NASHVILLE — Kyzen, a world leading provider of environmentally responsible precision cleaning products for electronics and high-technology manufacturing operations, announces that Mike Bixenman, CTO, along with co-author Mike Konrad, President of Aqueous Technologies, will hold a presentation titled “Cleaning for Reliability Post QFN Rework” at the upcoming SMTA International conference, scheduled to take place October 6-7, 2009 at The Town and Country Resort and Convention Center in San Diego. The presentation will be held during session SMT4, titled” Challenges and Solutions Relating to the Rework of QFN (Quad Flat No-Lead) Packages, which is scheduled to take place Wednesday, October 7, 2009 from 8-9:30 a.m.

The need for cleanliness under individual components increases as the spacing between connector leads decreases and power increases. The low standoff height of QFNs traps flux between the ground pad and component leads. Entrapped flux under the QFN is a reliability concern. The purpose of this presentation is to make an argument for removing the residue under the QFN post-rework and present cleaning process options for meeting this cleaning challenge.

The QFN is similar to the Quad Flat Package (QFP), but the leads do not extend from the sides of the package. The perimeter leads are located on the bottom of the package, providing the electrical connection. Another unique characteristic is the existence of a center thermal pad, which provides an efficient heat transfer path when soldered to the PCB, helping to increase the thermal performance of the part. This package type was introduced specifically for applications where size, weight, thermal and electrical performance is important. The QFN, however, does offer some technical challenges, specifically in a lead-free environment, due to its unique structure and low standoff. This session will highlight some of these challenges, specifically relating to the rework process and post-rework cleaning of this unique package type.