Nearly 20,000 people attended SEMICON West in 2006--more than 20,000 are expected this year. Last year, 16% of visitors were from outside the USA and represented 42 countries. Also expected in 2007 are more than 1,300 exhibitors.
SEMICON West is the world's most comprehensive event dedicated to the global semiconductor and microelectronics manufacturing supply chains. Programs and events at this the 37th annual event run from July 16-20, 2007, while the exhibition runs July 17-19. The exhibition is open from 10:00 am to 6:00pm on Tuesday the 17th and Wednesday the 18th. The exhibition closes at 4:00pm on Thursday the 19th.
SEMICON West will be held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, Calif., USA.
Here are some of the exciting new products you will see on the show floor:
Asymtek - Booth No. 7357
Asymtek announces the release of its new Axiom X-1030 series dispensing system, designed for selective jetting of traditional flux, no-clean solder fluxes and other precise coating applications. Available in single or dual lane configurations, the closed-loop X-1030 dispensing system optimizes underfill and package reliability-- improving production throughput and equipment utilization by as much as 60-85% with the X-1032’s dual lane multitasking capabilities. Configured with Asymtek’s DJ-2200 DispenseJet® valve with coaxial air technology, the Axiom X-1030 Series is ideal for jetting ultra-thin flux film builds. www.asymtek.com
Dage Precision Industries - Booth No. 7211
Dage has set a new global standard for x-ray inspection technology with the XD7600NT. Its innovative look and manipulator design provides oblique angle viewing of up to 70-degrees for any position 360-degrees around any point of the entire 18” x 16” (458 x 407 mm) inspection area allowing the XD7600NT to inspect all interconnections and PCBs containing BGA and CSP devices. The XD7600NT can be equipped with a computerized tomography (CT) option providing 3D modeling and volumetric measurement of solder joints. It can be easily converted between 2D and 3D modes making it a common platform for analytical analysis of solder interconnections for critical applications such as stacked die, MEMS, package-in-package and package-on-package. www.dage-group.com
DEK - Booth No. 8811
DEK will use this year’s Semicon West event as the backdrop to showcase the company’s pioneering and productivity enhancing DirEKt Ball Placement, backside wafer coating and wafer bumping solutions, as well as debut several new technologies including the M3i, Virtual Panel Carrier (VPC) and its latest developments for high volume fuel cell and solar cell production. From booth #8811 in the West Hall of Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, DEK’s award-winning DirEKt Ball Placement process will be demonstrated live throughout the three-day event. DEK’s new Vitrual Panel Carrier (VPC) is also sure to be highlight of the show. www.dek.com
Everett Charles Technologies - Booth 7031
Everett Charles Technologies (ECT) and atg Test Systems will introduce its new Gemini Kelvin spring probe designed for high-performance contactors for semiconductor test and, more specifically, for Kelvin contact applications. The Gemini series of probes is a revolutionary departure from the traditional spring probes that have been in use for more than 20 years. Traditional spring probes are made of two or three lathe-turned parts and a spring. They usually have male and female components that are crimped together. The Gemini is fabricated out of pieces that are not turned and, therefore, can have more complex shapes. The proprietary manufacturing process allows precise features, repeatable components, and fabrication from harder materials than traditionally possible. The Gemini series addresses the issues inherent in contacting devices with shrinking contact pitches and rising performance requirements. www.ectinfo.com
Everett Charles Technologies to Offer Key Capabilities During SEMICON West 2007
With two dedicated shops specializing in test boards, ECT can better match the lead time and technology needs of our customers.
Finetech - Booth No. 7634
FINETECH will exhibit the Fineplacer® CRS 10, a compact rework system designed specifically for customers needing a fixed configuration, quick set up and easy operation. It offers a semi-automated, 4-stage rework cycle: remove, clean, reball and replace. The system is most useful for small- to medium-scale series assembly or high-precision rework of soldered components on medium to large size SMD boards. Additional characteristics include lead-free approved, no operator influence during the process, an extensive process profile library, board sizes up to 12" x 18", 10µm accuracy and QFN/MLF in-situ paste printing. www.finetechusa.com
FINETECH to Display Fineplacer® Pico for Micro Assembly at SEMICON West 2007
On the other hand, the The FINEPLACER® Pico rework configuration offers enough accessibility to be used for nearly all large standard surface mounted components.
FINETECH to Showcase CRS 10 Compact Rework System at SEMICON West 2007
Fineplacer® CRS 10 is designed specifically for customers needing a fixed configuration, quick set up and easy operation.
