Category Archives: Packaging and Testing

March 13, 2012 — The International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI) began 2 collaborative efforts related to micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) technology, specifically reliability and test, and will host a workshop, May 10 in Pittsburgh immediately following the MEMS Industry Group’s M2M Forum 2012.
 
Because test and reliability are common issues to be addressed across the MEMS manufacturing supply chain, a collaborative approach to industry-wide solutions was the best approach, said iNEMI CEO Bill Bader.
 
In 2011, the iNEMI Roadmap featured a separate chapter on MEMS for the first time, focused on the technology and business directions for MEMS technology over the next 10 years. This roadmap information, gap analysis, and industry input were combined to identify and prioritize several critical MEMS manufacturing issues:

  • MEMS Test Methods and Capabilities – iNEMI’s team will focus on providing possible refinements for testing in-process and at the process back-end.  
  • MEMS Reliability Methodologies – This initiative will investigate the development of generic reliability testing specifications/methods for integrated MEMS devices that enable specification conformance and effectively propagate key device failure mechanisms.    

The one-day MEMS Workshop will facilitate interaction and discussion on the key challenges that the industry needs to address collaboratively. The main objectives include refining the participants’ focus based on the iNEMI Roadmap and results from iNEMI’s MEMS workshop in the UK in 2011, identifying and evaluating additional collaboration opportunities around MEMS manufacturing and deployment, then forming action groups to define and execute the required collaborative programs. Attendees will also define research and development needs to support these programs.     

The International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI) comprises 100 manufacturers, suppliers, consortia and associations, and government agencies and academia, collaborating to forecast and accelerate improvements in the electronics manufacturing industry. iNEMI roadmaps the needs of the electronics industry, identifies gaps in the technology infrastructure, establishes implementation projects to eliminate these gaps (both business and technical), and stimulates standards activities to speed the introduction of new technologies. For additional information about iNEMI, go to http://www.inemi.org.

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March 12, 2012 — Multitest expanded its MEMS portfolio to pick-and-place test applications with the introduction of its test and calibration cart for the MT9510. Multitest MEMS solutions are now available for strip test and singulated package test on Multitest InStrip with optional InCarrier, on gravity test handlers MT93xx and MT9928, or on the MT9510XP tri-temp pick-and-place handler.

This new combination is based on the two well-established platforms: MT MEMS and MT9510. This setup leverages Multitest’s long-term MEMS test expertise as well as thorough understanding of the challenges in DUT handling. Thus, the industry-leading positioning accuracy and tri-temp performance of the MT9510 also is now available for MEMS test.

Multitest has developed this even further by leveraging the contact site dimension of the MT9510 x16. The company is now able to offer a quad-site test solution for MEMS on pick-and-place handlers. Based on the same MEMS cart as for the MT9928 this MT9510 x16 / MEMS set-up uses both, Multitest’s pick-and-place and MEMS expertise.

Multitest is a designer and manufacturer of final test handlers, contactors and load boards used by integrated device manufacturers (IDMs) and final test subcontractors. For more information, visit www.multitest.com/MEMS

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March 9, 2012 — Confovis will begin providing MountainsMap imaging and surface analysis software from Digital Surf with its ConfoCAM LED grid-confocal measuring systems for inspection and research.

MountainsMap imaging and surface analysis software provides real-time 3D imaging, using the latest surface metrology standards and methods and generating quality reports automatically. It allows users to visualize the 3D surface topography of a sample in real time, aiding in surface texture and geometry metrology. It uses ISO 25178 3D parameters and ISO 16610 advanced filtering techniques. Full metrological traceability is assured because every analysis step is recorded in a hierarchical analysis workflow and series of measurement data sets can be analyzed automatically using a workflow as a template. Universal ASCII data export means that numerical results can be exported in Excel-compatible text files for interfacing with third-party systems.

ConfoCAM LED grid-confocal measurement systems have no mechanical moving parts in the illumination, axial (Z) resolution down to 1nm, and fast processing speeds in a compact form factor. The tools are designed to inspect semiconductors, solar cells, flat panel displays (FPDs), lenses, medical devices, precision components after milling and grinding, optoelectronics components, micro electro mechanical system (MEMS), coatings and polymer surfaces, microfluidic chips, and more.

Confovis provides optical surface test and measurement instrumentation, suiting semiconductor and flat-panel display (FPD) inspection tasks.

Digital Surf provides surface analysis software for all types of surface metrology instrument including 2D and 3D profilometers, optical microscopes and scanning probe microscopes. Internet: www.digitalsurf.com.

