Nitrogen is commonly used to provide a suitable atmosphere for complex fine pitch assembly in electronic printed circuit board, hard disk and semiconductor manufacture where rework is costly or impossible or where there is a prerequisite for quality and reliability.
Nitrogen use directly contributes to fewer defects. It is also used in electronics packaging, creating the interface between an integrated circuit (IC) and a printed circuit board (PCB). This gives improved electrical interconnection and protects the IC. Technological advancements mean that these ICs are now advanced packages that can be costly. Nitrogen is vitally important to provide a controlled inert, clean dry and oxygen free environment.
Nitrogen protects these valuable components from oxides and moisture that impair wire bonding and die attachment, effecting yields and finished product quality. Large amounts of nitrogen are also used, as a blanketing medium during production of such components as transistors, diodes, etc.
Other nitrogen applications include Lead-free soldering, Reflow soldering, Closed-loop reflow soldering, Wave soldering, Selective soldering and Reworking.
Another use is in the storage of electrical components, performed in so-called Nitrogen-Dry-Packs. For this purpose, the components are packed in special bags together with desiccants and moisture indicators, they are then flushed with nitrogen and vacuumed afterwards, so that no oxygen molecules causing the oxidation are located in the bag after welding.
Many companies buy compressed gas tanks to supply these processes with dry, high-purity nitrogen. An on-site AirPro Nitrogen Generator, however, provides significant benefits.
