About Us

In today’s high-tech industries, knowledge makes the difference. The Universal Instruments Advanced Process Laboratory (APL) is positioned to deliver the expertise needed to maximize your competitive advantage.

Founded in 1987, the APL has earned global respect as a valuable knowledge resource, helping manufacturers worldwide to enhance yield, achieve continuous process improvement, and optimize product reliability and lifecycle. The APL addresses design, layout, process and reliability concerns to ensure a comprehensive solution for your manufacturing challenges.

Services

• Root Cause Failure Analysis

• Process Audits and Support

• Prototyping and Product Development Support

• State-of-the-art Production, Analytical, and Processing Equipment

• Material Evaluation

• Consortium Research (AREA Consortium)

The Consortium generates research based knowledge for product design, materials selection, process development and testing to ensure optimum quality, reliability, cost and yields. Consortium members have access to these research results in the form of directly applicable data, a comprehensive understanding of materials systems, concrete recommendations, test protocols, manuals and process guides.

Process Guidelines/Manuals

• Lead-free solder assembly

• Thermal cycling protocols and fatigue acceleration (Pb-free)

• Mixed solder assembly

• PoP assembly and reliability

• PCB materials selection and testing

• Repair

• MLF/QFN assembly

• Component underfilling

• Flip chip assembly and underfilling

• No-flow assembly of flip chip

• Pad finish test protocols: plating process control and product screening

• Mechanical test protocols and procedures

• Thermal interface assembly