-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- pcb007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueIn Pursuit of Perfection: Defect Reduction
For bare PCB board fabrication, defect reduction is a critical aspect of a company's bottom line profitability. In this issue, we examine how imaging, etching, and plating processes can provide information and insight into reducing defects and increasing yields.
Voices of the Industry
We take the pulse of the PCB industry by sharing insights from leading fabricators and suppliers in this month's issue. We've gathered their thoughts on the new U.S. administration, spending, the war in Ukraine, and their most pressing needs. It’s an eye-opening and enlightening look behind the curtain.
The Essential Guide to Surface Finishes
We go back to basics this month with a recount of a little history, and look forward to addressing the many challenges that high density, high frequency, adhesion, SI, and corrosion concerns for harsh environments bring to the fore. We compare and contrast surface finishes by type and application, take a hard look at the many iterations of gold plating, and address palladium as a surface finish.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Media kit
||| MENU - pcb007 Magazine
ZESTRON South Asia releases whitepaper – Impact of Cleaning Technology on Discrete Packaging - The Difference in Wire Bonding Yield
December 2, 2024 | ZESTRONEstimated reading time: 1 minute
ZESTRON, the global leading provider of high precision cleaning products, services, and training solutions in the electronics manufacturing and semiconductor industries, is pleased to release the whitepaper “Impact of Cleaning Technology on Discrete Packaging - The Difference in Wire Bonding Yield”
Whitepaper Abstract:
Lead frame packages are commonly used in semiconductor package fabrication, where interconnections between the integrated circuits (IC) and the metal leads are typically established through die attach and wire bonding processes. Standard materials like epoxies, adhesives, or solder pastes are most often used in the die attach process. However, it is critical to remove any flux residues left behind after soldering before proceeding with wire bonding and molding to ensure maximum yield in packages that use solder paste for die attachment. One of the most widely used cleaning agents to remove flux residues is isopropyl alcohol (IPA). While IPA is commonly used as a general cleaner in the electronics industry, it is not the most effective solution for flux removal.
Semiconductor package manufacturers produce millions of units daily and therefore, a small improvement in the wire bonding yield can significantly impact production efficiency and the overall product costs.
One such OEM was producing lead frame packages and using IPA (Isopropyl alcohol) in the ultrasonic cleaning process. However, their process resulted in a wire bonding yield of only 98%, measured after the molding and deflashing processes. This indicated significant motivation to improve the cleaning process and the wire bonding yield.
A Design of Experiment (DOE) was developed to assess alternative cleaning agents and process equipment, aiming to optimize the cleaning process and to be evaluated based on the improvement in wire bonding yield. Process qualification was conducted through a pull test according to the MIL-STD-883E method 2011.7. Throughout the DOE process iterations, process improvements were identified through visual inspection, pull and shear testing as well as overall yield measurement from the wire bonding process.
Suggested Items
Keysight, Synopsys Deliver an AI-Powered RF Design Migration Flow
06/06/2025 | BUSINESS WIREKeysight Technologies, Inc. and Synopsys, Inc. introduced an AI-powered RF design migration flow to expedite migration from TSMC’s N6RF+ process to N4P technology, to address the performance requirements of today’s most demanding wireless integrated circuit applications.
IPC Releases Latest Standards and Revisions Updates
06/05/2025 | IPCEach quarter, IPC releases a list of standards that are new or have been updated. To view a complete list of newly published standards and standards revisions, translations, proposed standards for ballot, final drafts for industry review, working drafts, and project approvals, visit ipc.org/status. These are the latest releases for Q1 2025.
STARTEAM GLOBAL Unveils Innovative Additive Solder Mask Process
06/02/2025 | STARTEAM GLOBALSTARTEAM GLOBAL, a leading PCB manufacturer, has introduced a revolutionary additive solder mask process at its Flero STARTEAM (FST) factory in Italy, leveraging digital inkjet technology to enhance production efficiency and sustainability.
Advint Delivers Advanced Electroplating Training to Triangle Labs
06/02/2025 | Advint IncorporatedDuring the last week of April, Advint Incorporated conducted a comprehensive two-day on-site electroplating training session for the technical team at Triangle Labs, Inc., a key innovator in the printed circuit board space. The training was structured to align with the demands of high-reliability plating processes suitable for RF and high-frequency substrates.
The Chemical Connection: Reducing Defects in Circuit Board Production
06/04/2025 | Don Ball -- Column: The Chemical ConnectionWe all agree that in any manufacturing process, reducing defects in your product induced during manufacture (aka increasing yields) is a good thing. Doing so, however, can be a source of contention and frustration. I don’t pretend to be an expert in this field, because most of my work involves feasibility studies for new concepts or testing improvements made to existing equipment. High yields were usually not a factor; it’s simply about having enough data to prove or disprove a concept or seeing whether improvements to equipment design actually work. However, here are some observations I made visiting quality shops where high production at high yields was important.