Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1513827
58 SMT007 MAGAZINE I JANUARY 2024 als are also important for success. Rework is like a mini factory that needs to have all the tools necessary to be capable of executing the repairs. To that end, there is the knowledge and skills of the team performing rework; they are defi- nitely artists. ey need to have very good skills and good cross-training because there isn't just one thing they will be focused on. In other modules along the assembly line, you can con- trol the variables more easily. But in rework, you have a lot of variables plus a human com- ponent there. Johnson: As microprocessors become more capable and complex, and as we continue forward with Moore's law, it's become more of a packaging issue than a semiconductor fabrication issue. What might we expect to see a microprocessor package look like in five years? It's an interesting market where you have the small size packages segment and the trend to increase the package size in another segment of the market. We see also challenges with temperature-sensitive components—in which you need to be more careful about the maxi- mum temperature on the body of the compo- nents—in comparison with past years. Johnson: At symposiums for advanced pack- aging, some of the talk is about components 100 millimeters on the side. Contract manu- facturing companies may be doing pick-and- place and soldering for BGAs that large, and at the same time placing 0105s with the same machinery. This movement in both directions at the same time screams out that there will be challenges in rework. For the industry, these are big challenges. Cus- tomers, including Intel, will need the skills and capabilities for this kind of work. Suppliers of rework tools need to continue developing tools capable of supporting these demands. Barry Matties: Where does rework become side you have small packages with small ball pitch and on the other side we have large form factor packages. We work with both tenden- cies in package sizes and designs to develop robust rework processes that meet the product requirements. Johnson: How will that change life for assembly providers? ere are more challenges when rework is needed. We use different kinds of tools for rework. We work on boards with long lists of different kinds of components and sizes. You cannot do all the repairs with only one tool. Now, not all the defects can be fixed with hand soldering tools; you need a combina- tion of BGA repair tools, through-hole compo- nent tools, hand soldering tools, ovens, micro- scopes, and X-ray tools, so you can perform a good inspection to be sure that your repairs are successful. Additionally, to perform the repairs, you need other collateral. For exam- ple, there are nozzles with designs that help to keep the temperatures uniform during the reflow without high temperature deltas across the component. Like this one, other collater- Maria Mejias