Lambda Technologies announced that their Variable Frequency Microwave (VFM) process has completed qualification and production acceptance at Polymer Flip Chip Corporation, of Billerica, Mass. Following a six-month joint evaluation project, Polymer Flip Chip has purchased a Lambda Technologies MicroCureâ 5100-2000 VFM system to cure both the polymer bumps and underfill encapsulants on their flip chip-based RFID and Smart Card products.

VFM is Lambda Technologies' patented technology for the rapid and selective curing of polymer adhesives. Dr. Richard Estes, President & CEO of Polymer Flip Chip, said, "The VFM process reduced our bump cure time from two hours in a conventional oven to only four minutes. The reduction in underfill cure time is even more dramatic. Since the low temperature flexible substrates used in RFID products cannot withstand the typically high cure temperatures of convection processes, underfill cure in convection ovens takes as long as eight to ten hours. But with VFM's selective heating, the process was reduced to only five to six minutes."

VFM makes economic sense as well, according to Estes, with cost savings in energy and space utilization, plus a significant reduction in the cost of pallets that would typically be tied up in convection ovens. Estes added that VFM will make it possible for his company to expand from their current palletized process to a continuous-flow, reel-to-reel manufacturing line, to meet the growing demand for Polymer Flip Chip's proprietary RFID and Smart Card products.

Lambda Technologies' Variable Frequency Microwave (VFM) curing technology has now been introduced to the automotive industry by Loctite Corporation, which is using VFM in its FastGasket® sealing and assembly systems. This move into the automotive assembly market broadens the scope of current applications for VFM, which has also found success as a breakthrough technology for high-speed curing of adhesives and encapsulants in electronics manufacturing.

Loctite's FastGasket® sealing systems dispense high-volume, cured-in-place silicone gaskets for a wide range of automotive assembly applications. VFM enables the gaskets to be cured up to 10 times faster than with traditional convection ovens. Also, by selectively heating the gasket being cured while allowing the surrounding assembly to remain much cooler, VFM allows parts to be handled and packaged immediately after curing, greatly increasing throughput. In addition, VFM ovens occupy 30-40% less floor space than convection ovens, generate negligible ambient heat and consume virtually no energy while idling, resulting in significant savings in air-conditioning and energy costs as well as factory floor space.

For Lambda Technologies, the applications horizon for VFM technology continues to expand. According to Lambda Technologies' president, Dick Garard, "The opportunities we see for VFM in the automotive market underscore the benefits that this technology brings to a wide variety of curing applications. Teaming with a market leader like Loctite facilitates entry into these additional channels while we continue to focus on the electronics industry."


May 5, 2000

Lambda Technologies Introduces Continuous Flow Processing for Variable Frequency Microwave Curing Applications

Lambda Technologies has added a new MicroCure CF5100 continuous-flow model to its line of Variable Frequency Microwave (VFM) curing systems. The CF5100 is capable of processing a continuous flow of parts, without the need for closing doors or separating parts into batches. This enables faster processing of smart cards, flexible circuits and other products that are manufactured in sheets or formats such as reel-to-reel or reel-to-singulation.

The CF5100 features a unique system of microwave chokes which completely contains microwaves within the curing area, allowing it to remain open to a conveyorized flow of parts. This permits faster processing while eliminating the uneven heating and costly preparation of large reels associated with batch curing in conventional ovens.

Lambda Technologies' patented Variable Frequency Microwave (VFM) technology allows significantly faster curing of standard, off-the-shelf, polymeric adhesives and coatings used to encapuslate electronic components or attach them to circuit boards, while eliminating the hot spots and arcing associated with conventional microwave technology.

Compared with conventional forced-convection heating, VFM speeds up cure rates by a factor of ten or more, greatly reducing work in process, inventory and labor costs. VFM systems occupy 30-40% less floor space than forced-convection systems, and consume virtually no energy while idling, resulting in additional savings.

Also unlike convection heating, VFM allows selective focusing of microwave energy on a given material, such as the underfill adhesive between a flip-chip and substrate. This leaves the flip-chip and substrate much cooler than the adhesive, minimizing stress due to thermal mismatch and resulting in improved interconnect reliability and increased yields.

Advanced packaging and assembly applications include post-mold cure, cavity dam & fill, glob-top, BGA and flip chip underfill, for die-attach, wafer processing, chip-on-board/direct chip-attach and chip-scale packaging.

May 24, 2000

Lambda Technologies has announced that Thermoset, Lord Chemical Products, has qualified two of its electronics assembly materials for curing by Lambda Technologies' Variable Frequency Microwave (VFM) technology. The qualified materials, CircuitSAF MD-140 and ME-526, are recent additions to Thermoset's line of advanced circuit assembly materials.

Lambda Technologies' VFM process significantly reduces curing times for Thermoset's CuircuitSAF ME-526, a fast-flow encapsulant for flip chip underfill. When cured according to the Thermoset-specified VFM profile, a 10 cm sq. die with ME-526 underfill cures completely in three minutes, which is ten times faster than comparable convection oven technology at 150 degrees C.

