R

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RD Circuits and the ATE Industry
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Introduction

• President
• James Russell
• Sales Manager
• Sherri Sides
• Eotech Sales
• Delia Ortega
• Will Eckert

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RD Circuits, Corporate

• A Direct Fabricator of Printed Circuit Boards for
  the ATE Industry
• Founded in 1965, 30 years in business
• 6 million per year in sales
• ATE Industry Specialist
• Privately Owned Company
• Design, Fabrication Assembly, In house
• Affiliated Products / Sockets

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Why RD ?Guaranteed PerfectionAcross the Board.

• Design
• Experience
• Dedicated Designers
• Ownership
• Fabrication
• Advanced Technology
• Customer Service
• Performance Board Specialist
• Assembly
• Experience
• Quick Delivery
• Vendor Partnership

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Design Capabilities

• Design Ownership
• Design Guarantee with Fabrication and Assembly
  Purchase
• Cut out the middle-man and the mark up
• PADS Power PCB, Main Package
• Teradyne, Agilent, Advantest, LTX, Credence
  platforms Available
• Designers Specifically Trained in
• Catalyst, Tiger, Flex
• T5585/5586
• AG93000, AG83000
• 10 designers under contract
• Other Software is Available

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Keys for Fabricating Advanced Performance Boards

• Performance Boards
• Digital, Analog Mixed Signal
• High Aspect Ratio to 331
• Drilling, Plating and Micro Vias
• High Frequency Designs
• Etching, Imaging and Cavity Designs
• Controlled Impedance to /-2.5
• Imaging, Etching, Material and Software

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Basic Information

• Material Types
• High Temp FR4
• Rogers Full Series
• Arlon
• Taconic
• Nelco
• Getek
• Polyimide
• BT Expoxy
• Cyanite Ester
• Kapton
• Surface Finishes
• Immersion Tin Silver
• HASL OSP
• Electrolytic Gold Hard
• Electrolytic Gold Soft (wire bonding)
• Solder-able wire-bondable Electrolytic Gold on
  the same surface
• Immersion Gold

• Panel Utilization
• 12x18 (10x16) usable
• 18x24 (16x22) usable
• 20x26 (18x24) usable
• General Cost Drivers
• Technology Delivery
• Holes ( Sizes)
• Core thickness
• High performance materials
• Lines and spaces
• Panel utilization
• Hole to copper internal
• A/R external
• Surface finish

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Routing Density Aspect RatioAdvanced Drilling,
Sequential Lamination and RPP, Keys to a fine
pitch DUT area .5mm and below

• As part of achieving a reliable 331 aspect
  ratio we currently offer the following
  technologies
• .006 mechanically drilled holes
• .00475 hole edge to copper feature
• Sequential Laminations
• Cavity Designs
• Conductive silver and Copper filled vias
• Reverse Pulse Plating

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Drilling with Vision...4 fiducial recognition,
for on the fly registration compensation

• Design Guidelines
• Advanced Technology
• 006 hole, .200 thick board
• 331 Aspect Ratio
• Standard Technology
• .006 hole, .062 thick board
• .007 hole, .075 thick board
• .008 hole, .100 thick board
• .009 hole, .125 thick board
• .012 hole, .175 thick board
• .014 hole, .200 thick board

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Micro-Via Drilling Technologies
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Sequential LaminationMicro-via.

• Laser Drilling/Routing
• ESI UV Yag Laser with a vision system
• Controlled Depth Drilling with Stop Pads
• .002 hole
• Laser for Routing
• Conductive/ Non conductive Filling
• Stacked and Staggered vias
• Blind and Buried Vias

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High Speed up to 40 GhzHigh Performance Materials

• Costs can be minimized through the use of hybrid
  designs Rogers Nelco 4000-13 hybrid boards
• Full Rogers series materials in stock
• Suitable to 40 gig

• Stub Drilling for reduced reflections
• Controlled Impedance to as tight as /-2.5
• Wave Form with every board
• TDR Test on Coupons
• 100 TDR Test Available

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Controlled Impedance

• /- 5 standard, /- 2.5 is becoming more
  prevalent with higher frequencies
• When minimizing impedance tolerance, the
  fabrication process is only as good as its
  weakest link

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Variables

• I. Dielectric thickness
• II. Dk
• III. Trace width
• IV. Trace height

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Photo Tool

• First piece silver film
• Sharp edge acuity, 1/16 mil resolution (rough
  edges contribute to loose tolerances)

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Automated ExposingContributes to tight
registration control which helps reduce annular
rings on high layer counts

