On the development of automatic assembly line for InP HEMT MMICs

We have developed the process of automatic assembly line (AAL) on InP HEMT MMICs to enhance the assembly throughput owing to the large volume assembly of InP HEMT MMIC parts for phased-array applications. The DC and RF characteristics before and after AAL were evaluated to assure that InP HEMTs are robust enough to undertake the AAL process. Furthermore, the bond-pull test was incorporated into AAL process to evaluate the bond-pull strength, which is critical for large volume assembly. The bond-pull strength experiment led to improvement of the bonding process from a 3.5-sigma to a 5.2-sigma. As a result, it reduces the attrition rate significantly of InP HEMT MMICs subjected to the AAL process. The results substantiate that InP HEMT MMICs are robust enough to be subjected to large volume of AAL assembly.