Nordson ASYMTEK intros flux jetting system

SEMICON West 2010; CARLSBAD, USA: Nordson ASYMTEK, a leader in dispensing, coating, and jetting technologies, has introduced its Spectrum S-930NSeries selective flux jetting systems at SEMICON West, booth #5947.

These inline dispensing systems provide exceptional accuracy and reliability and improve production throughput and material utilization for selectively jetting low-viscosity flux and phase-change high-tack fluxes. The system can also be used for precise coating of other materials such as polyimides.

The Spectrum S-930N, in conjunction with Nordson ASYMTEK’s DJ-2200 DispenseJet valve with coaxial air technology, enables thin flux coatings as low as 5 microns. Selective flux jetting provides edge definition of 0.5 to 1 mm, minimizes flux residue and overspray associated with other spraying techniques, and reduces or eliminates cleaning.

The Fluidmove for Windows XP (FmXP) software controls the amount of flux jetted to accommodate flip chips of varying bump heights. The system is capable of jetting virtually any pattern at high speeds.

Flux is essential to the overall success of the flip chip process. Flux dispensing is required for flip chip on board, in package, and on flex. In flip chip package assembly, flux is jetted on the substrate pads before die placement to hold the die in place prior to reflow. During the reflow process, flux removes oxides from metal surfaces being soldered which enhances wetting and protects against re-oxidation.

If high-tack is required, special phase-change flux materials can be jetted in thin layers. Thin coatings of other materials can also jetted on wafers and substrates prior to applications like laser dicing to reduce contamination caused by ablation fall-out from the dicing process.

"Today’s flip chip devices with dense arrays of small solder or copper bumps make jetting preferable to stencil printing and dipping," explained Steve Adamson, Nordson ASYMTEK’s semiconductor specialist. "For example, the dipping process performed in component placement equipment is difficult to control for flux coatings below 25 microns. Too much flux can impede underfill flow. Too little flux can result in insufficient soldering."

"Separating the flux and chip placement operations enables higher throughput," continued Adamson, "and jetting dispenses flux into tight places, produces highly accurate dots and lines with tight edge definition, and is a fast process since it doesn't require z-axis motion. One Nordson ASYMTEK customer reported a throughput of 4,000 units per hour using 5x10 pallets with 15 mm2 die."

The Nordson ASYMTEK S-930N flux jetting system is a fully enclosed, vented system that includes safety interlocks and an emergency stop. A dual lane configuration is available for high-volume production (model S-932N).

The MH-900 series loaders/unloaders can be added for inline production or in a work-cell configuration with a same-side load/unloader. The S-930N system has a small footprint of just 600 x 1321 mm (23.6 x 52.0 in.) and is scalable in size and configuration to adapt to the needs and requirements of high-volume microelectronics manufacturing.