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Valtronic
Newsletter		Volume VII Issue 4
Winter 2011/2012
In this Issue
:: Company News
:: Industry News
:: Behind the Scenes
:: Events
:: Tech Talk
:: Partners

Company News 

Valtronic Celebrates 30 Years

Valtronic opened its doors for business in 1982 in the Valley de Joux in Switzerland.  The company has grown since then with a presence on four continents and has diversified into a full service supplier. The fundamentals of who we are have not changed however, we still strive to enhance the quality of life by providing technology solutions.  

Each newsletter this year will highlight areas of significance over the last 30 years that have made us what we are today.  The focus in this newsletter is technology.   In this case pictures really do speak a thousand words.  Below is a chart showing advances in electronic miniaturization in the last 30 years.  In addition to this wire bonds have gone from 200 micron to 110 micron spacing, the wires we use are thinner than a human hair and the circuit boards we work with are thinner than paper.   The speed of the machinery we use to ensure that miniaturization is accurate and precise has increased 30 fold.   

Advances in Electronic Miniaturization Technology
 

  

We continue to build on our experience and ensure that you have the technology which is optimal for your project.  In this newsletter you will also find articles on two additional electronic technologies that Valtronic has adopted to meet the needs of our customers.  It is our goal to continue to improve and innovate so that our customers remain competitive in the markets they serve.  By capitalizing on our experience and know-how we are confident that the next 30 years will be just as rewarding.       

 

Valtronic Adds Ultrasonic Flip Chip to Enhance its Miniaturization Capabilities  

 

Ultrasonic energy has been used for decades to connect wires between die and boards or lead frames. Short and direct connections, much shorter than wires, were obtained by either gluing or soldering the dies using flip-chip. A combination of these two die bonding approaches is how Ultra Sonic Flip Chip came to be.   This technology combines the speed of an ultrasonic welding and the I/O count of a flip chip.

 

UltraSonic Flip Chip with Die  

The chip preparation, namely gold stud bumping, is identical to the one necessary for glued flip chip, which Valtronic has been using for years . The die is then flipped automatically and placed on the substrate with a combination of heat, pressure and ultrasonic energy. All of these steps are accomplished on an automatic Hesse & Knipps machine which we will be installing soon.   

 

Depending on the application and number of bumps - die surface ratio, a subsequent epoxy underfill can also be performed. For large dies with a moderate numbers of bumps, this underfill is recommended for mechanical reliability.

 

Three main advantages of this technology are:

  • The rapid ultrasonic welding and the absence of glue curing lead to a cycle time 45 times faster than for glued flip chip.
  • The connection between the bumps and the substrate is a real intermetallic connection compared to the mechanical connection of the glued flip chip.
  • A much smaller pitch can be obtained compared to soldered flip chip.

The process without soldering rends the ultrasonic flip chip suitable for a wide range of substrates among which very thin polyimide foils in applications such as circuitry for diagnostic imaging and active implants. Alternatively, glass or silicon based wafers onto which a die needs to be assembled are also very suited for ultrasonic flip chip. The absence of glue makes this process particularly favorable for MEMS assembly. Obviously, regular chips on regular FR4 or polyimide PCBs are also perfectly suited and can be assembled with very high throughput.   

 

Industry News

Top 10 Innovations for 2012 

As we begin the new year keep these 10 up-and-coming innovations in mind that the Cleveland Clinic believes will have a big impact on healthcare in 2012.  They range from altering mosquitoes to novel ways for controlling hypertension.   

Top 10 

Behind the Scenes 

  

Valtronic is happy to welcome several new team members as featured below.  

  

Get to know Sohaila Setayesh, a new Principal Client Advisor in Switzerland.   

 

Before joining the Valtronic Client Advisory Team, Sohaila was Director of International Sales for a leading technology provider of Turnkey Solar Photovoltaics. Prior to this she held key positions in the electronic, semiconductor, telecommunications and display industry.  Additionally, she has a vast technical background and experience as a process engineer in  Semiconductor and PCB production.  Sohaila has a BS in Chemistry from Florida Institute of Technology and  an MBA from City University, a subsidiary of the University of Washington, Washington DC.   

 

Here are excerpts from a short interview with Sohaila.   

 

What is the most important part of your job?

