Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 22:29:56 GMT Server: Stronghold/1.3.2 Ben-SSL/1.3 Apache/1.1.1 Content-type: text/html Content-length: 14240 Last-modified: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 20:15:19 GMT News and Information

 

11/20/97
By Michael Zasowski~Manufacturing Engineering Supervisor Williams has recently introduced its new MicrolidTM, a low cost alternative to the traditional Frame Lid Assembly. Driven by the booming demand for personal, mobile communication devices, the MicrolidTM was designed for use to hermetically seal packages which contain Surface Acoustical Wave, or SAW devices. Since its advent, Williams has found this technology beneficial in many other applications as well.The traditional Frame Lid Assembly, or FLA, is manufactured by resistance welding a solder frame preform to a plated lid. The lid is stamped from an FeNi or FeNiCo alloy and is electroplated first with a layer of Ni, then with a layer of Au. The fact that the frame and lid are manufactured separately and assembled in a final operation leads to a labor intensive process.The process used to manufacture the MicrolidTM takes advantage of Williams cladding technology. Cladding is the process of bonding two or more metals together by the application of pressure and heat. Base metal that has been preplated with Ni and Au is bonded to a layer of solder. The composite is then rolled down to the desired finish thickness and the part, with the required dimensions, is stamped from the material. This process affords tremendous gains in efficiency and allows Williams to offer a product at a greatly reduced price. Depending on the part size, a MicrolidTM may be as much as 40% less than the traditional FLA. Because the preform is not in the shape of a frame, but a solid preform, there is a break even point where this type of lid would no longer be cost effective. Typically, where part sizes below .350 square are required, a MicrolidTM will offer significant cost savings. The MicroLidTM also provides a more cost effective and thinner design versus ceramic lid options. A MicrolidTMcan be engineered to fit a specific application and meet cost or performance goals. Au and Ni plating thickness can be customized, as well as the type of base metal and the finish thickness of the package. 80/20 AuSn solder may be replaced with 78/22 AuSn to further reduce costs. The thickness of the solder can be specified down to .0005, with overall package thickness as low as .005. Hermeticity and solderability performance is equal to the traditional FLA. Because the edges are not fully plated, corrosion resistance is slightly less. To alleviate this problem, Williams offers a Au overflash to protect the edges from excessive corrosion. Williams has been an industry leading supplier of quality Frame Lid Assemblies for over 10 years. Development of the MicrolidTM represents our continued support to this market.
11/20/97
By Joe Alfano - Product Manager. Williams has been a supplier of precious metals for over 90 years in the hybrid microelectronics, dental, and optical media markets. We have supplied limited materials to the vacuum tube industry over the years. In 96 Williams targeted this market for all braze materials. Since then we have more than doubled our business in the vacuum tube industry. We plan to double again in 1998. WAM is a fully integrated manufacturer of metals, with state of the art casting, rolling, stamping, machining, and refining operations. Our production facilities in Buffalo, NY and Singapore, compliment our more than a dozen sales and service locations throughout the world. Our vast knowledge of metals, coupled with unique casting abilities, allows us to meet and exceed customer expectations. We are able to supply a wide range of Au and Ag based alloys in ribbon, preform, wire, and powder forms. We also recently introduced a series of Active Metal brazes for both the vacuum tube and power packaging markets. In addition, we are addressing the non precious metal side of the business, in response to our customers needs.In 1998 we will expand our sales and marketing efforts to include Aerospace, Semiconductor, and Medical. The goal throughout the organization is to become a full service supplier of braze material to all these markets, offering industry leading lead-times, superior quality (WAM is ISO certified), and competitive pricing. We have a dedicated group of people to address the braze markets, that are fully trained to answer your questions or find a solution to your problems. WAM has full time metallurgists on staff, and braze materials specialists in the field. Williams Advanced Materials invites you to call us with your brazing needs.
11/20/97
By Rod Martinez - Product Manager. Williams continue to expand its Physical Vapor Deposition(PVD) product and service offering. Beyond our core precious metal products, Williams is adding base metals and alloys used in applications such as microelectronics, tool coating, data storage, solar shields and glass coating. We found that many of our precious metals customers were also using a variety of other metals in their sputtering and evaporation processes. With their urging, we have strived to provide them a single source for the majority of their requirements. This provides our customers a total cost advantage as well as more focused control over their supply.With all PVD products, Williams strives to continually achieve incremental improvements in lead times and costs. We are currently providing industry leading lead times of 3 days or less. Many target materials and designs can be held in an intermediate state which enables Williams to offer next day delivery.Williams utilizes automated machine equipment for all targets and special shapes. Today, our design capabilities in conjunction with our technical knowledge has taken our product to new levels of performance and yields. Our recent advances include: Target design enhancement to improve yields, high and low temperature bonding materials for void free targets, and our SFG process producing ultra fine grain targets which optimizes film uniformity.In addition to our new products, recycling/refining capacity is also being increased to accomodate our growing business. This increase was necessary to maintain cycle times.Williams plans to continue expanding its PVD product and service offering and looks forward to the opportunity to serve our existing and new customers with our full range of products.
9/9/97
