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LATEST
NEWS
TECHNOVISION
INC APPOINTS ALLIANCE SALES (EUROPE) TO SUPPORT WAFER/FILM
APPLICATORS
NEW
HIGH PERFORMANCE ROLLING CONTACT TEST TECHNOLOGY MAXIMISES
LOAD BOARD PAD LIFE
INNOVATIVE
ROBOTICS ANNOUNCES NEW ROBOT AND CONTROLLER
BURN-IN
PIONEER RECEIVES NEW EUROPEAN SALES AND TECHNICAL
SUPPORT
NEW METROLOGY TOOL WEIGHS IN WITH INNOVATIVE NON-CONTACT
MEASUREMENT SOLUTION
NEW
CROSS-SECTIONING SYSTEM PREPARES SAMPLES FOR SEM AND
TEM INSPECTION
NEW FOUR-AXIS SCARA ROBOT SYSTEM TARGETS EUROPEAN
SEMICONDUCTOR INDUSTRY
ADVANCED
VAPOURISATION SYSTEM IDEAL
FOR PRODUCING LIQUID SOURCE CHEMICALS
USED IN CVD THIN FILMS
NEW
BENCH-TOP DRAM MEMORY MODULE TESTERS MAJOR PRICE/PERFORMANCE
BENEFITS
NEW
SAMPLE KIT PROVES HOW AQUEOUS SOLUBLE ADHESIVES SIMPLIFY
BONDING AND CLEANING OF PRECISION PARTS
NEW MXRF TOOL DELIVERS MASSIVE PRECISION MEASUREMENT
GAINS
LATEST
NEWS
TECHNOVISION
INC APPOINTS ALLIANCE SALES (EUROPE) TO SUPPORT WAFER/FILM
APPLICATORS
Leading
UK-based semiconductor equipment distributor, Alliance
Sales (Europe) has been appointed by Technovision
Inc to be responsible for sales and technical support
of Technovision's wide range of high performance wafer/film
applicators and die matrix expanders for the semiconductor
industry throughout the UK, Scandinavia and Finland.
Among
the Technovision products that will now be supported
by Alliance Sales (Europe) is the FM-900S Semi-Auto
Wafer/Film Applicator which is a semi-automatic system
capable of laminating film quickly onto wafers and
dicing frames. The repeatable and robust, bubble-free
lamination processing system can be used with any
dicing film and any frame.
Up
to 200mm (8in) wafers can be processed at a rate of
120 per hour and no skilled operator is required.
Technovision
also offers a range of manual wafer/film applicators.
The FM-114 series of wafer/film applicators are quick,
easy-to-use, reliable systems for laminating film
on to wafers.
The
systems, which can handle 150mm, 200mm or 300mm wafers,
may be used for dicing and singulation, back grinding
and surface protection as well as for die-bonding
or die-attach film lamination. Two rolls of film can
be set for multi processing.
The
Technovision TEX series of die matrix expanders uniformly
expand diced and/or fractured wafers to produce the
required die interval. The systems significantly improve
chip and die handling after dicing and the expansion
ratio can be varied as necessary while the expansion
speed can also be varied.
The
TEX expanders are equipped with a heated expansion
stage, which is helpful for high-ratio expansion and
the system is able to grip expanded film and wafers
automatically.
NEW
HIGH PERFORMANCE ROLLING CONTACT TEST TECHNOLOGY MAXIMISES
LOAD BOARD PAD LIFE
Johnstech
International has appointed Alliance Sales (Europe)
to be responsible for sales and technical support
of Johnstech International's extensive range of high
performance test and interconnect products for the
semiconductor industry throughout the UK, Scandinavia
and Finland.
One
of the new Johnstech products that will now be supported
by Alliance Sales (Europe) is the Pad ROL200 Series
which incorporates Johnstech's patented 'rolling'
contact technology and some additional features that
help to maximise load board pad life, a critical component
of keeping cost of test under control.
The
Pad ROL200 Series, which is available for QFN, DFN,
LCC, and other pad-style packaged device test, has
a hard stop to ensure coplanarity and cover the slot
of the contactor to protect the load board from debris.
