Arena Solutions has announced a new electronic design automation (EDA) adapter for integrating Arena's PLM product with engineering's schematic design tools. The adapter reportedly allows design and engineering groups to consolidate electronic component databases and get immediate access to information such as preferred parts, descriptions, parametric information, symbols, footprints, and datasheets. The company states that the adapter will work with Altium Designer, Mentor Graphics' DxDataBook, and Cadence's OrCAD Capture CIS, and others.

Currently concluding beta-testing, the company claims that a full version of the software will be available in June 2008.

Camtek has announced the introduction of the Mustang line of automated optical inspection systems for high-density PCBs used in the production of mobile consumer products. The first Mustang Model 600 systems have already been installed at customer sites.

“The high density of printed circuit boards [used in mobile consumer products] increases their sensitivity to defects. Replacing manned microscopes by automated inspection makes sense to… manufacturers. We developed the Mustang... for fast, reliable and consistent defect detection.” said Yuval Agami, VP of Camtek.

http://www.camtek.co.il

Plasma Etch has introduced the PE-100 plasma etching system designed primarily for Universities, small R&D laboratories and pilot production facilities.

The company reports that the PE-100 provides a modestly sized vacuum chamber that accommodates up to 240” of capacity per run cycle and uses an RF power supply, vacuum pumping, a PLC based process vacuum controller and touch screen programming in the claimed “turn-key” package. The company also reports that any process developed on the PE-100 can be scaled up to larger Plasma Etch systems as required by substrate size and throughput demands.

The company reports that all Plasma Etch systems operate using an RF induced ionized plasma process that removes contaminants such as organics, coatings and metal oxides as well as providing a hydrophilic surface for adhesion of parts processed, and that application for the system include medical devices, solar cells, optics, printed circuit boards, connectors, MEMs, wafer level packaging and other related semiconductor processes.

Henkel Corporation’s Hysol FF6000, is a reflow curable material that is formulated to provide flux for lead-free solder joint formation delivering claimed protection against mechanical stress when cured.

With the epoxy flux process, bottom side spheres are immersed into Hysol FF6000 prior to component placement. The device is then placed onto the PCB or substrate and travels through reflow. During the reflow process, the flux is said to provide solder joint formation while the epoxy encapsulates each solder sphere. This streamlined approach claims to eliminate the need for dispensing equipment and the time required for underfill application and cure.

The company states that the product can be used for package-on-package (PoP) devices and very large (typically 23 x23 mm or more) BGAs and CSPs, where traditional underfill processes may be problematic.

"Enabling joint formation and sphere encapsulation with one material not only delivers tremendous throughput and cost-saving advantages, it may also provide more robust protection than other underfill alternatives.” says Henkel’s Robert Chu.

www.henkel.com/electronics