What’s Changing In DRAM


More data requires more processing and more storage, because that data needs to be stored somewhere. What’s changing is that it’s no longer just about SRAM and DRAM. Today, multiple types of DRAM are used in the same devices, each with its own set of tradeoffs. C.S. Lin, marketing executive at Winbond, talks about the potential problems that causes, including mismatches in latency, and high... » read more

The Race To Zero Defects In Auto ICs


Assembly houses are fine-tuning their methodologies and processes for automotive ICs, optimizing everything from inspection and metrology to data management in order to prevent escapes and reduce the number of costly returns. Today, assembly defects account for between 12% and 15% of semiconductor customer returns in the automotive chip market. As component counts in vehicles climb from the ... » read more

Case Study — 3D Wire Bond Inspection and Metrology


The growing amount of electronics within modern vehicles has made the inspection process for wire bonds increasingly challenging, as active devices shrink and bonds are arranged in complex ways. CyberOptics addressed the need for an automated solution to replace labor-intensive and imprecise manual inspection methods for wire bonds and loop heights. After consideration of competitive products, ... » read more

Achieving Success In Automotive Leadframe Packages


The growth of semiconductor content in automotive applications has been accelerating. This growth drives all families of semiconductor packaging in all regions. The growth is happening in the latest advanced, laminate-based packages using flip chip interconnect as well as the venerable leadframe packages using wirebond interconnect. The automotive market consumes micro-electromechanical systems... » read more

Failure Prediction Is Vital for Packaging Technology


A while back, I wrote a post on what I call the “10 Commandments of Packaging” – my list of the key things to bear in mind with respect to developing new packaging solutions. Today, packaging engineers must contend with more variables than ever, from new substrate materials to more types of packages with a greater range of complexity. With that complexity comes new challenges, and I felt ... » read more

How To Identify Common Electronic Failures


Failure analysis is the process of identifying, and typically attempting to mitigate, the root cause of a failure. In the electronics industry, failure analysis involves isolating the failure to a location on a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) before collecting more detailed data to investigate which component or board location is functioning improperly. A member of the Ansys Reliabil... » read more

Better Analytics Needed For Assembly


Package equipment sensors, newer inspection techniques, and analytics enable quality and yield improvement, but all of those will require a bigger investment on the part of assembly houses. That's easier said than done. Assembly operations long have operated on thin profit margins because their tasks were considered easy to manage. Much has changed over the past several years, however. The r... » read more