The first annual Global Technology Awards were held at Productronica and were a great success. A team of international judges presided over the contest to select the best new product innovations introduced between May 2004 and July 2005.

The result was a celebration of some extremely innovative technology that deserves the description “the best in the world”. Below is a brief description of each category winner and the products submitted.

Adhesives/Coatings/Encapsulants

DELO - State of the art: Chip-on-board technology
The first step in chip-on-board technology is for the inactive side of the chip to be bonded onto the substrate with a Die-Attach adhesive. DELO has developed highly reliable Die-Attach adhesives, DELO-MONOPOX DA, which have optimal mechanical properties without silver fillers, for the COB process in the smart card
sector. These products are an inexpensive alternative to the standard silver-filled adhesives and excel through their short curing times at moderate temperatures (130 °C for 3 min, 150 °C for 1 min). The fact that the cationic curing mechanism keeps the viscosity from increasing during the maximum possible processing
time of 72 hours at room temperature means optimal operational safety and
minimum adhesive waste for the manufacturer. www.delo.de

Assembly Tools

Hover-Davis - DDf Ultra Direct Die Feeder
The DDf Ultra’s innovative design makes it capable of feeding a wide range of bare die and flip chips with high throughput, and can be mounted on almost every placement machine, making it a cost-effective as well as innovative feeder. The high-quality system is simple for operators to use. Training is straightforward, and easy to master. Additionally, the DDf Ultra is simple to maintain and repair, making it a necessity in today’s die feeding industry. www.hoverdavis.com

Best Innovation

KIC - 24/7 Process Monitoring
KIC’s 24/7 Process Monitoring brings an innovative level of automation to the thermal process: around-the-clock monitoring, SPC charting, analysis, documentation and production traceability--all in a single, intuitive product. Continuous tracking occurs in the background, never interrupting production. The real-time process data enables engineers and managers to make crucial cost containment and quality control decisions, thereby improving overall quality and consistency of performance, as well as providing significant cost benefits to users. www.kicthermal.com

Bonding Equipment

Palomar - Model 8000 PlanarBump™
This single process co-planar gold ball bumper is the only machine that can produce planarized gold bumps in one step. Its unique patented compound Z-axis bond-head with linear and rotary motion forms precision flat bumps without a tail by bonding and planarizing the bump in one step, eliminating a secondary coining process. Set-up time and fixturing are minimized by ‘soft tooling’ with Windows® XP-based software, enabling changes in ball array, position, and shapes for the desired attach process. An industry-best finished bond height consistency of ±2
microns (3 sigma) is achieved with better than 2.5-micron placement accuracy. Gold wire bumps allow for a lead-free process. www.bonders.com

Cleaning Equipment

Aqueous Technologies - Focus-Wash
Focus-Wash is a unique combination of several wash methods that creatively combine existing technology in order to “focus” the wash solution into smaller, higher impact areas. New style spray system increases wash solution impact pressure 5X over previous models to increase overall quality and the consistency of the wash performance. New style spray arm doubles the quantity of spray nozzles, improving speed and throughput. New oscillating board rack eliminates 'blind spots' by creating infinite impingement angles. www.aqueoustech.com

Cleaning Materials

SMT Detergent Corp - 440-R SMT Detergent
440-R SMT Detergent was formulated specifically to clean all types of solder paste from fine-pitch stencils while eliminating the health, safety and environmental hazards of VOC solvents, such as alcohol and terpenes and hot corrosive saponifier chemistries, commonly used in stencil-cleaning applications. 440-R SMT Detergent is the only cleaning chemistry verified environmentally safe, user safe and effective by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, yet it is guaranteed to clean any type of solder paste from any fine-pitch stencil, which is also important if the assembler plans to change solder pastes. www.smtdetergent.com

Components

ASAT - Thin Array Plastic Package
The Thin Array Plastic Package (TAPP) is the latest addition to ASAT’s leadless portfolio of packages. The truly innovative leadless TAPP features high I/O capability, singe and multiple rows, super thin (0.4 mm) thickness for some
applications, and has an exposed die-attach pad, allowing for optimum thermal
performance, which is a significant challenge in today’s industry. The exposed die pad (when soldered to a PCB) provides a direct thermal path from the chip down to the copper plane on the PCB, the latter acting as a heat sink. This reduces the thermal resistance of the package by as much as 50%. www.asat.com

Contract Services

WKK Technology
WKKT provides full range of comprehensive lifecycle manufacturing services to support the manufacturing of electronics, including to OEMs, ODMs, printed circuit board assemblers and systems assemblers. Because of the comprehensiveness of the services, customers are ensured of high-quality and consistent performance. Also, because an entire portfolio of services is available, customers receive much more their money, making WKKT’s services affordable and cost beneficial. www.wkkintl.com

Dispensing Equipment

Asymtek - Spectrum S-820™
Spectrum S-820 is the first precision dispenser with jetting capabilities and high-end process controls for batch production, R&D, and laboratory use. This economical system provides high accuracy and repeatability for advanced electronics packaging and semiconductor assembly for underfill, cavity fill, die
attach, and encapsulation. The closed-loop S-820 system performs with a wide range of fluids, process and substrates and easily integrates with most jets, pumps and valves from Asymtek, including the DispenseJet® DJ-9000.