 

To be able to draw on my past life experiences consulting and supporting our customers help them achieve their objectives. 

 

How did you get into the electronics field?

 

I have always been a passionate production process engineer. In my heart, I am still a process engineer. In my previous positions, it has helped me support customers and their investment decisions during the sales process. When I chose my field in College I had the choice between a technical path of PCB's or Semiconductors and I went the PCB route.  

 

What do you find most rewarding in working with customers?

 

Sharing knowledge, experience and helping customers come to decisions that protect their investment and moves their project forward.

 

What is the most important lesson you have learned in your career?

 

Do not underestimate the competitors. They are faster than you think.

 

 What do you want to accomplish in your new position at Valtronic?

 

To help make Valtronic a significant player in the markets it serves. Additionally I would like to develop new markets where we have great potential but have not yet explored.  In the end I want Valtronic to have the reputation it has earned as a competent partner for engineering and manufacturing for organizations around the world.

 

   

Valtronic also welcomes:

 

Switzerland

Aurélie Geoffroy - Cleanroom Operator 

Jean-François Masson - Method & Process Engineer  

SohailaSetayesh  - Principal Client Advisor, Senior Vice President

Christophe Choulet  -  Machine Adjuster Marco Lang - Principal Client Advisor

  

United States 

Paul Cawrse - Production Supervisor 

Bob Linsley - Key Account Manager

Events

United States

 

Booth 1647  

  

Learn about our expansion plans and participate in our Skeleton Mascot Photo Shoot and Wine Bottle Contest.  Either way you will be glad you stopped by. 

  

For Registration Visit  MD&M West   

       

Booth A119  

Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME)
March 28 - 29, 2012
Hynes Convention Center
Boston MA USA    

 

 

Whether you want to create micro features on micro parts or on macro parts, the focus of this event is on ways to improve processes in micro-manufacturing. Get two conferences in one with the 2012 MicroManufacturing Conference & Exhibits co-located with the 2012 NanoManufacturing Conference & Exhibits.

 

For Registration Visit SME     

 

Europe

      

13-15 March 2012

 

Participate in our 30th Anniversary Contest and learn about our brand new Orthpaedic Building which will be opening this summer.

 

For Registration Visit Medtec Europe 

Tech Talk  

 

Heavy Wire Bonding Now Available 

 

In order to better serve industrial customers and those customers with higher power needs Valtronic has added a heavy wire bonding to our manufacturing capabilities. Customers with applications such as power electronics which are required in airplane switches or solar

energy applications need relatively large wire sections to connect the dies with the substrates. This need originates from the large current flowing in the system which heats the assembly beyond acceptable limits when using small diameter wires. The technology of heavy wire bonding fulfills this need by using 150 to 400 microns diameter wires. The assembly with these larger wires require equipment that differs with the one used for fine wires (20-30 microns diameter).

 

The wedge bonding process which uses ultrasonic energy, heat and pressure is identical to fine wire bonding. The difference lies essentially in the cutting of the wire that requires a knife mounted on the bonding head. This cuts the wires instead of breaking it which would weaken if not destroy the connection with these solid thick wires.


Keep In Touch All Year Long
One of our New Year's Resolutions is to keep you update more often.   
    
         
 Partners   
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is the largest organization for applied research in Europe, with more than 80 research units, including 60 Fraunhofer Institutes, at different locations in Germany as well as
  • Research centers and representative offices in Europe, USA, Asia and in the Middle East. 
    • They focus on six areas which they believe are integral to the future:     health, security, energy, communication, the environment and mobility.

    The services they offer include R&D, training, reference publications, support and educational conferences.  Valtronic recently participated in their Advanced Packaging Trends for Medical Electronics Workshop where Timothy Cline, Executive VP Sales and Marketing and Sanae Lahbabi, Valtronic's Director for Advanced Electronics spoke about Electronics for Smart Implants.
    .
    The Fraunhofer Institute form partnerships with companies worldwide which result in innovations and products such as world-famous process of music data file compression known as MP3, high efficiency  solar cells,  and  a corneal prosthesis made of plastic. Valtronic has collaborated with the Fraunhofer on such projects as: the Saliwell Dental Implant which treats symptoms of Xerostomia through electronic stimulation, an Intelligent intraoral drug delivery microsystem and a retinal implant system.