New 'Tray-in-Tray' for Chip-Scale Packaging Increases Manufacturing Flexibility

A patent-pending JEDEC Style Waffle Pack Tray-in-Tray for chip-scale and wafer-level packaging applications from Fluoroware Inc. is said to increase manufacturing flexibility while lowering operating costs and providing faster turnaround times. This new transport and handling product, designed for materials management solutions for the semiconductor and other mission-critical industries, allows waffle packs of varying pocket sizes to be used in conjunction with a JEDEC-compliant tray during assembly and test, eliminating the need for tray retooling.

The continued proliferation of chip-scale packaging (CSP) and the trend toward wafer-level packaging (WLP) created the need for a reliable and cost-effective solution for the handling and transport of components throughout back-end assembly, marking, inspection and test operations, according to Fluoroware. Because packaging size has historically remained constant despite wafer-level die shrinks, back-end assembly and test have utilized JEDEC trays to handle packaged ICs with relative ease. With CSP and WLP components, however, there is no standard chip size, and the overall package size is directly affected by a change in die size. As a result, the majority of the JEDEC trays used for CSP applications require retooling to accommodate new components. Tooling costs for a new JEDEC tray range from US $20,000-$40,000, with lead times ranging from six to 10 weeks, according to Fluoroware.

Fluoroware's unique tray-in-tray solution offers a practical, cost-effective alternative consisting of the company's waffle pack trays, which are placed inside a JEDEC-compliant tray, allowing for interface with existing assembly and test equipment. This approach offers users greater manufacturing flexibility, as they can choose from among Fluoroware's approximately 1,000 existing 4-in. waffle packs with different pocket sizes and features. The ability to customize a tray with existing components enables Fluoroware to provide the packaging without having to retool its JEDEC trays to accommodate each unique CSP. In addition, the JEDEC-compliant trays are reusable.

Fluoroware's JEDEC-compliant tray is molded of high-temperature polyethersulfone (PES) static dissipative plastic and holds three 4-in. waffle pack trays. Waffle packs are easily loaded into and out of the JEDEC tray, and once in place, they will not slip or move. Moreover, the waffle packs are available in a variety of bakeable and non-bakeable materials and colors to help ease the identification of different components being processed within the same work environment.

Headquartered in Chaska, MN, Fluoroware Inc. is an ISO 9001-registered, worldwide provider of materials management products and solutions to the microelectronics, chemical processing and other mission-critical industries.

For more information: Cindy Schmieg, Fluoroware Inc., Tel: 612-448-8193, Fax: 612-368-4078.