US-based industrial gases company Air Products is set to launch a fluxless soldering technology that uses electron attachment (EA) technology for wafer level packaging applications.
The proposed launch is expected to take place at the IPC APEX Expo in San Diego, California, US, later this month.
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Using activated hydrogen at ambient pressure, the EA technology removes metal oxides from electroplated solder bumps on semiconductor wafers.
The technology also helps to obtain the relevant shape and size for interconnection onto a package or substrate by allowing reflow of the bumps, as well as offers an enhanced bump reflow quality as a result of flux induced solder voids and wafer contaminations, which naturally get eliminated.
Air Products noted that the technology improves productivity from in-line process capability, which decreases or eliminates post wafer cleaning and furnace downtime for cleaning.
End users are expected to benefit from EA’s low cost of ownership due to its ability to reduce or eliminate expenditure related to cleaning equipment, cleaning solution, labour work and flux.
Environmental benefits of the technology also include elimination of organic vapours, hazard residues and CO2 emissions.
Air Products has formed a partnership with Sikama International to offer an electron attachment fluxless reflow system (EAUP1200).
The partners designed the furnace so that it removes metal oxides from solder bumps on UBM wafers and solder caps from copper pillar wafers, with support from the EA technology.