CircuitSAF MD-140 is a silver-filled, thermally conductive adhesive used for die attach applications. The low-stress, snap-cure adhesive cures quickly and thoroughly with VFM technology. A VFM oven cures the adhesive in sixty seconds, three to five times faster than traditional oven technology at 150 degrees C.

"We are very pleased that Thermoset has taken the initiative to qualify new materials for our VFM technology, and to publish their results on their product datasheets," said Dick Garard, president, Lambda Technologies. "It is further confirmation that VFM provides the fastest curing available for a wide range of materials."

Lambda Technologies' patented VFM technology allows significantly faster curing of standard, off-the-shelf, polymeric adhesives used to encapsulate electronic components or attach them to circuit boards, without the hot spots and arcing of conventional microwave technology.

Arcing is the result of excessive charge build-up in metallic materials in the presence of standing wave patterns. With VFM, the electric fields are electronically stirred by sweeping through 4,096 different frequencies every tenth of a second. This prevents the microwave energy from being focused on any given location long enough to create the charge build-up that leads to arcing.


July 26, 2000

Zak Fathi Named VP of Business Development at Lambda Technologies

Morrisville, NC - Lambda Technologies announced the recent appointment of Dr. Zak Fathi as vice president of business development for Lambda Technologies. Dr. Fathi has been with Lambda Technologies since its founding in 1994. In his previous capacity as vice president of research & development, Dr. Fathi was responsible for applications development for Lambda's Variable Frequency Microwave (VFM) technology and the MicroCureâ Series of VFM products, which are used in the rapid curing of adhesives and polymer encapsulants for semiconductor and electronic packaging.

In his new role as vice president of business development, Dr. Fathi will be responsible for future product definition and strategic alliances for VFM applications. According to Dick Garard, president and CEO of Lambda Technologies, "Now that our MicroCureâ products are well developed and adopted by the electronics industry, we will focus Dr. Fathi's talents on determining the market needs and requirements for the next generation of VFM products and applications."

Dr. Fathi received his Ph.D. in Material Science from the University of Florida, where he assisted in establishing the Center of Excellence for Microwave Processing of Advanced Materials. He received his undergraduate degrees in Physics and Chemistry from the University of Mohammad V, Rabat, Morocco.


February 15, 2001

Dr. Bill Geisler Joins Lambda Technologies as Applications Project Manager

Lambda Technologies, the leading supplier of microwave curing technology for electronics and industrial assembly, has hired Bill Geisler, Ph.D., as applications project manager. Bill will focus his efforts on process and applications development for the company's growing customer base in the photonics industry, including fiber optics, optical component assembly and related areas.

Prior to joining Lambda Technologies, Bill was a research scientist with Lord Corporation, where he developed adhesives and other electronics assembly materials. Bill received his B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of California at Davis and his Ph.D. in polymer science from the University of Akron. Before joining Lord Corporation, he was a Goodyear Post-Doctoral Fellow at the University of Akron and a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Houston.

"The wealth of materials expertise that Bill brings to our team is an essential asset to our customers, particularly as Variable Frequency Microwave (VFM) technology is applied in fiber optics assembly and related photonics markets," said Gary D. Smith, Vice President of Sales and Applications. "Bill's experience in developing new adhesives for the electronics packaging industry in his former position makes him ideal to work closely with our customers and ensure the success of their VFM applications."

Lambda Technologies' patented VFM technology allows significantly faster curing of standard, off-the-shelf, polymeric adhesives and coatings used to encapuslate electronic components or attach them to circuit boards, while eliminating the hot spots and arcing associated with conventional microwave technology.

Compared with conventional forced-convection heating, VFM speeds up cure rates by a factor of ten or more, greatly reducing work in process, inventory and labor costs. VFM systems occupy 30-40% less floor space than forced-convection systems, and consume virtually no energy while idling, resulting in additional savings.

Also unlike convection heating, VFM allows selective focusing of microwave energy on a given material, such as the underfill adhesive between a flip-chip and substrate. This leaves the flip-chip and substrate much cooler than the adhesive, minimizing stress due to thermal mismatch and resulting in improved interconnect reliability and increased yields.

Advanced packaging and assembly applications include post-mold cure, cavity dam & fill, glob-top, BGA and flip chip underfill, for die-attach, wafer processing, chip-on-board/direct chip-attach, optical component and fiber optic assemblies.



February 15, 2001

Lambda Technologies To Host Technical Briefing on an Advanced Curing Technology for the Fiber Optics Industry

Lambda Technologies will host a technical briefing to review the application of Variable Frequency Microwave (VFM) technology in fiber optic assembly during the Optical Fiber Communication (OFC®) trade show in Anaheim, CA, next month.

