SIPLACE SMT-InSIghTS

01005 Process Technology

 Editorial

The trend towards squeezing more functions
into ever smaller components continues
unabated in the field of surface-mount tech-
nology. The manufacturers and the users of
these components must cooperate ever more
closely in order to find solutions that are both
practical and cost-effective.
Since we know that this brochure can only
provide a cursory look at the 01005 technol-
ogy, we refer you to the SIPLACE 01005
Technology Handbook, in which all the
processes involved in the use and handling
of 01005 components are described in more
detail.

As the market leader in the placement And if you have more questions regarding
equipment industry, SIPLACE is working 01005, simply contact the SIPLACE
with all the players in the SMT value chain technology experts.
to develop new technologies and introduce
new processes. In this issue of our SMT Your SIPLACE Team
Insights we introduce you to the world of
01005 components and the associated
placement processes.

We are especially grateful to all our co-

authors from Schweizer Electronic AG, SMW
Elektronik GmbH, DEK Printing Machines and
W.C. Heraeus GmbH & Co KG.

2
Micro-SMD technology must be
“designed for manufacturability”
Size reduction of passive components
Market Share
60 %
50 %
40 %
30 %
20 %
0805 and larger
10 %
0%
1996 2000 2005
1.2 Tm 2.2 Tm
Units Units
Fig. 1: The use of various passive component sizes
changes over time
The world of technology continues to
advance, and there’s no stopping it.
As electronics are used in an ever wider
range of applications, more and more func-
tions have to be combined in increasingly
smaller modules. To manage this challenge,
it is no longer sufficient to make the com-
ponents themselves smaller and smaller.
The dependencies and interactions between
materials and production processes must be
analyzed and taken into account already in
the product planning phase.
The outlook is clear: Although the trend
towards ever smaller passive components
will continue, larger packages continue to
have their uses as a result of electrical limi-
tations (performance).
Continuing size reduction
– 0603: 1.6 x 0.8 x 0.8 mm
– 0402: 1.0 x 0.5 x 0.5 mm
0402 – 0201: 0.6 x 0.3 x 0.23 mm
– 01005: 0.4 x 0.2 x 0.13 mm
0402 remains most popular
0201 penetration broadening
– In modules since late 1990s
0603 – Now standard in portable electronics
01005 used in front end modules
0201 – Rarely seen on main PCB
– Recent adoption for smart phones
01005 and tablets
Passives successfully integrated
2010 2015 in RF module applications
4.5 Tm 8 Tm
Units Units
Because of their small dimensions and the
resulting limitations with regard to their
manufacture and their electrical values,
01005 components are predominantly found
everywhere, where you need a maximum
of functionalities on a minimum amount of
space (smartphones, hearing aids, sub-
modules …)
Fig. 2: Example of
an application using
01005 components
Source:
Fraunhofer IZM 3
 01005 dimensions
and packaging

Capacitor Resistor Dimensions (in mm)

0805 L W T e g min.
1206 0.4 ± 0.2 ± 0.2 ± 0.07 –
0.13
0.02 0.02 0.02 0.14
e g e

0402 0603
0204
01005 T
1 mm
L W
Resistor T 0.12 ± 0.02

Fig. 3: 01005 components Fig. 4: Typical exteriors and dimensions

relative to cooking salt crystals of 01005 capacitors and resistors

If you don’t have a 01005 component in
front of you, it is hard to imagine how small
one is. Fig. 3 shows 01005 components
relative to cooking salt crystals.
Fig. 4 shows the typical dimensions of
01005 components. As with all passive
components, the differences between
resistors and capacitors are readily appar-
ent: The resistors are thinner than the
capacitors (by approx. 80 μm in the case
of 01005s, and the resistors are metalized
on only three sides (top, bottom and front),
while the capacitors are metalized on five
sides. Since this requires different types of
solder pads, it is important to prevent the
“billboarding” (i.e. the upright placement) of
resistors. With capacitors this tends to be
less of a problem because of their square
shape and all-around metalization.
Since the ratio of component size and pack-
aging material (8-mm tape) is becoming
increasingly unfavorable, some manufac-
turers have introduced 4-mm tapes. They
are not only narrower, but the pitch of the
component pockets has been decreased
from 2 mm to 1 mm. The change in the tape
sprockets also necessitated a new feeder
mechanism. This saves on packaging
material and drastically reduces the storage
space required for component reels.
Costs:
01005 components are still significantly
more expensive than 0402 or 0201
components.