NewsBRUSH WELLMAN FORMS MICROELECTRONICS BUSINESS GROUP CLEVELAND, Ohio € September 8, 1997 € Brush Wellman Inc. (NYSE-BW) today announced the formation of the Microelectronics Business Group comprising units of Brush Wellman's Ceramic Division, Circuits Processing Technology, Williams Advanced Materials and the Beryllium Products Business Unit . The group develops and manufactures high performance material and sub-assembly solutions primarily directed at the microelectronics industry. There will be two major areas of focus: 1. Materials including ceramic and metal substrates, metal matrix composites, and traditional packaging materials. 2. Components, devices and sub-assemblies for wireless telecommuni-cations. Brush Wellman's strategic intent is to develop fully integrated product and service solutions to include specialty packaging materials and sub-assemblies. This combination of resources provides the industry increased value through unique product solutions, leading edge technology and a total cost advantage. Along with internal development efforts, Brush Wellman plans to augment its current microelectronics base through strategic acquisitions and partnerships targeted at specific markets/products and geographic regions. Commenting on the action, Carl Cramer, Vice President Finance, CFO and Head of the Microelectronics Business Group said, "The formation of the Microelectronics Business Group is an important part of Brush Wellman's long-term growth strategy. The Company is committed to improving its base business, expanding capabilities in Alloy Products and building a Microelectronics Business. The Microelectronics Business Group will enable the Company to provide improved service and expanded product offerings to customers in the rapidly growing, worldwide microelectronics industry." Brush Wellman Inc., with headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio, is a manufacturer of engineered materials. The Company and its subsidiaries supply worldwide markets with Beryllium Products, Alloy Products, Ceramic Products, Precious Metal Products and Engineered Material Systems.For further information, please contact:Timothy J. ReidVice President Corporate CommunicationsBrush Wellman Inc.17876 St. Clair AvenueCleveland, Ohio 44110(216) 383-6835http://www.brushwellman.com
8/29/97
Williams SFGTM Targets A new dimension for Thin Film processingBy Rod Martinez PVD Product Manager To meet the challenges of the new CD-R and DVD era, Williams has been working diligently to provide processes and materials that optimize our customers returns. Most recently, Williams introduced SFGTM (Super Fine Grain) targets to the thin film industry. This unique approach offers our customer industry leading sputtering yields and maximum return on investment. The requirements of modern thin film process (especially optical films) for low particles superior uniformity and desirable deposition rates have revised the way targets perform in any sputtering process. Targets today have been engineered on their physical appearance as well as their microstructural design. Williams currently controls metallographic grain size and orientation through specific pouring speeds/temperatures, rolling /reduction techniques and specific annealing temperatures. These manufacturing processes have shown to be crucial inoptimizing target and magnetron performance.The crystal structure of precious metals and some base or closed packed hexagonal are either face centered cubic (FCC) closed packed hexagonal. Although, a truly random arrangement is difficult to achieve, Williams new manufacturing approach provides metallurgical grains with random alingment. Williams has identified the following correlating relationships between target texture to sputtering performance. Sputtering rates increases in closed packed directions and also improves in transfer coefficient (ratio of material deposited into the substrate and outside substrate base). Williams SFGTM targets have randomly positioned grains , optimizing the relationship between ejection angle and the amount of atoms ejected normal to the substrate during sputtering. With grain size less than 100u, sputtering rates can be improved by over 100% from a standard 500u grain target. Also yields per energized ion increase showing an important impact on sputtering rates. These target properties clearly indicate an improvement in film uniformity on full-face erosion profile targets. In Addition, its important to mention that through small grain targets, the impedance of the target will be improved helping the process to run cooler and efficiently. Through control of crystal orientation and grain size in planar targets, sputtered film thickness uniformity can be significantly better than +/-3.0%. Our new SFGTM manufacturing technology can take your manufacturing yields to the next level. With precious metals the substantial savings are even more critical to manufacture a high quality, low cost product.
3/27/97
NewsBRUSH WELLMAN SUBSIDIARY RECEIVES TOP MOTOROLA AWARDFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CLEVELAND, Ohio - March 27, 1997 - Brush Wellman Inc. (NYSE-BW) today announced that its Williams Advanced Materials subsidiary in Buffalo, New York has received the "Motorola 1996 Supplier Award of Excellence". The award, one of Motorola's top honors, recognizes suppliers' efforts in quality, service and delivery improvements. Out of a possible 100 points, Williams Advanced Materials received a score of 96.3. Al Bradford of Motorola's Austin, Texas location nominated Williams Advanced Materials for the award. He said a stocking program Williams initiated for Motorola was a deciding factor in the Company's receiving the award. "Over the past year or two, Williams Advanced Materials has continually cooperated in providing Motorola with material from a stocking program for our overseas facility," Bradford said. "This program, initiated by Williams, has enabled us not only to reduce our inventory, but to reduce costs and cycle times as well. It has proven so valuable to Motorola that we are now requiring all vendors to provide this very same service." Williams Advanced Materials serves many Motorola locations around the world. Among other products, Williams supplies Motorola with hermetic lids for microprocessors and various electronic packaging applications. Brush Wellman Inc., with headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio, is a manufacturer of engineered materials. The Company and its subsidiaries supply worldwide markets with Beryllium Products, Alloy Products, Ceramic Products, Precious Metal Products and Specialty Metal Systems.

 

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