Henkel - Booth No. 8511
Developed specifically for small die on copper leadframes, Hysol® QMI708 die attach paste is a high performance paste for use in today’s small footprint devices. The innovative new material has been formulated to attach die 2.5mm x 2.5mm and smaller in QFN and SOIC packages using copper finished leadframes and is highly conductive. Hysol QMI708 dispenses exceptionally fast with no tailing and delivers outstanding performance characteristics. With incredibly low bondjoint resistance, set up time of less than 5 minutes, consistent bondlines, the ability to oven cure or snap cure and high JEDEC performance, Hysol QMI708 provides semiconductor packaging specialists with the superior performance and manufacturing flexibility required for advanced package production. www.henkel.com/electronics
Heraeus Contact Materials Division - Booth 8411
Heraeus Contact Materials Division (CMD) will showcase one of the industry's most comprehensive portfolios of semiconductor assembly materials, including a new line of water-soluble ball dip pastes for solder on pad (SOP) substrates. The BD paste series enables manufacturers to utilize SOP substrates while maintaining outstanding yields. Heraeus CMD will also be featuring an expanded line of conductive adhesives for connection of electronic (SMDs) and bare dies with lead frames and ceramic or LTCC circuits as well as its F510 wafer bumping solder paste especially developed for flip chip technology. Another innovative Heraeus product that will be featured is the TF Series of tack fluxes, which are highly compatible with today's lead-free processes and most underfill materials on the market. In addition to TF Series fluxes, Heraeus Contact Materials Division will exhibit its bonding wire and ribbon, lead-free solder pastes, and the Welco line of fine solder powders (Type 5, 6, 7 and 8). www.heraeus.com
Indium Corporation - Booth No. 7358
Indium Corporation’s WS3600 Ball-Attach Flux was developed in cooperation with customers using automated pin-transfer ball-attach equipment. Based on the specific performance needs for pin-transfer flux, WS3600 offers a unique balance between several opposing needs. WS3600 has sufficient viscosity to hold any size sphere in place during the placement process and consistently deposits the needed amount of flux. Its unique H1 activator system is strong enough to allow excellent wetting onto a variety of different surfaces, without corroding exposed under-bump metallizations and works equally well with both Pb-containing and Pb-free alloys. www.indium.com
Juki - Booth No. 8021
Juki Corporation is exhibiting its CX-1 advanced placement system. The CX-1 is an innovative advanced placement system that is capable of placing advanced packages and features high-accuracy applications as well as standard SMT. The CX-1 is capable of placing SiP, MCM and other mixed-technology applications. This flexibility ensures users of high-quality placements and contributes positively to its lines. Also, the CX-1 is built on the base of a standard SMT machine, but with highly accurate glass linear encoders. Special software periodically checks and calibrates to ensure ultra-high accuracy. www.jas-smt.com
Juki Corp. to Showcase CX-1 Advanced Placement System at SEMICON West 2007
With traditional lines, four machines are necessary; however, with the CX-1, only three systems are used to accomplish the same production levels.
Kester - Booth 7364
Kester will display display TSF-6592LV lead-free, no-clean tacky soldering flux. TSF-6592LV is designed for an array of lead-free interconnect applications, such as flip chip attach, sphere or ball attach, rework/repair of CSPs, BGAs, SMDs, or any lead-free soldering application that requires a very tacky flux. It has been optimized for consistent high-speed printing applications. Compatible with lead-free alloys such as SnAg, SnCu, SnAgCu, SnAgBi, TSF-6592LV is RoHS compliant, reflow-able with peak temperatures up to 270°C, and reflow-able in air and nitrogen. It is classified as ROL0 per J-STD-004 and compliant to Bellcore GR-78. www.kester.com
Kester to Showcase TSF-6852 at SEMICON West 2007
TSF-6852 offers a stencil life of 8 hours (process dependent) and is classified as ORH1 per J-STD-004.
TSF-6852 has been formulated to be a drop-in replacement for a variety of metallurgies
Kyzen Corp - Booth 7735
Kyzen is introducing MICRONOX® MX2628 aqueous cleaner for advanced packaging. A versatile aqueous chemistry that can be used in batch or in-line cleaning machines, MX2628 is designed to clean the latest lead-free flux materials from advanced packaging while providing brilliant mirrored solder finishes. MICRONOX® MX2628 is environmentally friendly, has a long tank life and is safe for multiple pass applications. Because it runs at low concentrations and low temperatures, MX2628 provides consistent results and low cost of ownership. MX2628 has proven compatible with all materials commonly used in electronics assembly manufacturing and cleaning processes. Additionally, the cleaner is a biodegradable low VOC aqueous solution, and contains no CFCs or HAPs. www.kyzen.com
Kyzen Corp. to Premier MX2628 at SEMICON West 2007
MICRONOX® MX2628 is environmentally friendly, has a long tank life and is safe for multiple pass applications.
