Antares Releases First 0.4 mm Pitch BGA Burn-in Socket to Qualify Logic ICs With 34 x 34 I/O Matrixes -- the 772 Series
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Antares Releases First 0.4 mm Pitch BGA Burn-in Socket to Qualify Logic ICs With 34 x 34 I/O Matrixes -- the 772 Series

PHOENIX, AZ and VANCOUVER, WA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- Nov 10, 2008 -- Engineers at Antares Advanced Test Technologies report that they've recently developed a socket design and viable contact-assembly process to mass produce the first large array 34 x 34, 0.4 mm pitch BGA socket to qualify and burn-in the latest fine pitch, high-pin-count logic devices for consumer applications, according to Masao Inagaki, an Antares program manager.

Manufacturers that develop large array, high I/O count 0.4 mm pitch BGA devices must effectively conduct qualification burn-in of the devices using full custom, or machined, sockets that carry high unit costs and extended lead times, Inagaki said. Antares will produce its latest burn-in socket with fully tooled molds and stamping dies for repeatability at a comparatively low unit cost and support of four week lead times on production quantities.

Inagaki said the design of the 772 is largely based on the design of its predecessor, the 773 -- a 0.4 mm pitch BGA burn-in socket with a 22 x 22 I/O matrix. Antares has used its existing 0.4 mm BGA model and "manufacturing depth" to overcome what had been "cost-prohibitive processes, particularly during assembly" to produce burn-in sockets for the higher-pin-count BGAs, he said.

"Logic manufacturers are satisfying consumer demand for communication devices, and -- through R&D and our production expertise -- we've been able to accommodate these new BGA pin counts and can take a moment to enjoy a bit of 'first-to-market' status," Inagaki said.

Inagaki added that thin high-pin-count BGAs have a propensity to be non-planar, which often makes it difficult to establish a stable electrical connection to all package I/Os during burn-in. Engineers at Antares designed the 772 to ensure appropriate contact force is applied to the I/Os, while accommodating thin BGA packages with the aid of a proprietary pressure pad latching system.

The burn-in socket employs a staggered 0.4 mm x 0.6 mm fan-out footprint that allows IC manufacturers to use wider-pitch burn-in boards (BIBs) and control costs associated with their design and fabrication.

"The socket's overall design has certainly been proven in the field," Inagaki said.

The 772 is designed to allow for stable contact performance independent of solder ball height and composition with a Z-axis compliant buckling beam contact.

The dual-point contacts of the burn-in socket provide stable and long-term electrical performance with minimal ball damage via their sharp tips.

The burn-in socket's compression surface mount design allows users to replace damaged sockets on boards and resume qualification without de-soldering and diminishing board or chamber utilization.

The 772 Series' key specifications include a socket outline of 46 x 30 mm, socket height of 24.5 mm, socket stroke of 7.9 mm, seating height of 14.5 mm, maximum package size of 15 x 15 mm (even matrix), 14 x 14 mm (odd matrix), minimum package size of 10 x 10 mm, maximum matrix of 34 x 34, contact force of 13 gf/pin (package side), 13 gf/pin (PCB side), actuation force of 3 kg (for 500 pins), 4.5 kg (for 800 pins) and staggered fan-out pitch of 0.4 mm x 0.6 mm.

About Antares Advanced Test Technologies

Antares Advanced Test Technologies is reducing the cost of semiconductor test by concentrating on high-sensitivity areas such as yield and the integration of test disciplines, focusing on customer support, delivering innovative technologies and offering a single point of contact for semiconductor test cell requirements, including burn-in sockets, test sockets, ATE consumables and thermal management solutions. Antares is headquartered in Vancouver, Wash. and has design, development and manufacturing locations in Suzhou, China; Yokohama, Japan; Phoenix and Gilbert, Ariz.; and Fremont, Calif. http://www.antares-att.com/

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