The system’s jet dispensing enables dot dispensing on-the-fly of a wide range of
materials. Fluid can be jetted into tight areas, such as between die 1mm apart, for
high-density boards. Two dispense heads can dispense separate fluids, making operations flexible. www.asymtek.com

Environmentally friendly products/services

Tamura H.A. Machinery - FLIP solder bath for lead-free wave soldering
FLIP Solder Bath for Lead-free reflow soldering solutions features Linear Induction Pumping Technology in which three phases of AC currents flow through induction coils to induce horizontal magnetic fields inside solder bath. The magnetic fields generate vertical force, F, per Fleming’s left hand law. The Force moves molten solder upward through nozzles and flow down by gravity. Two Induction coils generate magnetic field and propelling force as the alternating AC current flows in induction coils. Developed for use in both reflow and selective solder systems, the FLIP is one of its kind. www.tamura-ha.com

Hand Soldering – Rework & Repair

VJ Electronix - VJE1800 advanced rework system
VJE1800 addresses difficult rework challenges, including lead-free rework for large components. The 65-mm alignment field of view, digital and optical zoom, and split imaging simplify alignment of large components. Additionally, the motor-controlled top heater positioning combines with the Summit’s independent pick-up mechanism to provide the ultimate in process flexibility and product innovation. From an economic viewpoint, one system does it all--a full range of component sizes and special solder alloys for lead-free are available within one system. www.vjelectronix.com

ID Systems

Tyco Automation Electronics Group - Reel-to-reel RFID assembly system line
The Reel-to-Reel RFID Assembly System is the only RFID product to feature an entire line of systems. This extremely cost efficient application uses a dispenser module that has a patented positive displacement pump technology, a placement system that has 12 µm repeatability, and complete closed loop process control on the thermal compression station, to ensure consistency of performance and high quality, as well as environmental aspects. automation.tycoelectronics.com

Inspection - AOI Systems

Machine Vision Products (MVP) - Supra M AOI system
Machine Vision Products has successfully added a wire bond inspection capability to its newly introduced Supra M, making it one of the most innovative products available in the market. Defects such as wire trace conformity, bent wires, distance to adjacent wires, loop height, straightness tolerance, ball/wedge geometry and contamination can easily be detected with the Supra M wire bond configuration. In addition to ease of use and accurate detection, the capability offers users simple and straightforward maintability and repairability aspects. www.visionpro.com

Inspection - X-ray

Dage Precision Systems - 4000-HS high speed bondtester
Individual bonds can be tested after reflow under a range of speeds/loading conditions providing accurate performance data. The 4000-HS can also shear test multiple ballbonds simultaneously. The facility to shear test multiple ballbonds simultaneously at much higher speeds enables more samples to be analysed in a shorter space of time enabling cost efficient operation. The 4000-HS aids the transition to lead-free solder products by screening out joint defects. www.dage-group.com

Placement equipment

Panasonic Factory Solutions - IPAC (Integrated Process Assembly Cell)
IPAC is the first continuously configurable line to combine high-volume SMT manufacturing with advanced microelectronics in one machine. In addition to its low cost of ownership, the IPAC is incredibly versatile, highly accurate (to 10 microns) and easily configurable for future requirements. IPAC includes four continuously configurable modules, Die Attach/Flip Chip, Dispenser, Chip Shooter
and Odd Form, providing the ability to build smaller packages and circuits with
maximum efficiency. www.panasonicfa.com

Printing Equipment

Speedline MPM - MPM Accela™ stencil printer
MPM Accela is a revolutionary advancement in the technology of stencil printing in terms of high throughput, utilization, and quality performance. Designed from the ground up based on a new theory of operation with parallel processing of the machine functions using CanOpen Control architecture, this printer delivers eleven new patented or patent-pending concepts related to:

• Theory of operation
• Advancements in 2D printer-based inspection
• Stencil wiper operation and replenishment
• Board handling
• Consumable management
www.speedlinetechnologies.com

Programming

BP Microsystems - Enhanced 7th Generation production line
Featuring USB 2.0 communications interface and support for devices with densities up to 4 Gigabits, the Enhanced 7th Generation was developed to meet the new technological challenges and requirements of the programming industry. With a high-speed USB 2.0 standard bus, communication speeds are increased and greater reliability is provided. This advantage results in higher overall quality as well as more performance consistency. www.bpmicro.com

Software

Siemens - SIPLACE Comprehensive Software Portfolio
The SIPLACE comprehensive software portfolio is an innovation solution that allows users to find the right solution for their manufacturing needs. This is significant in today’s industry where the challenge is to provide a product that can
meet individual needs. SIPLACE pick-and-place machines have a reputation for overall precision and reliability. This hardware--on machine, on line and on
factory level--is optimized by the comprehensive SIPLACE software portfolio, which is innovative because it is as modular as the hardware, and thus includes the right product for any production application. www.siemens.com

Soldering equipment

Soldering Materials

Indium Corporation - NF260 Underfill
NF260 underfill is Pb-free, reworkable, air-reflowable and no-flow. It delivers both cost savings and improved performance. NF260 has demonstrated durability in thermal cycling (>2,500 cycles with no failures) and thermal shock testing. However, the most striking reliability gain was observed in aggressive drop tests, which included an edge-weighted board to force the most difficult impact orientation. NF260 repeatedly exceeds endurance expectations, with no failures in > 450 tests. Under similar conditions, unfilled soldered connections typically fail after fewer than 10 drops. www.indium.com

Test Equipment