We invite you to attend this briefing, titled "Solutions for Adhesive Curing for Fiber Optic Components and Assemblies" on Tuesday, March 20th at 7:30 a. m. at the WestCoast Anaheim Hotel (located two blocks from the convention center).

Dr. Zak Fathi, V.P. Business Development and Dr. Bill Geisler, Project Manager - Photonics, will review curing results and the latest process updates on alternative options to UV and convection curing.

VFM can reduce the curing time for standard adhesives by as much as 10 to 20 times, while minimizing stress due to the nature of selective heating, obtained with microwave energy. How this advanced process applies to applications such as component attach, fiber block assembly, fiber array, pigtail and ferrule assemblies and others processes in the fiber optics industry will be reviewed.

Please join Dr. Fathi and Dr. Geisler at the technical briefing on your way to the conference. A continental breakfast will be served starting at 7:30 a. m., followed by the technical presentation and a question & answer period.

Please advise how many people from your company will attend and send their names with your request. There will be limited seating for this briefing, and invitations will be sent with more details once we receive your request.

We look forward to seeing you at the briefing during OFC®. If you are unable to attend, please visit us at booth 3644, Hall E, lower level. More information about Lambda Technologies, Inc. and VFM can be found at our web site, www.microcure.com.

August 15, 2001

Lambda Technologies Announces New Additions To Sales Organization
Circuit Technology, Innovative Product Tools and WPS Associates Cover New Sales Regions

Lambda Technologies, the leading supplier of microwave curing technology for the electronics packaging industry, announced today the addition of Circuit Technology, Innovative Production Tools and WPS Associates to its sales organization. The partnerships extend Lambda Technologies sales territories into North and South Carolina with the addition of Circuit Technology, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi with Innovative Production Tools and the northern California region, primarily the Bay area covered by WPS Associates.

" With our ongoing achievements in microwave curing and our recent success in fiber optic applications Lambda Technologies has been fortunate enough to become associated with some of the finest Manufacturers Representatives in the industry." The addition of Circuit Technology, Innovative Production Tools and WPS Associates are no exception" said Bob Schauer, Sales Manager, Worldwide Accounts.

"We are excited about the new relationship we have secured with Lambda Technologies. Lambda Technologies has clearly separated themselves from the competition utilizing an entirely different technology. We feel this technology provides the best process and overall value to our customers." Said Greg Kitchen of Innovative Production Tools.

"Circuit Technology is proud to add Lambda Technologies to our product offering. We strive to be the supplier of choice to the electronic assembly market by providing the highest quality products along with the service and support that maximizes our customers ROI. Lambda's unique VFM curing ovens fit perfectly with that by providing a revolutionary improvement in first pass yield and time to market" said Bob Doetzer of Circuit Technology.

" I took on the Lambda line because I believe it is the best new technology for curing to come along in the last 20 years. Once the users realize what it can do for them and how yields will improve they will find that they cannot do with out the VFM technology" said Paul Shirra of WPS Associates.

October 22 , 2001

Lambda Technologies Making Waves in Fiber Optic-Optoelectronic Market
Capital equipment company commercializing on a proprietary new curing technique for applications in Fiber Optic and Optoelectronic Markets.

October 22, Morrisville, NC- Lambda Technologies' patented Variable Frequency Microwave (VFM) technology allows significantly faster curing of standard, off-the-shelf, polymeric adhesives and coatings used to encapsulate electronic components or die attach them to circuit boards, while eliminating the hot spots and arcing associated with conventional microwave technology. Curing processes are typically accomplished using a convection oven or UV light source, but can also be done using Variable Frequency Microwave. Commonly, VFM has been used in the advanced packaging and assembly applications which include cavity dam & fill, glob top, BGA and flip chip underfill for die attach, wafer processing, chip-on-board/direct chip attach and now optical component and fiber optic assemblies.

VFM is being used in ferrule attach, fiber array attach, VCSEL assembly, transceiver devices and DWDM-to-fiber block assembly processing. It has been realized that VFM's ability to selectively heat adhesive areas while minimizing coefficient of thermal expansion mismatch between the die, substrate and adhesive can enable cure of adhesives quickly and uniformly. In addition selective heating prevents damage to the fiber, jacketing and associated shielding by heating the adhesive exclusively. On the other hand, convective heating cures adhesives from the surface inward heating all components to the same temperature which ultimately contributes to component misalignment and stress generation. With VFM's volumetric heating it is possible to cure the adhesive up to 10X faster than convection ovens, which reduces the viscous flow time of the adhesive thereby reducing part movement. One manufacturer of fiber optic devices improved their yields to over 90% with the introduction of VFM for their post-curing, while shortening their post cure time to just two minutes.

"It is an exciting time for Lambda Technologies and for our customers, as we are often able to provide immediate and significant results in productivity. The VFM process is providing manufacturers of optoelectronic components an enabling approach to optimize their product performance features while at the same time increasing yields, obtaining higher throughput, and offering the capability to automate their production cure process",said Richard Garard CEO of Lambda Technologies.