The decision process to purchase a high-end, “big ticket item” piece of microelectronics manufacturing equipment is not always a simple task. The due diligence entails a detailed study of the background and track record of the manufacturer, the suitability of the equipment on a particular application, as well as the consideration for process and field service support. Bonder equipment is expected to last for many years, so the supplemental offerings from the manufacturer need to reflect the promised longevity.
Many buyers looking for high-reliability, high-precision microelectronics packaging equipment with a need for field services options have boiled down the decision process to ten key points:
- Background: Choose a manufacturer that has been in the high-precision bonding business for long period of time.
The equipment and process know-how acquired over years—if not decades—would ensure success with any new application your company may approach. In an industry as complex yet fast-moving as with micro-/optoelectronics design, working with a manufacturer who has documented and excelled from the many changes in technology will help your organization speed through the initial Q&A. - Track Record: A reliable manufacturer will have a proven track record in terms of providing workable solutions for challenging, complex wire bonding and die bonding applications. A viable approach to check the technical capabilities is by reviewing the manufacturer’s published white papers and technical information. Technical information certainly does not manifest itself; companies who have the technological edge and vast process knowledge are able to publish practical and valuable articles. Even a quick look at a manufacturer’s online technical resource page can be a telling sign of the depth of their understanding of your needs and requirements.
- Sharing of Experience: Choose a manufacturer who is willing to share technical know-how and process experience without reservation. Buying a machine without “brainwave” is analogical to having a laptop without any sort of operating software—what is the point? You will immediately realize this fact during even initial technical discussions, reading technical papers, viewing a webcast or attending an in-person presentation delivered by the manufacturer.
- In-House Manufacturing Experience: Applied ideas and solutions based on years of packaging experience to develop and validate process prior to your investment in production equipment is a big-picture cost saver. Choose a manufacturer who has pioneered packaging technology with in-house manufacturing process expertise. If a manufacturer has experience with design, engineering, prototyping, assembly, automation and metrology, your organization will be covered from concept to production, and beyond.
- Machine Flexibility: Scalability should be a strategic consideration when looking to invest in capital equipment. However, the technological roadmap and future product trends are usually not in the radar screen when purchasing equipment. Choose a manufacturer that offers equipment with a large work area. The best insurance is to use a bonder with a large work envelope to allow greater variety of products/materials to be presented on the worktable when new products are introduced.
- Modularity of Options:
Much like with machine flexibility, choose a manufacturer who supports add-on options to meet the demand of new applications. With modular add-on options, you may select the essential options for your current application and add on other options when needed. This approach combats the risk of equipment obsolescence. - Pre-Sale Application: Published machine specifications of many manufacturers can indicate only an ideal situation and should not be used to solely determine the machine performance specific to your application until the machine’s capabilities can be proven with your requirements. Choose a manufacturer who has solid process knowledge to demonstrate its stated capability in a pre-sales application with real-life data presented in a formal report.
- Field Service Support: Seek out a manufacturer with a team of competent and responsive engineering experts dedicated to troubleshoot your machines, make field repairs, perform preventative maintenance and systems health checks, and provide on-site comprehensive training on the maintenance or operation of your equipment. Field service engineers and process development consultants should be committed to minimize production downtime and maximize system performance.
- Integration with Alliance Products: Successful companies maintain a high-value rapport when they stick to what they’re good at. If reliability and precision are main requirements for your application or process, hone
your decision onto manufacturers who do that best and have the data to prove it. However, what is also just as important is to choose a manufacturer who has a strong relationship with complementary equipment vendors so your production process remains agile and scalable. For example, bond pull testers, fluid dispense systems and die sorters are all highly valuable equipment to support and validate process development and production quality. A manufacturer who has teamed up with complementary equipment vendors is inferring that they are sticking to what they do best and have collaborated with other leading companies to help you obtain the complete suite of options for ample production. - Training: Bonder equipment has become more user-friendly over the years; however, without proper training, the actual performance attained can be greatly reduced. A manufacturer should
offer a variety of training courses to share system, process and application development expertise in real-life laboratory environments. Students should graduate from each course with a deeper understanding of optimizing the performance of their equipment and should be able to apply their certified knowledge in their organization immediately. Inquire if your manufacturer offers small class sizes for maximum hands-on experiences. Course options should cover several experience levels in system operations, programming and proper equipment maintenance.