• Keys to exposing
• Collimated light
• Sharply defined edges
• 4 fiducial recognition for automatic alignment
• Automatic Exposure Setting
• Perfect exposures time after time

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Automatic Cut Sheet Laminator

• Benefits
• Computer controlled temp sensors control speed
  eliminate resist thickness tolerance
• Postage stamp application of resist eliminates
  flakes from contaminating balance of process
• Board heater to prevent board acting as heat sink
  (outers)

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Etching Hurdles

• Plated walls add difficulty to the etching
  process
• Further compounded by tight spacing
• Cu is a homogenous material which etches at a
  consistent rate
• Puddle effect top side

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Ultra Fine Line Etcher

• Etching Keys
• High volume of solution movement not pressure
• Precise control over spray pattern pressure
  utilizing computerized ball valves in each spray
  nozzles
• Consistent etch rate - control by PH, Cu content
  and temperature

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Etching Keys

• 110-150 deg. (dependant on product type) Temps
  are precisely maintained throughout the etch
  chamber via multiple sensors and multiple heating
  elements evenly distributed in the etch chamber
• Computers prevent operation after start of sump
  pumps until all four sensors measure within -2
  deg of the pre-selected temp.

• Computers optically measure Cu content of
  solution then bleed and feed fresh solution as
  needed
• Ph is precisely controlled via condensing coils
  in exhaust computerized feed of fresh ammonia

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Etching Keys

• Computers automatically detects minor deviations
  in individual nozzle pressure report alarm
• Post etch chamber to eliminate uneven plating
• pH controlled rinsing to eliminate post etch
  defects

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Outer Layer After EtchTolerance due to etching
/- .0001 deviation across the panel /- .0001
top to foot

• Photo-resist Lamination
• Imaging
• Developing
• Etching
• All are contributors to line width tolerance
• RD Offers down to .00025 tolerance on etched
  features

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Material

• Dielectric Thickness
• Determined by two things
• Core
• Manufacturer determines the core
• Pre-preg
• Controlled by fabricator

• Pre-Preg Thickness
• Determined by lamination variables
• Variables
• temperture pressure

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Lamination Keys

• Temp deviation across panel limited to /- 2.5
  deg. F, Pressure /-4 psi
• Computer monitored thermal couples and pressure
  sensors
• Infinite number of triggers based on actual
  product temperature and pressure

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Material Specifications

• Hi Temperature FR4 as our current standard
  material (to 170 Tg, C)
• Customized stock for Customer Partners.
• Nelco 4000-13 as a first choice for high
  performance material
• Nelco, deliveries and service.
• Tell us what you need!

• Your first and second choice for core sizes and
  copper weight?
• How much freedom should we take with core sizes,
  impedance?
• Delivery Impact
• Who makes that decision?

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Sequential Lamination

• Cavity Designs
• Eliminates the need for high aspect ratio
• Improved yields reduce fabrication costs
• Design Considerations
• Route all signal layers in the cavity
  sub-assembly
• Cavity is routed as controlled depth after
  lamination
• Shorter Stubs or no Stub drilling required
• Better electrical performance through shorter
  stubs.
• Keeps capacitors as close to the test points

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Conductive Filled Vias,Copper

• Same filled via after
• sanding

• domed shaped filled via, formed by the photo
  mask, immediately after the plating process.

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Copper Via Fill

• 21 aspect ratio
• for reliable void free fill
• Refer to Cu filled via document in handouts for
  design guidelines
• cost effective, alternative approach to the
  silver filled via methodology.
• Benefits are
• reduced cost.
• superior thermal conductivity of the Copper.
• Utilizing build up technology in the last few
  layers to achieve below .5mm pitch in your DUT.

• formed utilizing one of two modified periodic
  reverse pulse plating process
• dot-shot method.
• Butt Joints, reliability?
•  panel plated
• etching limits the lines and spaces to
  .004-.006.

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Conductive Filled Vias

• Silver Conductive Fill, Dupont CB100
• Via in Pad, Saves Valuable Board Real Estate
• Electrically and Thermally Conductive

• Drill/Plate/Fill
• Filled in one continuous motion using a
  pressurized vessel.
• Grind/Cure/Pattern Plate
• Pattern plated with copper
• This copper provides the electrical connection
  from top to bottom, silver is not used to provide
  the electrical connection

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Photomicrographs of cross-sections of
successfully plated shut micro-vias from RDs
research program. Micro-vias range in size from
5.5mils - 3mils in diameter in 1/2 mil
increments. These micro-vias were laser drilled
and RPP pattern plated at 10ASF.

