An Alternative Green Packaging Solution in a fully Automated In-line Assembly-Test-Finish Operation for a Nickel-Palladium Gold (NiPdAu) Pre- Plated Frames Leadframe Based Packages

摘要

One of Cypress Semiconductor technology advancements in the field of backend assembly was the simplification of manufacturing operations. Factory automation or "Autoline" was introduced to improve manufacturing cycle time, productivity, operational cost, product quality, and reliability. The Autoline installed in Cypress Manufacturing Limited (CML) is a state of the art fully automated in-line Back-end Assembly-Test-Finish operation from die attach to tape and reel (TnR). Hardware and software integration was utilized and new material sets were introduced to support automation. In response to lead-free packaging, the standard assembly process of lead introduction during the plating process was replaced using a nickel-palladium-gold (NiPdAu) pre-plated leadframe (PPF). Pre-plated leadframe option was chosen to be an alternative lead-free solution to support Cypress Autoline concept and furthermore eliminating the technical issue on whisker formation. And for the fast emerging green packaging requirement, leadframe based assembled parts in Autoline using NiPdAu PPF's should be halide-free. Thus, the objective of this study is to have a green packaging solution that will support factory automation without sacrificing package integrity and reliability withstanding the 260°C reflow lead-free requirement. Results showed that the mold compound material compatibility plays an important role in achieving the moisture sensitivity level pre-conditioning requirement for lead free applications.