Henkel has developed a die attach and mold compound material set that is Pb-free compatible and designed for thin and ultra-thin surface-mount device applications.
 
Combined, the Hysol QMI529LS die attach material and Hysol GR828A mold compound deliver the thin, yet highly reliable, materials properties necessary for packages in  low-profile products such as cell phones, PDAs, portable music players and entertainment devices . 
 
When manufacturing TSOP, TSSOP and TQFP packages with Au-plated and Ag-plated lead frames, use of the die attach adhesive with the “Green” mold compound reportedly produces superior material set reliability and performance. QMI529LS’ formulation provides hydrophobic properties, while delivering stability at high temperatures. GR828A is a low stress molding compound that exhibits excellent gate leakage performance. Testing of this materials combination to JEDEC Level 1, 260°C has confirmed robust performance even in demanding Pb-free manufacturing conditions. 
 
Henkel,is one of the world’s leading and most progressive providers of qualified, compatible material sets for semiconductor packaging, board level assembly and advanced soldering solutions. Through its Hysol, Loctite and Multicore brands, and its global customer support infrastructure, the electronics group of Henkel delivers world-class materials products, process expertise and total solutions across electronics.henkel.com

Model 325 Electrostatic Voltmeter, an ultra-sensitive instrument which is ideal for noncontacting electrostatic voltage measurement and monitoring in applications within high-tech, semiconductor, materials processing, materials science and R&D sectors. 
 
Designed for applications that require highly accurate, low noise, noncontacting measurement of electrostatic voltages from millivolts to +/- 40 V over a range of probe-to-surface distances. 
 
Applications include electrostatic monitoring of devices sensitive to ESD, and testing of the reliability and characteristics of dielectric materials and films in electronic applications.
 
In semiconductors, is designed to measure the surface potential of bare or processed wafers to analyze doping and thin film characteristics. Also useful for measurements of polarization, residual charge and characterization of electrostatic chucks.
 
Can monitor electrostatic charge where the build-up of such charge can cause productivity or yield problems, as in high-end processing of paper, plastic, textile or other film products. 
 
In materials science and R&D, applications include contact potential (surface work function) determination, materials evaluation and electret studies.
 
Features include sensitivity of 1 mV, speed of response less than 3 ms and accuracy better than 0.05% of full scale. Low impedance probe sensor assures measurement accuracy which is essentially independent of probe-to-test-surface spacing while eliminating the external  environmental effects of high humidity and contamination on measurement accuracy. Contaminants include airborne dust, ions, chemicals and other particulates.
 
Offers a higher performance alternative to Model 320C Electrostatic Voltmeter with faster speed of response, lower noise and higher accuracy. Smaller probe also increases the unit’s utility in space-constrained environments. Designed to address demanding semiconductor parameters for permittivity, oxide thickness and integrity, contact potentials and higher-speed automated voltage profile scanning.
 
Special features allow tuning the performance of the unit to compensate for specific test conditions.  Can be operated as a bench top unit or in a standard rack (with optional hardware).
 
TREK, Inc., trekinc.com

K-Alpha materials characterization instrument uses x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to quantitatively determine the surface chemical composition of the top few nanometers of solid materials. Insulators, semiconductors and metals can be analyzed in a user-friendly, reliable and automated way. An integral ion source provides a high-resolution depth profiling capability, thus facilitating true 3D analysis. For high-throughput sample analysis.

Thermo Electron Corp., thermo.com/surfaceanalysis

The VPD-5 depaneler is said to permit stress-free board separation with components (inlcuding ceramic capacitors) as close as 0.5 mm from the score line. Reportedly handles boards as thin as 0.32", and can separate boards with tall components near the score line (up to 0.800" from the top of the PCB). Panel insertions limited to the score line, preventing operator errors. In two models; for boards up to 10" and 13", respectively.

Fancort Industries, fancourt.com