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Gift from Universal Supports Binghamton University
November 1, 2004 |Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
Binghamton, N.Y.—Universal Instruments has presented Binghamton University's Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science with one of their high-accuracy surface mount placement platforms to support small systems packaging educational and research programs in the Department of Systems Science and Industrial Engineering (SSIE) and Integrated Electronics Engineering Center (IEEC).
The donated AdVantis AFC-42 platform will be used by students and faculty in the Watson School labs to study the placement of chips, fine-pitch semiconductors and end-of-line assembly tasks.
"This gift from Universal will be used to build upon the strengths of the University's research and instructional programs and offer a unique opportunity for our students to gain hands-on exposure to cutting-edge technologies," says president Lois B. DeFleur. "It firmly reinforces the link between the University and Universal, who have been long-time collaborators in furthering the research and technologies associated with small systems packaging."
According to Ian deSouza, president at Universal Instruments, "The AdVantis AFC-42 being donated by Universal leverages technologies developed specifically for advanced semiconductor assembly. It will enable students at Binghamton University to learn on state-of-the-art equipment and address today's industry challenges, and those to come. Universal has established long-term relationships with leading research agencies worldwide, and we are eager to further this endeavor with Binghamton University here in our backyard."The addition of the AdVantis platform to the circuit board assembly equipment currently in the Watson School's manufacturing laboratory is the final piece in the puzzle for a complete surface mount assembly research and instruction capability at Binghamton University. "This machine will fill a critical hole in our infrastructure," says Charles R. Westgate, dean of the Watson School. "It will allow students and researchers the ability to place advanced components on a circuit board, a key piece in the learning process and a capability we have not had before."The circuit board assembly process involves solder paste deposition, adhesive deposition, pick-and-place, underfill, and solder paste reflow, and with the addition of the AdVantis, students and researchers will have a complete hands-on experience. The equipment will also benefit certain courses in SSIE and other departments, which concentrate on electronics packaging at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Undergraduate students will be able to perform and run placement-type experiments while graduate students will be able to devise and conduct reliability tests on assembly accuracy and yield.
In addition, the AdVantis will also create great strides towards advancing the University's research school-wide. "The equipment knowledge that undergraduates and graduate students can obtain will help secure external industry-sponsored research projects," says Westgate. "It will help position these researchers effectively to walk into a facility, and experience little or no learning curve, as they will have knowledge of the complete circuit board assembly process."
Westgate also notes that in addition to being a support vehicle for gaining external industry-sponsored research projects, the AdVantis will open up a large number of research doors for both in-house sponsored research through the IEEC and its member companies, and for government-sponsored research such as NSF grants.