What Is Really Inside Your AOI?

by Jean-Marc Peallat, Russ Warncke, Russell Claybrook, Marc Brun, Vi Technology Americas

Abstract: Installed for the first time 20 years ago, automated optical inspection (AOI) more recently has become an essential part of our SMT environment. Today, most process engineers are turning to machines as an inspection strategy for addressing quality and productivity issues. As the number of AOI machine manufacturers has grown, so has the array of choices, creating the difficult and confusing task of choosing one AOI machine that meets process and quality requirements.

The objective of this paper is to provide potential AOI users with guidance and better understanding of this array of choices by examining the technologies within them and shedding light upon the costs involved; including purchase, equipment operation and long-term ownership.

The first part of this article is dedicated to the “Fundamentals of AOI”, best understood by examining current inspection solutions from the perspective of the two prevailing, but different, technologies: Image Based AOI and Algorithm Based AOI. Each technology contributes a value to the inspection process that can be shown to be different. This value difference is highlighted by “key factors” (explained in more detail below), which have a clear impact on the end user’s process. These key factors also are the main considerations when calculating Return on Investment (ROI). Simplified ROI calculations are shown in this article as examples of the differences between Image and Algorithm Based AOI.

June 5, 2012

TI’s Journey to High-Volume Copper Wire Bonding Production

Abstract: The use of copper wire bonding in semiconductor packages has seen a steady evolution in recent years. The technology offers better performance and is more economical than traditional gold wire bonding, and Texas Instruments has played an instrumental role in developing copper wire bonding across the industry. With billions of units shipped, TI offers packaging solutions that deliver the performance, reliability, quality and cost advantages of copper. Copper wire bonding is a proven, standard solution across many of TI’s analog, embedded processing and wireless products, and it is gaining broad acceptance among customers. This white paper will explore the technology’s benefits and technical challenges faced in the ramp of copper wire bonding to high volume production.

May 23, 2012

"Providing The Proper Technical Workbench For Electronic Assembly & Inspection"

By Jim Norton

In today’s electronics assembly environments, it important that workbenches and workstations meet the needs of the technician and the work being performed, along with the flexibility to change, add or reconfigure as processes change. Considering the wide variety of workbench choices available on the market, it can often be a daunting task to configure them to meet all of your requirements. There are two primary consideration that will effect each and every aspect of the decision: What is the work being done at each station, and how will it change in the future? The answers determine how each workbench or workstation is configured.

March 15, 2012

"Electronics Manufacturing in Russia"

Author: Ivan Pokrovsky, New Russian Electronics, Business Industry Yearbook, 2008.

Abstract: Russia, which is characterized by smaller domestic contract surface mount assemblers, has been a difficult place for large multinational EMS companies to navigate. However, the nation's domestic electronics assembly industry is huge, with forecasts predicting a $14 billion industry in 2010, primarily (55%) for industrial or military end-markets.

"Flip-Chip Package Substrate Solder Issue"

By Abhay Maheshwari and Austin Lesea

Alpha particle emission in close proximity to the device circuitry is minimized by following Xilinx low alpha solder requirements on package substrate
pads. One flip-chip packaging vendor’s failure to comply with these requirements has resulted in contamination by high alpha solder causing possible
soft errors due to flipped device configuration bits. This white paper provides an overview on soldering material, describes the specific soldering problem,
and offers some solutions.

January 14, 2004