4
PCB topography and
process characteristics
Pad copper height
≈ 45 µm
Solder resist height
≈ 40 µm
Fig. 5: Topography of the PCB surface with NSMD
(non-solder mask defined)
Having suitable PCBs is also very important
for assembling these super-small compo-
nents. When designing the PCB, you must
keep the following factors in mind:
■ Substrate bending and warping, as well
as stretching and shrinkage
■ Track structures and pad dimensions
■ Cluster sizes and separations
■ Solder resist type and design (non-solder
mask defined (NSMD)/solder mask
defined (SMD))
■ PCB topography at 01005 locations
■ Surface specification for solder paste
printing and soldering technology
Highest point
Copper deposit
Base copper
layer
18 µm
Glass and
epoxy resin
Inner layer
18 µm
For an NMSD circuit board, the topography
looks as follows: On the basic copper foil,
an additional copper layer is deposited dur-
ing the generation of the trough-connections
that determines the final height of the pads.
After the PCB has been coated with solder
resist and the solder mask-openings have
been developed, the tracks covered with
solder resist are the highest structures on
the surface of the PCB (arrow).
Costs:
The miniaturized structures, the need to
comply with tightest tolerances and the
complexity of the production processes
increase the production costs.
5
 Solder paste
properties and printing

Type no larger than Less than 1 % At least 80 % 10 % or less are

is larger than are between smaller than

1 160 µm 150 µm 150 to 75 µm 20 µm

2 80 µm 75 µm 75 to 45 µm 20 µm
3 50 µm 45 µm 45 to 25 µm 20 µm
Pad carry
4 40 µm 38 µm 38 to 20 µm 20 µm
5 30 µm** (28 µm) 25 µm 90 % min* 10 µm
smallest opening
≥5 25 to 10 µm
largest solder ball

smallest opening
6 20 µm** (18 µm) 15 µm 90 % min* 5 µm
 5
≥ largest solder ball 15 to 5 µm
180 [µm] 7 15 µm 11 µm 90 % min* 1 % > 2 µm
 5
= 36 [µm] ≥ largest solder ball
11 to 2 µm max.
 Type4 [20 … 38 µm] requirement barely satisfied 8 11 µm 10 µm 8 to 2 µm

Fig. 6: “5-ball rule”. Solder powder classification as per J-STD-005 (IPC-TM-650)

Below: Application and DIN 32513
with 01005
Percentages based on mass or weight (*), (**) DIN 32513 solder powder classes
7 and 8: Standard not yet defined

Since only minute amounts of solder
paste are applied for 01005 components
(in quantities of 0.002 to 0.003 mm³), the
solder paste must have special properties
in order to be suitable for these assembly
procedures. Depending on the solder ball
diameter, an 01005 pad carries as little as
200 to 700 balls with diameters of 38–20 or
25 –10 μm.
The screen printing principle specifies for
solder paste that at least 5 solder balls must
be able to fit next to each other through the
smallest stencil opening (Fig. 6). That’s why
Type 4 solder paste is a minimum prereq-
uisite for reliable 01005 processing. Better
results can be achieved with Type 5 paste.
Because of the larger surface of the Type 5
balls, however, the flux needs to be adjusted
in order to achieve consistent results. It
is important to consider the larger oxide
content caused by the larger surface of the
solder particles in order to prevent bad sol-
dering results and instabilities of the paste
during storage. New stencil technologies
such as nano or plasma surface coatings
help to improve the solder paste separation.
Stepped stencils may also be advisable if a
mix of super-small and larger components is
to be processed.
Costs:
The following rule applies: The finer the
paste grain, the higher the price.

6
Production process:
Extreme demands on the process technology
Fig. 7: Hair on a circuit board
Production environment
When you process 01005 modules, the
dimensions of the components and solder
pads are approximately 10 times smaller
than standard SMD modules. Accordingly,
the environmental demands are significantly
higher.
The production areas must therefore
meet certain minimum requirements:
The room must be “clean” since any
deposits of dust or other particles on the
PCBs will result in faults during the solder
paste application or clog the extremely
narrow pickup nozzle openings.
Fig. 8: Contaminated nozzle interior
The reliable processing of solder pastes
with the fine grain needed for 01005 com-
ponents also requires a constant room
temperature, which is preferably ensured
by air-conditioning the entire production
environment. In any case, the temperature
should be between 20 and 25 degrees
Celsius (68 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit)
and the relative humidity between 40 and
70 percent.
7
 Production process:
Solder paste printing

too little paste formation of

satellite balls

too much paste formation of

formation of bridges bridges

printing
direction squeegee
pressure
varies
during
cycle

uneven support

Fig. 9: Solder printing on Fig. 10: Misprints resulting from

SMD pads for 01005 and 0201 uneven PCB support

Having the right stencil is the key to a Even the slightest buckle or kink makes the
precise and stable printing process. stencil unusable.

The size of the solder deposits is determined
by the size of the stencil openings, while
their evenness is determined by their shape.
Creating a suitable stencil starts with select-
ing the right opening design, material thick-
ness and production process. You must also
observe certain design rules such as the
space ratio (printed area in relation to the
opening’s wall area) and aspect ratio (open-
ing width relative to the stencil thickness).
Equally high are the requirements for sup-
porting the PCB in the printer, because they
are getting thinner all the time as well. These
thin boards must be held in a stable position
with even supports since they would other-
wise bend too easily under the pressure of
the squeegee, leading to misprints through
blurred and offset solder applications (see
Fig. 10).

