SBIR-STTR Award

This proposal describes efforts planned for the design and development of a non-intrusive method for the inspection of electronic systems and components using X-ray digital laminography and tomosynthesis. This approach provides a non-destructive means for the inspection of a device under test while enabling high fault coverage of all pins, which is especially applicable to today's aging electronic systems. Due to the increasing complexity of current printed circuit boards, there is a need for a more sophisticated and efficient method for the inspection and analysis of these devices. Herein lies a growing demand for a more technologically innovative images analysis system to meet these challenging advancements. X-ray inspection systems provide a non-destructive means for detecting defects in tracks, solder joints, solder fill, solder fill integrity, component misalignment, component misplacement, opens and shorts. During Phase I we create a design for our proposed approach, addressing requirements associated with materials, components, interface requirements, limitations, and expected performance criteria. In addition, we develop a functional prototype of the system to demonstrate the viability of our approach for further development during Phase II

This proposal describes an approach for a non-invasive system of inspection that capitalizes on the advancing technology of three dimensional (3D) digital X-ray laminography and digital tomosynthesis in providing an automatic and non-destructive means of inspection for a device under test while allowing for high fault coverage of all pins. Newly available ultra-high resolution X-ray system technology offers solutions to detect and analyze failures down to micron levels, revealing many defects including IC, transistor or diode internal opens and shorts, capacitor plating deformations, open or shorted solder joints, lifted leads, missing solder balls or bridging between solder balls, holes in solder, component misregistration, IC tombstoning, voiding, and unacceptable size variations in solder bumps, as in BGA components. Such testing and inspection systems have proven to be a vital inspection tool for catching faults in printed circuit boards previously determined to be undetectable. We envision a completely automated X-ray inspection system, capable of handling all motion control, image acquisition, image reconstruction, and image analysis tasks. Also, new generation X-ray emitters exhibit very low power output, virtually eliminating the risk of damage to electrical and electronic devices.

Keywords:
Ate, Tps, X-Ray, Test Program, Automatic Test Equipment, Fault, Failure, Pcb