the horizontal turret that sequences the held chips through controlled flux dipping, vision recognition and placement on the destined lead frame position, where the lead frame table adjusts automatically for X-Y-Theta. Advanced Systems Automation Ltd., Singapore; www.asa.com.sg.
FUNCTIONAL TEST EQUIPMENT
Imaging Analysis Tool
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Magma C20 can peer into a device while operating dynamically or statically, and give the analyst the ability to isolate failures in complex devices, advanced packages and full assemblies without decapsulation or deprocessing. ..The tool is said to be unaffected by IC materials, which enables it to see through packaging and interconnect layers to pinpoint "buried" defects at low currents as well as resolve resistive open failures. Neocera Inc., Beltsville, Md., www.neocera.com.
HANDLING EQUIPMENT/FIXTURES
Test-handling System
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NRTH systems are designed to operate with a high-speed transport subsystem comprised of carriers. This carrier-based approach is capable of providing a universal platform to handle devices in either a strip or matrix format. Modular in design, the family consists ..of TH209-01, an ambient standalone workcell for strip-based test handling of devices. The devices are presented to the tester while still attached to the strip. The other member is the TH219-02, which is an ambient/hot standalone workcell for matrix-based test handling of devices. The devices are arranged in an array or matrix format on the carriers before being presented to the tester. ASM Assembly Automation, Kwai Chung, Hong Kong, www.asmpt.com.
IMAGING/INSPECTION
Lithography System
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Designed to address flip chip and WLF lithography requirements, Saturn Spectrum 300e2 reportedly features dual lamp illumination and wafer edge processing options. The system eliminates mask-to-wafer proximity to provide ..improved illumination control and yield performance. Additionally, the system provides fully automatic handling of 200 and 300 mm wafers, can process wafer thickness ranging from 0.2 to 2.0 mm, and can expose wafers with up to 100 µm warpage. Ultratech Inc., San Jose, Calif., www.ultratech.com.
PACKAGE DESIGN & ANALYSIS
3-D Integration
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Designed for 3-D integration challenges, the µZ package family reportedly stacks packages based on the company's µBGA, thus avoiding the technical and logistical challenges of stacking bare die. The package family consists two members: the µZ-Ball Stack and µZ Fold-Over. ..CSPs are stacked and connected vertically with solder balls and a standard surface mount process. A substrate flap is folded onto the encapsulated bottom device, allowing memory chips in standard CSPs to be attached to the top. This allows numerous variations and prevents the difficulties of procuring, testing and integrating bare die. Tessera Technologies Inc., San Jose, Calif., www.tessera.com.
QUALITY MANAGEMENT TOOLS
Software Tool
This tool automates the job of transforming document-based component datasheets into formatted symbols used in PCB design. The software tool does this by extracting pin information directly from the supplier datasheet, then applying user-defined rules to customize symbol graphics and generate 99.78 percent error-free symbols. By eliminating the need to manually enter pin information, the software reportedly accelerates the symbol creation process and eliminates errors that cause downstream design and manufacturing problems due to incorrect data entered into EDA systems. ChipData Inc., Richardson, Texas, www.chipdata.com.
SPECIALIZED ADVANCED PACKAGING PRODUCTS
Flip Chip on Standard Lead Frame
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This company replaced wire bond with flip chip in standard leaded SOIC packages without changing anything else to offer thermal and electrical empowerment. The "pillar bumps" in ..flip chip bonding to lead frame fingers against wire bond are said to provide shorter paths for lower resistance/inductance at higher capacitance and robust thermal drain. The underbond metallization (UBM) used under each bump reportedly seals the aluminum bond pad on the chip from corrosion to enhance the plastic encapsulated reliability layer. Advanced Interconnect Technologies, Pleasanton, Calif., www.aitbatam.com.
SUBSTRATE/SUBMOUNT MATERIALS & TECHNOLOGIES
Wafer Printing System
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TouchPrint TPW-1 is designed to load, align, print and unload wafers without operator intervention. A vibrating squeegee provides lower squeegee pressures, longer stencil life, consistent paste deposition and paste elimination. Also included is a wafer edge cleaning system that cleans solder paste off the wafer edge. A dot dispensing system built into the printer combines wafer printing, dot dispensing and stencil printing in one system. With a ..print area of 2.2 to 18.0", the system offers vision-guided, fully automated pin placement, ultrasonic cleaning and more. Milara Inc., Medfield, Mass., www.milarasmt.com.
SURFACE TREATMENT EQUIPMENT
Stencil Cleaning System
Model 201SC-CLR Closed-loop Ultrasonic Stencil Cleaning System reportedly provides solder paste and adhesive removal from stencils, screens and misprinted assemblies with no environmental impact. The self-contained system produces no liquid waste stream. Additionally, a wash-solution filtration system removes solder pastes and adhesives from the wash-solution, lengthening the useful life and eliminating chemical replacement. Its closed-loop rinse water recycler captures, filters, re-de-ionizes and reuses the rinse water. Capable of washing, rinsing and drying a stencil within three minutes, according to company claims, the system can be placed anywhere on the floor. Aqueous Technologies, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., www.aqueoustech.com.
WAFER DICING/THINNING
Automatic Laser Saw
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DFL7160 Fully Automatic Laser Saw reportedly eliminates bottlenecks in low-k and copper wafer dicing. The laser slices through the copper to the substrate beneath for improved throughput and dicing quality. The saw uses a short pulse UV laser to groove work pieces at ..high speed and without heat damage to the ICs. Its touch-screen graphic user interface facilitates training and operations. Additionally, the laser saw reportedly provides support for numerous other precision grooving and dicing applications. Disco Hi Tec America, Santa Clara, Calif., www.discousa.com.
THERMAL MANAGEMENT
Thermally Enhanced Package
The DU-TBGA, a die-up-designed thermally enhanced BGA package, has no vias and a single-layer design for low signal impedance. Body sizes range from 13 to 27 mm and SQ with ball counts from 81 to 1,024. A ground ring is on the heat spreader as well. Applications include consumer, cell, Bluetooth, communications and PC. ASAT Inc., Fremont, Calif., www.asat.com.
WIRE BONDING
Gold Ball Bonder
Eagle60 Gold Ball Bonder reportedly provides throughput with a benchmark speed of 16 wires per second while maintaining a production yield of greater than 99.95 percent. Additionally, it uses linear motors and high- resolution encoders for the XY table and indexer. It achieves fine-pitch bonding of 35 µm bond pad pitch on leaded packages with an accuracy of ±3 µm at 3s. The bonder offers improved ultrasonic power and speed control, providing a light touch down on fragile bond pads. Capable of handling both present and future packages, the system can bond on bare copper frames as well as detect and prevent abnormal free air ball formation and improve bond quality by monitoring ultrasonic power and bond force in real time. ASM Technology, Singapore, www.asmpt.com.