Elk Grove Village, IL-- Sonoscan Inc., a developer and manufacturer of acoustic microscope systems, has been issued a patent (U.S. #6,890,302) that gives engineers a new tool for diagnosing packaging defects. It is one of several patents issued to the company in the past year.
 
Acoustic microscope echoes are typically time-gated on a depth of interest, and echoes from other depths are ignored. This method, known as time domain imaging, has been the standard for many years. If a 230 MHz transducer is being used, the frequency content of the return echoes at an x-y coordinate will range from about 170 to about 260 MHz or more, and the frequency content characteristic typically varies from one pixel to the next. 
 
A new technique, Frequency Domain Imaging (FDI), separates the various return echoes at each x-y coordinate into their individual frequencies. The result is not a single acoustic image, but typically 20 to 40 different acoustic images, each image made from echoes of a single frequency, and each image having its own contrast and resolution.
 
Engineers often solve problems involving internal interfaces by comparing the various FDI images. The results for any particular sample depend on the sample and on the materials involved, but typically some FDI images have high resolution, and are useful for performing diagnoses of critical interfaces, such as those in flip chips. In some cases, FDI images display features that are not visible in the time-domain images.
 

Shenzhen – Exhibitors are lining up to showcase electronics goods at Nepcon/EMT South China 2006, which will be held at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Centre from Aug. 29 to Sept. 1. The four-day expo is expected to bring 18,000 domestic and international visitors, making it the largest in South China.
 
Nepcon South China allows professional visitors to troubleshoot with esteemed technicians and work out complete SMT solutions. Two highlights of the show are the SMT Zone and the Soldering Zone. EMT South China will feature Test & Measurement, Component Manufacturing and Electronics Manufacturing Services.
 
Exhibiting companies include Assembleon, Cookson Electronics, Dage, Hitachi, HIWIN, Omron, Panasonic, Samsung, Speedline, Suneast, 3M, Universal, WKK and Yamazen. The show will open up an arena for local industry players to glean knowledge about the industry from international heavyweights and hear about the latest electronics manufacturing products.
 
Booming market conditions in South China have set the stage for a large turnout at the show. Economic forecasters predict the annual revenue of China’s electronics market to hit $60 billion in 2006, growing 15 to 20% annually. Guangdong’s year on year growth has outstripped all regions throughout China at 12.5%, and it already accounts for 37% of China’s electronics production. In coming years, the province will allocate 53 billion yuan to develop 25 key electronics, bio-medicine, software and IC projects.     
 
Plant managers, proprietors, technical engineers, test and inspection officers and quality control officials are just some of the industry professionals that visit the show to catch up on industry trends and gain crucial market information.