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It's Here!
Advanced Technology for Eutectic Die Attach

The latest technology for eutectic die attach is now available in the MRSI 505E Eutectic Bonding Work Cell. This flexible system supports direct gold/silicon eutectic and eutectic reflow using gold/tin and gold/germanium preforms. The system uses programmable closed loop temperature control, programmable up to 450 ˇ C, for eutectic bonding. For the process of direct gold silicon eutectic die attach, the MRSI-505 places the die with an inverted pyramid collet and simultaneously scrubs (variable amplitude and frequency) to accomplish eutectic reflow. A heated cover gas of H2N2 mixture is blanketed over the hot plate. For gold tin or gold germanium reflow, the MRSI 505 first places a preform onto the package. The die is then scrubbed (variable amplitude and frequency) to accomplish the eutectic reflow. Aheated gas cover of H2N2 mixture is blanketed over the hot plate. The system is field proven at many full production sites to deliver virtually void-free bonding results.

New Corporate Offices
Mark MRSI Group's Expansion

MRSI Group's continued growth has necessitated a move upward to a new corporate facility, Mike Chalsen, MRSI Vice President of Operations, has announced. "We are pleased that construction is underway for the new 65,000+ square foot building. This represents a significant milestone in MRSI's continued planned growth in our key markets, as well as our expansion globally. As the new home for MRSI Group's US headquarters, this new facility will help us move forward in meeting the production demands of our ever-increasing market share." The new facility is located at 3 Billerica Business Center, on a site south of Interstate route 495 in Billerica, Massachusetts. It will house not only the offices, engineering, and manufacturing operations of MRSI, and also of MRSI subsidiary Automation Unlimited, a leading designer and manufacturer of automated robotic soldering systems. John Romano, Sales Manager at Automation Unlimited, stated that "The move to a single facility will not only enable AU to continue its planned growth, but will provide opportunities for ready sharing of engineering expertise and centralize our customer service efforts, resulting in greater efficiency in many areas." The occupancy date is set for September 1, 2000.

505 to Provide
Optical T/R Module Production

The latest technology from MRSI for epoxy and eutectic die attach for optical module manufacturing will be put to work in optical T/R module production for a leading supplier of optical devices. The MRSI-505 Ultra Precision Assembly Work Cell, with its placement force feedback, provides the necessary gentle handling for the application's delicate components including gallium arsenide. The system is configured for eutectic die attach utilizing gold tin preforms as well as epoxy die attach.

"This order reinforces MRSI's dominant position as a supplier of capital equipment to the communications industry for the manufacturing of optical and microwave transmit and receive modules," MRSI Vice President of Sales, Dan Crowley emphasized.

Want to See it "Live"?

Visit http://www.mrsigroup.com/MRSI/eutectic/index.htm for live video of eutectic attach in action !

AU Dispensing System Goes to Hungary

A new benchtop LD1000B dispenser, built to dispense precise lines of cyanoacrylate on a substrate for a hard drive head, has been delivered to an IBM facility in Hungary, where MRSI Europe performed the installation. Windows NT software and machine vision ensure quality results through strict control of dispensing parameters. Shown in photo (L. to R.) are John A. Romano of AU, John Torres of IBM San Jose, and Paul Lorentzen of AU.




AU to Debut Dual Lane Processing
Soldering System

Automation Unlimited has broken new ground with the pending introduction of a new high throughput robotic soldering system. This new system will combine two high-throughput enabling features: dual conveyors (successfully utilized in dispensing technology, as in the MRSI ENCore) and AU's multi-head soldering technology. For many years, AU has been installing dual headed soldering systems to support high volume applications where speed, reliability, and yields have been paramount. In more recent years, AU has developed dual lane conveyors for high volume dispense applications. It was the logical next step to offer dual lane with dual soldering heads for high volume in-line point to point soldering applications. A single system can replace as many as four benchtop systems or two in-line systems, especially in applications that call for preheat, which can be accomplished in parallel along with loading and offloading. With space always at a premium on the manufacturing floor, this dual lane system becomes very attractive to high volume manufacturing. With two irons soldering at the same time, throughput immediately doubles; and with offloading, loading and preheat occurring on the second lane, throughput gets an additional boost. The benefit of this new technology will be immediately apparent in facilities where multiple employees are tied up in repetitive hand soldering production. Experience has shown that automated point to point soldering brings greater consistency to point to point soldering, and frees up valuable human resources to attend to other tasks. With AU's new dual lane soldering system, higher volumes as well as high consistency and repeatable quality will be the order of the day.

MRSI Perfects Automatic Assembly
of Delicate Beam Lead Diodes

Using a combination of conductive epoxy stamping technology and specially designed placement tools, MRSI is now able to assemble delicate beam lead diodes with the industry standard MRSI-505 Assembly Work Cell. Conductive epoxy is deposited on to the substrate from a rotating well using extremely small stamping tools. Epoxy deposits down to 0.004" dots are repeatably produced using this method. Beam lead diodes are picked and placed using specially designed tools that support the foil like-leads during the pick up and placement. This prevents the leads from deflecting upward when placed into the epoxy. Extremely accurate control of the placement force along with precise control of the epoxy volume insures a robust process for these sensitive devices. The process is being used in production of a variety of customers including Alcatel, Thomson and GEC.

Matt Wilson Joins
Product Applications Staff

Mr. Matthew Wilson has joined MRSI Europe as an Application Engineer. Matt brings several years of hands-on experience in electronic packaging production. Prior to joining MRSI, Matt was employed by TRW Aeronautics in Birmingham England. While at TRW, Matt was responsible for manufacturing engineering activities for multi-chip module production and worked with MRSI's equipment daily. In his role at MRSI Europe, Matt will join the existing European application team providing direct factory support to the expanding customer base. Prior to working at TRW, Matt was employed at Siemens Durach Ag in Germany, supporting high frequency products. Matt holds a Dipl(Ing) from FH Augsburg Germany in Manufacturing Electronic Systems and a Masters in Electronic Systems from the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland. Matt will be working out of MRSI's European Applications and Demonstration Laboratory in Leiden, Holland.

New MRSI Group Technology to
Display at NEPCON West, APEX 2000

MRSI will have an impressive array of technology to display at both the NEPCON West (Anaheim, CA) and APEX (Long Beach, CA) trade exhibitions in March. The MRSI-175 Ag Conductive Epoxy Dispenser with dispensing and stamping, and 505 Assembly Work Cell and the MRSI-175 Encore Encapsulation Dispenser will be exhibited in booth #1305 at NEPCON West 2000, February 29 - March 2, at the Anaheim Convention Center. This exciting new technology-leading the industry in dispense, encapsulation, and assembly at production volumes—will be on display in booth #665 at APEX 2000, March 14 - 16, at the Long Beach Convention Center. Automation Unlimited, a member of MRSI Group, will exhibit the SolderMate¨ automated tabletop soldering system and Micro-Flame soldering system at both shows. The new SolderMate¨ MF uses AU's successful SolderMate benchtop 5-axis automated soldering platform, combining it with micro-flame technology and a generous 18" x 18" x 3" X, Y, Z work envelope. It's a powerful, high-capacity precision automated soldering system that is nonetheless compact enough to operate on the benchtop. The SolderMate¨ MF is equipped with automatic flame-out detection and its own SPIRIG multi-cell hydrogen generator.