Palomar Technologies - Booth 7514
Palomar Technologies will announce its high-value-added microelectronic packaging services. Palomar Microelectronics is a fast growing segment of the company created by the demand for quick-turn product development, prototyping, test, and assembly services. Microelectronic assembly processes include advanced wire bonding, gold ball bumping, and precision component placement for semiconductor packages, high power LEDs, MEMS devices, microwave and RF components, optoelectronic packages, multichip modules, and hybrids. Palomar Microelectronics will operate from Palomar’s headquarters in Carlsbad, California. Services include process development, prototyping, volume assembly, and test. Processes are developed by Palomar’s design, applications, and process engineers and validated on Palomar’s automated precision microelectronic assembly equipment. Once a process is refined and optimized, volume production is performed by Palomar Microelectronics. www.palomartechnologies.com
ProductionLine Testers - Booth 7862
ProductionLine Testers (PLT) will introduce a smaller integrated circuit test system that is twice as fast as its fastest current model. The PLT1000 is designed to test low-to-medium complexity wafers or packaged IC's at production-line rates of 1,000 tests per second. The new general-purpose IC test system is a PC-size bench top test system small enough to sit on top of or under most device handlers and probers. www.productionlinetesters.com
RVSI - Booth No. 8133
RVSI Inspection LLC is showcasing its industry-leading WS-3800 series wafer inspection system. WS-3800 features the ability to detect surface defects on 300 mm wafers using gold bump technology. Additionally, it offers production-speed inspection of gold bumps for nodule and crater detection. The WS-3800 offers the overall ability to find surface and bump defects on 300 mm wafers, in addition to its superior 3-D technology. RVSI’s WS-3800 wafer inspection system offers the industry’s best combination of production-speed, 2-D surface defect inspection and 3-D bumped wafer metrology. Depending on features, systems sell for $500,000 to more than $1 million. www.rvsi.com
Asymtek announces the release of its new Axiom X-1030 series dispensing system, designed for selective jetting of traditional flux, no-clean solder fluxes and other precise coating applications. Available in single or dual lane configurations, the closed-loop X-1030 dispensing system optimizes underfill and package reliability-- improving production throughput and equipment utilization by as much as 60-85% with the X-1032’s dual lane multitasking capabilities. Configured with Asymtek’s DJ-2200 DispenseJet® valve with coaxial air technology, the Axiom X-1030 Series is ideal for jetting ultra-thin flux film builds. 
Dage has set a new global standard for x-ray inspection technology with the XD7600NT. Its innovative look and manipulator design provides oblique angle viewing of up to 70-degrees for any position 360-degrees around any point of the entire 18” x 16” (458 x 407 mm) inspection area allowing the XD7600NT to inspect all interconnections and PCBs containing BGA and CSP devices. The XD7600NT can be equipped with a computerized tomography (CT) option providing 3D modeling and volumetric measurement of solder joints. It can be easily converted between 2D and 3D modes making it a common platform for analytical analysis of solder interconnections for critical applications such as stacked die, MEMS, package-in-package and package-on-package. 
Everett Charles Technologies (ECT) and atg Test Systems will introduce its new Gemini Kelvin spring probe designed for high-performance contactors for semiconductor test and, more specifically, for Kelvin contact applications. The Gemini series of probes is a revolutionary departure from the traditional spring probes that have been in use for more than 20 years. Traditional spring probes are made of two or three lathe-turned parts and a spring. They usually have male and female components that are crimped together. The Gemini is fabricated out of pieces that are not turned and, therefore, can have more complex shapes. The proprietary manufacturing process allows precise features, repeatable components, and fabrication from harder materials than traditionally possible. The Gemini series addresses the issues inherent in contacting devices with shrinking contact pitches and rising performance requirements. 
On the other hand, the The FINEPLACER® Pico rework configuration offers enough accessibility to be used for nearly all large standard surface mounted components.
Fineplacer® CRS 10 is designed specifically for customers needing a fixed configuration, quick set up and easy operation.
