Issues that impact the conversion to a no-clean surface mount assembly process

The surface mount assembly industry, especially the contract manufacturing segment, is currently undergoing a transition from an assembly process that requires a cleaning step to one that does not. In addition, maximization of yields is critical to the contract assembly environment. This paper addresses both these issues. Factors that impact the conversion to a no-clean process are discussed along with those that impact first pass yields. A systematic process that can be implemented to maximize yields is provided.