Kyzen’s Dr. Mike Bixenman to Discuss Compatibility of Cleaning Agents at SMTAI 2011

The presentation will be held during Session SMT5, titled “Cleaning Interactions With Assembly Processes,” which will take place Wednesday, October 19, 2011 from 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. in Room 202C. Dr. Bixenman co-authored the paper with David Lober, Process Chemist.

High density and miniaturized circuit assemblies challenge the solder paste printing process. The use of small components such as 0201, 01005 and µBGA devices require good paste release to prevent solder paste bridging and misalignment. When placing these miniaturized components, taller paste deposits are often required.

To improve solder paste deposition, a nano-coating is applied to laser cut stencils to improve transfer efficiency. One concern is the compatibility of the nano-coating with cleaning agents used in understencil wipe and stencil cleaning. The purpose of this research is to test the chemical compatibility of common cleaning agents used in understencil wipe and stencil cleaning processes and to develop a quantitative method for measuring nano-coating thickness remaining on the stencil surface.

Co-founder and CTO of Kyzen Corporation, Dr. Mike Bixenman has more than 35 years of experience in the precision cleaning field, and is an active researcher and innovator. Dr. Bixenman chaired the IPC-CH-65B Cleaning Handbook and the IPC-7526 Stencil Cleaning Handbook.