ASMPT checks solder ball coplanarity on AI power modules using the C6-3070CS, a custom 3D laser triangulation sensor from AT Sensors built into its SIPLACE placement machines. The sensor runs at a 12.5kHz profile rate with 3,072 measurement points per profile, and AT Sensors says it delivers reproducible results on highly reflective surfaces.
ASMPT's earlier BGA sensor was not designed for the latest component generation. Petra Klein-Gunnewigk, Senior Product Manager Placement Solutions at ASMPT SMT Solutions, said customers want more comprehensive quality monitoring for BGAs and complex connectors while the machines keep their high cycle rates. ASMPT wanted a sensor that could drop into its existing platform, not a new inspection system.
The specification pulls in opposing directions. A larger measurement field costs detail sharpness, finer precision needs more complex optics, and higher speed raises the data processing load. Solder balls add a further problem, because their reflective surfaces can cause saturation effects and measurement artifacts on standard sensors. The joint development took around two years, with AT Sensors tailoring the optics, electronics, and geometry to the SIPLACE machines. ASMPT calls the result the "3D Coplan Module."
For quality engineers, the useful part is that the measurement happens in transit. Modules move through the machine at normal production cycle while the sensor captures 3D profiles of the BGA underside. Integrated software calculates ball height, diameter, geometry, and coplanarity for each individual solder ball in real time. Parts outside tolerance are rejected automatically, and the recorded values are available for statistical analysis and trend tracking.
The measurement field covers modules up to 180 × 180mm. Larger components are handled by stitching multiple profile scans into a single 3D dataset of the whole BGA surface. AT Sensors CTO André Kasper said the company's more than 25 years of application experience, including a past as an integrator, shaped the custom design. The company also says its modular sensor concept avoids long lead times, customization surcharges, and minimum order quantities.
The C6-3070CS sits within AT Sensors' C6 series, which the company markets as "the world's fastest" 3D laser profile sensors. The series reaches up to 4,096 points per profile and profile speeds of up to 140kHz, with GigE Vision/GenICam 3D output at up to 5Gbit/s.
