Warwick, RI—Vishay Electro-Films, a technology leader in manufacturing thin-film components and networks on ceramic and silicon, recently completed rebuilding its Rhode Island facility, which had been devastated by a fire in February 2002. The company installed new dicing, laser trimming and laser scribing equipment as part of the rebuild.
Vishay had been using 15 laser trimmers and 3 CO2 machining and drilling systems in the old facility. The new lineup of 13 laser systems includes; 7 Electro Scientific Industries (ESI -Portland, OR) Model 4410 and 2 ESI Model 4370 trimmers, an ESI Model 5300 UV scribing machine and a Coherent Inc. (Santa Clara, CA) sealed-off CO2 laser for special cutouts. All these systems run the company's customized efficient software for specialized complex trimming, taking advantage of the laser's improved efficiency and beam quality. According to Vishay sources the new laser systems dramatically increase yields while reducing downtime by an estimated 85 percent over the older systems.
The Warwick facility is now the world's most modern laser trimming operation, according to ESI. The systems provide the highest precision in beam positioning combined with ultra-stable diode-pumped lasers for the smallest spot sizes in the industry. Glyndwr Smith, Vishay's senior vice president for marketing intelligence, says, "Not only will these machines enable us to set new standards for quality and throughput, they will also enhance Vishay Electro Films' ability to support more intricate HDI designs and individually designed substrates.
Vishay Electro Films is part of Vishay Intertechnology Inc. (Malvern, PA) one of the world's largest manufacturers of discrete semiconductors and passive electronic components. The company has plants in 16 countries and employs more than 25,000 people. Check them out on the Web at www.vishay-EFI.com.
—DAB