Whether the stencils are glued to a framed

screen or mounted in a tension frame makes
no difference for the printing process. What’s
much more important is how you set up,
clean and store the stencils, because 01005
components require extremely thin stencils.

8
Production process: SMD placement
with maximum precision
Solder Nozzle 01005
deposit component
Fig. 11: Solder deposits squeezed together as a
result of excessive placement force
The smaller the components are and the more
detailed the tracks on the substrates, the
more accurate the placement process must
be, and the more precisely the vision system
must recognize the components and align
them with each other. One basic prerequisite:
the SIPLACE machines or other placement
systems must operate reliably and within the
specified tolerances.
To handle 01005 components, a placement
system must meet the following requirements:
■ Positioning and repeat accuracy of the
feeders
■ Circular concentricity tolerance of the
nozzles
■ Make sure that the nozzle picks up and
places reliably
■ Vision-based recognition system to center
the components
To pick up a component with a vacuum noz-
zle, the feeder must operate so accurately that
the nozzle ideally does not extend beyond the
component. With small components, this is
becoming increasingly difficult since the tape
holding the component has tolerances of its
own. That’s why “touchless pickup” is the bet-
ter solution. The vacuum does not get activated
when the nozzle contacts the component’s sur-
face, but before, when it is positioned at a prede-
fined distance to the component. That way, the
nozzle picks up the component no matter where
it is actually positioned within the tape pocket.
This approach also has the advantage that com-
ponents will not be pressed into the tape pocket,
where they can get jammed and damaged. If
possible, nozzles for 01005 components should
not exceed their dimensions to prevent the
problem of “shadowing” even when the compo-
nents are of equal height or a mix of resistors
and capacitors must be placed. The vision data
parameters for 01005 components must be
defined in such a way that the system can rec-
ognize them in a reliable manner. This means
that the lighting system must be sufficiently flex-
ible. In addition, the vision system must have
sufficient resolution and operate with algorithms
that make it possible to recognize upright and
facedown components. All these properties are
prerequisites for accurate component centering
and a high level of placement quality.
Furthermore, the placement force must be
adjustable to levels that are lower than for
standard components. Values below 2 N and
approaching 1 N are ideal. There are two
reasons for this:
■ Mechanical damage (breaking the compo-
nent, chipping the surface or edges) must be
prevented.
■ The mechanically sensitive solder deposits
must not be excessively compressed or
squeezed from the pad under the component
or to neighboring pads.
9
 Production process:
Reflow soldering
1 mm
1 mm
Self-centering
In SMT technology, you often hear the term
“self-centering” in connection with the reflow
soldering process. This is the effect when the
surface tension of the melting solder auto-
matically centers the component on the pad.
Unfortunately, this effect is less pronounced
with lead-free alloys as a result of their higher
surface tension. Another factor that plays a
role is the component’s mass relative to its
metalized surfaces or leads. Due to the low
weight of 01005 components (0.04 mg), the
surface tension is sufficiently high to move the
component even with lead-free alloys.
You should not make this self-centering effect
part of the process design, however, because
it is not a process element and cannot be con-
trolled. It is therefore important to carry out the
printing and placement processes with a level
of precision that is appropriate for the compo-
nents’ minute size.
10
1 mm
Top left: 01005 capacitors placed on
solder paste deposits
Bottom left: 01005 resistors placed on
solder paste deposits
Top right: 01005 capacitors after reflow soldering
Tombstoning
Tombstoning is the opposite effect of self-
centering when the surface tension affects
the component asymmetrically and causes it
to stand upright. Due to the low weight of the
01005 components, it does not take a lot of
force to make them “tombstone”. The goal is
therefore to avoid the same factors that trigger
tombstoning with larger components. Like for
all other components, the reflow profile for
01005 components must comply with all com-
mon criteria such as a not-too-rapid heat-up
rate and compliance with permissible tempe-
rature/time limits for components, substrates
and solder pastes.
When boards contain 01005 components,
reflow soldering in a nitrogen atmosphere is a
recommended options. Because of their small
size, any reworking or repair of 01005 compo-
nents is much more difficult and expensive.
Summary
Since 01005 components require much more
complex and therefore more expensive pro-
cess technologies, using them makes sense
only if the product requires and/or justifies
this.
But as components become smaller and
smaller, you must also take a more com-
prehensive look at the entire process infra-
structure and not just the individual process
steps. In addition, the dependencies and
interactions between the materials and the
individual production processes must be
taken into account as early as possible,
i.e. in the product planning phase. If you
consistently implement these requirements,
the result will be a product that delivers a
high level of quality as well as a high yield
through “design for manufacturability”.
11
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The information in this brochure consists only of general

descriptions and/or performance features which may not
Edition 1/03-2013 always apply to concrete products as described or which
All changes reserved may change as a result of technical developments or
Order-No: A10011-ASM-A48-X-7600 advances. Any specific performance features and/or
capabilities will only be binding if contractually agreed
Printed in Germany
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