Rick, I second your opinion. We use the equipment also for component failure analysis. It is the first step before decapsulation,and it saves a lot of time. But, as many others explained, it is only a tool, and must be in the hands of skilled people. When Michelangelo got the rock, he imagined David inside. Thanks, Gaby "Howieson, Rick" wrote: > Jerry, > Thanks for your FIRST sentence, opinion. We use x-ray and as far as > troubleshooting and improving our process it has been one of the best > investments made. > Rick Howieson > General Technology Corp. > > >-----Original Message----- > >From: Jerry Cupples [SMTP:[log in to unmask]] > >Sent: Tuesday, May 30, 2000 4:12 PM > >To: [log in to unmask] > >Subject: Re: [TN] To X-ray or Not to X-ray. > > > >At 02:53 PM 5/30/00 -0600, you wrote: > > > >>Help, > >> > >>My company is asking for information leading to the possible purchase of an > >>X-ray machine for BGA s. > >> > >>We are placing some with metal tops such as the ALTERA. ANY info on who, > >>what, where, etc. etc. etc. > >> > >>Would be kindly appreciated. > > > >I have an opinion here, and it's just an opinion... > > > >Buying an X-Ray machine "for BGA's" is pretty common, as of course you can't > >"see" the joints much otherwise. > > > >But you wouldn't buy an X-Ray machine just to check your lungs every 6 > >months, would you? Not even if you were doing it for every employee, you > >wouldn't. > > > >My brother is a radiologist. He can look at images which look like clouds, > >and pick out the "Roentgen signs" that indicate disease and abnormalities. > >When I look at them, they look like clouds. It took him years of internship > >and residency to develop the skill analyze the images, plus a photographic > >knowledge of human anatomy achieved along the way. He needs to know what > >every section of a body SHOULD look like, and indicators for many > >abnormalities in males, females, adults, juveniles. > > > >If you do buy one, you should plan to dedicate a technician who will learn > >how to operate the equipment, process the images, and interpret what is found > >- and the time and cost of this manpower is probably greater than the cost of > >the equipment. You can expect it to be a long process to get much useful > >information. There are many types of packages, and they are mounted on > >different boards with different pads. This will change every six months or so > >with some regularity. > > > >Some people think the process of interpreting the image ought to be simple, > >like looking at the x-ray of a broken arm, and seeing the crack, and saying, > >"yes, it's broken". The reality is that you see cloudy images and have to > >adjust the contrast and use a lot of your training and experience to > >determine what the image means. > > > >Having an X-Ray machine just to find shorts on BGA's after soldering is > >overkill. What you may want is the ability to make judgements about the > >amount of solder, the voids, and the wetting. This requires laminography, > >sophisticated image processing, a trained technician, and then you have > >indications which can be used to make logical inferences, not necessarily > >clear cut process measurements. (I've seen my brother arguing with other > >radiologists about the meaning of images, and he wrote a chapter in one of > >the medical texts...)Your mileage may vary, etc. > > > > > >cheers, > > > > > >Jerry Cupples > >Interphase Corporation > ><html> > >At 02:53 PM 5/30/00 -0600, you wrote:<br> > ><br> > ><blockquote type=cite cite><font face="arial" size=2>Help, <br> > ></font><br> > ><font face="arial" size=2>My company is asking for information leading to > >the possible purchase of an X-ray machine for BGA s.<br> > ></font><br> > ><font face="arial" size=2>We are placing some with metal tops such as the > >ALTERA. ANY info on who, what, where, etc. etc. etc.<br> > ></font><br> > ><font face="arial" size=2>Would be kindly appreciated.<br> > ></font></blockquote><font face="arial" size=2><br> > ></font>I have an opinion here, and it's just an opinion...<br> > ><br> > >Buying an X-Ray machine "for BGA's" is pretty common, as of > >course you can't "see" the joints much otherwise.<br> > ><br> > >But you wouldn't buy an X-Ray machine just to check your lungs every 6 > >months, would you? Not even if you were doing it for every employee, you > >wouldn't.<br> > ><br> > >My brother is a radiologist. He can look at images which look like > >clouds, and pick out the "Roentgen signs" that indicate disease > >and abnormalities. When I look at them, they look like clouds. It took > >him years of internship and residency to develop the skill analyze the > >images, plus a photographic knowledge of human anatomy achieved along the > >way. He needs to know what every section of a body SHOULD look like, and > >indicators for many abnormalities in males, females, adults, > >juveniles.<br> > ><br> > >If you do buy one, you should plan to dedicate a technician who will > >learn how to operate the equipment, process the images, and interpret > >what is found - and the time and cost of this manpower is probably > >greater than the cost of the equipment. You can expect it to be a long > >process to get much useful information. There are many types of packages, > >and they are mounted on different boards with different pads. This will > >change every six months or so with some regularity.<br> > ><br> > >Some people think the process of interpreting the image ought to be > >simple, like looking at the x-ray of a broken arm, and seeing the crack, > >and saying, "yes, it's broken". The reality is that you see > >cloudy images and have to adjust the contrast and use a lot of your > >training and experience to determine what the image means.<br> > ><br> > >Having an X-Ray machine just to find shorts on BGA's after soldering is > >overkill. What you may want is the ability to make judgements about the > >amount of solder, the voids, and the wetting. This requires laminography, > >sophisticated image processing, a trained technician, and then you have > >indications which can be used to make logical inferences, not necessarily > >clear cut process measurements. (I've seen my brother arguing with other > >radiologists about the meaning of images, and he wrote a chapter in one > >of the medical texts...)Your mileage may vary, etc.<br> > ><br> > ><br> > >cheers,<br> > ><br> > ><br> > >Jerry Cupples<br> > >Interphase Corporation</html> > > > > ############################################################## > TechNet Mail List provided as a free service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8c > ############################################################## > To subscribe/unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in > the body: > To subscribe: SUBSCRIBE TECHNET <your full name> > To unsubscribe: SIGNOFF TECHNET > ############################################################## > Please visit IPC web site (http://www.ipc.org/html/forum.htm) for additional > information. > If you need assistance - contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or > 847-509-9700 ext.5315 > ############################################################## ############################################################## TechNet Mail List provided as a free service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8c ############################################################## To subscribe/unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the body: To subscribe: SUBSCRIBE TECHNET <your full name> To unsubscribe: SIGNOFF TECHNET ############################################################## Please visit IPC web site (http://www.ipc.org/html/forum.htm) for additional information. 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