Covalent Metrology’s Failure Analysis Group Delivers Enhanced X-Ray Inspection Services

Clients will benefit from up to 4X more detail, 3D reconstruction capabilities, and flexible non-destructive defect imaging on the new Nordson DAGE Quadra 7 X-ray Inspection System

February 17, 2022 – Sunnyvale, CA. Covalent Metrology, a leading North American analytical services company based in Silicon Valley, announced the newly installed Quadra 7 X-ray inspection system, which achieves spatial resolution down to 100 nanometers and delivers 4K-level detail for subsurface imaging. In addition to improved optics, Covalent has equipped the tool to generate 3D reconstructions of buried and surface features. Covalent’s team of failure analysis experts can now accelerate and improve quality control and defect investigation for clients in industries such as consumer electronics, semiconductors, aerospace, and medical devices.

Two-dimensional X-ray radiography (2D X-ray inspection) is one of the best non-destructive methods for investigating internal device structures, identifying, and characterizing failing or defective components, connections, or other obfuscated features. This capability is valuable when analyzing failure mechanisms in printed circuit boards, which may each exhibit unique defects and which commonly fail at buried electrical junctions or regions with tight clearances.

The Quadra 7 enables Covalent experts to deliver faster, clearer images and more accurate dimensional measurements on standard 2D images and cross-sectional slices. Covalent has outfitted its Quadra 7 with an X-Plane Computed Tomography (CT) system and rotating micro-CT stage, permitting localized non-destructive 2D and 3D imaging on boards up to 20 x 17.5 inches² as well as precision CT on smaller boards or individual components. The Failure Analysis team can now image any site on a board up to a magnification of 68,000X and generate a detailed and interactable 3D model of target regions for further analysis. With precise and flexible X-ray dosage parameters on the Quadra 7 system, Covalent can now provide radiographic imaging services for a broader range of samples, including X-ray-sensitive materials.

“The Quadra 7 X-ray inspection system produces fast, high-resolution images in both 2D and 3D, and it can do so anywhere on an intact circuit board with minimal risk of damage,” explains Jeff Sullivan, Vice President of Analytical Services at Covalent, “These capabilities are incredibly useful for analyzing structural faults in packaged electronics and circuit boards. We can now supply clients with more accurate and detailed quality assurance and defect analysis, leading to higher yields and faster root cause analysis.”

Installation of the Quadra 7 is completed, and Covalent experts are ready for customers’ projects.

For media inquiries, contact Shannon Scheiwiller, CMO for Covalent Metrology:  shannon@https://covalentmetrology.com

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