March 5, 2012 — The Albany, NY-based College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering’s (CNSE) Smart System Technology and Commercialization Center of Excellence (STC), which performs micro electromechanical system (MEMS) and nanotechnology-enabled manufacturing and packaging, successfully completed the International Organization for Standardization’s (ISO) 9001:2008 registration.

The registration incorporates rigorous criteria in a collection of formal international standards, technical specifications and reports, as well as handbooks and web-based documents on quality management. CNSE’s STC worked with EEP Quality Group of Rochester to review and edit existing documentation, and to develop a number of new standard operating procedures in order to comply with ISO requirements.

With ISO 9001:2008, the MEMS development center expects to have "new opportunities to create high-tech jobs" and be able to "attract additional partners in the industrial and government sectors," including the Department of Defense and various intelligence agencies that require ISO certification, and domestic and foreign commercial companies, Dr. Alain E. Kaloyeros, CNSE SVP and CEO, said. Numerous enhanced security features are being put into place that will allow CNSE’s STC to heighten its site security clearance as well.

CNSE’s STC expects to hire additional employees as a result of its ISO registration. New hires will range from engineering and technical personnel to cleanroom operators, who will be needed to support both existing projects and new programs that transition from prototyping and pilot production to low- and mid-volume manufacturing.

The UAlbany CNSE is a college dedicated to education, research, development and deployment in the emerging disciplines of nanoscience, nanoengineering, nanobioscience and nanoeconomics. CNSE’s footprint spans upstate New York, including its Albany NanoTech Complex, an 800,000-square-foot megaplex with the only fully-integrated, 300mm wafer, computer chip pilot prototyping and demonstration line within 85,000 square feet of Class 1 capable cleanrooms. More than 2,700 scientists, researchers, engineers, students and faculty work here, from companies including IBM, Intel, GlobalFoundries, SEMATECH, Samsung, TSMC, Toshiba, Applied Materials, Tokyo Electron, ASML and Novellus Systems. An expansion now underway, part of which will house the world’s first Global 450mm Consortium, will add nearly 500,000 square feet of next-generation infrastructure, an additional 50,000 square feet of Class 1 capable cleanrooms, and more than 1,000 scientists, researchers and engineers from CNSE and global corporations. For information, visit www.cnse.albany.edu.

CNSE’s Smart System Technology and Commercialization Center of Excellence (STC) in Rochester, NY, offers state-of-the-art capabilities for MEMS fabrication and packaging. It assists small and large companies in transitioning new technologies from concept to manufacturing. STC maintains a 140,000-square-foot facility with over 25,000 square feet of cleanrooms for MEMS fabrication and packaging, and works with large and medium-sized companies to help them bring new technologies to market; with small companies ready to transition from prototype and low-volume manufacturing to scalable manufacturing; and with various federal agencies to develop technology solutions to areas of critical national need, including smart prosthetics and improvised explosive device (IED) detection. For more information, visit www.stcmems.com.

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March 1, 2012 – BUSINESS WIRE — After reporting Q4 2011 results, micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) supplier MEMSIC Inc. (NasdaqGM: MEMS) discussed its 2 main goals for 2012.

MEMSIC is pursuing more design wins with global customers in the growing mobile phone and consumer market, said chairman, president, and CEO Dr. Yang Zhao.

Secondly, the company is looking to leverage its MEMS sensor and sensor system integration technology to create more value-added products for consumer, industrial and automotive applications, Zhao said, noting MEMSIC’s ability to integrate MCU and software to create smart-sensing systems beyond sensor fusion.

In November 2011, a MEMSIC subsidiary formed a joint venture with Wuxi New District Science and Technology Financial Investment Group Co. Ltd., a state-owned Chinese venture capital fund, to bring MEMSIC’s mesh wireless sensor network technology to the sensor and sensing network solution market.

MEMSIC Inc. provides advanced semiconductor sensors and multi-sensor systems based on MEMS technology IC- and module-level integration technologies. The company’s shares are listed on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange (NASDAQ GM: MEMS). Learn more at www.memsic.com.

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February 29, 2012 — Nanolab Technologies Incorporated inaugurated its 47,000sq.ft. state-of-the-art facility in Milpitas, CA on "Leap Day" as a nod to the company’s "Giant Leap Forward" theme for 2012. The new facility more than doubles Nanolab Technologies’ space.

Nanolab Technologies provides electron microscopy, surface analysis and failure analysis services for MEMS and IC design, process control, and fabrication issues.

The new state-of-the-art laboratory was designed to maximize the performance of extremely high resolution instruments, with precision temperature control, vibration isolation, acoustical absorption, and an electrical system design to virtually eliminate electrical and magnetic field interference (EMI), and environmental and mechanical influences. This supports expansion into new analytical service sectors, said president and CEO John Traub.

