X-ray tool adds acoustic micro imaging options to component analysis
To detect, image and analyse defects in electronic components, Nordson has added a Nordson Dage x-ray tool to its C-Sam acoustic micro imaging tools at Nordson Sonoscan.
Customers bring problems to the SonoLab, for example to check if flip chip and BGA bumps are intact and properly bonded or to check if there are voids in the underfill. Other areas that can be analysed are the die in IGBT modules which may keep cracking and failing.
Ultrasound penetrates most production materials, including dense metals, but not air or porous materials. X-ray penetrates air and porous materials in addition to most production materials, but may not penetrate some dense metal layers.
X-ray images are created by transmitting x-rays through the sample and detecting the shadow image it casts. Higher density materials such as solder cast a darker shadow while lower density regions such as voids cast a lighter shadow, making it easy to see features such as voiding. The scattering of x-rays is typically not observed.
Ultrasound is partly reflected and partly transmitted at interfaces between most materials, but is almost entirely reflected by the air-to-solid interface at voids and other gaps, and there is no transmission, even if the void or gap is only a fraction of a micron thick. This property of ultrasound makes imaging thin delaminations easy, even in samples containing dense metals.
The wires in devices scatter ultrasound and make imaging difficult, but x-ray’s higher resolution brings out the details.
The ability to move samples between the two side-by-side and complementary non-destructive tools has already demonstrated superior results for SonoLab customers.
Nordson Sonoscan is complemented by our Nordson Dage, Nordson Yestech and Nordson Matrix divisions. The facility offers a suite of test and inspection products to customers in the electronics assembly and semiconductor industries. The combination of manual and automated x-ray inspection, bond testing, automated optical inspection and acoustic micro imaging helps customers set the standard for successful electronics manufacturing operations.