In addition, a backstop feature protects the load
board from excess translation from the contact. As
the contact is compressed, it provides a wiping action
on the device-under-test as it rolls forward on the
load board pad.
Alliance
Sales (Europe) is responsible for sales and technical
support in the UK, Ireland, Scandinavia and Finland
of Johnstech's wide range of semiconductor test solutions
and interconnect technologies.
INNOVATIVE
ROBOTICS ANNOUNCES NEW ROBOT AND CONTROLLER
Innovative
Robotic Solutions Inc. (IRSI) has announced its new
IR820 robot and controller. The system is designed
for automated processes that require exceptional accuracy,
reliability, and ultra-cleanliness.
The IR820 robot is the second generation of the IR800
line, which features four independent and coordinated
axes, with a fifth axis optional. The IR820 is available
with various arm lengths. The four or more degrees
of freedom and configurable reach allow it to manage
a wide variety of tasks, including multiple in-line
cassettes applications for 300 mm wafers.
The IR820 features a new state-of-the-art servo amplifier
and controller. Each of the robot's three principle
rotary joints has a 640-degree range of motion, allowing
for flexibility of robot placement and very efficient
trajectories. The robot has tested to the highest
cleanliness standards.
Software features include sophisticated trajectory
planning and "streaming motion" that automatically
blends programmed motions, yielding safe, smooth and
fast throughput. Blended motion commands can seamlessly
integrate motion with application-specific I/O.
The
product is ideally suited for silicon wafer handling
as well as certain processes such as small flat panel
applications and hard disk production.
BURN-IN
PIONEER RECEIVES NEW EUROPEAN SALES AND TECHNICAL
SUPPORT
Burn-in
technology pioneer, KES Systems & Service of Singapore,
has appointed Alliance Sales (Europe) to be responsible
for sales and technical support of the extensive range
of KES burn-in boards throughout the UK, Scandinavia
and Finland.
KES specialises in dynamic burn-in and parallel test
board technologies for all memory device types and
packages. KES also has extensive experience in designing
burn-in boards for high frequency, impedance controlled
microprocessor devices. The company, which has been
producing SMT boards for burn-in applications since
1995, uses CAE signal simulation software to simulate
signal performance and optimise signal quality for
board designs.
KES offers memory TDBI and dynamic burn-in boards
for all DRAM, SRAM and FLASH families. The products
feature low noise, impedance control, output monitoring
for 6,8,10 layers. The company also offers microprocessor,
micro-controller and chipset burn-in boards addressing
low noise, high current applications requiring high
frequency clock signals using 6,8,10 and 12 layers.
NEW
METROLOGY TOOL WEIGHS IN WITH INNOVATIVE NON-CONTACT
MEASUREMENT SOLUTION
A
fast, accurate and simple-to-use metrology tool, which
is based on innovative weighing technology, is to be
launched in Europe by the European Business Team.
The UK-developed Metryx Mentor tool, which heralds a
new generation in metrology science, uses software featuring
advanced compensation algorithms to improve weighing
accuracy by an order of magnitude compared with previous
techniques. Almost any process that results in a change
in weight of a substrate will benefit from the tool.
Mass and density are fundamental properties of nearly
all deposited materials used in the semiconductor industry.
Ideal for non-contact, non-destructive measurements
on production wafers the Metryx Mentor tool can directly
test or measure wafers. The tool is capable of throughputs
of 75 wafers per hour and can be shared with other metrology
systems.
The Mentor offers fully automatic cassette-cassette
operation using industry standard 200 and 300mm open
cassettes to allow measurements of the wafers before
and after processing.
Control of ambient conditions is fully automatic to
provide a weighing capability to the required level
of <0.04mg needed to detect density changes in the range
of 0.01g/cm3. The tool is sensitive enough
to distinguish k variations from small changes in deposition
parameters. For metal film applications the system can
measure thicknesses down to atomic resolution levels
for barrier layers. The tool can also determine the
anneal state in Copper films not detectable by other
methods.