The Chiller-based Radiant Cooling System was designed and built to achieve precise temperature control that eliminates lab temperature variances. The system controls and redirects airflow to prevent turbulence that can compromise instrument performance.

The web-based Environmental Control System facilitates remote reprogramming and control of individual lab environments to precondition and stabilize operating conditions prior to the arrival of laboratory analysts. This is particularly valuable when responding to a customer emergency call at night or on weekends, when all environmental systems are optimized for minimizing energy consumption and reducing operating costs.

The new laboratory is designed around a central facilities Service Module "spine" featuring double-wall construction and three layers of high-efficiency acoustical absorption material. This is the central support core for all laboratories and houses ancillary equipment and control delivery systems for gases and fluids. All major mechanical systems are installed on an exterior isolated equipment pad.

The facility was also designed to accommodate seamless expansion with facilities in place for new laboratories as the company grows and adds new instruments, techniques and analytical services.  
 
Nanolab Technologies is a testing laboratory providing chip designers, equipment OEMs and integrated circuit fabricators with independent assessments of IC design, process control, and fabrication issues. For further information, visit www.nanolab1.com.

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February 22, 2012 — MCLR’s factory in Vladimir, Russia, will manufacture substrates and panels for light-emitting diodes (LEDs) requiring thermal management, as well as other electronic devices such as 3D ICs and micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS). The new plant is a collaboration between state-held RUSNANO and Micro Components Ltd. (MCL), an Israeli high-tech company, with direct input from Tamir Fishman CIG, a venture capital fund created by Russian Venture Company.

Total budget for the project is 868 million rubles. Of that sum, RUSNANO is cofinancing 120 million rubles. The substrate manufacturing project went from initial financing to commercial production in 14 months.

In phase 1, the Vladimir MCLR factory will produce 10,000 panels/month, which can be manufactured into more than 1 million LED lamps. By 2015, MCLR expects the factory to run at its 70,000 panels/month capacity. The venture plans to earn 2.8 million rubles annually by this time, with 72% of that from substrates for assembly of electronic devices and 28% from LED module substrates.

The project is based on MCL’s proprietary ALOX substrate technology, with an aluminum or copper conducting layer and a dielectric material with nanopourous structure. ALOX technology lowers the temperature of the LED crystal with rapid heat sink, using selectively staged aluminum oxidation in which dielectric material is obtained on the surface of the metal and in its depths. Drilling and plating of perforations are not required with ALOX because the interconnections are made entirely of aluminum and the dielectric material is made of high-quality ceramic.

ALOX-built substrates demonstrate good thermal reliability, with improved heat conductivity, cost (20-30% below), and reliability (2x) over traditional products. The product can also be recycled, unlike glass textolite materials. ALOX can be used to package microwave electronics, system-in-package (SiP) devices, 3D memory chip stacks, MEMS devices, and power semiconductor modules and components.

MCLR reports that leading international players in the LED market are considering the nanostructured substrates.

Yan Ryazantsev, director of the Investment and Expertise Department and member of the Executive Committee, Russian Venture Company, called MCLR an example of successfully importing "the latest foreign technology" to establish "large-scale commercial manufacturing in Russia," with products that can be sold internationally. Also read: RUSNANO, Japan tighten nano ties

RUSNANO was founded in March 2011, through reorganization of state corporation Russian Corporation of Nanotechnologies, to develop the Russian nanotechnology industry. The Government of the Russian Federation owns 100% of the shares in RUSNANO. Russian Venture Company is a state fund of funds, an institute for development of the Russian Federation, and one of the government’s key instruments in its effort to build a national innovation system.

Visit the new LEDs Manufacturing Channel on ElectroIQ.com!

February 21, 2012 — Electronics System Integration Technology Conference (ESTC) 2012 seeks original papers describing research in all areas of electronic packaging, including LED packaging, flexible electronics, assembly and interconnect technologies, and more. ESTC takes place September 17-20 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Organized by IEEE-CPMT since 2006, in association with IMAPS-Europe, the ESTC conference series focuses on interconnect and packaging technologies for electronic system integration. Submit your abstract by April 1.
 
Paper abstracts may be submitted to the following tracks and application areas:

  • Assembly and Manufacturing Technology
  • Materials for Interconnect and Packaging
  • Reliability
  • Embedded Die and Wafer Level Packaging
  • 3D Integration Technology
  • Microsystem Packaging
  • Flexible and Stretchable electronics
  • Advanced and Emerging Technologies
  • Power Electronic Packaging
  • Optoelectronic Packaging
  • Thermal and Mechanical Modeling
  • Electrical Design & Modeling
  • Consumer Electronics
  • Automotive and Industrial Electronics
  • Avionics and Space Electronics
  • Medical Electronics
  • Solid State Lighting
  • Telecom System Electronics
  • Wireless Electronics
  • RF-ID and Smartcards
  • Display and Imager Electronics
  • Energy System Electronics

Submit a 300-500 word abstract that describes the scope, content and key points of your proposed paper. Abstracts must include results and graphics. Please visit www.estc2012.eu to upload your abstract. Submissions for poster presentations are also welcome. Submission deadline for abstracts is April 1, 2012.

