Micro Dispensing: From Semiconductors To Sushi


The phrase “micro fluid dispensing” is generally associated with applications like medical device assembly or battery manufacturing. It certainly doesn’t conjure up visions of sushi – at least not yet. If engineers at IHI Aerospace and Yamagata University have their way, though, 3D printed sushi will be served to space tourists as they circle in low Earth orbit. Yes, printed sush... » read more

X-ray Inspection In The Semiconductor Industry


With the ever-present pressure to produce more efficient devices with more power, the sizes of the structures and electrical connections in the production of chips have become smaller and smaller. In addition, the sheer number of these connections in a given unit area have also increased in a spectacular way. At the heart of all X-ray inspection, whether it is manual or fully automated metrolog... » read more

Five Smart Ways To Improve EV Battery Production


Batteries and battery management systems are the heart of today's electric vehicles. These components define the performance, safety, and driving range of more than 16.5 million1 electric vehicles currently on the road. As electric vehicle and battery manufacturers continue to look for ways to increase the efficiency and speed of their production processes, many turn to Nordson EFD for prec... » read more

Effect Of RF Plasma Process Gas Chemistry And Electrode Configuration On The Removal Of Copper Lead Frame Oxidation


By Daniel Chir and Johnson Toh Lead frame surface oxidation can lead to surface delamination after molding or wire bonding issues. The application of plasma treatment has been proven to be safe and effective solution to address these issues. However, the effectiveness of plasma treatment for removing oxide is dependent on the correct use of recipe parameters, gas chemistry and electrode conf... » read more

Bump Height Uniformity And 3D Sensing


Achieving 3D sensing for semiconductor bump height uniformity is essential before adding photoresist. But there are challenges in using traditional methods for measuring uniformity after copper plating, which requires a combination of 3D fringe projection technology and NanoResolution inspection and metrology. Here’s what we’ve learned in a bump height uniformity case study: » read more

Deep Learning Delivers Fast, Accurate Solutions For Object Detection In The Automated Optical Inspection Of Electronic Assemblies


When automated optical inspection (AOI) works, it is almost always preferable to human visual inspection. It can be faster, more accurate, more consistent, less expensive, and it never gets tired. However, some tasks that are very simple for humans are quite difficult for machines. Object detection is an example. For example, shown an image containing a cat, a dog, and a duck, a human can insta... » read more

Measuring Reflective Surfaces


Manufacturers are adopting automated optical inspection (AOI) systems based on phase shift profilometry (PSP) for applications in advanced packaging processes. Many of these processes use front end-like techniques to create connections among die within a package and from the packaged die to the outside world. The technique offers fast, precise measurements of the 10µm to 100µm features that a... » read more

The Need for Speed


We’ve previously identified the convergence occurring between surface mount technologies (SMT), used to connect packaged semiconductor devices on printed circuit boards, and advanced packaging (AP) technologies, in which connections between the semiconductor devices and to the outside world are incorporated in the packaging process using front-end-like, wafer-or panel-based manufacturing proc... » read more

The Convergence Of Advanced Packaging And SMT


One statement is almost always true in the electronics industry: smaller is better. The relentless demand for electronic systems that pack more computing power and functionality into less space has driven the development of new processes and designs since the invention of the integrated circuit. In recent years that drive has taken a new direction, literally, as manufacturers have discovered th... » read more