The tool is controlled via an SVGA Touchscreen with
simple-to-use software that can be fully integrated
to any fab communications network using SECSII/GEM.
The European Business Team will be responsible for sales
and technical support of the Metryx Mentor tool throughout
Europe.
NEW
CROSS-SECTIONING SYSTEM PREPARES SAMPLES FOR SEM AND
TEM INSPECTION
An automatic polisher that offers
rapid sample preparation for SEM and TEM inspection
in one tool has been introduced in Europe by Alliance
Sales (Europe).
The Sagitta Centar platform for Precision Cross Sectioning
has an accuracy of 0.1µm
providing a quality method to cross-section semiconductor
samples 'straight to the point'. Automatically polishing
any predefined target the Centar system enables the
fast, successful preparation of samples.
Transmission Electron Microscope samples can be prepared
in less than an hour with repeatability in reaching
the same target. During the polishing process, the fully
automated system monitors the polishing rate and ensures
reliable TEM sample preparation.
The sample preparation system also offers full control
of the sample shape and prepares samples with thicknesses
between 1 and 4µm.
Alliance Sales (Europe) is responsible for sales and
technical support of Sagitta's range of Sub-micron Material
Polishing Technology (SMPT) analysis tools in the UK,
Scandinavia and Finland.
NEW
FOUR-AXIS SCARA ROBOT SYSTEM TARGETS EUROPEAN SEMICONDUCTOR
INDUSTRY
For
high throughput and reliability in an ISO Class 1
cleanroom environment Alliance Sales (Europe) is launching
in Europe the Innovative Robotics IR-800, an advanced
material handling robot featuring four independent,
brushless AC servo-driven axis motors. The IR-800
transfers wafers up to 30 percent faster than conventional
robots.
The IR-800 is a true Selectively Compliant Articulated
Robot Arm (SCARA) configuration with independently-controlled
motion of each of the axes. Each rotational axis can
operate freely through ±320 degrees thereby eliminating
all dead zones. Unlike the limited flexibility and
constrained motion of 'R-Theta' robots, the IR-800
design permits material to be moved between multiple
I/O ports without the need for a linear track to move
the robot.
The ISO Class 1 robot is controlled by the powerful
yet compact R-J3c controller, which is manufactured
by FANUC Robotics of Japan, a leading supplier of
assembly robots. The IR-800 has a maximum reach of
508mm and a payload of 2.2kg. Placement repeatability
is guaranteed to be ±0.05mm for any point within the
operating space.
Applications for the IR-800 include cleanroom operations,
material handling, assembly, part transfer and machine
tending.
Alliance Sales (Europe) is responsible for sales and
technical support in the UK, Scandinavia and Finland
of the Innovative Robotics range of wafer handling
robot systems to the semiconductor industry.
ADVANCED
VAPOURISATION SYSTEM IDEAL
FOR PRODUCING LIQUID SOURCE CHEMICALS
USED IN CVD THIN FILMS
The world's most advanced vapourisation
system for producing high quality vapour from liquid
source chemicals used in CVD thin film deposition of
semiconductor wafers and substrates has been introduced
to Europe by Alliance Sales (Europe). MSP's 2800 Vaporizer
features patented vapourisation technology for producing
high purity source chemical vapours.
Alliance Sales (Europe) will be responsible for sales
and technical support of MSP's 2800 system, which utilises
advanced fine droplet atomisation technology to achieve
rapid and complete droplet vapourisation. The system
achieves a high quality performance because there is
no thermal decomposition and residue contaminant generation
in the gas phase.
The 2800 features a large heat transfer area to produce
high liquid/gas mass ratios and incorporates a three
stage heating system to completely vapourise the liquid
and eliminate fogging during pressure reduction.
The system includes an internal replaceable filter to
remove contaminant particles to 2nm and features high
performance gas/liquid flow controllers to ensure accurate
gas/vapour mass flows. The liquid source chemical can
also be turned on and off quickly for accurate vapour
flow control.