ESTC will select the best paper and best poster presentations. For each, the author(s) will receive a personalized ESTC award and a monetary prize from the IEEE-CPMT Region 8 Director.

The official language of all presentations is English. All oral and poster presentation authors are invited to prepare a paper for the conference proceeding which will also be included in the IEEE XPLORE database after the conference.
 
Your submission must include the mailing address, business telephone number and email address of the presenting author and affiliations of all authors. All submitted abstracts will be reviewed by the committee to ensure a high-quality conference. At the discretion of the program committee, paper abstracts submitted may be considered for poster presentation. The work should be original and not previously published, and avoid inclusion of commercial content. Additional instructions about formatting the paper will be published on www.estc2012.eu.

Selected presenters will be notified on June 1, 2012. Final paper manuscript will then be due August 15, 2012.

Related story: Advanced packaging at the 2010 ESTC

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February 17, 2012 — At MM/MEMS/NANO Live USA, Professor Yogesh Gianchandani, director of the University of Michigan’s Wireless Integrated Microsystems and Sensors Center, will keynote the MEMS Commercialization: From Lab to Fab to the Market session, Thursday, March 8 in Rosemont, IL. The session will address micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) manufacturing, assembly and test issues.

Gianchandani will address novel manufacturing techniques with non-classical MEMS materials in "Manufacturing of Microsystems: Emerging Opportunities in Biomedical, Environmental and Wireless Applications."

Session chair Roger Grace will share results of a new market study, "MEMS 2011 Commercialization Report Card," grading the MEMS industry commercialization attempts. The study has annually graded the performance of the MEMS industry since 1998.

Tammy Pluym from Sandia National Laboratories will present their SUMMiT V process, enabling 3D micro miniature complex structures to be created using traditional MEMS processing.

Yongyao Cai of MEMSIC will discuss the company’s approach to high-volume assembly and test of MEMS accelerometer and electronic compass product lines.

Concluding the program, a panel session MEMS infrastructure experts will address “Barriers to the Commercialization of MEMS” from different perspectives. Grace will lead off with "MEMS Marketing: Oxymoron or Opportunity" followed by MaryAnn Maher of SoftMEMS speaking on software co-design. Rich Brossart of SVTC will discuss commercialization barriers from a MEMS foundry/service providers’ perspective. The panel discussion will conclude with Bob Mohondro of Plasma -Therm, examining barriers to commercialization from an equipment supplier’s perspective. 

MEMS beginners as well as those "well-versed in the technology" are invited to attend, including MEMS designers, people who create MEM-based systems, infrastructure suppliers, corporate management and members of the investment community.

The session is organized and chaired by Roger Grace, Roger Grace Associates. It will address MEMS manufacturing, assembly and test issues. All of the presentations and the exhibition at the two-day event are free of charge including the MEMS Commercialization session.

MM Live USA and new co-locating feature events MEMS Live USA and NANO Live USA will take place in the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, IL, March 7-8. Online: http://www.mmnliveusa.com.

Roger Grace Associates provides comprehensive strategic marketing consulting and marketing communications services to domestic and overseas high-technology clients. For more information please visit www.rgrace.com.

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February 9, 2012 — Colibrys SA, high-reliability micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) motion sensors manufacturer for precision navigation and seismic monitoring applications, will relocate locally, to the Y-Parc at Yverdon-les-Bains, Canton Vaud, Switzerland. The move will be completed by mid-2013.

Colibrys will use a US$10 million investment for new cleanrooms to manufacture 6" silicon MEMS wafers and perform advanced assembly and test capabilities, as well as areas for design, product engineering, and administration tasks.

The move enables Colibrys to expand into medical and industrial sensor markets, said Sean Neylon, CEO, adding that the company will be able to ramp up new product developments, customer support, and employee benefits in the new location.

Colibrys expects substantial rent reductions from the move, and will occuy modern, eco-friendly premises. The new location, owned by Meigerhorn, is in the Y-Parc technology center for high-tech SME businesses.

COLIBRYS makes standard and semi-custom MEMS-based motion sensors for harsh-environment (Aerospace & Defense and Energy) and safety critical (Industrial and Instrumentation) applications. Additional information is available at www.colibrys.com.

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