Heraeus Contact Materials Division (CMD) will showcase one of the industry's most comprehensive portfolios of semiconductor assembly materials, including a new line of water-soluble ball dip pastes for solder on pad (SOP) substrates. The BD paste series enables manufacturers to utilize SOP substrates while maintaining outstanding yields. Heraeus CMD will also be featuring an expanded line of conductive adhesives for connection of electronic (SMDs) and bare dies with lead frames and ceramic or LTCC circuits as well as its F510 wafer bumping solder paste especially developed for flip chip technology. Another innovative Heraeus product that will be featured is the TF Series of tack fluxes, which are highly compatible with today's lead-free processes and most underfill materials on the market. In addition to TF Series fluxes, Heraeus Contact Materials Division will exhibit its bonding wire and ribbon, lead-free solder pastes, and the Welco line of fine solder powders (Type 5, 6, 7 and 8). 
Indium Corporation’s WS3600 Ball-Attach Flux was developed in cooperation with customers using automated pin-transfer ball-attach equipment. Based on the specific performance needs for pin-transfer flux, WS3600 offers a unique balance between several opposing needs. WS3600 has sufficient viscosity to hold any size sphere in place during the placement process and consistently deposits the needed amount of flux. Its unique H1 activator system is strong enough to allow excellent wetting onto a variety of different surfaces, without corroding exposed under-bump metallizations and works equally well with both Pb-containing and Pb-free alloys. 
Juki Corporation is exhibiting its CX-1 advanced placement system. The CX-1 is an innovative advanced placement system that is capable of placing advanced packages and features high-accuracy applications as well as standard SMT. The CX-1 is capable of placing SiP, MCM and other mixed-technology applications. This flexibility ensures users of high-quality placements and contributes positively to its lines. Also, the CX-1 is built on the base of a standard SMT machine, but with highly accurate glass linear encoders. Special software periodically checks and calibrates to ensure ultra-high accuracy. 
With traditional lines, four machines are necessary; however, with the CX-1, only three systems are used to accomplish the same production levels.
Kester will display display TSF-6592LV lead-free, no-clean tacky soldering flux. TSF-6592LV is designed for an array of lead-free interconnect applications, such as flip chip attach, sphere or ball attach, rework/repair of CSPs, BGAs, SMDs, or any lead-free soldering application that requires a very tacky flux. It has been optimized for consistent high-speed printing applications. Compatible with lead-free alloys such as SnAg, SnCu, SnAgCu, SnAgBi, TSF-6592LV is RoHS compliant, reflow-able with peak temperatures up to 270°C, and reflow-able in air and nitrogen. It is classified as ROL0 per J-STD-004 and compliant to Bellcore GR-78. 
TSF-6852 offers a stencil life of 8 hours (process dependent) and is classified as ORH1 per J-STD-004.
Kyzen is introducing MICRONOX® MX2628 aqueous cleaner for advanced packaging. A versatile aqueous chemistry that can be used in batch or in-line cleaning machines, MX2628 is designed to clean the latest lead-free flux materials from advanced packaging while providing brilliant mirrored solder finishes. MICRONOX® MX2628 is environmentally friendly, has a long tank life and is safe for multiple pass applications. Because it runs at low concentrations and low temperatures, MX2628 provides consistent results and low cost of ownership. MX2628 has proven compatible with all materials commonly used in electronics assembly manufacturing and cleaning processes. Additionally, the cleaner is a biodegradable low VOC aqueous solution, and contains no CFCs or HAPs. 
MICRONOX® MX2628 is environmentally friendly, has a long tank life and is safe for multiple pass applications.
Palomar Technologies will announce its high-value-added microelectronic packaging services. Palomar Microelectronics is a fast growing segment of the company created by the demand for quick-turn product development, prototyping, test, and assembly services. Microelectronic assembly processes include advanced wire bonding, gold ball bumping, and precision component placement for semiconductor packages, high power LEDs, MEMS devices, microwave and RF components, optoelectronic packages, multichip modules, and hybrids. Palomar Microelectronics will operate from Palomar’s headquarters in Carlsbad, California. Services include process development, prototyping, volume assembly, and test. Processes are developed by Palomar’s design, applications, and process engineers and validated on Palomar’s automated precision microelectronic assembly equipment. Once a process is refined and optimized, volume production is performed by Palomar Microelectronics. 
RVSI Inspection LLC is showcasing its industry-leading WS-3800 series wafer inspection system. WS-3800 features the ability to detect surface defects on 300 mm wafers using gold bump technology. Additionally, it offers production-speed inspection of gold bumps for nodule and crater detection. The WS-3800 offers the overall ability to find surface and bump defects on 300 mm wafers, in addition to its superior 3-D technology. RVSI’s WS-3800 wafer inspection system offers the industry’s best combination of production-speed, 2-D surface defect inspection and 3-D bumped wafer metrology. Depending on features, systems sell for $500,000 to more than $1 million. 
