Leading the Movement Toward Miniaturization Because we lead the miniaturization movement, we offer the widest line of pitches available. As these pitches continue to shrink, the mechanical challenges become extreme.

Tolerances Become Even More Critical
Because the option of aligning off the device leads is not an option on leadless devices, large perimeter and positional tolerances are often of greater concern with the QFN devices of today. With these devices we have seen the greatest effect of decreasing device sizes and unchanging manufacturing tolerances. When you take into consideration the outside package tolerance, pad size tolerance, and pad positional tolerances, guaranteeing contact is a tall order. To address this we work closely with you to best understand your specific application needs. For example, even though the device print reads +/- 0.2 mm, often times the customer receives product within a range of 0.05mm. For those customers who do not have this luxury, we have had to be a little more creative. Lot size nest inserts and reduced crown tips are a few of the options available for these concerns.

New XACT™ - The Solution for Device Variance For those extreme alignment challenges, we have introduced the first and only compliant wall production test socket. The XACT, named for its ability to create the exact perfect fit for each and every device, uses two or four compliant walls to align the device in the test pocket. This compliancy effectively eliminates up to 50% of device profile tolerance compared to the conventional alignment methodology. Because 100% of alignment in QFN testing is done from outside of the package, this solution is tailor made for high volume leadless devices. Lab tests have shown that these walls are extremely durable, lasting as long as the life of the socket. View the exact demo by clicking here.

Lead-Free Devices
The move to lead-free in leadless devices is moving as fast, if not faster than in any other device type. The most popular solution, 100% tin, introduces a unique contact challenge. This surface is much harder than traditional eutectic solders, therefore penetration is more difficult. As if that were not enough, once contact is made lead-free solder often creates more debris. To combat both of these, the Endura probe process is used on our probes. We have also established a recommended cleaning procedure and schedule (included with each socket shipment) to help eliminate long down times due to socket failure.