COVER STORY » CCI
COVER STORY » CCI SOLUTIONS Thickness measurement for transparent materials ANZ_KOHYOUNG_epp_europe_316x207_3__01_2209_4c.indd 1 20.09.22 12:52 Koh Young examines the future of dispensing inspection (DPI) Overcoming the challenges of CCI 16 EPP Europe » 11 | 2022
AT A GLANCE In this article, Koh Young details the importance of accurate CCI and measurement, and explains how its new 3D in-line DPI equipment can conduct 2D and 3D inspection of transparent materials. Conformal coatings protect electronics from moisture, debris, and corrosion. They also add mechanical stability to help reduce failures and improve an electronic device’s reliability when it is exposed to harsh environments. But what happens if a coating is defective or simply too thin? Koh Young discusses the challenges of conformal coating inspection (CCI) and how its latest Neptune series can help. A conformal coating is a transparent protective film with a thickness of around 50um applied to a PCB to protect the board and its components from corrosion (caused by vibration, temperature changes, and so on) and from the environment. It is used on parts that need to offer increased product reliability via dustproofing and waterproofing. As conformal coatings significantly reduce the chance of circuit failure due to moisture, they are now being increasingly applied to products which necessitate a high level of reliability. There are various coating methods used today including dipping, brushing, and spraying. Selective spraying methods that only coat a specific area are also being more widely used. In addition to conformal coatings, various other dispensing technologies such as underfill and overcoating are emerging in the market. Underfill redistributes the thermomechanical stress created by the coefficient of thermal expansion mismatch between the silicon chip and organic substrate and is often applied to BGAs and CSPs in semiconductors or during SMT processes. In some medical applications, a droplet-shaped coating needs to be placed on the pad, in a process known as overcoating, and the height of this droplet needs to be measured. Indeed, as this example makes clear, some dispensing applications now also require specific inspection processes. EPP Europe » 11 | 2022 17