• Product Offerings,Periodic Reverse Pulse Plate

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Product Offerings,Periodic Reverse Pulse Plate

• Even distribution
• of Cu across panel
• More predictable and consistent electrical
  performance across the panel.
• Even distribution of Copper
• across hole wall
• No build up at the knee of the hole
• .91, Plating aspect ratio,
• surface to Hole

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Without RPP

• Inconsistent plating rates cause build up at the
  knee, This will continue to close the hole at the
  top before the hole center is plated to
  tolerance.

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Reverse Pulse

• Photomicrographs of cross-sections of a PTH that
  was RPP panel plated at 15ASF for 180 minutes.
  Micrograph A shows the PTH at low magnification
  and micrographs B and C show the side wall and
  surface respectively at high magnification.
  Copper thickness measures 1.8 mils at the surface
  and 1.6 mils at the hole wall. Average plating
  rate measures 10.0x10-3mils/min at the surface
  and 8.9x10-3mils/min at the hole wall.

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• Reverse Pulse, Panel Plate
• To predict plating thickness use these charts as
  reference. The overall benefit, is more
  consistent plating from hole center to knee at
  many points across the panel.

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Average plating rate surface 6.2 _at_ 10 ASF, and
9.3 _at_15 ASFAverage plating rate hole 6.6 _at_10
ASF, and 10.1 _at_15 ASF

• Reverse Pulse, Pattern Plate

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RPP PLATING SUMMARY

• Creates a more evenly distributed copper plating
  across the panel and through the hole
• Pattern plating yields a more consistent plating
  rate across the panel
• (10-15 pattern plate Vs. 20-25 panel plate)
• Improved impedance control, consistent etch rates
  and electrical parameters
• Pattern plating rates at the surface are 90-93
  of those same rates, inside the hole
• Hole wall plating is now uniform (/- 5) and is
  within standard deviation of measurements
• Higher aspect ratios, improved yields,
  reliability across the entire panel

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Continuous Reinvestment

• Hitachi Drill
• True Position
• Higher yields for high aspect ratio drilling
• More accurate controlled depth drilling and Flip
  Drilling
• ATG 12 Probe tester,
• Increased capacity
• New Conveyor, copper plate line
• High Temperature FEP Press,
• For intermediate Bond Plys like FEP
• Fusion Bonding Press to 20 x 26 panel sizes
• Eliminates the need for bond ply within the stack
  up
• Homogenous package, improved electrical
  performance particularly for High Frequency
  Designs.

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Example Credence

• .5mm Design
• Controlled Depth Routing of Cavity
• .0045 Internal Hole to Copper
• .003 mil trace
• Silver Filled Vias

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Example Teradyne Catalyst

• .5mm pitch
• Cavity Design
• Silver Filled Vias
• .0045 Hole to Copper
• .003 Trace/Space

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Example Agilent, AG93000

• Dual Site
• .5mm Design
• .150 Thick
• 251 Aspect Ratio
• .006 hole
• .0047 Hole to Copper
• .0035 Annular ring

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Example Agilent, Ag93000 Half Size

• Half Size
• 14.9 x 16.9
• .5mm Design
• No Cavity needed
• Rogers 4003 and FR4 Hybrid

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Assembly Services

• Quick Turn
• 1-5 days
• 50 capacity
• Manual Assembly On-site
• Sockets
• Stiffeners
• Cables
• Rosen Berger Connectors

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Assembly ServicesLoad Board Specialists
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Organic PCBs as an Interposer / Space Transformer

• Converts generic probe
• card to custom part
• 1mm pitch BGA pads
• on bottom
• .157mm(and below) pads on top
• Lower cost, shorter lead time

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Interposer

• .157mm pitch / road map
• to .1mm, and lower
• Design, Fabrication, and Assembly
• Short lead time as little as
• 5 day design
• 5 day Fabrication
• 1 day Assembly
• Standard delivery 21 days

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Partnership-A relationship between individuals
or groups that is characterized by mutual
cooperation and responsibility, as for the
achievement of a specified goal

• Goals
• Reduced Cost of Purchasing
• Design Ownership Guarantee
• Accountability
• Technology
• Volume Discounts
• Forecasting Ability
• Shop Priority

• Current Core Partners
• Agere
• Motorola
• Teradyne
• InTest
• SV Probe
• Microprobe
• Qualcomm

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www.rdcircuits.com

• 9 Olsen Avenue
• Edison, NJ 08820
• 732-549-4554 phone
• 732-549-1388 fax
• Sherri Sides
• Sales Manager
• sales_at_rdcircuits.com