Automatic gang bonding, the alternative process

Already since years, the semiconductor industry is able to produce highly integrated circuits with very small lead pitches and high lead counts. The main reason for the small amount of applications of such advantageous components in the electronics industry of the western world was the limited availability of suitable SMT - production equipment. But situation has been changed now. Automatic gang bonding (hot bar soldering) has obviously settled as the most reliable and cost efficient alternative process in Surface Mount Technology (SMT). At present it can be clearly stated, that the hot bar soldering lies one step ahead in the race with its competitors - light beam - hot gas - and laser soldering. With hot-bar soldering the attainable level of manufactured, quality in the fine-pitch area can be a maximum. As a result the need for critical rework at this sometimes highly sensitive and expensive fine-pitch components will be drastically reduced.