NEW
BENCH-TOP DRAM MEMORY MODULE TESTERS MAJOR PRICE/PERFORMANCE
BENEFITS
Alliance
Sales (Europe) has been appointed as Northern Europe
agents for Acuid Corporation's low-cost, bench-top
DRAM test system offering memory test and handling
solutions that increase module and chip throughput
and yield.
The new generation of low-cost, easy-to-use bT memory
module testers have been designed and manufactured
by Acuid to reduce the cost of memory testing and
improve the quality of test. The flexible, high-speed
bench-top systems offer test performance rates approaching
those associated with mainframe systems but for a
fraction of the cost.
The bT Series memory tester, which offers test frequencies
up to 333MHz with ±200ps total timing accuracy, can
be equipped with integrated handlers. The testers
are a complete line of high-speed, high specification
memory testers for testing SDRAM/PC133 and DDR SDRAM/PC2700
modules and packaged devices.
The new bT Series DDR option is capable of handling
data rates up to 333MHz and features fault strobe
positioning with respect to clock edges and to DQS
(per nibble/byte).
The testers feature auto-calibration to ensure testing
is always within specification. The test systems are
equipped with interchangeable DUT interfaces.
Full Windows NT/Windows 2000 operating system software
for module and packaged part test is standard while
optional software is available for test engineering
and production optimisation.
NEW
SAMPLE KIT PROVES HOW AQUEOUS SOLUBLE ADHESIVES SIMPLIFY
BONDING AND CLEANING OF PRECISION PARTS
A
new sample kit for an innovative and environmentally
friendly range of aqueous soluble thermoplastic adhesives
that have been specially developed to greatly simplify
the bonding and cleaning process for precision parts
is being launched in Europe by Alliance Sales (Europe)
Ltd. The sample kit enables engineers to assess the
excellent bonding and quick release properties of
the AquaBond adhesive product range. The revolutionary
adhesive eliminates hazardous solvents from manufacturing
process cleaning applications.
The AquaBond range of adhesives and release agents
are ideal for the temporary mounting of fragile parts
for precision machining and can be easily bonded and
debonded. The thermoplastics offer high shear strength,
will reduce the need for blade dressing and cut down
on edge chipping. AquaBond provides a fast, clean
debond that enables fragile parts to be handled safely
without damage. The simple-to-use AquaBond products
promote productivity gains by offering consistent
cuts and higher yields.
The AquaBond thermoplastic adhesives offer high adhesion
and structural stability properties to provide trouble-free
performance during dicing, grinding, lapping, and
polishing processes.
The bonds are dissolved by an aqueous solution of
environmentally and metal safe Aquabond cleaning agent.
AquaBond's products comply with local authority regulations
and can be discharged directly into the sewer. AquaBond
is available in both stick and film form and at several
bonding temperature ranges to suit the parts and process.
NEW
MXRF TOOL DELIVERS MASSIVE PRECISION MEASUREMENT GAINS
The
world's first optically collimated console micro-beam
XRF (MXRF) tool receives its European launch by Alliance
Sales (Europe) Ltd.
Utilising exclusive Optical Elements™ the new CXR
tool produces 20-100 micron measurement beams capable
of simultaneous multiple metal stack film thickness
and composition determination.
Compared with existing tool technology the use of
optically collimated x-rays delivers precision gains
of up to 1000 times. The new technology is ideal for
rapid non-contact non-destructive metal film measurement
in a production environment. The CXR's revolutionary
beam generator redirects and focuses x-rays to form
a super intense x-ray beam resulting in an exceptionally
brilliant micro-spot light source at the sample interface.
The technique significantly reduces measurement time
while greatly increasing accuracy, precision and reproducibility.
The tool is designed for measurements on wafers, optical
devices, and high density packaging and substrate
applications. Typical metal film measurements include
Au, Pd, Ni, Sn, Sn-Pb, Pt, Va, Ge, Ti, Al, P, Cu,
Cr and Fe.
The CXR platform is compatible with 150, 200 and 300mm
wafer handling systems. The platform, which incorporates
a vibration isolation system, can be configured with
different types of optical elements and detectors
to optimise application specific measurements.
